Fountain entrance

The water fountain at the front of the Embassy Suites in Downey sets the scene for a romantic entrance. It has a European feel to it and the soft sound of the water spilling over the fountain sets the scene.

“Human nature is like water. It takes the shape of its container.”
 ~ Wallace Stevens

Makeovers

It's been quite some time since I've been inside the Embassy Suites Hotel, and I was surprised to see that the interior atrium has been completely remodeled. Gone are the cascading waterfall, tropical foliage, koi ponds, and turtles. The feeling now is much more open, and the breakfast buffet looked quite enticing.

But oddly, from above, the planter areas reminded me of a couple of amoebas.

What's your newspaper style?

You know all those quizzes that pop up on Facebook or in magazines? They ask you about your style in some facet of your behavior, and then tell you what this means about your personality. Well, I think there should be a quiz to tell you what your newspaper reading style says about you.

In just a few minutes of people-watching at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Sunday morning, I observed two very different newspaper styles. The first one, above, is relaxed. There's no rush here. The completed (or unwanted) sections of the paper get tossed aside.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who read on the go. Life's short, there are a million things to get done, there's not a moment to waste. If you can multi-task while reading the paper, so much the better.

What's your newspaper style?

Relaxing in the suites

I took a ride over to the Embassy Suites to look at their lobby. I always enjoy going there to see the atmosphere they have created in the midst of a busy inn. Next to the Firestone Grill Restaurant, the koi fish pond, with its cascading waterfall, has a way of relaxing even the most stressed of us.

I wonder if they are any good to eat?

A view from the top

The recent cold spell we have been going through has produced some of the cleanest air we've had in some time. This view from the fifth floor of the Embassy Suites shows off the vista seen on a clear day. That's Downey City Hall in the foreground, the building that is stair stepped. Over the tree tops you can see the hills of Whittier, and further back you can see the San Bernardino mountains that house both Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake.

An elevator with a view

Yesterday the sky was clear and blue, with lots of puffy clouds—the perfect day, I thought, for a great view of the Los Angeles skyline. So I went to the top of the Embassy Suites Hotel (the highest point in Downey, remember?). But the view was disappointing.

However, the view on the elevator ride up to the eighth floor (OK, I was feeling lazy) was surprisingly appealing. The light from the skylights lit up the entire atrium.

Christmas color

I love Christmas and the variety of decorations that pop up around town. The Embassy Suites had a beautiful tree in the lobby that you could see from the street. It was so sparkly!

The silver lining

After several days of warm (80° F) weather, it rained today. I'm not crazy about the rain, but the silver lining was the beautiful sunset that was visible for most of my drive home from work. I reached Downey just in time to go to the top of the Embassy Suites Hotel to catch the last rays.

Mt. Baldy

For a final picture from the top (or in this case, the 4th floor) of the Embassy Suites Hotel, I want to show you Mt. Baldy to the northeast. At 10,068 feet (3,069 meters), it is the highest point in Los Angeles and the tallest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Until our hot spell last week, Mt. Baldy (or Mount San Antonio, as it's really called) was thoroughly covered with snow. Now, you can see the mountain starting to show through. Still, we'll continue to see snow there for another month or so.

There's a family-owned ski resort up there. At about an hour and a half away, it's our closest ski resort. The next closest (and more popular) ski area is another hour to the east.

Smog check

I have a couple more pictures I want to show you of the views from the Embassy Suites Hotel, one for today and one for next week. Today's picture isn't very exciting, but it illustrates one of the problems that is synonymous with Los Angeles—smog.

Smog was an issue in this area long before cars arrived. The name given to this area by the Chumash tribe of Native Americans translates to "the valley of smoke" because of the smog from native campfires.

Part of the problem is that the smog has nowhere to go and very little rain to wash it away. Los Angeles lies in a basin, surrounded by the ocean on one side and mountains on the other sides. These mountains, along with a variety of other geographic and weather conditions, hold our smog in.

You'll notice that the higher you look, the bluer the sky is. On a day like today, with relatively mild smog, you don't even realize the smog is there until you see it in the distance.

See it my way

This is a view from the Embassy Suites' highest stairwell looking down onto the roof top. A different view than we're used to.

To the north

I promise I won't continue to bore you with the views from the top of the Embassy Suites forever. But after yesterday's rainstorm, today's view to the north of Downey was especially clear and pretty.

In the background, about 20 miles away, you can see the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena.

In the center, you can see the hills of Monterey Park. Seeing these hills requires a high vantage point and catching the sun just right. The hills are really green right now, with all the rain we've had. But it won't last — in a few months, they'll be golden brown.

Closer up on the right, you can see the red roof and the bell tower of the First Presbyterian Church.

Hazy days of March

I have a European vacation planned for this summer, and I'm determined not to leave any tower unclimbed. So in preparation, I've started climbing the stairs at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Embassy Suites, at 8 stories, is probably the highest building in Downey. I walk up once (with one rest stop), then down, then up (with two rest stops), then down. When I can do that without the rest stops, I'll add another round.

And my reward? A spectacular view of downtown Los Angeles. The LA skyline is about 10 miles away to the west. On the rare clear day, you can actually see the mountains that lie behind those buildings. Today? Not so clear. But if I keep this up, one of these days, I'm going to get a great picture!

Oh Christmas Tree

I love this time of year; even businesses get into the holiday spirit! I passed by the Embassy Suites tonight and had to make a U-Turn to grab this picture of the front entrance.

Suite reflections

I was driving down Firestone the other day when I noticed how clearly Embassy Suites is reflected in the windows of the Wells Fargo building next door. I don't know how I've missed this, but it gave me a reason to go back today to find out if late afternoon would be a good time to capture it. As usual, I can never decide which picture gives the best "sense" of the place...



I really like mission-style feel of the building. It is appealing.

 

Click here to see the beautiful night time view of the entrance to the hotel from a previous post.

Embassy Suites

I have always thought the Embassy Suites on Firestone in Downey was a beautiful building. I like the Spanish style architecture and think of it as a reflection of our heritage in this area. But, how did I miss this really beautiful entrance. I've driven past it a thousand times, but one night a week or so ago, I was looking for a picture, for something new, and I saw the lighted entrance with "new eyes."

It never ceases to surprise me how much I miss of what is right in front of me when I'm not really looking for it. I think that's one of the things I have appreciated about doing this blog: learning to see more of what surrounds me everyday and trying to capture and share it.

Night lights

Believe it or not, this is the LA skyline as seen from the 8th floor of the Embassy Suites in Downey. The rain stopped just long enough for me to take a photo.