Saturday 22nd - Santa Monica and Chez Jays with Mike

We love the Metro system in L.A.

The fares are paid on a TAP card like our own London Oyster cards and every single trip on the same line costs $1.70, no matter how far you go (which is better than our oyster cards!).

We met Mike Schnee at 7th Street/Metro Centre and jumped on the Blue Line to Santa Monica.

We headed out of the subway station and down the hill, turned left and we were at Chez Jays. Since we were last in Santa Monica, it has been built up a bit and the open space that was once alongside the infamous bar among Beach Boys fans has been built on.

2011 and you could see the whole side of Chez Jays - today this area has been built on so you can only get photos at the front (below)

We spent a good couple of hours in the dimly lit Chez Jays, drinking beer and eating peanuts, throwing the shells on the floor. Such an enjoyable afternoon, where conversation never dried up.

Our booth

Here is the booth we had sat in, and the barman revealed to us that Bruce Johnston, from The Beach Boys had sat in the same booth just a couple of days before. Although we didn't think of Bruce as a bar person, Minty checked the Beach Boys tour dates and found they had finished their Christmas tour at the beginning of that week, so it is plausible timing wise as he would have been back in the area.

Afterwards, we wandered back to the pier area.

The pedestrian crossing area is manned by traffic cops, blowing their whistles and directing traffic - a first for us.

We had something to eat in a bar called Independence before we had to hit the road (or metro as it was) to get back to downtown and the Brian Setzer gig.

What a wonderful afternoon spent.

Before we got back on the Blue Line Metro back to DTLA

Chez Jays is an infamous Beach Boys linked location because it was the regular haunt of drummer Dennis Wilson, especially just before his untimely death in 1983. Hung on the walls are loads of photos of the stars who frequented this bar, and at the back there is a list of the celebrities. the bar has also been used recently as a film location for the  American TV series "Goliath".

In the bar area, just next to Marilyn Monroe is this big print from Two Lane Blacktop, starring Dennis and also James Taylor

Table 10 at the back by the loos, offers a bit more privacy.