Planning to join us Saturday for Richard's birthday tour of Highland Park? We'd love to know that before we order the cake by 4pm today!
Gentle reader,
We’re so excited to resume the paused Esotouric tradition of a special tour that doubles as Richard’s birthday party, and this Saturday’s unique outing will skirt the natural and man-made infrastructure of the Arroyo Seco as we explore Highland Park’s history, architecture, historic preservation and topography.
Because a birthday tour includes cake for everyone attending, and the bakery is expecting our order today, we’re asking those of you teetering on the fence to either book your spot—or send us an email saying how likely it is that you’ll be attending—before 4pm.
Don’t make the birthday boy blue by having to give up his slice: let us know if we can expect you!
What can you expect on Saturday’s Highland Park Arroyo Time Travel Trip? We’ll explore the hand-crafted Craftsman home of early City Librarian and preservation activist Charles Fletcher Lummis, stroll through the early 20th century Montecito Heights subdivision to visit notable folk art environments and crime scenes, be among the first people to tour the wonderfully odd and newly restored Arturo and Mabel Bilderrain House with historian and neon sign maker Paul Greenstein, and discover the Heritage Square Museum’s heartbreaking early days with Bunker Hill historian Nathan Marsak and Bunker Hill native son Gordon Pattison.
And just added, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be joined by author Paul (Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles) Haddad, Mr. Freeway himself, for a short talk on the origins of the Pasadena Freeway, to be delivered from a most illuminating overlook. Plus more surprises!
If you love Los Angeles history and architecture and the personalities that shaped the city, and would like to spend a fun day out with nice folks learning things that will send down you rabbit holes of discovery, then this is the guided tour for you.
And we need to know if you’re coming so we can have a big enough cake, so… are you?
yours for Los Angeles,
Kim & Richard
Esotouric
Psst… If you’d like to support our efforts to be the voice of places worth preserving, we have a tip jar and a subscriber edition of this newsletter, vintage Los Angeles webinars available on demand, in-person walking tours, gift certificates and a souvenir shop you can browse in. Or just share this link with other people who care.
Upcoming walking tours into the Secret Heart of Los Angeles:
• Saturday, November 19 - Highland Park Arroyo Time Travel Trip (Richard’s Birthday)
• Sunday, December 4 - La Brea Tar Pits Time Travel Trip
• Saturday, December 10 - All Around the Auto Club West Adams History Tour
• Saturday, December 17 - Bunker Noir! True Crime on Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill Tour