La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles Calif

La Brea Tar Pits

   ‘La Brea’ means ‘The Tar’ in Spanish.

   I suppose it’s redundant to say ‘La Brea Tar Pits’, yet, that’s what we do.

  La Brea is an area in the Los Angeles basin in which the seepage of tar collected form above-ground pools of thick gooey oils.

   At times, these pools of oil would become covered by a layer of water from rains… these waters would lure unwary animals to a death of entombment in the tar.

   It’s quite a museum…. and it’s right on Wilshire, the main street in LA.  It is kind of odd in a way.. you’re driving along from stop light to stop light, thousands of cars jammed on that wide road… among the towering buildings…. and all of a sudden, here’s a ten acre open spot with statues of elephants alongside  a pond. 

   If you stop in LA at any time, you really should stop for a time at La Brea.