The whole trip was a surprise. We stayed in Laurel Canyon, the legendary hideout of seventies rock stars, in a house once the residence of Neil Young. A few houses down the road was the site of Frank Zappa’s barn, the epicentre of the Canyon community.
It could have been any time since the 1930s, just as Raymond Chandler described it- minus a few thousand cars and a smattering of modern hotels- people’s attire alone indicating the passage of time. The surprise escarpment down to the beach concealing Highway One and the line of grand old houses- and the parking lot.
Twin palms and dinosaurs in 4th Street Santa Monica, California.





