Have you ever been to the Proud Bird, the aviation-themed restaurant near LAX? Even if you have, you may not recognize the space after a renovation this summer.

The 1967 restaurant was, in LA Weekly’s words, “a dark, crowded, wood-paneled relic” — but beloved. Now it’s a “food bazaar,” with several food stations from rotating operators, plus a permanent stand for Bludso’s, a barbecue joint whose Compton location has closed (but which still has one in Mid-City; it gets my vote for best barbecue in LA).

I had never been to the old version of the Bird but recently combined a stop there with my visit to LAX’s Lost and Found to retrieve my keys. It was a good twofer. Now, in some respects Proud Bird was a letdown, as I was picturing something livelier like Grand Central Market. Still, a plate of ribs, brisket and greens from Bludso’s salved that disappointment.

And the aviation memorabilia, and replica P-40 Flying Tiger suspended from the ceiling, were fun to see. Some vintage planes are on display in front and out back, and through the expanse of windows one can watch planes coming in for a landing on the parallel runways 25 and 25R.

The lunchtime crowd on a weekday seemed to be mostly made up of people who work nearby, plus a few travelers. I saw a family with a son wearing a shirt from Austin’s famed Franklin Barbecue. Proud Bird didn’t strike me as worth a special trip from our parts. But it’s worth a visit if you’re near LAX with some time to kill, especially if you like planes.

Remember my missing car keys? LAX found them. I went down to reclaim them and learned about the Lost and Found process. I write about it in Sunday’s column.

I take a ride, two in fact, on the newly restored Angels Flight railway in downtown L.A. Of all the weird luck, the next day it closed again due to a faulty part. I’ve been on it on at least a half-dozen occasions over the years, in between closures, some of which have lasted years. It’s nice to have it back.

I write about it in Friday’s column. Have you ever been on it?

I took a day trip to the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale (via public transit, natch) and report back, with photos, in Friday’s column. In print, it’s on A1 with three of my photos!

On a recent day off, I took a day trip by train to San Juan Capistrano. (Three hours there, three hours back, $23.) While there (six hours), I toured the Los Rios District and Mission San Juan Capistrano. It was a fun, informative outing, and the tale is told in Wednesday’s column. Have you been to SJC? What were your impressions?

Above, the other side of the tracks is quite nice; both sides are. Below, a view inside the Serra Chapel.

Recently I fulfilled a longtime wish by hiking up Mount Lee to check out the Hollywood sign from a near vantage point. I tell the story in Wednesday’s column. Above and below, two views from the summit. Have you ever made this hike? Do you have your own bucket list type goal around LA?

Pomona College put together a list for its seniors of “47 things to do before leaving Pomona,” basically a local and Southern California to-do list, given that many students are from out of state and may never, or rarely, return. And 47 is a college in-joke.

It’s a cool list; click on the hyperlink above to see it. Depending on how you count, I’ve done about 27, if you allow, for example, eating at Donut Man (No. 45) but not at midnight.

I’ve never been to Joshua Tree National Park (No. 1, ulp) or taken the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (No. 40), or ordered from the In-N-Out secret menu (No. 10), the latter perhaps because I operate strictly on the up-and-up. Somehow I don’t see myself hitting the slopes (No. 12), catching a wave (No. 13) or playing broomball (No. 42), whatever that is.

What do you think of the list and how do you rate?

In Friday’s column, I write about catching my first Bruce Springsteen concert, during his stand this week at the Sports Arena. And then there’s the postscript, about the little boy who met him. Above, one of the moments discussed in which the Boss sang from a platform midway in the audience.

Most of us missed the original Red Cars, which died out after World War II and ended service in 1961. But there are two replicas in San Pedro that operate on a 1.5-mile track. Alas, they’ll end service too, on Sept. 27. I visited San Pedro’s Ports O’ Call and rode a Red Car, the subject of my Wednesday column.