Malibu Canyon

Last November a monster fire called Woolsey started in the Santa Susanna mountains north of Simi Valley and churned its way all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way it burned nearly 100,000 acres, destroyed more than 1,500 structures, and killed three people. 300,000 people (including your favorite monkey) were evacuated. On its way to the ocean the fire raced through Malibu Canyon, a rugged wilderness in the Santa Monica mountains burning much of what was in its path. A few days after the fire was over the rains started. Within a week or so there was new…

Pompeii in Simi Valley

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 Categories: TravelTags: ancient Rome · California · exhibit · photography · pompeii · reagan library · Simi Valley · Travel8 Comments

Ancient Pompeii is one of those places that people today find endlessly intriguing. This Roman city, a prosperous vacation destination on the Bay of Naples, was completely destroyed on August 24, 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii and several other town in the area under volcanic ash and pyroclastic material. Rediscovered in the 1700s the excavation of Pompeii continues today, revealing its hidden secrets in spectacular fashion. A traveling exhibition of a few hundred artifacts from Pompeii (and nearby Herculaneum which was also destroyed by the eruption) is making its way around the United States and is presently…

Exploring The Huntington’s Gardens

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018 Categories: TravelTags: California · Chinese Garden · garden · Huntington Library · Japanese Garden · Los Angeles · Pasadena · photography · Travel9 Comments

With granddaughter #3 visiting from Florida for an early start to Christmas, Kongo’s tribe set out for The Huntington in Pasadena. The Huntington is a world class research library, collection of art, and a vast array of fantastic gardens. Kongo had not been here before. With so much to see the monkey had to prioritize his explorations and decided to check out the Chinese and Japanese gardens and then see what else there was time for. Chinese gardens are very different from most Japanese gardens. Although the Japanese started out copying the Chinese, eventually they evolved their own garden philosophy….

After the Fires

December 2, 2018December 2, 2018 Categories: TravelTags: agoura hills · calabassas · evacuation · fire · Malibu · Southern California · wildfire5 Comments

Recent wildfires in Southern California burned about 100,000 acres of the Santa Monica mountains surrounding Kongo’s home west of Los Angeles. It was a scary time. Naturally Kongo was not at home when the fires started, leaving Mrs. Kongo alone with the grand daughters. (He was also away when lightening struck their home near Washington DC several years ago resulting in fireman traipsing through the attic putting out smoldering wires but that’s another story.) The phones started beeping with emergency alerts and when Mrs. Kongo got the message EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY that’s exactly what she did. She grabbed the granddaughter, her…

Fishing Monkey

November 19, 2018November 20, 2018 Categories: TravelTags: California · Channel Islands · family time · fishing · fishing boat · overnight · Oxnard · Pacific Islander · Pacific Ocean · rockfish · sport fishing · whale watching5 Comments

So the monkey has been through a few adventures in the past couple of months. He finished a backyard remodel, started some additional and very intense training at the Getty Villa, and most recently survived the firestorms in Southern California. His house is safe but he did have to evacuate for a couple of days and that’s another whole story. But to get into the holiday routine his #1 son had this great idea to go on an overnight fishing trip. Right, what better way to get in the Thanksgiving and Christmas mood than go fishing? It’s been years and…

Fair Monkey

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 Categories: TravelTags: California · carnival rides · County Fair · equestrian events · horse and buggy · horses · photography · Travel · Venturs2 Comments

Kongo loves county fairs. There’s something about hot, sultry August afternoons, the smell of cotton candy, the carnival barkers, and the crowds that makes the monkey feel right at home. The Ventura County fair is like that. It’s not nearly as big or as sophisticated as the Los Angeles County Fair or the Del Mar Fair in San Diego. Now those are real fairs. Ventura County is kind of like your neighborhood 4th of July Parade with kids on bikes and dogs decked out in red, white, and blue. It was just right. Kongo was actually forced out of the…

A Walk in LA

July 19, 2018July 20, 2018 Categories: TravelTags: Angel Flight · California · City Hall · Grand Central Market · Los Angeles · movies · Phillipes The Original · photography · Travel · walking tours5 Comments

Los Angeles isn’t really known as a walking city. Sure, you CAN walk there but this is the land of Freeways and Uber so why would you? Well, lots of reasons actually and that’s exactly what the Kongo’s did last evening. Meeting some fellow Morocco survivor friends from Santa Monica, Kongo and his bride were in downtown LA to do a walking tour of City Hall. Since traffic in this city is always a question mark, Kongo planned for contingencies and left home well ahead of the scheduled meeting time. Without SigAlerts or some other disaster, it was going to…

Travel Monkey

The Adventures of Kongo