If you were asked what locations and places help a city put its best foot forward to both the world and the surrounding area, would you name some local landmarks and destinations that encapsulate history, beauty, and a certain spirit that transcends day-to-day life?
We probably all would, which is why Tourism Cares regularly hosts large-scale volunteer efforts that lend landmarks some TLC. The charity looks to preserve "the travel experience for future generations" in multiple ways, which includes on-the-ground, paintbrushes-in-hand spiffy-up days at some of our best-known attractions and places of prominence.
One such place, the U.S.S. IOWA, will be visited by dozens of Tourism Cares for LA volunteers on Thursday, Nov. 13 and Friday, Nov. 14 as they take to the massive battleship's 2nd deck with a single aim in mind: Give it a new coat of paint. If you know the size of the ship, you know that it is a task requiring the efforts of many, many dedicated pitch-inners.
But other gems and well-known sites in the San Pedro and San Pedro-close region will get spiffy-ups on Nov. 13 and 14, including the S.S. Lane Victory, the Banning Museum, the Korean Friendship Bell Memorial, and the White Point Nature Preserve. Over 300 volunteers are expected.
The Korean Friendship Bell will receive a fresh coat of wax, by the by.
If you're a fan of Southern California putting its best foot -- which, we imagine, is a very, very large foot -- forward, and you wield a paintbrush or other tools well, consider jumping in to future Tourism Cares projects. You don't need to work for the industry; you just need to love and care about our region's historic and art-nice destinations.
And as for the U.S.S. IOWA? It's much in the headlines this week, with the Veterans Day ceremonies, so it is a lovely and timely thing to see citizens making for the World War II ship to preserve its history for both tourists and locals alike.
