Imperial Highway: Dockweiler Beach

In this blog, I'm exploring LA street by street and taking pictures and videos of anything that catches my eye. For no reason in particular, I decided to start with Imperial Highway.

Imperial Highway begins (or ends, if you like) at Dockweiler Beach, just west of LAX, so that's where I began.

These photos were taken around 7:00 on Sunday, April 26, 2009.

These caged vending machines were menacing to me. They look like they're holding prisoners that will later be tortured.

The pink reminds me of the tacticts of "America's Toughest Sheriff," Joe Arpaio, who forces his inmates to wear pink underwear. I can only imagine that pink underwear is meant to humilate the prisoners, although I've heard the sheriff claim that it is to prevent the inmates from stealing the undergarments. I guess they won't steal them because they're humiliating to wear.

This dying balloon reminded of a beached sea creature.

These guys came down to have a three-man worship service at the beach. They had a Bible on the table and I assume they're singing some kind of hymn here.

I can understand wanting to come to the ocean to worship, but why Dockweiler? With the planes constantly going overhead and the highway a stone's throw away, it isn't exactly the most tranquil or picturesque spot I can think of. But as if Dockweiler wasn't lackluster enough, these guys also set up shop near the restroom. Even on this beach, with all the distractions, there are still some pretty parts. Why sit near the bathrooms? We've all been to the bathrooms at the beach. You don't want to go in there to pee, why would you go there to pray?

Of course, it's clear this group isn't picky, otherwise this guy with the guitar would have never been made the musical director.

The birds love the garbage.

I was surprised to see a fire pit on the beach. I didn't think fires were allowed on LA beaches.

All this junk, right next to the trash can.

This wall still had it's "wet paint" sign up when SMC tagged it to remember Julios(?). Way to beautify LA SMC!

Dockweiler State Beach is named for Isidore Dockweiler (1867 - 1947), a big time LA lawyer from the 1890's through the 1940's, who held a prominent position in the Democratic Party and helped build the California State Parks system and the LA Public Library.

Before the State changed the beach name to Dockweiler in 1955, it was called Venice-Hyperion Beach State Park.

I like the decorative logic here of painting what is essentially garbage fun colors.

The view from this beach is interesting. You have planes going over head and behind you is Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant, LA's largest wastewater treatment plant, which emits all kinds of great smells.

If you go to the RV park, the planes actually aren't flying right over you. However, the wastewater treatment plant is a little harder to ignore.

I'm obsessed with cats and any images of cats, so I'm going to always take a picture of any cat I see on any sign.

I like that there were two different models of the Cougar by Keystone. Above is a new model Cougar, while below is a classic.

There was a dog run like this on either side of the RV park. It seemed kind of sad for the dog to have all this open space all around and still be confined to a little caged-in square.

Then again, I'm glad I didn't step in dog shit while I was walking around barefoot in the sand.

They stacked up all these old fire rings at one part of the beach. Ironically, people could use these as a trash can, but not the actual trash can.

View Imperial Highway in a larger map