It was that time of year again...
time to hit the road.
One of the oldest eateries in LA, located near Olvera Street, China Town and surrounding historical landmarks.
Little did we know our day would end at the happiest place on earth but, first...
we had to endure the insane freeway traffic -- an adventure in itself.
LA freeways are the worst!
Where do all these cars come from and where are they going?
Starbucks coffee, a bagel and a few hours later, we arrived.
My feet were numb from sitting for so long.
Philippe's has their own parking lot for customers, which made it that much easier and quicker to get our sandwich.
I didn't know what to expect before walking in but, I was pleasantly surprised.
The lunch hour rush was in full swing but the ladies behind the counter were so efficient, we didn't wait very long at all. With plenty of seating throughout the first floor as well as the second.
After our meal we explored the building. If only these walls could talk. The restaurant walls are decorated with plaques and newspaper articles sharing the history. You can also find a souvenir shop by one of the entrances.
BTW, I had the turkey dipped sandwich. It was delish!
After lunch we crossed the street to Olvera St. to fill our day with Mexican culture.
We were planning to go to ArtWalk after lunch, thank goodness we decided against it. Late in the evening we heard reports about riots in the streets of downtown caused by a group not related to the Artwalk organization.
Walking down the VERY short street, we saw traditional candies and artifacts from Mexico.
We toured an adobe house built in 1818; known to be one of the oldest in LA.
We saw a stuffed burro ready for its photo-op.
After our tour we headed across the street to Union Station.
Gorgeous inside and out. If anyone ever has the opportunity to take the train to LA, I hope Union Station is one of your stops.
continued on the next post. :-)