Thursday 31st July, 2008 - Santa Monica & Venice Beach

Day 5

Santa Monica & Venice Beach

Louise and I took a taxi from the Hotel to Santa Monica, which is about ten kilometres west of Beverly Hills. We had lunch at the Broadway Deli, at Broadway and Third Street. Louise spotted her first celebrity seated opposite us, veteran actor Bob Newhart, making it one all in the celebrity spotting stakes.

Walked to the famous Santa Monica Pier (pictured above), along the way passing scary homeless people stretched along the parkside bordering the beach.

Then it was a hot forty five minute walk to Venice beach. Nobody was working out at Muscle Beach, but a black body builder was posing on the sidewalk in a leopard skinned loincloth! (pictured below). Louise bought a pair boardshorts for $16 at one of many clothing stores. We watched the two on two basketball games, and amateur gymnasts on the gym equipment.

A trip to Venice and Santa Monica shows a different side of LA. Venice, with eccentric people, sprinkled with homeless people, tatoo parlours, buskers, and small shops and stalls.

We then caught a cab west on Pico boulevard to Adventure 16, a major outdoor store. I desperately needed to replace my backpack, as the zipper had broken in several places. I bought a lightweight Northface Jester brand day pack for a bargain price of $49.

We waited anxiously outside the store for a taxi, whilst a scary homeless man eyed us suspiciously from the corner. No doubt, thinking that we were going to steal stuff from his trolley of worldly possessions.

The taxi took us to Westfield Century City Shopping Centre where we had dinner in the food court, before walking along Santa Monica Boulevarde to our Hotel.

Wednesday 30th July, 2008

Day 4



Louise and I were up early and out the door at 9.30am, a miracle but true, despite being up late on the internet. We caught a taxi from the hotel up through the Hollywood hills and down into the San Fernando Valley, or the "Valley" as it is known to the locals, then to Universal City, which contains Universal Studios. It really is a city, having it's own police and fire department. Our nice Armenian driver, told us he used to own a Home Depot (I think its sort of like Bunnings), before the bank foreclosed on him, after a significant decline in retail spending in the US economy, hence why he is now driving a cab. The economy is big news here; there is constant media chatter about mortgage foreclosures and high petrol prices. As a result most of the stores are having massive sales, which is great for us. I bought a pair of Oakley sunglasses for $75 (in Australia $160), a pair of shorts for $25 (our price $80), a pair of jeans for $25 (our price $80), a memory stick for $15 (our price $30), a collared shirt for $30 and a new camera lens for $270 (our price $700).


Arriving at Universal Studios, we avoided the ticket line, by using the Automated ticket machine outside the front gates, to puchase our Front of the Line Pass. Although its about double the normal entry price, it allows us not wait in any lines for rides, and means we are seated in the shows first. In fact, we felt like stars, as we bypassed the long lines at rides and shows, our Front of the Line passes, swinging in the breeze.



The Studio tour was great, we saw Wisteria Lane, the set of Desperate Housewives, who were filming today. Jaws jumped out of the water, and Norman Bates attacked us with a knife at the Bates Motel. There is even a set for a smoking 747 crash (pictured below)). It's amazing how many of these sets are reused again and again in movies, and we never notice.





The shows here are fantastc, however the highlight was the Waterworld show (pictured), featuring water skis, powerboats, stunts, pyrotechnics, and a seaplane. Basically, its the Sea World show on Steroids! Even the actors are excellent, most of them working on major US television shows.





One of the best rides was the Jurassic Park ride. Starts of as a tranquil boat ride in the river, and quickly turns nasty as we are attacked by Dinosaurs, then dropped down a cliff into a pool, and end up totally soaked. (Pictured above).

We had a fantastic, but exhausting day, and to think its only day 4! Tomorrow where off to the beach, to see Santa Monica and Venice.

Tuesday 29th July, 2008

Day 3

Louise and I planned on going to Universal Studios, however the best laid plans, can fail when you (me) sleep into 1030am. I blame the jet lag.

We caught the 'hop on, hop off" bus to Hollywood Blvd, where we had lunch, we both had a healthy vege wrap (Yes, mum I'm watching my cholesterol). Then it was off on the Movie Stars Homes tour, to view the celebrities homes in the xclusive suburbs of the Hollywood Hills, Bel Air and Beverly Hills. We saw no celebrities, just hundreds of gardeners, cleaners and assorted hired help. I was surprised how close they all live to each other, where basically every second house contains a celebrity. The list of celebrities whose homes we saw were endless; Dr Phil (pictured above), Brad Pitt, Lucille Ball, Will Farrell, Arnold Schwarznegger, Mike Tyson, Nancy Reagan, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney and Demi Moore/Ashton Kutcher and Bruce Willis who live across the road from each other to make it more convenient for their children???. Some, are obscurred by high hedges, like Barbara Streisand's and Tom Cruises huge estates, however most can be seen from the street.

The security conscious Steven Spielberg, has just bought a huge home on top of his own hilltop above Hollywood. (pictured below). He's obviously very smart, at least he won't have tour buses driving past his front door every day. He paid 60 Million dollars for the property 3 months ago!!

The famous residential streets of Beverly Hills lined with palm trees. (pictured above).

Monday, 28th July, 2008

Steve and I started our first day in L.A with a bagel and coffee in the marble lobby of the Beverly Hilton, a very glamorous celeb friendly hotel that hosts the Golden Globes each year. All was going well until Steve decided to get up mid breakfast and pop over to the nearby lobby shop for the newspaper. As he pushed his armchair back from the table things started to move in slow motion. The back of his chair collided with a 5 foot tall antique lamp, I screamed... but it was too late.....the lamp went tumbling over, smashing into a thousand pieces on the marble floor, the sound echoing throughout the hotel!!! Then the nightmare began...the whole lobby stopped dead, a huge collective gasp and hands over the mouths of the onlookers, I just wanted to sink into a big hole in the ground and I was sure if my face went any reddy it would explode! Staff rushed over while I apologised profusely, wondering in the back of my mind exactly how many thousand dollars worth of damage Steve had just caused. Then a male staff member approached me, "The Manager said that he is going to have to add the cost of this to your bill" he said. I felt the colour drain from my face and a lump in my throat. "Only kidding.." he laughed. Hilarious...I thought, as my heart started to beat again. We got up and left as I couldn't take the stares any more...and later in the day I bought a packet of muesli bars for our breakfast tomorrow morning...


Louise, and I are big fans of the "Hop on, Hop off" red double decker buses, which we used in Europe to get around to see the tourist sights. The concept is spread all around the world, including fortunately, Los Angeles. Today we took the bus around Beverly Hills and Hollywood, seeing such memorable sights as; Manns Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Wax Museum (where Louise got up close with Elvis - pictured), Guiness Book of Records Museum, Hollywood Cemetery, Melrose Avenue, Chateau Marmont Hotel, Sunset Strip, and Paramount Studios.

We had lunch and then went shopping at the famous Farmer's Market and the Grove. Everything is about half the price it would be in Australia, and the customer service is simply outstanding. From the custom officers at the airport, to the hotel housemaid, everybody does their job well, and nothing is too much trouble. We also saw the "Viper Room"(pictured) , an insignificant black door with awning is the entrance to the bar, and is notorious as it is where River Phoenix dropped to the pavement and sadly died. A very unglamorous way to go...

Sunday 27th July, 2008

Day 1 of our United States holiday, and for a minute we thought that we would miss our flight, after, despite arriving two and half hours early, we faced a massive queue to check in. Just before we arrived busloads of World Youth Pilgrims had turned up, and swamped the airport. Ten minutes before our departure time we cleared customs, only to find that we need not have stressed, as the flight was delayed half an hour.

At the departure gate I saw our first celebrity, the ex footballer, Ian Roberts. Louise and I have a bet to see who can be the first to spot the most celebrities. One up to me.

After the flight to London, our LA flight is a piece of cake. For a boy who grew up on World Book Encyclopedia, and American popular culture, the States feels very familiar. In the taxi, we pass the same businesses as in Australia; McDonalds, Shell Service Stations, Thrifty rental cars, Westfield Shopping Centres, etc. The only real shock was the ten lane freeway ( Why can't we have roads like these?).

The Beverly Hilton Hotel is very nice. They have an excellent high speed internet service (DSL) in the room, which will keep me occupied, and away from the big flat screen television, that Louise has naturally claimed.

We're just going to freshen up now, and head off to the massive Westfield Century City Shopping Centre, where we will, no doubt, wander around jetlagged, like zombies!

Wednesday 23rd July, 2008

Well, it's not long to go now. Louise and I have made our final preparations; this week obtaining an international licence, setting up this blog, enabling global roaming on our mobile phones and buying last minute items.