[La Enchiladita]

Thanks for the ping, beaversmom. I don't go to the movies anymore; however...

I mourn the loss of the Ambassador Hotel. It was unique and beautiful and a treasured part of my growing up in L.A. Enjoyed lunch at the coffee shop many times and just strolling the grounds.

[Fiji Hill]

The first time I visited the Ambassador Hotel was in 1976, when I attended a victory rally for Ronald Reagan, who had won the California primary in his second try for the White House. I found myself near the front when he spoke. The actor Jimmy Stewart also made an appearance.

One of my favorite locations to take a photograph in Los Angeles was in front of the hotel looking north. Across the street was the Brown Derby restaurant, which was shaped like a derby hat, and above it one could see the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign on Mt. Cahuenga. Unfortunately this view is gone--blocked by a high rise that stands where the Brown Derby once stood.