Crazy Frequent Flyer Asians: UA38/37 Dreamliner Nonstop to LA, Vegas & Grand Canyon

[yflyer]

…as we landed, I noticed this array of old aircraft on display…at first I thought this was a museum of some kind…



…but later, when I Googled “Proud Bird”, I realized that this was an aviation-themed Food Bazaar...how interesting! No time to go there on this trip, but a place to check out on a subsequent trip!

[yflyer]

After deplaning and picking up our luggage, we headed to the departure level to catch an Uber. At the time, surge pricing was in force, and fares were quite high, so rather than head to our hotel, we decided catch an Uber to the nearby In-N-Out burger outlet at 9149 S Sepulveda Boulevard for lunch first.

This is a very popular outlet located just next to a runway at LAX…



All In-N-Out's I have visited have been busy, but this one seemed to be exceptionally so. Both the restaurant queue, and the drive-through, had long lines.



I joined the line...



Everything is made fresh at In-N-Out…you could see the staff working at an amazing pace to fulfill orders, which meant the line moved fairly quickly...



The weather that afternoon was perfect. We sat at a table outside…



…and ate our burgers while watching planes land, including, this Singapore airlines 777-300ER...



As I watched 9V-SWU land after operating SQ12, a 10 hour flight from NRT to LAX, I recalled the last time I was on SQ12, which was in 2015. At that time, this flight was still being operated by an Airbus A380. I remember that flight well because I flew J rather than my usual Y (...and enjoyed every minute of it). And on that occasion, schedules had also coincidentally matched up to allow a brief meeting with the esteemed SQflyergirl who was also in transit at NRT -- a meet up which almost didn't happen!

This is a wonderful In-N-Out to go to for a bit of plane-spotting...not to mention their great burgers!

[yflyer]

After lunch, we called for an Uber car from outside the In-N-Out.

Our Uber car dropped us off at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, in downtown LA…



This hotel has recently undergone a full refurbishment, and has been beautifully redecorated…



The front desk…



Lobby seating and bar…



We were upgraded to a suite…



The living room area was very spacious...



The bedroom was very comfortable as well...







Bathroom…



Le Grand Bain toileteries...



Combined tub/shower...



Overall, a very comfortable Suite, newly remodelled, and very nicely furnished.

[yflyer]

The top level of the building is a circular level that houses a gym on one side, and the Sheraton Executive Lounge on the other side, with both these facilities having great views of LA.

The large, well-equipped gym…



The Executive Lounge...



This lounge had large panoramic windows, and comfortable seating...



There was a small work area at one end...



Newpapers and fresh fruit available throughout the day...



Complimentary coffee/tea and soft beverages…



However alcoholic beverages were on a paid basis (California regulations, apparently…)

[yflyer]

In the evening, there was a decent spread of snacks and canapes, including hot selections…











The breakfast selection was fairly extensive as well…





Overall, this was a very nice lounge offering, although the fact that no complimentary wine/beer/liquor was available was a mild disappointment. Still, it was good to have access to a free flow of soft beverages, tea and coffee throughout the day, not to mention a full breakfast, and snacks in the evening.

[yflyer]

The hotel also has an outdoor lounge area…



There is a large Macy’s outlet adjoining the Sheraton…



Overall I thought the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles was a great hotel, in a very convenient location in downtown LA.

[yflyer]

Regulars on SQTalk will know that there is nothing I like better than a run around a city – any city – in order to get to orientated to the city, and just get a sense of the pulse of the place.

But Los Angeles is vast: unlike more compact cities like Rome, Sydney or even San Francisco, where it is possible to get a decent sense of the whole city on foot in a single run, in LA, a car is needed for that.

But it would at least be possible to get a glimpse of part of downtown LA on foot, and that is what I set out to do in the afternoon.

I was warned beforehand that parts of downtown LA could be a bit dodgy, and I did see a number of homeless people along the street (Many of whom appeared to be intoxicated or under the influence of some substance or other…). I felt safe during the day, but I would not have wanted to head out to the quieter parts of the city at night.

With that in mind, I headed out for a mid-afternoon run through downtown LA…

I started at the Sheraton, and headed first towards the LA Public Library, a beautiful building topped by a gold pyramid, first built in 1926...now dwarfed by the skyscrapers around it.



I did not enter the library on this run, but I did head inside the library with Mrs yflyer a day later...



The interior of the library was stunning (Pictures of the library from the day after the run)...





A glimpse into the Children's section...

[yflyer]

Back to my run...

I passed the LA Public Library at the 1km mark...



...and continued running to the Disney Concert Hall at the 2km mark…



…and then past City Hall and the Court House…



...and the headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)...



...this young man thought that the steps and slopes of the LAPD HQ were great for skateboarding...





Along South Broadway, I passed Grand Central Market...



Nothing quite like a run through the city to get a feel of the place.







A satisfying 5km run, which was all I had time for before dinner…

My full route that day, starting and ending at the Sheraton, with several landmarks highlighted:

- LA Public Library at the 1km mark
- Disney Concert call at the 2km mark
- City Hall and Los Angeles Police Department HQ at around the 3km mark
- Grand Central Market at around the 3.75km mark
- Pershing Square at around the 4.5km mark

[yflyer]

That evening, we walked from the Sheraton to a restaurant, Broken Spanish, for dinner…



Our table was in the main dining room, which was cosy, intimate and dimly lit…



…which was great for a romantic dinner.

On the other hand, for anyone interested in taking food pics, a better choice might have been the bar counter, which was a lot brighter...



The menu…



Drinks…



There was an extensive wine list available as well.

[yflyer]

We ordered their Margarita's, one made with Tequila Blanco, and the other with Mezcal…



Both were great...if I had to choose, I would go for the Mezcal Margarita, which had a wonderful smoky flavour...

What was the difference between Tequila and Mezcal? A great article comparing these two Agave-based liquors can be found here.

We liked the taste of Mezcal so much that we later ordered two other Mezcal-based cocktails...a Duende Verde and an Oxacan Remedy...



As for food, we shared a delicious lamb tamale…



...and a wonderfully tasty Octopus…



Along with those dishes, we had their signature blue heirloom corn tortilla, with whipped carnitas fat as a dip...



Dessert menu…



Milhojas…



A very enjoyable meal...

Given that there were only two of us, we barely scratched the surface in terms of trying different things on the menu. Best to come in a larger group, where you can order away and share/sample the many delights on offer...

[yflyer]

The next morning, I set out on the last run of the trip, along the Pacific Ocean, from Venice Beach, starting at Marina Del Ray, all the way to Santa Monica Pier along Santa Monica Beach.

The last time I was in LA, in 2015, I did a run along Manhattan Beach, to the south of Marina Del Ray. Back then, I resolved to run along Venice and Santa Monica beaches the next time I was back, and that is what I set out to do that morning...

I took an Uber from the Sheraton to Via Marina at Marina Del Ray, at the Southern end of Venice Beach, right where Marina Del Ray flows into the Pacific Ocean.

The starting point, at Marina Del Ray...



Canoes heading down the Marina Del Ray waterway towards the Pacific Ocean…



I ran to the end of the long breakwater leading out to sea, before doubling back towards the beach and continuing north on the sandy shore...



Venice Beach was a vast expanse of white sand stretching to the north, towards Santa Monica beach...



On this initial stretch, I made the decision to run on the sand, close to the water, rather than the path closer to the beach homes lining the beach...and probably regretted it just a little as it took just that much more effort and energy to run on the soft sand.



On the other hand, if a workout was what you needed, this would definitely have fit the bill...



I passed tanned lifeguards, who were on duty in the blue wooden lookouts positioned at regular intervals along the beach...



Looking back at Venice Beach…



I slogged along the soft sand for 2km from Marina Del Ray all the way to Venice Beach Pier...



It was a relief to finally step onto the concrete pier itself, where my shoes did not continually sink into the soft sand...

[yflyer]

Surfers were out in force that day…





...both on the water and on land...



After Venice Beach Pier, I got off the sand and continued my run on the pavement...enough running of running on soft sand!

I continued on the footpath, past beach homes lining the waterfront that must have been very pricey…



Venice Beach was lined with shops…



I jogged past a very competitive basketball game...



Many folks out that morning for walks, jogs, or bike rides...



The skate park…



Many beach volleyball courts spread out on the very broad beach...



...no wonder the USA is a frequent winner/medalist at men's and women's beach volleyball tournaments (Along with Brazil, another country with a strong beach culture...)

There were public restrooms conveniently located along the way (Including one on the beach right at my start point near Via Marina)…

[yflyer]

Eventually I reached the original Muscle Beach…





…and ended my run on Santa Monica Pier.





The beach stretched on seemingly endlessly to the north...I could have gone on running, but I was out of time...

A very satisfying run, with a total distance covered of 9km.



Perfect for working up an appetite for a lunch, which was to come…

I caught an Uber back to the hotel, showered and got dressed to head out for lunch.

[SQfanatic]

Desserts from Cristina Tosi's Milk Bar bakery, also part of David Chang's restaurant group, are served at Momofuku...



Crack Pie a la Mode…



I had to read the sign outside the restaurant, at the Milk Bar counter, to figure out what Crack Pie was…



For anyone with a sweet tooth, the Milk Bar, right next door to Momofuku, looks like a great place to grab a snack or dessert…





Overall, a wonderful meal at Momofuku...

I think the brilliance of David Chang’s creations is that he was one of the first to successfully mix and match cuisine from different cultures in a way that resonated with diners (And food critics...) regardless of whether your tastebuds were more attuned to Eastern or Western tastes. Many dishes, like Bo Ssam or his signature pork belly “man tou” buns, are clearly and firmly Asian, but others like the big eye tuna with shaved foie gras and strawberries are clearly the result of a much broader set of influences…

Remind me to try this if I ever go to Vegas next time. Looks so delicious, though I will control my intake as I'm a pre-diabetic.

[SQfanatic]

That evening, our last in Vegas, we headed to The Mirage, to catch a Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil performance…



…after the performance, we headed to the Bellagio Fountains...



…and watched the fountain water jets sway and spray in time with the music for one last time…



Just as it was last weekend, when we had first arrived, the Vegas Strip was buzzing with activity this late Friday evening...



We ended the evening with a stroll down the Las Vegas Strip, back to our hotel...

What an amazing week in this unique city.

I really love the Bellagio shows and their music. I definitely enjoyed their Christmas version when I went back in 2013 and the usual version when I went on MLK weekend of 2016. My hope is that I can go back to LV again in the near future.