Neon Cruise with LA Observed

Hey, this week is LA Observed's third blogiversary. Perfect reason for a fun night on the town—literally. Join us on Saturday, June 3 to kick off summer early with LA Observed Night on the Museum of Neon Art's Neon Cruise. We'll begin with a reception and museum tour, then board a double-decked London bus to be entertained by architecture, street life and the historical neon skyline of Los Angeles. Our guide will be Eric Lynxwiler, whose witty megaphone-powered narration has been featured on NPR and become legend in local architecture and preservation circles. Eric's fans return each summer to take his Neon Cruise, and I'll enjoy sharing the evening with friends of LA Observed.

The cruise lasts about 2½ hours, starting and ending downtown at MONA. Eric's banter will amuse and inform as we ride in wind-blown semi-comfort through downtown, Hollywood and the Wilshire district, with breaks for refreshment and leg-stretching in Chinatown and at Canter's Deli on Fairfax. The museum is a non-profit institution that since 1981 has worked to preserve and enhance the city's neon heritage. The collection includes a Brown Derby logo, the last neon sign from Chris' & Pitt's Barbecue and other landmarks. Tickets for the Neon Cruise are $35 each for MONA members, $45 for the rest of us. Seats are limited, so email me to reserve a place if you want to come along. Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles will be available for purchase and signing by Eric and I at the reception.

Since it's my anniversary: Here's the first month of posts on LA Observed and a disturbing snapshot of the early design, saved by the unforgiving Internet Archive. Oh my, that hurts. On the plus side, this weekend the site will serve up its three-millionth page of 2006. Took until September to pass three million last year.