Take an Esotouric tour

Esotouric, the eclectic bus adventure company whose tours reveal L.A.'s secret history, has announced its first set tours for 2008, including two new entries in the provocative "Reyner Banham Loves LA" architectural series and the company's first-ever Westside tours (one true crime, the other on Raymond Chandler's Bay City stories).
January's offerings begin on 1/13 with a revamped version of Esotouric's popular THE REAL BLACK DAHLIA tour, during the anniversary week of Beth Short's unsolved 1947 kidnap-murder. The tour reveals who Beth Short really was through the clues she left with friends, roommates, family and the press and cops who tried to solve her slaying, and is presented in collaboration with Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, with a special send off by Doo-Dah Parade Queen Mickie.
On 11/19 it's sensational true crime and Chinese eats in the San Gabriel Valley with the BLOOD AND DUMPLINGS crime bus tour, and on 1/26 passengers explore the lovely, deadly downtown neighborhood of WEIRDWEST ADAMS on the crime bus.
February features WHERE THE ACTION WAS, the Hollywood and West Hollywood rock and roll history tour on 2/2. On 2/16 Esotouric's first ever West LA tour, WILD WILD WEST SIDE, digs deep into the forgotten criminal past of the shore-side cities. On 2/23 downtown's architectural and cultural significance is revealed with the new REYNER BANHAM LOVES LA: THE MANY DOWNTOWNS.
Banham's back on 3/1 with a birthday road trip tribute to Esotouric Richard Schave's late mentor, REYNER BANHAM LOVES LA: ROUTE 66. 3/8 sees the debut of RAYMOND CHANDLER'S BAY CITY, a Westside mate to Esotouric's popular downtown and Hollywood Chandler tour. On 3/9, honor the poet laureate of Skid Row on the anniversary of his death with HAUNTS OF A DIRTY OLD MAN: CHARLES BUKOWSKI'S LA. And on 3/15, Vroman's Bookstore presents PASADENACONFIDENTIAL, a crime bus tour featuring a special appearance by Crimebo the Clown.

For further info on these tours and Esotouric, please visit http://www.esotouric.com

Named Best Downtown Tours by the editors of Downtown News, Best of LA by Los Angeles Magazine and soon to be featured on BBC's Globetrekker, and in Time Out Los Angeles and Lonely Planet Los Angeles.

Upcoming Esotouric bus tour schedule (new tours starred):
*Sat Dec 22 ­ James Ellroy Digs L.A.
*Sat Dec 29 ­ James Ellroy Digs L.A.
Sun Jan /13 Vroman's Bookstore presents The Real Black Dahlia
Sat Jan 19 Blood & Dumplings San Gabriel Valley Crime Bus Tour
San Jan 26 Weird West Adams Crime Bus Tour
Sat Feb 2 Where the Action Was Hollywood Rock and Roll Tour
*Sat Feb 16- Wild Wild West Side Crime Bus Tour
*Sat Feb 23 Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: The Many Downtowns
*Sat Mar 1- Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: Route 66 (on Banham's birthday weekend)
*Sat Mar 8 Raymond Chandler's Bay City (West Los Angeles Chandler tour)
Sun Mar 9- Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's Los Angeles (on the anniversary of his death)
Sat Mar 15 Vroman's Bookstore presents Pasadena Confidential