John Jones Music

Paradise Cove was a really great place for brunch on Kim’s birthday. It’s at the northern end of Malibu. It’s a really bad place for a swim at many times of the year. It’s located at the mouth of the Ramirez Creek just off PCH (the old Roosevelt highway) Much of Malibu is on septic tank. Not so good for the ocean…

But wow is it beautiful. And it’s only 20 miles from home.

Looking north to Point Dume from Paradise Cove - photo by j jones

My brother Dr Charles Jones paid a visit to the southland this past week from Canada where he is Graduate Program Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario.

Here we are at El Pueblo’s Olvera Street. This was where the City of Los Angeles was founded in 1781.

La Golondrina used to be a favourite hangout for movie stars in the 1930’s.

Where else in the world can you bask in 80 degree weather while looking up at snow on the mountains?

While walking around old Palm Springs (replica of El Mirador tower above) looking at the old mansions of the 1950’s we came across the former home of super star entertainer Liberace

Here in the former monastery where Liberace died in 1987, his room mate has finally sold the house and last weekend it was time to sell much of what was left of the contents in an estate sale.

Below shows the back courtyard surrounded by small rooms for the Nun’s.

The piano shaped pool was in Encino, not here.

Here is a video tour of the house from youtube:

This Harold Lloyd film Girl Shy is fantastic if you have the time to see the whole thing. It’s a time warp back to 1920’s Los Angeles. And other than the cars it doesn’t look that different!

Starting about 3 minutes into Part 7, our hero races past and around the never ending housing tracts of the real estate booming city. At one point in the chase he invents the bouncing car! (modern one)

At 6 minutes into Part 8 he’s stolen a Red Car, part of the largest interurban electric train network on earth. Ever. It peaked in 1925. They had 1000 miles of track to film on! Notice that there aren’t any traffic signals as he blasts through the intersections.

The horses and chariot scene in part 9, which inspired Ben Hur, sees him racing through downtown LA and ending up at Lloyd’s Green Acres home. Today it’s Ron Burkle’s house.

Harold did his own stunts!

Man, what an awesome slice of Los Angeles history!

Mike, Robert and yours truly, in this email photo, taken to send get well wishes to friend Ken.

A Large Bird on Manhattan Beach Pier last weekend.