My son and I took a ride to the Winery at 737 Lamar St. in Los Angeles. It is a family-owned and family-operated winery. They opened the winery in the 1920s, and during the prohibition, they received the state's special authorization in order to make…Read More

My son and I took a ride to the Winery at 737 Lamar St. in Los Angeles. It is a family-owned and family-operated winery. They opened the winery in the 1920s, and during the prohibition, they received the state's special authorization in order to make the wine for the church's communion. By doing that, they were the only winery that made it through the Prohibition still on their feet. Most others went out of business. The gentleman that opened it is still there serving and tasting wine, he is 96 years old. His son and his grandson are also working there. It truly is a family owned business. The winery has a wonderful restaurant, named after the owners wife. They serve many different types of Italian food. Some wonderful sandwiches, including a rib eye steak sandwich. They also serve some lasagna and raviolli. There is a wine tasting room where you are allowed to taste all of the different wines that they have to sell. The also sell things like wine corks, wine glasses, and different types of breads for wine tasting. There is also some book markers on sale, along with some candles and such. The prices of the wine are very reasonable, and the wines are excellent. I have not tasted a smoother wine than their chardonnay.

The tour into the winery was interesting, but would have been much more interesting during the week while the people were working. On Sunday everything was shut down and there was less to see. We did get to see the different jugs and tanks. There are the steel tanks, there are the redwood tanks, and there are the oak tanks. Different types of wine must ferment in different types of tanks. The three that they were using were steel, redwood, and oak. We saw a short movie that explained the history of the winery and the family picture. I truly enjoyed my visit to the winery. I welcome all of you to make it to this winery also. It is worth seeing.

A person doesn't need to be athletic nor have the body of a surfer to fit in at Seal Beach. The small waves, large playground, and cozy setting attract families with young children. On the other end of the age spectrum, many Seal…Read More

A person doesn't need to be athletic nor have the body of a surfer to fit in at Seal Beach. The small waves, large playground, and cozy setting attract families with young children. On the other end of the age spectrum, many Seal Beach visitors come from the nearby Leisure World retirement community. This is one beach where a senior citizen can enjoy the ocean without feeling like the only older visitor. There's an old-fashioned wooden pier for strolling--or fishing. The pier stays open 24 hours a day, making it a favorite for early bird fishermen. Plus, it's a safe beach--there's an oceanside police station here. For shoppers, there's an old-fashioned "main street" type shopping area across from the beach. Flashy? No. But it seems down-home and comfy in feel. And, the shops are less expensive than in trendier areas. Seal Beach is located near the Pacific Coast Highway in northern Orange County, tucked in between Huntington Beach and Long Beach.Close