Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE fan of the Carpenters. I’ve got most of their albums, am working towards collecting all of the 45s, and have gotten my hands on and read as many books as possible, not to mention seeing all the E! specials, the movies, etc. I have a low singing voice, so I think part of my love for them is due to the fact that I can actually sing along and hit those low notes – gone are the days of me being a 1st soprano!

When googling distances from where I was staying to other areas of California, I realized that I was only 45 minutes from the Carpenters’ house in Downey, and about an hour and a half away from the mausoleum at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park. Since that was pretty close to Malibu, I decided to make the pilgrimage to Karen’s grave and then drive down some of the PCH afterwards. I’m still not exactly sure how to describe the experience.  Their music, as silly as it may sound, has been there through all of my ups and downs, so it was a really meaningful experience to get to “visit” her.

Karen and her parents are all here

Pink drumsticks

it was a super windy day!

One cannot go into the mausoleum, but can peek inside. The marble on Karen’s reads, “A star on earth, a star in heaven.”

While I’ll never get to experience seeing Karen Carpenter, being able to do this was just as worthwhile. Although windy, it was quiet and peaceful, and I sat for a little while, lost in my thoughts. Sure, the drive was a little out of the way, but it was absolutely worth it to be able to thank her for everything she’s meant to me.

And yes, Savanna, I cried.