The game Grand Theft Auto V takes place in the fictional city of Los Santos, a setting that borrows heavily from aspects of Los Angeles in both layout and in many of the landmarks. It’s intended to replicate the city’s identity without being a perfect scale model, but sometimes if you stand in just the right place it really feels like a “thin place” between reality and simulation.
As a tribute to the game’s tenth anniversary in 2023, I’ve hidden a series of caches that will take you to some of the iconic locations you can visit in both worlds.
It may surprise some people to learn how much oil extraction takes place right in the middle of Los Angeles! Most of the wells are hidden from public view, shielded behind soundproof walls and tucked into places that often can't be seen from street level. If you'd like to learn more about the oil fields of Los Angeles, local cacher 1962penny has a lovely couple of EarthCaches (here and here) that will teach you a lot about the history and present state of the city's involvement in that industry.
The Inglewood Oil Field, which you'll be able to see from this vantage point within the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area, is the most famous (and most visible) of the LA oil fields. It has been operational since 1924 and has produced nearly 400 million barrels of petroleum, though in recent years there has been a considerable push to shut it down. Regardless of its future, you can visit a facsimile of the field in its current state in GTA V under its in-game pseudonym Murrieta Oil Field. Unlike with some of the other real-world landmarks I've covered so far through this series of caches, the virtual oil field is not located within city limits but is instead sequestered to the far southeast corner of the game map, but the general geography and industrial structures are reflected quite faithfully in the game.
I recommend visiting this area during the week, since the park charges an entry fee on weekends and holidays. Check their website for hours.
This cache is a log-only bison tube, but you may not recognize it right away due to the camouflage! Please remember to reset the host after you're done signing the log.