Editor’s note: Boyd Lemon reported this week that his book “Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages,” was the 65th best selling book in its genre on Kindle. This week the ebook version is on sale for 99 cents on http://www.Amazon.com, http://www.BarnsandNoble.com and http://www.Smashwords.com
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor
For those who enjoy baseball, horse races and trains I want to share a lovely two-day respite from the ordinary that I experienced last week. You can do this on a weekend or during the week, whenever the Dodgers have a day game at home.
I caught the Amtrak train at the Ventura Station (parking at the Fairgrounds parking lot) at 7:25 am. I could have taken the 10 a.m. train if the Dodger game had started at its usual time of 1:10 p.m., instead of 12:10 on that Wednesday. The train was on time, and the ride along the coast to Oxnard and then inland through Camarillo, Simi Valley and on through the San Fernando Valley to Burbank, Glendale and finally Union Station in downtown Los Angeles was delightful and relaxing. I sipped on a cup of coffee from the Café car, watched the scenery go by and read for the last half hour of the two-hour trip.
After eating a breakfast bagel at the station café and reading the morning paper, I asked the nice lady at the information booth where to catch the shuttle to Dodger Stadium. She told me, and I followed the signs down the corridor, up the stairs to a brand new part of Union Station that didn’t exist five years ago and waited on the sidewalk for about fifteen minutes for the free shuttle to Dodger Stadium, a comfortable natural gas powered bus that took about ten minutes to drop us off near the ticket booths. I was early for the game, so I watched the people, mostly kids, inveigling the players to sign autographs on their programs, balls, whatever they carried. Then I bought a beer and two Dodger Dogs for lunch (half-price for the dogs on Wednesday) and ate leisurely before the game started. I enjoyed the game immensely, especially since the Dodgers won, walked to where the shuttle had dropped us off and took it back to Union Station.
I had booked an inexpensive ($65 a night) hotel on Main Street downtown. I was a little apprehensive about walking to it, but it was still light out, and, much to my surprise, what used to be the heart of Skid Row, is now a relatively gentrified area of cafes, upscale bars, hotels and restaurants. My hotel, called “Stay,” was Spartan, but clean and freshly painted, with artwork on the walls and excellent service, including a free continental breakfast in the morning.
That night I had a Manhattan at a bar of dark granite, called Silo, recommended by the hotel staff that was two blocks away and dinner at an old downtown standby, Coles on Sixth Street, just east of Main. I had the best dipped sandwich I’ve ever eaten, a fine Caesar Salad and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. They have turkey, beef, chicken and lamb dipped sandwiches. At the recommendation of the server, I had lamb, and it was amazing for $7.
I slept well, enjoyed the hotel breakfast, and then a second cup of coffee with the morning L.A. Times at the café next door and walked back to Union Station. I could have taken a bus that stopped in front of the hotel or a taxi waiting out front, but I wanted the exercise. I caught the 11:10 a.m. train southbound and relaxed and gawked out the window during the two-hour ride to Del Mar (the Solana Beach Station), mostly along the gorgeous coastline that reminded me of the train ride between Ventura and Santa Barbara.
A shuttle bus picked us up at the station and took us on the five-minute ride to the entrance to Del Mar Race Track. I got to my seat about fifteen minutes before the first race in plenty of time to place my bet. A little later, I had a late lunch (shrimp salad) at an outdoor café overlooking the paddock, where the horses for the next race hung out with their trainers and attendants.
After the last race I took the shuttle back to the station, waited for a half hour and the train took me back to Ventura. I was in bed before midnight. The entire excursion, including all meals, tickets, transportation — everything, including the $15 I lost betting the horses — cost less than $250.
I can’t remember a more enjoyable, relaxing two days at a reasonable cost. I drove my car a total of about three miles. I would have walked to and from the Ventura Train Station, if I could have taken the 10 a.m. train, instead of the 7:25 a.m.
Of course, you have to like baseball, horse races and trains.
— Boyd Lemon is a retired lawyer, who re-invented himself as a writer, living in Ventura. He recently returned from a year in France and Italy. His memoir, “Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages,” has just been published. It is about his journey to understand his role in the destruction of his three marriages. He believes it will help others to deal with their own relationship issues. Excerpts are on his website, http://www.BoydLemon-Writer.com