First thing this morning I was going to post this question. I have a 10-year old Tahari puffer coat--very puffy indeed. It's in good shape because I don't wear it often here but do need it for winter trips to Chicago area. I tried a Lands End coat last year and didn't like it at all.

So, after watching weather forecasts: snow downgraded to rain, downgraded again--I dragged the coat onto the plane. It's heavy and bulky. We get to O'Hare and I put it on, then roasted while I waited for DH to get the luggage.

In short: Chicago was warmer than San Jose! And warmer than LA the last few days of the trip spent there.

Then I looked at Angie's post this morning and oh, that RL coat called to me. I have a quilted RL jacket/coat and a Barbour short coat with a hood--either would have been great on the trip. The RL fits me well, so I ordered it--in off-white! At first I thought no way, but then--why not? It's washable, and I don't wear heavier coats that often.

Our suitcases were full and I couldn't pack the puffer for the trip home.

This is what I wore for outerwear over a cashmere sweater: a Patagonia jacket I bought on sale at the end of the season last year. I wore it every day of the 9-day trip. The blazer I brought didn't seem right for LA. More fashion comments later.

Here's a smattering of photos. I'll do another post in Off Topic later and tell you about the whole trip.

Thanks, Angie!

Photo #1 is in front of one of the few remaining Bob's Big Boys, it's in Toluca Lake. In the early '70s we lived in Studio City and often went to Bob's with our two kids for lunch after church on Sunday.

#2 is out our hotel window our first morning in LA. We stayed at the Universal Hilton because for the places we wanted to visit it is centrally located. I took my two boys there when they were about 2 & 4 and the park was recently opened in the early 70s. Not much there then, they liked the petting zoo.

#3 & 4 Avis gave us a noisy Mustang GT as a rental car. We thought it was a mistake but the attendant said DH looked pretty cool in his black leather jacket and his car. We went to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills to check out our cemetery plots bought in 1974 after DH's father died leaving his family completely unprepared. We also went to Mount Sinai next door, where DH has family buried.

Lots of nostalgia on this trip.