A Brief History
Even today in 2019, it is a truism that history is written by the victors.
In other words, the official contemporary histories of any nation are usually recorded or commissioned by those in power at that particular time – meaning that in some cases, a narrative is established and cemented which might be inaccurate and tricky for future generations to interrogate; however, the flipside of this phenomenon is our fascination with hidden histories – those untold stories of people, events and cultures that never made the historical headlines, but bubble away brilliantly under the surface of any era, influencing events from micro to macro levels.
For instance, powerful examples of LA’s hidden history might include Leimert Park’s multicultural melting pot and derelict or unused attractions like the Hall of Justice site and Bank of Italy building that featured heavily in the work of hardboiled crime writers like Raymond Chandler and James Elroy.
Sounds interesting? Here are three hidden history vacays you can launch from LAX.
Digging Deeper
- Scotland – Rosslyn Chapel
If you have read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code or marveled at the Tom Hanks movie version, you might already be familiar with Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh.
This fascinating chapel was founded in 1446 and features an ornate interior full of mysterious carvings. It is said to be important to the Masonic movement and historical groups such as the Knights Templar and furthermore, architectural depictions of crops like maize pre-date Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas – suggesting Scotland had transatlantic trade relationships before La Santa Maria set sail.
Tip: find out more on the Rosslyn Chapel website and delve into the mysteries of this magnificent site.
- Jamaica – Accompong
When Spanish colonialists fled Jamaica in the late 17th Century as superior British forces took over, they set free a group of slaves who became known as The Maroons, and this rebel army fought a series of successful guerilla campaigns against the British Army for years to come.
One of their bases was Accompong, a mountain stronghold where their survivors live semi-autonomously to this day and preserve some traditions lost even to their African homeland. The Accompong Maroon festival attracts visitors from across the world and is held each February.
Tip – check out visitjamaica.com for details on Accompong and other alternative Jamaican history sites.
- China – Shaolin temple
For fans of Kung-Fu, the famous Shaolin Temple in Kunming City needs no introduction – but amazingly, it is actually possible to train there for three months with genuine Shaolin Monks, thus sharpening your martial arts skills and participating in living hidden history.
It is not for the faint hearted though – accommodation is spartan, meals are plain, and you will be exerting yourself for seven hours per day. Still, it is a small price to pay for such a stunningly immersive experience.
Tip: You should book LAX parking on Looking4.com if you want to cruise there in your own ride and avoid toting heavy Kung-Fu gear on public transport.
Any one of these left field vacays will take you off the beaten tracks and into the mind-expanding realm of hidden history – you can thank us later!
That’s our list! Share your own hidden history vacay ideas in the comments section.
Question for students (and subscribers): Have you ever flown in or out of LAX? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Jamieson, Jon. Departed Wings Los Angeles International Airport-LAX. Departed Wings LLC, 2018.
The featured image in this article, an aerial photograph by Don Ramey Logan (1961–) of Los Angeles International Airport, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.