BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Esotouric - ECPv6.17.5.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Esotouric X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://esotouric.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Esotouric REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20210314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20211107T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20220313T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20221106T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20230312T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20231105T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230422T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230422T133000 DTSTAMP:20230314T233731Z CREATED:20230307T042856Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230314T233731Z UID:10000554-1682159400-1682170200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ALVARADO TERRACE & SOUTH BONNIE BRAE TRACT TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:When people talk about Victorian Los Angeles\, they usually bring up Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights and the lost neighborhood of Bunker Hill above Downtown—and we offer tours of both those neighborhoods. But there are other time capsule residential districts that are just as beautiful and compelling\, hiding in plain sight just off Pico and Olympic in the heart of the city. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time exploring the layers of history to be found in Westlake / Pico-Union\, on a walk that includes two stunning National Register Districts: Alvarado Terrace and the South Bonnie Brae Tract\, as well as the handsome homes and apartment hotels that are their near neighbors. \nStarting from the tropical garden courtyard of the elegant William Penn Hotel—now called The Sinclair LA—just south of MacArthur Park\, we’ll set out to discover the rich and compelling cultural\, architectural and true crime history of these historic residential neighborhoods\, and the commercial corridors that connect them. \nOn this walk\, you’ll see gorgeous homes reflecting the eclectic range of styles in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras—Queen Anne\, Gothic\, Colonial Revival\, Craftsman\, Mission Revival\, Chateauesque\, Shingle\, Chalet and Tudor—and get to know the interesting original residents and the curious characters drawn to their white elephant mansions in later decades. Featured players include a colorful cast of self-dealing politicians\, crooked cops\, gay physique photographers\, cult leaders\, civil rights activists\, wild teens\, do-gooders and lost souls whose stories will stick with you. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at The Sinclair LA at 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90057. Please arrive on time and proceed through the lobby to the central courtyard check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThe nearest paid public parking lot is at 730 S Lake St 90057. This lot has an attendant to take your $10 payment (cash only). \nThe nearest Metro station is Westlake/MacArthur Park station on the B and D lines. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours. There are a few slight hills along the way but mostly we will be walking over level ground at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. \nA restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/alvarado-terrace-spring-2023/ LOCATION:The Sinclair LA\, 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, 90057\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alvarado-Terrace-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230415T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230415T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T232408Z CREATED:20221230T030927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T232408Z UID:10000550-1681554600-1681565400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:RAYMOND CHANDLER’S NOIR DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip in the footsteps of master detective novelist Raymond Chandler and his cynical alter ego Philip Marlowe\, in the historic heart of Downtown Los Angeles. \nChicago-born and educated in a fine English boarding school\, Chandler found his literary voice during long boozy lunches as a 1920s oil company executive\, quietly observing the criminal origins of great Los Angeles fortunes. Although he left Downtown in the 1930s and found success with fiction and screenwriting\, the old neighborhood cast an abiding spell and he returned to it throughout his career. \nThis tour explores some of the time capsule sites where the young Chandler worked and played\, and where the mature writer set some of his most memorable and murderous scenes. From Angels Flight Railway and old Bunker Hill to the Oviatt Building\, Clifton’s Cafeteria to seedy hotels on the edge of Skid Row\, we’ll bring Chandler’s real and invented worlds alive on a stroll among beautiful\, fascinating landmarks. \nAlong the way\, you’ll get to know the real Raymond Chandler\, with intimate details sleuthed out by the tour guides who over many years of noir exploration have discovered Chandler’s previously unknown comic operetta and penned a Chandler map and nonfiction novel The Kept Girl about the real life cult of angel worshippers who fleeced his oil executive colleague and were front page news in a crime crazed city. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/chandler-walk-spring-2023/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/chandler-tour-collage.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230408T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230408T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T232329Z CREATED:20221230T195514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T232329Z UID:10000551-1680949800-1680960600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:JOHN FANTE’S DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES TOUR & BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip in the footsteps of novelist and screenwriter John Fante (1909-1983) through Downtown Los Angeles and Bunker Hill\, On this special edition of the tour hosted on John Fante’s birthday\, we’ll be joined by Fante’s family and Bunker Hill native son Gordon Pattison\, and end the walk with birthday cake. \nBefore Jack Kerouac\, before Charles Bukowski\, there was John Fante\, author of the classic comic novel Ask the Dust (1939) and four more books featuring his alter-ego Arturo Bandini\, an outspoken\, down-and-out Mr. Hyde to Fante’s Dr. Jekyll. As Bunker Hill’s prodigal son\, Fante chronicles a colorful Los Angeles neighborhood teeming with immigrants\, criminals and dreamers like himself\, until redevelopment forces swept the people\, the buildings and much of Bunker Hill itself away. But Arturo Bandini’s voice remains as strong and relevant today as it was in 1939. So please join us as we follow in his footsteps\, to the hidden speakeasy beneath the King Eddy Saloon\, Central Library and John Fante Square\, for a ride on his beloved Angels Flight Railway and across the new\, corporate Bunker Hill in search of echoes of the lost neighborhood. This walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/fante-birthday-2023/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/fante-tour-collage-fixed.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230325T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230325T133000 DTSTAMP:20230120T012023Z CREATED:20221229T035726Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230120T012023Z UID:10000549-1679740200-1679751000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ANGELINO HEIGHTS AND CARROLL AVENUE TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:Angelino Heights is the living\, beating heart of Victorian Los Angeles\, a nearly perfect late 19th century neighborhood where time seems to stand still. \nBut the historic district—including every location scout’s favorite Carroll Avenue—is actually the happy result of decades of carefully planned house moving\, vintage streetlight sourcing\, power line burial\, design guideline crafting and passionate advocacy by local preservationists. They did such a terrific job that it looks as if it’s always been this way. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time into Angelino Heights\, on a walk that tells the stories of the early Los Angeles neighborhood\, its notable characters\, landscape and landmarks\, and the visionary Angelenos who invented new tools to protect and improve the district. \nStarting from the foot of Angelino Heights on Sunset Boulevard\, where the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul operated the city’s first hospital\, we’ll set out to discover Angelino Heights’ rich and compelling cultural\, architectural\, historic preservation and true crime history. You’ll see fascinating bits of Victorian infrastructure both original and salvaged\, get to know colorful locals like the artist Leo Politi\, discover the architects who shaped this early streetcar suburb\, see where little Marion Parker was held in the kidnapping case that captivated the nation\, and enjoy a stroll among some of the most beautiful and eclectic residences in town. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am outside of Guisados restaurant at 1261 Sunset Blvd\, Los Angeles\, CA 90026. Please arrive on time to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \nBRUNCH / SNACK OPTIONS\nGuisados opens at 9am\, and offers Mexican breakfast and lunch options\, with indoor and outdoor patio seating. The menu can be reviewed here. If you plan to eat\, please plan to arrive early\, as the tour will begin promptly at 10:30am. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: NIf you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine.\n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is ample unmetered street parking with no time restrictions throughout the neighborhood. Please read any posted signs before parking. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/angelino-heights-spring-2023/ LOCATION:Guisados Echo Park\, 1261 Sunset Blvd\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90038\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/angelino-heights-featuredWP-use.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230318T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230318T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T231848Z CREATED:20221229T034803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T231848Z UID:10000548-1679135400-1679146200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:FRANKLIN VILLAGE OLD HOLLYWOOD TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:There is one Los Angeles neighborhood that seems to vibrate on a special frequency\, where the layers of offbeat spiritual\, cultural\, music industry\, motion picture\, architectural and true crime history knit together to tell an only-in-Hollywood story: Franklin Village. \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive walk back through time to get to know the colorful characters\, faith\, folly\, fantasies and heartbreak that left their eternal mark on this beautiful and historic corner of the city. \nStarting from the hillside Hindu ashram Vedanta\, where the English writers Christopher Isherwood and Aldous Huxley expanded their minds as the Hollywood freeway cut the neighborhood in two\, we’ll descend down into the flats then up again on a tour that spans the highest consciousness and the depths of depravity\, lovely architecture and landscapes\, real life and fictional noir narratives that will have even locals exclaiming “I never knew that!” \nStops include the Parva Sed Apartments from Nathanael West’s dark Hollywood fantasy The Day of the Locust\, the Chateau Alto Nido from Sunset Boulevard\, the site of the high profile police raid that inspired Jack Webb to create Dragnet\, a nightmarish tale of a Capitol Record co-worker run amok\, City Hall gadflies\, torched landmarks\, lost restaurants\, a serial killer who hunted in his own backyard\, and a visit to Monastery of the Angels\, the nearly century old community of Dominican nuns that is beginning a new chapter with its recent suppression by the Vatican. \nOn our return to Vedanta as the tour concludes\, you will have an opportunity to shop in the temple bookstore. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. It was featured in the VERA Virgin Atlantic in-flight magazine feature\, Lost Angeles. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CHECK-IN DETAILS:\nTour begins at 10.30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am under the Bo Tree to the right of the domed temple at the Vedanta Society of Southern California\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, CA 90068. Please arrive on time to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nYou may park in the open air lot at the Vedanta Society of Southern California\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, CA 90068. The nearest Metro station is Hollywood and Vine on the B line. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/franklin-village-spring-2023/ LOCATION:Vedanta Temple Hollywood\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, 90068\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vedanta-Featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230311T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230311T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T001524Z CREATED:20221203T021428Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T001524Z UID:10000530-1678530600-1678541400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES IS FOR BOOK LOVERS DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric on a tour revealing the bookish cultural history in the heart of the city\, packed with tales of colorful Los Angeles writers\, readers and booksellers. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, where the young John Fante hustled cheap fruit from the Japanese vendors to fuel his dreams of becoming Bunker Hill’s great novelist\, we’ll blaze a time traveler’s trail along Hill\, Grand and Broadway\, visiting Central Library with its street corner monuments to Fante and Ray Bradbury\, to former locations of legendary book sellers Jake Zeitlin\, Caravan\, Dawson’s and Fowler’s\, explore Pershing Square’s rich literary history and symbolism\, and so much more. Featured players include Jack Kerouac\, Charles Bukowski\, Hart Crane\, John Rechy\, Aldous Huxley\, Carey McWilliams and legendary early city librarians Mary Foy and Tessa Kelso. And because it’s an Esotouric tour\, you’ll enjoy lesser known\, offbeat tales about L.A. books and the oddballs who love them. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/book-lovers-winter-2023/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Booklovers-downtown-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230225T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230225T133000 DTSTAMP:20230221T184941Z CREATED:20221205T232720Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230221T184941Z UID:10000535-1677321000-1677331800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:Tour Cancelled Due To Rain - WESTLAKE PARK TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:The tour is going to be rescheduled in the near future due to heavy rains forecast for this weekend. Please stay tuned.\n \n \n \n \n \n When Los Angeles was young\, Westlake was a favorite pleasure park\, with boating\, a mini-zoo and exotic trees for lovers to spoon under\, surrounded by grand mansions and elegant hotels. Then in 1934\, Wilshire Boulevard punched through the lake\, marking the ascendency of the automobile. Westlake would never be the same. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time exploring the layers of history hiding in plain sight in and around Westlake (MacArthur) Park. \nStarting from the tropical garden courtyard of the elegant William Penn Hotel—now called The Sinclair LA—we’ll set out to discover the rich and compelling cultural\, architectural and true crime history of this fascinating L.A. neighborhood. \nOn this walk\, you’ll learn about the legendary booksellers and influential art academies that thrived here\, see where cult leader Jim Jones lost his cool\, visit a little known monument to detective novelist Raymond Chandler\, learn where a bomb was set for the publisher of the Los Angeles Times\, thrill to the offbeat goings on at the Elks’ Lodge\, plus enjoy early pleasure park lore\, silent film locations\, mysteriously mummified infants\, and a stop to admire the only art nouveau castle home in Los Angeles\, a rare domestic commission by master architect John Parkinson. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at The Sinclair LA at 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90057. Please arrive on time and proceed through the lobby to the central courtyard check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThe nearest paid public parking lot is at 730 S Lake St 90057. This lot has an attendant to take your $10 payment (cash only). \nThe nearest Metro station is Westlake/MacArthur Park station on the B and D lines. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/westlake-winter-2023/ LOCATION:The Sinclair LA\, 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, 90057\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/westlake-featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230218T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230218T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T001358Z CREATED:20221203T023913Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T001358Z UID:10000532-1676716200-1676727000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:EVERGREEN CEMETERY\, 1877 DESCRIPTION:Los Angeles\, 1877: a sleepy village of 10\,000 souls on the cusp of a wild real estate boom. In the budding Eastside suburb of Boyle Heights\, a group of civic minded citizens establish a 67 acre cemetery with room to grow for the city to come: Evergreen! \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip from the cemetery’s founding through the present day\, revealing the colorful characters who helped shape the ethnically mixed\, non-denominational cemetery and the city\, including prominent families like Lankershim\, Hollenbeck\, Van Nuys\, Bixby and Workman\, and other fascinating figures who rest forever among 300\,000 souls. You’ll see beautiful early monuments crafted by local stonemasons and a rare signed memorial\, spot the lucky lizard\, the hidden maiden and the prancing pink tiger\, descend into the Chinese Shrine and visit the shores of the lost Crystal Lake. \nThis walking tour draws on newly discovered\, unpublished documents to tell the forgotten early history of L.A.’s oldest cemetery\, and is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am just inside the main cemetery gate. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n BE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable\, closed-toe walking shoes\, sunscreen\, and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is plenty of parking inside the cemetery along the main roads. Please do not use the stalls in front of the office or park close to the chapel. The nearest Gold Line station is Indiana. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/evergreen-winter-2023/ LOCATION:Evergreen Cemetery\, 204 N Evergreen Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90033\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/EastsideBabylon-evergreenGates-Cropped.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230211T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230211T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T001404Z CREATED:20221203T023310Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T001404Z UID:10000531-1676111400-1676122200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:BROADWAY: DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES’ BEAUTIFUL\, MAGICAL MESS DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric on a stroll through the National Register Broadway Theatre District\, the largest collection of historic motion picture palaces in the country\, on an architectural\, cultural and public policy history tour of a great street that needs a lot of help. How did Broadway take shape in the early 20th Century\, why did the entertainment and retail district decline\, and who are the personalities who have sought to preserve\, reactivate and profit from it—not always successfully? \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, we’ll honor the visionary developer Ira Yellin\, who believed that there was a second life possible for empty early 20th century office buildings\, and changed city law so that Angelenos could live in them. \nAcross Broadway at the Bradbury Building\, Terry McKelvey turned his dad’s dull commercial real estate business into an incubator for creativity\, and dreamed of a Victorian-themed Downtown Los Angeles Gaslight District\, until his personal demons pulled that dream out from under him. \nDown at the United Artists\, obtained through a sweetheart deal involving suitcases full of cash and convenient earthquakes\, offbeat preacher Dr. Gene Scott raised millions through bizarre televised sermons\, for theater restoration\, rare books and preservation of the iconic Jesus Saves neon sign. \nAnd up in City Hall\, ambitious councilman Jose Huizar saw Broadway as a political branding opportunity\, expending civic resources to organize massive street parties with his name on every marquee\, while pushing policies that encouraged speculation at the expense of Broadway’s small businesses—until the FBI came calling. \nSpecial on this edition of the Broadway tour: we’re joined by Miriam and Victoria Caldwell\, sharing insights from the 1950s diaries of their mother Vilma\, whose adventures as a hard-boiled Clifton’s Cafeteria camera girl bring a lost world to life. \nAlong the way\, we’ll talk about what it means to be National Register District\, how the Jewelry District used old buildings in fresh new ways and how the lessons of Wilshire’s Wiltern Theatre could be used to reactivate downtown’s dark venues\, while pointing out the sites of lost landmarks\, hidden details\, ghost signs and magic carpets of terrazzo that make up this beautiful\, magical mess at the heart of the city. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/broadway-winter-2023/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Broadway-magic-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230129T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230129T133000 DTSTAMP:20221231T001229Z CREATED:20221203T030026Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221231T001229Z UID:10000533-1674988200-1674999000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:MIRACLE MILE MARVELS & MADNESS DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive excursion all around Wilshire and Fairfax\, the western terminus of the Miracle Mile. We’re on the trail of a layered history that leads from Columbian mammoths foraging in the last Ice Age to today’s construction cranes\, with some fascinating detours along the way. We’ll explore the La Brea Tar Pits as a zone of pre-colonial commerce and Victorian scientific discovery\, revealing the fossil hoard’s role in east coast theatrical spiritualism and a deathless romance. Then on to Wilshire Boulevard\, where bean fields turned almost overnight to an ultramodern Jazz Age canyon of car culture commerce\, including the magnificent Art Deco May Company (and yes\, it’s a crime scene). And as the county’s art museum struggles to remake itself with a controversial new building and curatorial vision\, we’ll honor the institution that was\, and sneaky artists who got their work displayed without curatorial review\, all seen through the candid lens of your guides’ advocacy for preserving the 1965 William Pereira campus. Plus\, a stroll through the immediate neighborhood on an architectural treasure hunt\, including some sweet echoes of the lost LACMA. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. And next time some silly person tries to tell you Los Angeles doesn’t have any history\, having taken this tour will give you everything you need to set them straight. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 12 noon sharp\, with check-in time 11:30am at the picnic tables near the restrooms in the southeast corner of the La Brea Tar Pits park\, at the Wilshire & Curson Avenue entrance. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is street parking in the neighborhood\, on Sixth Street\, Orange Street\, Crescent Heights Boulevard\, Eighth Street\, and Hauser Boulevard. As the tour is on a Sunday\, there are no restrictions on street parking. The nearest Metro station is Wilshire/Vermont. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/miracle-mile-winter-2023/ LOCATION:La Brea Tar Pits\, Wilshire Blvd & S Curson Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90036\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/miracle-mile-featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230121T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230121T133000 DTSTAMP:20230119T230101Z CREATED:20221203T031152Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230119T230101Z UID:10000534-1674297000-1674307800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:HUMAN SACRIFICE: THE BLACK DAHLIA\, ELISA LAM\, HEIDI PLANCK & SKID ROW SLASHER CASES DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric’s Kim Cooper and Richard Schave\, the Skid Row historians featured in “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel\,” and their special guest Joan Renner\, on a true crime and cultural history walking tour that explores the terrifying intersection of real estate speculation\, housing insecurity and death in Downtown Los Angeles from the 1940s to the present. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, we’ll fan out over the historic core to visit significant sites in the investigations of three notorious and heartbreaking cases: the kidnapping and murder of Beth Short in 1947\, the serial killing of seven poor or homeless men by Vaughn Greenwood between December 1974 and January 1975\, and Elisa Lam’s disappearance and drowning while staying at the Stay on Main hostel inside the single room occupancy Hotel Cecil in 2013. We’ll also talk about the October 2021 disappearance of Heidi Planck\, although we won’t trek as far as the Hope + Flower apartments where she was last seen. \nYou’ll learn about the importance of newspaper reporting to 20th century crime investigations\, and the role of internet communities today\, hear about how previous generations slept rough in all-night movie theaters\, alleys and under bushes\, how the high cost or lack of housing options make victims more vulnerable\, and about property developers who bend the rules to transform low-income residency hotels and market rate apartments into profitable blind spots where people can vanish. \nAlong the way\, you’ll get to know the victims as sympathetic and relatable people who serve as fascinating windows into real life and death in Los Angeles over the decades and learn how public policy choices can set the stage for avoidable tragedy. \nCan understanding why true crimes happened help Los Angeles finally solve its housing crisis? We think it can! \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n About Our Guest Host\nJoan Renner is a true crime author and commentator. Her blog\, Deranged L.A. Crimes\, covers 20th century crimes and scandals. The L.A. Weekly called her book The First with the latest: Aggie Underwood\, the Los Angeles Herald\, and the Sordid Crimes of a City\, “A great introduction to some long-forgotten L.A. crimes.” Over the past decade\, she has appeared in over sixty TV shows and podcasts such as City of Angels\, City of Death; Deadly Women; Buried in the Backyard; and Hollywood & Crime. She is currently working on a book for University Press Kentucky about Los Angeles during the Prohibition era. When she’s not writing about or researching crime\, Joan volunteers as an archivist at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Museum. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Click the “+” button for the number of tickets desired\, then click “Get Tickets” to check out. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/human-sacrifice-winter-2023/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Hotel-Cecil-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221217T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221217T133000 DTSTAMP:20221217T152650Z CREATED:20221027T170054Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221217T152650Z UID:10000537-1671273000-1671283800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:BUNKER NOIR! TRUE CRIME ON LOS ANGELES’ BUNKER HILL TOUR DESCRIPTION:Until the redevelopment agency bulldozed it all\, Los Angeles had a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood in the heart of the city\, with Victorian mansions converted to boarding houses\, meandering stairways and lush gardens. The buildings were old\, but full of character. Bunker Hill’s residents included retirees and workers\, artists and writers\, families and loners… crime victims and perps. \nJoin Esotouric and Nathan Marsak for a time travel trip through a lost neighborhood viewed through the bloodstained lens of its true crime history. Long before Nathan was the esteemed author of Bunker Hill Los Angeles: Essence of Sunshine and Noir\, he was a collaborator on our 1947project blog\, an experiment in understanding Los Angeles by exploring its forgotten crimes and crime scenes\, with one full year dedicated to an archeological exploration of old Bunker Hill.  Nathan is so committed to preserving Bunker Hill that he’s recently become an Angels Flight operator\, to help keep an eye on the tiny funicular that once served the community’s mass transit needs. \nThis immersive time travel trip is the ghoulish companion to the Bunker Hill\, Dead and Alive\, tour\, shifting the focus from architecture\, history and redevelopment to some of the strange and awful things that happened on Bunker Hill\, which when combined with its use as a film location\, helped to shape the neighborhood’s abiding reputation as the noir stain on the land of sunshine. \nOn this tour\, you’ll get to know the darker side of Bunker Hill\, but the astonishing beauty of its buildings\, culture and community will also shine through. It is recommended for mature audiences.  Bunker Noir! is also the name of Nathan’s true crime zine\, a collection of terrible tales and rare photos that will be available for purchase and signing after the tour. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nOur priority is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for our guests and guides on these outdoor walking tours. Because guides will not be masked when telling stories\, and because different people have different levels of risk tolerance\, we have strict mask policies for attendees. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated. These simple rules are being implemented for the benefit of all attending. Anybody not abiding by these rules will be given one chance to shape up\, then asked to leave the tour if it happens again. There are no refunds or exchanges for anyone removed from a tour for violating the rules. \nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 2 1/2 to 3 hours moving at a casual pace. We’ll mostly be moving over level ground\, but there will be some uphill grades to tackle along the way. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen\, a hat and a medical-grade mask. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING: Attendees must bring a medical-grade mask (i.e. N95\, KN95\, KF94) to wear when checking in\, during those portions of the tour when the group is gathered together listening to the tour guides (who will not wear masks when telling stories)\, and when talking with the tour guides one-on-one. If you are more comfortable not wearing a mask while walking between tour stops\, you’re free to remove it\, while maintaining physical space from anyone not from your household. Masks must be worn properly\, covering mouth and nose completely\, and not have any exhalation valves\, vents or holes of any kind. Thank you for working with us to keep guests and guides healthy\, and please let us know if you have any questions about these policies. \nARGH\, I FORGOT MY MASK: Wave to us from a healthy distance at the check in table and point to your cute face. We’ve got you. \nVACCINATION: We do not require proof of vaccination for outdoor walking tours. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/bunker-hill-noir-12-17-22/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/bunker-hiil-noir-featured-3-WP.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221210T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221210T133000 DTSTAMP:20221028T184013Z CREATED:20221026T163505Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221028T184013Z UID:10000545-1670668200-1670679000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ALL AROUND THE AUTO CLUB WEST ADAMS HISTORY TOUR DESCRIPTION:For everybody who ever drove to the Automobile Club HQ to renew their registration or pick up maps for a road trip\, or cruised by at 70 mph on the 110\, here’s a chance to slow down and explore an early Los Angeles neighborhood that rewards a pedestrian’s pace. \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip beginning with the Automobile Club of Southern California itself\, to admire the mini museum of vintage highway signage and two of the southland’s great trees. Then we’ll stroll along West Adams Boulevard\, once the city’s most elegant address for interesting Angelenos like oilman Edward and bookworm Carrie Doheny\, screen vamp Theda Bara and tragic comic Fatty Arbuckle. You’ll see early irrigation infrastructure\, elegant clubhouses\, esoteric faith centers\, homeless shelters\, gay archives\, the surveyor’s edge of Spanish Los Angeles and our first gated community\, discover a lost mansion that lives on in Hollywood’s Magic Castle\, and take a spin through the elegant St. James Park National Register District to admire gorgeous homes and learn about the ongoing battle to preserve this pocket of 19th century Los Angeles from insensitive development. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos and maps you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am in the courtyard of the Automobile Club of Southern California at 2601 South Figueroa. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT\nPlease do not park at the Auto Club. There is street parking and several paid lots nearby\, including: \n\nAmple street and metered parking in the neighborhood\, especially around St James Park.\nUniversity Gateway at Figueroa & 32nd Street with a daily maximum of $18 that kicks in after 2 hours.\nUSC Village at 3301 S Hoover Street\, $5/hour and a daily maximum of $30.\n\nIf using street parking\, please read all signs carefully\, as restrictions apply. The nearest Metro station is Grand/LATTC. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/around-west-adams-12-10-22/ LOCATION:AAA Los Angeles\, 2601 S Figueroa St\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90007\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AAA-featured-image-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221204T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221204T133000 DTSTAMP:20221130T161725Z CREATED:20221026T172013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221130T161725Z UID:10000546-1670149800-1670160600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:Canceled Due to Inclement Weather: LA BREA TAR PITS TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive excursion all around Wilshire and Fairfax\, the western terminus of the Miracle Mile. We’re on the trail of a layered history that leads from Columbian mammoths foraging in the last Ice Age to today’s construction cranes\, with some fascinating detours along the way. We’ll explore the La Brea Tar Pits as a zone of pre-colonial commerce and Victorian scientific discovery\, revealing the fossil hoard’s role in east coast theatrical spiritualism and a deathless romance. Then on to Wilshire Boulevard\, where bean fields turned almost overnight to an ultramodern Jazz Age canyon of car culture commerce\, including the magnificent Art Deco May Company (and yes\, it’s a crime scene). And as the county’s art museum struggles to remake itself with a controversial new building and curatorial vision\, we’ll honor the institution that was\, and sneaky artists who got their work displayed without curatorial review\, all seen through the candid lens of your guides’ advocacy for preserving the 1965 William Pereira campus. Plus\, a stroll through the immediate neighborhood on an architectural treasure hunt\, including some sweet echoes of the lost LACMA. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. And next time some silly person tries to tell you Los Angeles doesn’t have any history\, having taken this tour will give you everything you need to set them straight. \n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 12 noon sharp\, with check-in time 11:30am at the picnic tables near the restrooms in the southeast corner of the La Brea Tar Pits park\, at the Wilshire & Curson Avenue entrance. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is street parking in the neighborhood\, on Sixth Street\, Orange Street\, Crescent Heights Boulevard\, Eighth Street\, and Hauser Boulevard. As the tour is on a Sunday\, there are no restrictions on street parking. The nearest Metro station is Wilshire/Vermont. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/tar-pits-time-travel-12-4-22/ LOCATION:La Brea Tar Pits\, Wilshire Blvd & S Curson Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90036\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TarPits-3-Cropped.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221119T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221119T150000 DTSTAMP:20221021T021253Z CREATED:20220924T231043Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221021T021253Z UID:10000539-1668853800-1668870000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:HIGHLAND PARK ARROYO TIME TRAVEL TRIP (RICHARD’S BIRTHDAY) DESCRIPTION:Come take a walk back through time in one of our favorite early Los Angeles suburbs: Highland Park\, down around the Arroyo. We’ll begin the adventure at El Alisal\, the Pueblo Revival / Craftsman style home of author\, preservationist and civic booster Charles Fletcher Lummis. Following a tour of the house museum and tales of The Old Man’s advocacy for saving Southern California landmarks\, documenting traditional recipes and songs\, and recognizing Native American achievements in art and architecture\, we’ll set out on a stroll around the lower Arroyo\, for tales of fascinating characters\, remarkable buildings and places where the past is so very present you can almost kiss it. \nOn our walk\, we’ll explore Griffin Avenue\, part of an early subdivision\, and share stories of crimes and oddities that took place there. And we’ll stop at the one-time home of Florencio Morales\, to honor the neighborhood hero folk artist whose wild holiday displays were a citywide sensation in the early 1990s. \nWe’ll get a tour of the the Arturo and Mabel Bilderrain House (1912)\, an unusual\, transitional home that blends the then popular Craftsman and Mission Revival styles with elements that reflect the inward facing adobe culture of the Spanish Colonial-era\, to learn about the famous pet rooster\, and ascend 40 steps to see the landmarked Young-Gribling Residence (R.B. Young\, 1885) and enjoy fabulous city views in the company of California historian and neon sign maker Paul Greenstein\, who restored both homes. \nAnd we’ll visit Heritage Square\, the living history museum of rescued buildings\, to hear about the tragedy of the landmarked mansions The Castle and The Salt Box that were moved from Bunker Hill. And we’ll hear some much happier historic preservation success stories. Plus you’ll get to see Heritage Square’s vintage Los Angeles streetlight boneyard\, with rare lamps awaiting future restoration. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CHECK-IN DETAILS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at Lummis House\, 200 East Avenue 43\, Los Angeles\, CA 90031. Please arrive on time to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow\, and take a stroll around the grounds. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is ample unmetered street parking with no time restrictions along Carlota Boulevard\, by the East gate of Lummis House. Please read any posted signs before parking. The nearest Metro stops are Heritage Square / Arroyo and Southwest Museum. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over mostly level ground moving at a casual pace\, however\, halfway through the tour we will walk up 40 steps to get to an late 19th century home. We will have to go back down those same 40 steps as well to leave. Total distance walked is about 3 1/2 miles. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/arroyo-birthday-walk/ LOCATION:Lummis House/El Alisal\, 200 East Avenue 43\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90031\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/arroyo-featurd-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221112T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221112T133000 DTSTAMP:20221021T003809Z CREATED:20220924T231159Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221021T003809Z UID:10000540-1668249000-1668259800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ANGELINO HEIGHTS AND CARROLL AVENUE TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:Angelino Heights is the living\, beating heart of Victorian Los Angeles\, a nearly perfect late 19th century neighborhood where time seems to stand still. \nBut the historic district—including every location scout’s favorite Carroll Avenue—is actually the happy result of decades of carefully planned house moving\, vintage streetlight sourcing\, power line burial\, design guideline crafting and passionate advocacy by local preservationists. They did such a terrific job that it looks as if it’s always been this way. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time into Angelino Heights\, on a walk that tells the stories of the early Los Angeles neighborhood\, its notable characters\, landscape and landmarks\, and the visionary Angelenos who invented new tools to protect and improve the district. \nStarting from the foot of Angelino Heights on Sunset Boulevard\, where the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul operated the city’s first hospital\, we’ll set out to discover Angelino Heights’ rich and compelling cultural\, architectural\, historic preservation and true crime history. You’ll see fascinating bits of Victorian infrastructure both original and salvaged\, get to know colorful locals like the artist Leo Politi\, discover the architects who shaped this early streetcar suburb\, see where little Marion Parker was held in the kidnapping case that captivated the nation\, and enjoy a stroll among some of the most beautiful and eclectic residences in town. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am just south of Farm Cup Coffee under the Elysian apartments\, at 1115 Sunset Blvd.\, Los Angeles\, CA 90012. Please arrive on time and proceed to the bottom of the hill\, at White Knoll Drive and Sunset to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \nBRUNCH / SNACK OPTIONS\nFarm Cup begins serving Latin/Indonesian fusion brunch at 9am\, as well as offering pastries and coffee drinks from the counter. They have indoor and patio seating available. Brunch reservations are suggested\, but not required. If you plan to eat\, please plan to arrive early\, as the tour will begin promptly at 10:30am. \nUse this link for brunch reservations. \nFarm Cup’s phone number is: (213) 354-6099. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: NIf you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine.\n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is ample unmetered street parking with no time restrictions throughout the neighborhood. Please read any posted signs before parking. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/angelino-heights-walk-fall-2022/ LOCATION:Farm Cup Coffee\, 1115 Sunset Blvd\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90031\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/angelino-heights-featuredWP-use.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221029T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221029T133000 DTSTAMP:20221021T003720Z CREATED:20220924T231746Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221021T003720Z UID:10000542-1667039400-1667050200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:EVERGREEN CEMETERY\, 1877 DESCRIPTION:Los Angeles\, 1877: a sleepy village of 10\,000 souls on the cusp of a wild real estate boom. In the budding Eastside suburb of Boyle Heights\, a group of civic minded citizens establish a 67 acre cemetery with room to grow for the city to come: Evergreen! \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip from the cemetery’s founding through the present day\, revealing the colorful characters who helped shape the ethnically mixed\, non-denominational cemetery and the city\, including prominent families like Lankershim\, Hollenbeck\, Van Nuys\, Bixby and Workman\, and other fascinating figures who rest forever among 300\,000 souls. You’ll see beautiful early monuments crafted by local stonemasons and a rare signed memorial\, spot the lucky lizard\, the hidden maiden and the prancing pink tiger\, descend into the Chinese Shrine and visit the shores of the lost Crystal Lake. \nThis walking tour draws on newly discovered\, unpublished documents to tell the forgotten early history of L.A.’s oldest cemetery\, and is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am just inside the main cemetery gate. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n BE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable\, closed-toe walking shoes\, sunscreen\, and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is plenty of parking inside the cemetery along the main roads. Please do not use the stalls in front of the office or park close to the chapel. The nearest Gold Line station is Indiana. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/evergreen-halloween-2022/ LOCATION:Evergreen Cemetery\, 204 N Evergreen Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90033\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/EastsideBabylon-evergreenGates-Cropped.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221022T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221022T133000 DTSTAMP:20221021T003628Z CREATED:20220924T231523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221021T003628Z UID:10000541-1666434600-1666445400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ALVARADO TERRACE & SOUTH BONNIE BRAE TRACT TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:When people talk about Victorian Los Angeles\, they usually bring up Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights and the lost neighborhood of Bunker Hill above Downtown—and we offer tours of both those neighborhoods. But there are other time capsule residential districts that are just as beautiful and compelling\, hiding in plain sight just off Pico and Olympic in the heart of the city. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time exploring the layers of history to be found in Westlake / Pico-Union\, on a walk that includes two stunning National Register Districts: Alvarado Terrace and the South Bonnie Brae Tract\, as well as the handsome homes and apartment hotels that are their near neighbors. \nStarting from the tropical garden courtyard of the elegant William Penn Hotel—now called The Sinclair LA—just south of MacArthur Park\, we’ll set out to discover the rich and compelling cultural\, architectural and true crime history of these historic residential neighborhoods\, and the commercial corridors that connect them. \nOn this walk\, you’ll see gorgeous homes reflecting the eclectic range of styles in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras—Queen Anne\, Gothic\, Colonial Revival\, Craftsman\, Mission Revival\, Chateauesque\, Shingle\, Chalet and Tudor—and get to know the interesting original residents and the curious characters drawn to their white elephant mansions in later decades. Featured players include a colorful cast of self-dealing politicians\, crooked cops\, gay physique photographers\, cult leaders\, civil rights activists\, wild teens\, do-gooders and lost souls whose stories will stick with you. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at The Sinclair LA at 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90057. Please arrive on time and proceed through the lobby to the central courtyard check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThe nearest paid public parking lot is at 730 S Lake St 90057. This lot has an attendant to take your $10 payment (cash only). \nThe nearest Metro station is Westlake/MacArthur Park station on the B and D lines. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours. There are a few slight hills along the way but mostly we will be walking over level ground at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. \nA restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/alvarado-terrace-walk-fall-2022/ LOCATION:The Sinclair LA\, 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, 90057\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alvarado-Terrace-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221014T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221014T200000 DTSTAMP:20221012T233343Z CREATED:20221012T225432Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221012T233343Z UID:10000543-1665774000-1665777600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:Save Old Trapper’s Lodge\, A California State Landmark DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric\, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company\, for the fifth in an occasional series of free webinars exploring timely historic preservation issues and how YOU can get involved. \nTo sign up for this free webinar\, enter your name and email address and click the “REGISTER” button BELOW. If for any reason the check out page doesn’t appear\, just click this link. \n\nIn a remote section of the campus of Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley\, there is a remarkable and little known folk art environment\, Old Trapper’s Lodge (California State Landmark 939.5)—but it might not be there for much longer. \nDuring the pandemic lockdown\, while the campus was closed to visitors\, some members of the Pierce community hatched a secretive plan to brand the landmark as too racist to remain on campus. Their scheme was based on a flawed and superficial interpretation\, and ignored the fact that the sculptures represent artist John Ehn’s own Native American family members. \nThen\, Los Angeles Community College District administrators spent nearly $30\,000 in public funds on a professional art appraisal and report\, which described in minute detail how Pierce College should safely pack up and move the delicate sculptures to a new home. \nBut the appraisal and report was never shared with the public. Instead\, LACCD voted to dispose of Old Trapper’s Lodge under the deliberately deceptive phrasing\, “Approve Donation of Surplus Property at Pierce College.” Then they let an amateur crew associated with Valley Relics Museum dig up the Boot Hill Cemetery portion of the landmark and cart it off in the back of a pick up truck. \nAnd it was after seeing the small sculptures treated like yard waste that artist John Ehn’s family said “Enough!” \nYou can read much more about the situation at Old Trapper’s Lodge on our preservation campaign advocacy webpage\, including links to all the important documents. \nNext week\, Pierce College has threatened to dispose of Old Trapper’s Lodge if the Ehn Family doesn’t come and personally collect the huge and heavy sculptures. \nWe join the Ehn Family in asking Pierce College to stop making threats\, and do what it should have done in the beginning: secure the artwork\, issue a public RFP (Request For Proposals) to find a suitable new home for Old Trapper’s Lodge\, and to work with that new home on a safe and appropriate art transit plan\, to ensure this California State Landmark can be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come. \nOur guests for this special webinar are John Ehn’s grand-daughter Marsha Klopfenstein and great-granddaughter Kristen Cassidy. In an original short film produced by preservation storyteller Damian Sullivan\, you’ll tag along as Marsha and Kristen pay their first visit to Old Trapper’s Lodge since the Boot Hill Cemetery sculptures were brutally dug out of the ground\, to reconnect with the sculptures that represent their beloved family members\, share stories of grandfather John Ehn’s creativity and larger than life personality\, and to express their profound concerns about how poorly Pierce College is treating the landmark\, the community and their family. \nThen we’ll take your questions about Old Trapper’s Lodge\, how it was saved from demolition in the 1980s\, and the current campaign to protect it\, and what we all hope will happen next. \nThis webinar is an illustrated lecture that will bring the history and future of Old Trapper’s Lodge to life\, while inspiring you to look around your own community for ways you can help to keep old places around with fresh new uses. And you’ll find the look of an Esotouric webinar is a little different than your standard dry Zoom session\, with lively interactive graphics courtesy of the mmhmm app. So tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles\, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious. Can’t join in when the webinar is happening? You can tune in later\, though you’ll miss the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. \nFYI: Immediately upon registering\, you will receive a separate\, automated email containing the link to join the webinar. The webinar is reliable on all devices\, Mac\, PC\, iOS and Android. \n\n\nAbout Esotouric: As undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz\, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave inexplicably hated one another on sight. (Perhaps less inexplicably\, their academic advisor believed they were soul mates). A chance meeting 18 years later proved much more agreeable. Richard wooed Kim with high level library database access\, with which she launched the 1947project true crime blog\, highlighting a crime a day from the year of The Black Dahlia and Bugsy Siegel slayings. The popular blog’s readers demanded a tour\, and then another. The tour was magical\, a hothouse inspiring new ways for the by-then-newlyweds to tell the story of Los Angeles. Esotouric was born in 2007 with a calendar packed with true crime\, literary\, architecture and rock and roll tours. Ever since\, it has provided a platform for promoting historic preservation issues (like the Save the 76 Ball campaign and the landmarking of Charles Bukowski’s bungalow)\, building a community of urban explorers (including dozens of free talks and tours under the umbrella of LAVA) and digging even deeper into the secret heart of the city they love.\n \nRights and permissions: By attending an Esotouric webinar\, you acknowledge that the entirety of the presentation is copyrighted\, and no portion of the video or text may be reproduced in any fashion. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/save-old-trappers-lodge/ CATEGORIES:virtual,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/trappers-lodge-preservation-page-collage-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221001T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221001T133000 DTSTAMP:20220925T212424Z CREATED:20220902T233512Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220925T212424Z UID:10000488-1664620200-1664631000@esotouric.com SUMMARY:FRANKLIN VILLAGE OLD HOLLYWOOD TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:There is one Los Angeles neighborhood that seems to vibrate on a special frequency\, where the layers of offbeat spiritual\, cultural\, music industry\, motion picture\, architectural and true crime history knit together to tell an only-in-Hollywood story: Franklin Village. \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive walk back through time to get to know the colorful characters\, faith\, folly\, fantasies and heartbreak that left their eternal mark on this beautiful and historic corner of the city. \nStarting from the hillside Hindu ashram Vedanta\, where the English writers Christopher Isherwood and Aldous Huxley expanded their minds as the Hollywood freeway cut the neighborhood in two\, we’ll descend down into the flats then up again on a tour that spans the highest consciousness and the depths of depravity\, lovely architecture and landscapes\, real life and fictional noir narratives that will have even locals exclaiming “I never knew that!” \nStops include the Parva Sed Apartments from Nathanael West’s dark Hollywood fantasy The Day of the Locust\, the Chateau Alto Nido from Sunset Boulevard\, the site of the high profile police raid that inspired Jack Webb to create Dragnet\, a nightmarish tale of a Capitol Record co-worker run amok\, City Hall gadflies\, torched landmarks\, lost restaurants\, a serial killer who hunted in his own backyard\, and a visit to Monastery of the Angels\, the nearly century old community of Dominican nuns that is beginning a new chapter with its recent suppression by the Vatican. \nOn our return to Vedanta as the tour concludes\, you will have an opportunity to shop in the temple bookstore. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. It was featured in the VERA Virgin Atlantic in-flight magazine feature\, Lost Angeles. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CHECK-IN DETAILS:\nTour begins at 10.30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am under the Bo Tree to the right of the domed temple at the Vedanta Society of Southern California\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, CA 90068. Please arrive on time to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nYou may park in the open air lot at the Vedanta Society of Southern California\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, CA 90068. The nearest Metro station is Hollywood and Vine on the B line. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n MAP TO VEDANTA TEMPLE URL:https://esotouric.com/event/franklin-village-walk/ LOCATION:Vedanta Temple Hollywood\, 1946 Vedanta Place\, Los Angeles\, 90068\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vedanta-Featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220927T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220927T203000 DTSTAMP:20240106T190942Z CREATED:20220922T020245Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T190942Z UID:10000538-1664305200-1664310600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:El Pino in Peril: Development Threatens the Beloved Sentinel Tree of East Los Angeles DESCRIPTION:Sorry\, there were technical problems that made it impossible to stream this webinar for later viewing. But you can see Dr. Don Hodel’s site visit videos on YouTube (Part 1 and Part 2) or in our newsletter. \n\nJoin Esotouric\, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company\, for the fourth in an occasional series of free webinars exploring timely historic preservation issues and how YOU can get involved. \nTo sign up for this free webinar\, enter your name and email address and click the “REGISTER” button BELOW. If for any reason the check out page doesn’t appear\, just click this link. \n\n\nOur special guest is distinguished horticulturist Dr. Donald R. Hodel. \nWhen Dr. Hodel published “Exceptional Trees of Los Angeles” (1988)\, he selected as the representative example of the Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii) the massive tree at the center of the quad at Rancho Los Amigos\, the County Poor Farm that was established exactly 100 years earlier\, in 1888. \nThe cult classic film “Blood In Blood Out” (1993) had yet to be made\, so it was mainly the community of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights that knew there was another ancient tree with a claim on the title of L.A.’s most exceptional Bunya Pine. \nWith the fencing of Rancho Los Amigos\, the many fires and the ongoing demolition of historic structures\, Downey’s Bunya Pine is hard to visit\, and that tree is now suffering the after effects of a lightning strike. \nBut East L.A.’s beloved El Pino remains healthy and highly visible\, whether you’re mourning a loved one at Evergreen Cemetery\, inhaling a taco at Los Cincos Puntos or cruising with your sweetheart down old Brooklyn Avenue—the big tree on the hill is always there. \nBut El Pino is in danger—and needs your help. \nAround Christmas 2020\, disturbing rumors circulated on social media that a new owner had deliberately cut the trunk to harm the tree\, and had plans to chop El Pino down. Hundreds of concerned community members came to the corner of Folsom and Indiana to mourn and bear witness. A petition was circulated. Newspapers and local television stations covered the story. \nWe’ve been tracking the threat to El Pino here. \nIt turns out that the rumors were exaggerated\, but a new owner does have worrying dense residential development plans for the property—plans that if they go forward as proposed will almost certainly kill El Pino. \nBut it doesn’t have to be that way. Tune in to this webinar as Dr. Hodel shares a prescription for preservation of this iconic living landmark of East Los Angeles\, explains where Bunya Pines come from and why they’re so special and potentially deadly. Plus he’ll introduce you to another rare tree in El Pino’s shadow\, and asks Supervisor Hilda Solis to help save El Pino and commission a Flora study of rare trees in East Los Angeles. \nThen we’ll take your questions about El Pino and Bunya Pines\, tools for saving endangered trees and how you can help. \nWatch this short webinar when it airs at 7pm on September 27 (or later\, on demand)\, then help amplify Dr. Hodel’s prescription for saving this beautiful tree\, so it can be a friend and a beacon to future generations and to Angelenos today. \nThis webinar is an illustrated lecture that will bring the history and future of El Pino to life\, while empowering you to help preserve this tree and other historic trees in your community. And you’ll find the look of an Esotouric webinar is a little different than your standard dry Zoom session\, with lively interactive graphics courtesy of the mmhmm app. So tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles\, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious. Can’t join in when the webinar is happening? You can tune in later\, though you’ll miss the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. \nFYI: Immediately upon registering\, you will receive a separate\, automated email containing the link to join the webinar. The webinar is reliable on all devices\, Mac\, PC\, iOS and Android. \nAbout our special guest: Donald R. Hodel is emeritus landscape horticulturist with the University of California\, Cooperative Extension\, a position he held for 36 years\, all in Los Angeles\, before retiring in 2019. He led a varying career\, performing applied research and conducting educational programs primarily for the landscape and tree care industries and secondarily for the residents of Los Angeles County. His expertise is in the taxonomy\, selection\, and management of woody plants\, primarily trees and palms. He conducted over 150 research projects\, made over 600 presentations to varying audiences\, and authored or co-authored 110 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 600 other publications\, including eight books about the classification\, selection\, planting\, water use\, nutrition\, and disease and pest management of woody plants. He is the recipient of several awards for his work and is often invited to peer-review others’ publications. Don has earned a national and international reputation and been an invited speaker at numerous symposia\, conferences\, and meeting across the United States and in other countries. He has traveled widely and performed research in most of Latin America\, the Pacific\, Southeast Asia\, and southern Europe. Don received a B.S. in ornamental horticulture from California State Polytechnic University in 1974 and an M. S. in tropical horticulture from the University of Hawaii in 1975. He worked in nurseries and botanical gardens in Hawaii and California before landing his job with the University of California in 1983. Upon his retirement in 2019\, the University awarded him emeritus status and he now continues work on selected projects and publish articles sharing the results of his work. \n\nAbout Esotouric: As undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz\, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave inexplicably hated one another on sight. (Perhaps less inexplicably\, their academic advisor believed they were soul mates). A chance meeting 18 years later proved much more agreeable. Richard wooed Kim with high level library database access\, with which she launched the 1947project true crime blog\, highlighting a crime a day from the year of The Black Dahlia and Bugsy Siegel slayings. The popular blog’s readers demanded a tour\, and then another. The tour was magical\, a hothouse inspiring new ways for the by-then-newlyweds to tell the story of Los Angeles. Esotouric was born in 2007 with a calendar packed with true crime\, literary\, architecture and rock and roll tours. Ever since\, it has provided a platform for promoting historic preservation issues (like the Save the 76 Ball campaign and the landmarking of Charles Bukowski’s bungalow)\, building a community of urban explorers (including dozens of free talks and tours under the umbrella of LAVA) and digging even deeper into the secret heart of the city they love.\n \nRights and permissions: By attending an Esotouric webinar\, you acknowledge that the entirety of the presentation is copyrighted\, and no portion of the video or text may be reproduced in any fashion. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/el-pino-in-peril/ CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/el-pino-blood-in-blood-1920-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220917T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220917T133000 DTSTAMP:20220903T023435Z CREATED:20220902T230247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220903T023435Z UID:10000487-1663410600-1663421400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:WESTLAKE PARK TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:When Los Angeles was young\, Westlake was a favorite pleasure park\, with boating\, a mini-zoo and exotic trees for lovers to spoon under\, surrounded by grand mansions and elegant hotels. Then in 1934\, Wilshire Boulevard punched through the lake\, marking the ascendency of the automobile. Westlake would never be the same. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time exploring the layers of history hiding in plain sight in and around Westlake (MacArthur) Park. \nStarting from the tropical garden courtyard of the elegant William Penn Hotel—now called The Sinclair LA—we’ll set out to discover the rich and compelling cultural\, architectural and true crime history of this fascinating L.A. neighborhood. \nOn this walk\, you’ll learn about the legendary booksellers and influential art academies that thrived here\, see where cult leader Jim Jones lost his cool\, visit a little known monument to detective novelist Raymond Chandler\, learn where a bomb was set for the publisher of the Los Angeles Times\, thrill to the offbeat goings on at the Elks’ Lodge\, plus enjoy early pleasure park lore\, silent film locations\, mysteriously mummified infants\, and a stop to admire the only art nouveau castle home in Los Angeles\, a rare domestic commission by master architect John Parkinson. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at The Sinclair LA at 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90057. Please arrive on time and proceed through the lobby to the central courtyard check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT\nPlease do not park at the Auto Club. There is street parking and several paid lots nearby\, including: \n\nAmple street and metered parking in the neighborhood\, especially around St James Park.\nUniversity Gateway at Figueroa & 32nd Street with a daily maximum of $18 that kicks in after 2 hours.\nUSC Village at 3301 S Hoover Street\, $5/hour and a daily maximum of $30.\n\nIf using street parking\, please read all signs carefully\, as restrictions apply. The nearest Metro station is Grand/LATTC. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/westlake-park/ LOCATION:The Sinclair LA\, 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, 90057\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/westlake-featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220903T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220903T133000 DTSTAMP:20220828T202149Z CREATED:20220806T002657Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220828T202149Z UID:10000485-1662201000-1662211800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:HUMAN SACRIFICE: THE BLACK DAHLIA\, ELISA LAM\, HEIDI PLANCK & SKID ROW SLASHER CASES (postponed due to heat wave) DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric’s Kim Cooper and Richard Schave\, the Skid Row historians featured in “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel\,” and their special guest Joan Renner\, on a true crime and cultural history walking tour that explores the terrifying intersection of real estate speculation\, housing insecurity and death in Downtown Los Angeles from the 1940s to the present. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, we’ll fan out over the historic core to visit significant sites in the investigations of three notorious and heartbreaking cases: the kidnapping and murder of Beth Short in 1947\, the serial killing of seven poor or homeless men by Vaughn Greenwood between December 1974 and January 1975\, and Elisa Lam’s disappearance and drowning while staying at the Stay on Main hostel inside the single room occupancy Hotel Cecil in 2013. We’ll also talk about the October 2021 disappearance of Heidi Planck\, although we won’t trek as far as the Hope + Flower apartments where she was last seen. \nYou’ll learn about the importance of newspaper reporting to 20th century crime investigations\, and the role of internet communities today\, hear about how previous generations slept rough in all-night movie theaters\, alleys and under bushes\, how the high cost or lack of housing options make victims more vulnerable\, and about property developers who bend the rules to transform low-income residency hotels and market rate apartments into profitable blind spots where people can vanish. \nAlong the way\, you’ll get to know the victims as sympathetic and relatable people who serve as fascinating windows into real life and death in Los Angeles over the decades and learn how public policy choices can set the stage for avoidable tragedy. \nCan understanding why true crimes happened help Los Angeles finally solve its housing crisis? We think it can! \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/human-sacrifice/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Hotel-Cecil-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220820T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220820T133000 DTSTAMP:20220805T231730Z CREATED:20220715T170211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220805T231730Z UID:10000483-1660991400-1661002200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES IS FOR BOOK LOVERS DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric on a tour revealing the bookish cultural history in the heart of the city\, packed with tales of colorful Los Angeles writers\, readers and booksellers. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, where the young John Fante hustled cheap fruit from the Japanese vendors to fuel his dreams of becoming Bunker Hill’s great novelist\, we’ll blaze a time traveler’s trail along Hill\, Grand and Broadway\, visiting Central Library with its street corner monuments to Fante and Ray Bradbury\, to former locations of legendary book sellers Jake Zeitlin\, Caravan\, Dawson’s and Fowler’s\, explore Pershing Square’s rich literary history and symbolism\, and so much more. Featured players include Jack Kerouac\, Charles Bukowski\, Hart Crane\, John Rechy\, Aldous Huxley\, Carey McWilliams and legendary early city librarians Mary Foy and Tessa Kelso. And because it’s an Esotouric tour\, you’ll enjoy lesser known\, offbeat tales about L.A. books and the oddballs who love them. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/book-lovers-dtla/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Booklovers-downtown-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220817T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220817T203000 DTSTAMP:20220816T001622Z CREATED:20220815T233237Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T001622Z UID:10000486-1660762800-1660768200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:Saving the Sentinel Trees on Old Bunker Hill\, Then and Now DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric\, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company\, for the third in an occasional series of free webinars exploring timely historic preservation issues and how YOU can get involved. \nOur guests are Bunker Hill historian Nathan Marsak\, musician and writer Annette Zilinskas and distinguished horticulturist Dr. Donald R. Hodel. \nEverybody who loves Los Angeles history knows the tragic tale of how the Victorian neighborhood of Bunker Hill was destroyed in the biggest eminent domain land seizure ever\, and about how the last two mansions on the hill were moved to Heritage Square in a failed preservation attempt. \nBut did you know that at least one of the grand old Victorian era sentinel trees that witnessed the growth\, decline and eventual demolition of Bunker Hill is still alive in Downtown L.A.? \n\nIf for any reason the registration page doesn’t appear\, just click this link. \nIn this webinar\, we’ll introduce you to Morty\, the grand old Moreton Bay Fig that was planted near the corner of 4th & Hill Streets around 1890\, and grew up into a magnificent specimen\, before it too was displaced by the redevelopment agency. You’ll see how Morty looked over the decades in rare photos from Nathan Marsak’s personal collection and learn how and where it was moved in 1981—shortly after appearing as the non-human star of the Ralph Waite film “On the Nickel\,” with its poignant theme song by Tom Waits. \nBut when we recently went out to visit\, we found Morty showing its age\, with dead limbs\, straggly growth and other plants stealing its nutrients. You’ll hear how we’re working with the property owner to help get the tree back to full health and advocating for an historic marker so everyone knows what a special tree Morty is! \nMorty was saved once and with a little love and time can be saved again. \nBut what about Sunshine? That’s the name Downtown denizen Annette Zilinskas has given to a lonely\, neglected Queen Palm that stands proudly above 2nd and Hill Streets on the dirt patch\, the last piece of unflattened Bunker Hill topography\, on a parcel marked for redevelopment for the Colburn School’s expansion. \nAnnette will share how she discovered Sunshine on a pilgrimage to the endangered Bunker Hill dirt patch\, fell in love with the pretty\, neglected tree and reached out to Nathan Marsak to learn if it appeared in any historic Bunker Hill photos. \nNathan will share the history of the dirt patch on which Sunshine grows\, and Don Hodel will talk about how old the tree could be\, and how it’s managed to survive with little or no care. And we’ll hear Annette’s sweet tribute poem to Sunshine the Queen Palm and old Bunker Hill. \nCan Sunshine\, too\, survive Bunker Hill redevelopment? Yes—with YOUR help! \nTune in to learn about two very special Bunker Hill trees and how you can be a part of their happy futures. And we’ll take your questions about old Bunker Hill and its changing landscape. \nWatch this short webinar when it airs at 7pm on August 17 (or later\, on demand)\, then go out and visit Morty and Sunshine and take a selfie with both these great Bunker Hill sentinel trees! \nThis webinar is an illustrated lecture that will bring the history and future of this landmark structure to life\, while inspiring you to look around your own community for ways you can help to keep old places around with fresh new uses. And you’ll find the look of an Esotouric webinar is a little different than your standard dry Zoom session\, with lively interactive graphics courtesy of the mmhmm app. So tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles\, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious. Can’t join in when the webinar is happening? You can tune in later\, though you’ll miss the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. \nFYI: Immediately upon registering\, you will receive a separate\, automated email containing the link to join the webinar. The webinar is reliable on all devices\, Mac\, PC\, iOS and Android. \n\nAbout Esotouric: As undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz\, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave inexplicably hated one another on sight. (Perhaps less inexplicably\, their academic advisor believed they were soul mates). A chance meeting 18 years later proved much more agreeable. Richard wooed Kim with high level library database access\, with which she launched the 1947project true crime blog\, highlighting a crime a day from the year of The Black Dahlia and Bugsy Siegel slayings. The popular blog’s readers demanded a tour\, and then another. The tour was magical\, a hothouse inspiring new ways for the by-then-newlyweds to tell the story of Los Angeles. Esotouric was born in 2007 with a calendar packed with true crime\, literary\, architecture and rock and roll tours. Ever since\, it has provided a platform for promoting historic preservation issues (like the Save the 76 Ball campaign and the landmarking of Charles Bukowski’s bungalow)\, building a community of urban explorers (including dozens of free talks and tours under the umbrella of LAVA) and digging even deeper into the secret heart of the city they love.\n \nRights and permissions: By attending an Esotouric webinar\, you acknowledge that the entirety of the presentation is copyrighted\, and no portion of the video or text may be reproduced in any fashion. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/sentinel-trees-bunker-hill/ CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Morton-Bay-Fig-collage-WP-2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220813T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220813T133000 DTSTAMP:20220715T173527Z CREATED:20220705T030046Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220715T173527Z UID:10000482-1660386600-1660397400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:BROADWAY: DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES’ BEAUTIFUL\, MAGICAL MESS DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric on a stroll through the National Register Broadway Theatre District\, the largest collection of historic motion picture palaces in the country\, on an architectural\, cultural and public policy history tour of a great street that needs a lot of help. How did Broadway take shape in the early 20th Century\, why did the entertainment and retail district decline\, and who are the personalities who have sought to preserve\, reactivate and profit from it—not always successfully? \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, we’ll honor the visionary developer Ira Yellin\, who believed that there was a second life possible for empty early 20th century office buildings\, and changed city law so that Angelenos could live in them. \nAcross Broadway at the Bradbury Building\, Terry McKelvey turned his dad’s dull commercial real estate business into an incubator for creativity\, and dreamed of a Victorian-themed Downtown Los Angeles Gaslight District\, until his personal demons pulled that dream out from under him. \nDown at the United Artists\, obtained through a sweetheart deal involving suitcases full of cash and convenient earthquakes\, offbeat preacher Dr. Gene Scott raised millions through bizarre televised sermons\, for theater restoration\, rare books and preservation of the iconic Jesus Saves neon sign. \nAnd up in City Hall\, ambitious councilman Jose Huizar saw Broadway as a political branding opportunity\, expending civic resources to organize massive street parties with his name on every marquee\, while pushing policies that encouraged speculation at the expense of Broadway’s small businesses—until the FBI came calling. \nSpecial on this edition of the Broadway tour: we’re joined by Miriam and Victoria Caldwell\, sharing insights from the 1950s diaries of their mother Vilma\, whose adventures as a hard-boiled Clifton’s Cafeteria camera girl bring a lost world to life. \nAlong the way\, we’ll talk about what it means to be National Register District\, how the Jewelry District used old buildings in fresh new ways and how the lessons of Wilshire’s Wiltern Theatre could be used to reactivate downtown’s dark venues\, while pointing out the sites of lost landmarks\, hidden details\, ghost signs and magic carpets of terrazzo that make up this beautiful\, magical mess at the heart of the city. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/broadway-august-22/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Broadway-magic-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220806T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220806T133000 DTSTAMP:20220707T173402Z CREATED:20220629T024419Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220707T173402Z UID:10000481-1659781800-1659792600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:RAYMOND CHANDLER’S NOIR DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip in the footsteps of master detective novelist Raymond Chandler and his cynical alter ego Philip Marlowe\, in the historic heart of Downtown Los Angeles. \nChicago-born and educated in a fine English boarding school\, Chandler found his literary voice during long boozy lunches as a 1920s oil company executive\, quietly observing the criminal origins of great Los Angeles fortunes. Although he left Downtown in the 1930s and found success with fiction and screenwriting\, the old neighborhood cast an abiding spell and he returned to it throughout his career. \nThis tour explores some of the time capsule sites where the young Chandler worked and played\, and where the mature writer set some of his most memorable and murderous scenes. From Angels Flight Railway and old Bunker Hill to the Oviatt Building\, Clifton’s Cafeteria to seedy hotels on the edge of Skid Row\, we’ll bring Chandler’s real and invented worlds alive on a stroll among beautiful\, fascinating landmarks. \nAlong the way\, you’ll get to know the real Raymond Chandler\, with intimate details sleuthed out by the tour guides who over many years of noir exploration have discovered Chandler’s previously unknown comic operetta and penned a Chandler map and nonfiction novel The Kept Girl about the real life cult of angel worshippers who fleeced his oil executive colleague and were front page news in a crime crazed city. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market\, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles\, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit the cramped and unventilated basement speakeasy beneath the King Edward Hotel or the Dutch Chocolate Shop. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/chandler-walking-tour/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/chandler-walk-featured-small-16-9-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220802T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220802T200000 DTSTAMP:20220803T145911Z CREATED:20220801T235056Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220803T145911Z UID:10000484-1659466800-1659470400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:Will Cornelius Johnson’s Olympic Oak live long enough to become a Los Angeles landmark? DESCRIPTION:This webinar has already aired live\, but you can still watch the recording. To sign up for this free webinar\, enter your name and email address and click the “VIEW” button BELOW. If for any reason the check out page doesn’t appear\, just click this link. \n\nJoin Esotouric\, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company\, for the second in an occasional series of free webinars exploring timely historic preservation issues and how YOU can get involved. \nOur guest is distinguished horticulturist Dr. Donald R. Hodel. \nWhen Dr. Hodel published “Exceptional Trees of Los Angeles” (1988)\, he wasn’t aware of the oak sapling presented to Olympic gold medalist Cornelius Johnson at the 1936 Berlin Games\, which has grown to maturity behind his parents’ modest West Adams bungalow. If he had been\, it would certainly have been included. \nNow\, the Olympic Oak is in the race of its life—owned by a developer who wants to demolish the house and chop down the tree\, but also under consideration as a protected city landmark. \nThe campaign to preserve Cornelius Johnson’s oak and family home has attracted local and national attention\, with a feature story in the New York Times. The Cultural Heritage Commission has been supportive. But even a series of yes votes by the CHC\, PLUM Committee and City Council may not be enough to save Cornelius Johnson’s Olympic Oak. \nIn this webinar\, we’ll go down to the vacant Johnson home at 1156 South Hobart\, just north of Pico Boulevard\, to do an endangered tree status check from over the fence. You’ll hear Dr. Hodel’s expert opinion on the grim state of this historic tree\, and what needs to happen immediately if it’s going to live long enough to be named a city landmark. \nLearn more about this special tree and Dr. Hodel’s prescription to save it. \nThen we’ll take your questions about the landmarking process and the special problems and opportunities posed when a living piece of cultural history suffers from potentially fatal neglect. This is an opportunity for the City to step up and take an active role in protecting this threatened (almost) landmark\, before it’s too late. \nWatch this short webinar when it airs at 7pm on August 2 (or later\, on demand)\, then tune in and call in on August 4 at 10am\, when the Cultural Heritage Commission meets to vote on landmarking the Johnson Oak and family home. We’re asking people who care about this piece of Los Angeles and Olympic history to help amplify Dr. Hodel’s prescription for saving this beautiful tree\, through public comment and by spreading the word. \nThis webinar is an illustrated lecture that will bring the history and future of this landmark structure to life\, while inspiring you to look around your own community for ways you can help to keep old places around with fresh new uses. And you’ll find the look of an Esotouric webinar is a little different than your standard dry Zoom session\, with lively interactive graphics courtesy of the mmhmm app. So tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles\, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious. Can’t join in when the webinar is happening? You can tune in later\, though you’ll miss the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. \nSo tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles\, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious. Can’t join in when the webinar is happening? You can tune in later\, though you’ll miss the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. \nFYI: Immediately upon registering\, you will receive a separate\, automated email containing the link to join the webinar. The webinar is reliable on all devices\, Mac\, PC\, iOS and Android. \n\nAbout Esotouric: As undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz\, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave inexplicably hated one another on sight. (Perhaps less inexplicably\, their academic advisor believed they were soul mates). A chance meeting 18 years later proved much more agreeable. Richard wooed Kim with high level library database access\, with which she launched the 1947project true crime blog\, highlighting a crime a day from the year of The Black Dahlia and Bugsy Siegel slayings. The popular blog’s readers demanded a tour\, and then another. The tour was magical\, a hothouse inspiring new ways for the by-then-newlyweds to tell the story of Los Angeles. Esotouric was born in 2007 with a calendar packed with true crime\, literary\, architecture and rock and roll tours. Ever since\, it has provided a platform for promoting historic preservation issues (like the Save the 76 Ball campaign and the landmarking of Charles Bukowski’s bungalow)\, building a community of urban explorers (including dozens of free talks and tours under the umbrella of LAVA) and digging even deeper into the secret heart of the city they love.\n \nRights and permissions: By attending an Esotouric webinar\, you acknowledge that the entirety of the presentation is copyrighted\, and no portion of the video or text may be reproduced in any fashion. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/johnson-oak/ CATEGORIES:virtual,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/johnson-olympic-oak-collage.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220723T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220723T103000 DTSTAMP:20220612T184951Z CREATED:20220612T024413Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220612T184951Z UID:10000479-1658572200-1658572200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:ALL AROUND THE AUTO CLUB DESCRIPTION:For everybody who ever drove to the Automobile Club HQ to renew their registration or pick up maps for a road trip\, or cruised by at 70 mph on the 110\, here’s a chance to slow down and explore an early Los Angeles neighborhood that rewards a pedestrian’s pace. \nJoin Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip beginning with the Automobile Club of Southern California itself\, to admire the mini museum of vintage highway signage and two of the southland’s great trees. Then we’ll stroll along West Adams Boulevard\, once the city’s most elegant address for interesting Angelenos like oilman Edward and bookworm Carrie Doheny\, screen vamp Theda Bara and tragic comic Fatty Arbuckle. You’ll see early irrigation infrastructure\, elegant clubhouses\, esoteric faith centers\, homeless shelters\, gay archives\, the surveyor’s edge of Spanish Los Angeles and our first gated community\, discover a lost mansion that lives on in Hollywood’s Magic Castle\, and take a spin through the elegant St. James Park National Register District to admire gorgeous homes and learn about the ongoing battle to preserve this pocket of 19th century Los Angeles from insensitive development. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos and maps you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am in the courtyard of the Automobile Club of Southern California at 2601 South Figueroa. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT\nPlease do not park at the Auto Club. There is street parking and several paid lots nearby\, including: \n\nAmple street and metered parking in the neighborhood\, especially around St James Park.\nUniversity Gateway at Figueroa & 32nd Street with a daily maximum of $18 that kicks in after 2 hours.\nUSC Village at 3301 S Hoover Street\, $5/hour and a daily maximum of $30.\n\nIf using street parking\, please read all signs carefully\, as restrictions apply. The nearest Metro station is Grand/LATTC. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/aaajuly22/ LOCATION:AAA Los Angeles\, 2601 S Figueroa St\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90007\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/featured-Stimpson-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220717T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220717T133000 DTSTAMP:20220716T190322Z CREATED:20220612T020826Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220716T190322Z UID:10000478-1658053800-1658064600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:LA BREA TAR PITS TIME TRAVEL TRIP DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive excursion all around Wilshire and Fairfax\, the western terminus of the Miracle Mile. We’re on the trail of a layered history that leads from Columbian mammoths foraging in the last Ice Age to today’s construction cranes\, with some fascinating detours along the way. We’ll explore the La Brea Tar Pits as a zone of pre-colonial commerce and Victorian scientific discovery\, revealing the fossil hoard’s role in east coast theatrical spiritualism and a deathless romance. Then on to Wilshire Boulevard\, where bean fields turned almost overnight to an ultramodern Jazz Age canyon of car culture commerce\, including the magnificent Art Deco May Company (and yes\, it’s a crime scene). And as the county’s art museum struggles to remake itself with a controversial new building and curatorial vision\, we’ll honor the institution that was\, and sneaky artists who got their work displayed without curatorial review\, all seen through the candid lens of your guides’ advocacy for preserving the 1965 William Pereira campus. Plus\, a stroll through the immediate neighborhood on an architectural treasure hunt\, including some sweet echoes of the lost LACMA. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. And next time some silly person tries to tell you Los Angeles doesn’t have any history\, having taken this tour will give you everything you need to set them straight. \n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 12 noon sharp\, with check-in time 11:30am at the picnic tables near the restrooms in the southeast corner of the La Brea Tar Pits park\, at the Wilshire & Curson Avenue entrance. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is street parking in the neighborhood\, on Sixth Street\, Orange Street\, Crescent Heights Boulevard\, Eighth Street\, and Hauser Boulevard. As the tour is on a Sunday\, there are no restrictions on street parking. The nearest Metro station is Wilshire/Vermont. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS\nOur priority is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for our guests and guides on these outdoor walking tours. Because guides will not be masked when telling stories\, and because different people have different levels of risk tolerance\, we have strict mask policies for attendees. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated. These simple rules are being implemented for the benefit of all attending. Anybody not abiding by these rules will be given one chance to shape up\, then asked to leave the tour if it happens again. There are no refunds or exchanges for anyone removed from a tour for violating the rules. \nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 2 1/2 to 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen\, a hat and a medical-grade mask. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water\, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASKS: Attendees must wear a medical-grade mask (i.e. N95\, KN95\, KF94) at all times\, unless eating or drinking\, when we ask that you physically distance from anyone not from your household. Masks must be worn properly\, covering mouth and nose completely\, and not have any exhalation valves\, vents or holes of any kind. Bring your own mask and put it on before tour check in. \nSOCIAL DISTANCING: Please maintain physical space from anyone not from your household when walking with the group or at tour stops. \nVACCINATION: We do not require proof of vaccination for outdoor walking tours. \n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing is the best way to communicate with us\, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone\, 213-915-8687. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/tarpitsjuly22/ LOCATION:La Brea Tar Pits\, Wilshire Blvd & S Curson Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90036\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TarPits-2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR