Travel Guide

LAX Airport Parking and the La Brea Tar Pits

When you hear the word "fossils" what do you think of? Dusty dinosaur bones and boring old museums is the most likely answer. But what if someone were to tell you that fossils can be found right smack dab in the middle of the Los Angeles Miracle Mile district? Well, start believing folks! The La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles, California are some of the world's richest fossil finding frontiers, providing scientists and tourists alike with an exciting look back in time. Extensive petroleum deposits below the surface of the LA Basin fuel the Tar Pits, spewing forth century's worth of information on prehistoric plant and animal life. Large mammal fossils and mini plant microfibers have been found fossilized in this bubbling pit of molten asphalt, including everything from mammoths to moths. Excavations are regularly held at the La Brea Tar Pits every summer as archeologists uncover an endless stream of forgot fossils. The La Brea Tar Pits are a one-of-a-kind of attraction in LA's heart, so don't miss your chance to check it out. Plan to visit this historical mixing pot during your upcoming Johnny Parks LAX Airport Parking vacation.

Buried Treasure

The La Brea Tar Pits are unique for a number of reasons. First of all, they are the only excavation site in the world where predators found outnumber the prey. For each prey animal recovered there are at least ten more predators. This unusual discovery has yet to be explained, but a number of theories persist. One credited theory states that large prey animals often died of exhaustion when trying to navigate the sticky tar. This, in turn, would attract a large number of predators on the lookout for an easy meal. The predators would then eventually get stuck in the tar as well, resulting in massive burial sites. However it may have happened, the La Brea Tar Pits have proved time and time again to be one of the nation's richest excavation areas. Among the prehistoric species associated with the pits are mammoths, dire wolves, short-face bears and ground sloths. The state fossil of California, the saber-toothed cat, has also been found in abundance here. Customers of Johnny Parks LAX Airport Parking are encouraged to learn more about the earlier discoveries by reading works by John Merriam of the University of California. Radiometric dating of preserved wood and bones found in the pits have helped to give an age of about 38,000 years. The pits continue to snare new organisms to this day, preserving modern day fossils for future generations.

Pop Culture's Fascination with the Tar Pits

The La Brea Tar Pits have been featured in a number of popular fiction genres. From novels to movies, people can't help but be fascinated by these strange pools of bubbling goop. Customers of Johnny Parks LAX Airport Parking will find reference to the La Brea Tar Pits in any one of the following pop culture classics:

• In the 1997 film Volcano, a volcano grows out of the largest pit at La Brea.
• In Steven Spielberg's flop film 1941, Captain Will Bill Kelso shoots down a plane into La Brea.
• A secret base for heroes is located beneath the La Brea Tar Pits in Brian K. Vaughan's comic book Runaways.
• The movie Sin City features a fictional location called Basin City based on the La Brea Tar Pits.
• John Varley's novel Mammoth features a plot that focuses almost entirely on the La Brea Tar Pits past and present.

The La Brea Tar Pits have always been an important part of Los Angeles life. Even the early settlers utilized the pits, crafting asphalt from the sticky tar. Customers of Johnny Parks LAX Airport Parking are invited to continue the tradition of sightseeing at the pits by visiting during an upcoming vacation. For more details please feel free to visit the Page Museum information page right here on the Johnny Parks LAX Airport Parking website.