Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Medical Mari

Fortuately, spotting the clinic of Dr. Green Scrubs provided all the explanation I needed.
And with that another edition of #urbansafari comes to an end. Peace out, Venice Beach! Time for new adventures to places all too familiar.

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

As I wind down my travelogue I would be remiss not to mention the native cuisine. Plus peddling Greased Lightning all afternoon was making me hungry. What surprised me about a tastes of VB was the high caloric and fat content of these offerings. I search and scanned the area to see if there was any explanation for such curious culinary options...
#urbansafari #venicebeach

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Vicious Drum Circle

Tribes, tribes and more tribes! Such an assortment gather here to sing, dance, strum, stroke and smoke for the throngs of vacationing gringos in search of cheap tinted eyewear.

Captured in action here are the plastic bucket drummer tribe, the lady who brought a baby grand piano to the beach to play tribe, the we can't sell this sh*t in stores so we sell it here tribe and the famous bearded guy in a turban playing electric guitar while on rollar skates tribe of one. Sadly, he turned away from my lens as I snapped this shot. His attention drawn to potential customers in an effort to sell them a tribal "t-shirt" bearing his image.

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Les dreams du catche

There is something so sublimely spiritual about la plage du Venice (the beach of Venice or #venicebeach). Spritual practitioners abound.

As do the Catchers of Dreams (les dreams du catche). These massive ornaments on display today so fitting for these environs...all the wandering souls who travelled west for their dreams seem to migrate here after losing them. #urbansafari #venicebeach

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - In Xanadu did Kubla Khan...wear leg warmers and roller skates

35 years ago, I, your #UrbanSafari host, was a curious, young, impressionable 12yo. I know. Hard to imagine. Back then during the wee hours of the afternoon I discovered a documentary on HBO titled "Xanadu". In this locational time capsule of a film a beautiful mural came to life. That mural was in Venice Beach. That mural WAS Venice Beach!

Today in my travels I had hoped to find the mural. Sadly, the elegant depiction of the muses has not stood the test of time. Poor ladies.

#urbansafari #venicebeach

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Native Garb

We must not forget jewelry is meant to accessorize cultural dress. Here are two items available from local merchants that any foreign explorer (me!) could barter for in an attempt to better fit in with the resident tribes. The pop culture t-shirt and the hippy hemp-made knapsack. Notice the bright, vibrant colors! Amazing!

One must assume the replicated images on said "t-shirts" are in honor of past leaders of various tribes that inhabit the beach and boardwalk here. Fascinating!

Urban Safari - Venice Beach - Native Jewelry

Our first stop for this #UrbanSafari Venice Beach edition. We decided to examine the curious culture of VB by exploring native made jewelry. What became abundantly apparent early in my excursion was how all cultural touchstones in this region are so closely tied with the indigenous food. The protuberance of such curious combinations were everywhere!

Alas, Toe Ring Ice Cream...maybe some other time. #urbansafari #venicebeach

Urban Safari - Venice Beach!

Bonjour mes amis! It's time for another edition Urban Safari! This time we explore the wild, mysterious sun, sand and surf of Venice Beach.

I had the pleasure of exploring this exotic territory on an open air jeep-cycle. "Greased Lightning" twas what I dubbed her. And I'd like to send a special thanks to Danny Zuko and Kenicki for transporting GL all the way from Thunder Road. Go T-Birds!