Watch Bill Drive from San Francisco to LA

by Justin Glow on

This might not be up for long, but it’s worth a mention. Bill Snitzer, a tech guy over at BitGravity has a webcam hooked up to some sort of mobile Internet device and is live broadcasting his drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Below the video feed is a embedded Google Map that shows his exact location.

It might not be the most entertaining thing in the world to watch, but it’s an impressive display of what technology can do these days. “But how is this different than ‘Internet lifecaster’ Justin.tv?” you might be asking. Well, it’s not, I guess… but the Google Maps integration is what sets this apart from the rest. Very cool. [via]

Visiting the Legends of Rock and Roll in Legendary Laurel Canyon

by Neil Woodburn on

There is perhaps no rock and roll neighborhood more legendary than Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.

This steep wooded canyon, just a short drive from the Sunset Strip, has been home to more rockers per square foot than anywhere on this planet. In it’s glory days, one may have come across Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, Glenn Frey, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, Micky Dolenz, and countless other stoned rockers getting their morning paper with coffee mug in hand, or something like that.

“Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood,” is a fascinating book which explores this wild neighborhood. Its author, Michael Walker, recently spent some time with LA Times journalist August Brown discussing what remains of the iconic rock star homes and how one might go about finding them.

If you’re a classic rock fan and planning to visit LA any time soon, spare a moment to drive through this wild canyon with Walker’s book in hand; it’s the most famously anonymous part of Los Angeles that few tourists ever visit.

Free WiFi in Los Angeles

by Neil Woodburn on

Although internet cafes are quite popular in Europe, there really aren’t too many of them in the United States. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make things very easy for travelers wanting to jump online while visiting the USA.

If you happen to be in Los Angeles, however, there is a very convenient way to get online: visit one of the city’s public libraries.

The Los Angeles Public Library system offers free WiFi connection to anyone who walks in through their front door. And with 72 locations throughout Los Angeles, there’s a good chance there’s one near your hotel. Click here to find it.

The Best U.S. Cities for Singles

by Justin Glow on

You may recognize this “Singles” map from the February 2007 issue of National Geographic. It ranks the number of single women versus the number of single men in metropolitan areas, and you may be surprised at some of the results.

Girls, looking to travel to a bachelor-heavy area? The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metro area, for instance, has the highest population of single males, with 40,000 more than single women. On the flip side, guys, the New York-Newark urban area has 185,000 more single women than men.

What I find particularly interesting is Texas. Dallas, Austin, and Houston all have more single men than women, while San Antonio has more single women. With the influx of military personnel in San Antonio, I would have figured the opposite.

Dining Blind: It’s All The Rage In L.A.

by Jonathon Morgan on

Just when you thought you had eating and drinking all figured out, along comes Dining in the Dark — a new Los Angeles trend for the more adventurous food-lover.

Upon arriving at the Hyatt West Hollywood, you’re taken to a room where you eat a three-course meal — in pitch black. Despite the total darkness, waiters manage to get the food on your plate — but it’s up to you to figure out how to eat it. Cutlery is provided, but most give up and use their hands.

It’s not cheap, at $99 per person for chicken or fish, $105 for beef, but it sounds like a unique experience in letting go of your pre-conceptions about dining out.

Check it out for yourself, every Saturday night at the Hyatt West Hollywood, 8401 Sunset Blvd. Visit the company’s website or call 800.710.1270 for more information.