Hurray For Hollywood, Or...Just Say "Cheese-y"!

It's one of the most popular tourist destinations in Los Angeles. In fact, this famous area of Hollywood Blvd. attracts over 15 million visitors per year. Which is probably one reason I try to avoid this place. However, a tourist blog of LA wouldn't be complete without including a page of Hollywood History!

So, thanks to a couple of free passes my friend had, and her willingness to join me, we headed out for the Hollywood Wax Museum. And, since we were going there anyway, we thought we'd hit the Guinness Book of World Records Museum across the street (our free passes included this place, too) and take a stroll along the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the famous footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

1st stop: The Hollywood Wax Museum. It's a good thing we had free passes, because I'd be pretty disappointed if I had to pay full price to see this. The first section we toured was the "horror exhibit" with appearances by Linda Blair, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hannibal Lechter of Silence of the Lambs and Vincent Price...at least I think this was Vincent Price.

After that, we checked out the "Movie and T.V Stars". I think I might have enjoyed it a little more if the waxed figures resembled the actual celebrities they were modeled after. Some were okay (the Samuel Jackson figure, Humphrey Bogart and Clint Eastwood) , but you can judge for yourself: does this really look like Lucille Ball or Marilyn Monroe? And, why do all the waxed figures look to be about 5 foot 5 inches... Hmm. I didn't realize everyone in Hollywood was the same height! My recommendation? If you're into this stuff, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum just opened about a block away and it looks more authentic and up-to-date.

2nd stop: the Guinness Book of World Records Museum. Another disappointment. Probably owned by the same people as the Wax Museum. This place is jam-packed with trivia and exhibits featuring all the various world record holders. There's the worlds' tallest man, the world's smallest woman, the world's largest cucumber, the world's oldest cat, the world's largest apple pie...etc. Personally, I thought this place might set the record for the world's biggest waste of time.

3rd stop: Walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd. is embedded with more than 2,000 stars featuring the names of celebrities honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for their contributions to the entertainment industry. The very first star was awarded to Joanne Woodward in 1960. And, in 1978, the city of LA designated the Walk of Fame as a historical landmark. For obvious reasons, there's been a crowd of people around Michael Jackson's star...and Tim McGraw's is also quite popular.

Last stop: The footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater. This famous movie theater opened in 1927 and has been the site of more Hollywood premieres than any other theater around. On any given day, you'll see bunches of tourists milling about in the forecourt area gazing down at the many star's footprints and handprints immortalized in cement. Walking in this area really gave us "tourist overload"! People everywhere either posing for their photos or taking them. Street "performers" dressed as Marilyn and Elvis (hired by the theater) coming at you offering free passes to movies or discounted rates on star tours... enough already. All of the sudden, the desire to leave Hollywood outweighed the need for more photos. So, I "borrowed" a couple - including a shot of Grauman's Chinese Theater in the 1950's.

We didn't have time to check out the rest of this area...The Kodak Theatre, the shops and cafes at Hollywood and Highland...that would take a whole other day. We were tired, hot and in need of an escape plan.

Even though this place is a little bit tacky and way too "tourist-y" for me, if you've never been here before, you should go once just to say you've seen it. Afterall, 15 million tourists can't be wrong!

Quick Tips:
1- Parking around here isn't easy! It's VERY hard to find street parking, and the parking lots in this area charge $10-20/per day to park. Take an extra moment and drive around the area to find the cheapest (and safest) parking lot.
2- To avoid paying full price for tickets to these venues, go online to see if there are discounted tickets available. Membership websites like www.goldstar.com offer discounted tickets to all sorts of events around town.
3- Directions

Sunday at the Swap Meet with Laura!

On the 2nd Sunday of every month for the past 40 years, one of the most famous flea markets in the world takes place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market isn't just any flea market; this one features over 2,500 vendors and attracts serious collectors, bargain hunters and average shoppers like you and me searching for something in particular or nothing at all. Yesterday, my friend Laura and I decided to set out for Pasadena, brave the crowds and do a little bargain hunting ourselves!

As you enter through the main gates, the loop that's directly around the Rose Bowl has your standard flea market stalls containing the usual arts and crafts, clothes, jewelry and other typical stuff that you would find at any weekly swap meet. But, this isn't why I would come here. I would skip this part entirely and go directly to the left of the stadium - that's where you'll find all the good stuff!

This is the "antiques" section. Here, you could dig through old vintage clothes, search for trinkets, discover some "hard-to-find" finds or just check out the scene! There are antiques from every era. You can find Buddha's and beads, rare prints and vintage posters, linens and lanterns...even an old sled or a vintage surfboard...because you really do need a sled here in LA. Whether you're looking for that perfect piece for your living room...or that 1970's Snoopy lunchbox that you can't live without...there's something in this area for everyone!

Some of the prices seem a little steep, but towards the end of the day, the vendors are open to a little haggling. You can find some good deals here (we did), but don't count on finding something worth thousands that you bought for mere pennies - most of these vendors know what they have and what it's worth.

A big selling point to this place is its massive size, but it can also be a drawback. I must admit, I was a little overwhelmed - how can you possible see everything there is to see here? After 4 1/2 hours, we were exhausted and quickly approaching delirium! "3 for $5", "2 for $12", merchandise everywhere you look...our heads were spinning, so we knew it was time to leave!

Most likely, you'll leave here satisfied but a bit bleary-eyed. And, as you munch on the last of your Kettle Corn and make the long trek back to your car (assuming that you remembered where you parked), you'll think (as I did) that this was a nice way to spend the day with a friend.

Quick Tips:
1- Bring cash! Your credit cards won't be much help here. ATM's are on site, but there's a $5 fee attached to each transaction and a limit on how much you can withdraw.
2- The food fare here is pricey! $8 for a bean and cheese burrito is ridiculous! Save your money, eat a big breakfast before you go and bring some snacks from home.
3- Starting at 9am, regular admission is $8 per person. Children under 12 get in free with an adult. They offer express admission from 8am-9am at $10 per person and an early admission from 7am-8am at $15 per person. General parking is free.
4- Directions

A Free Cultural Quickie In Century City!

If you're craving a little culture and find yourself anywhere near the Century City area, you should check out "The Space".

The Annenberg Space for Photography, located across from the Century Plaza Hotel, opened March of this year and exhibits both digital and print photography by some of the world's most renowned photographers and emerging talents. Believe it or not, this place is the first solely photographic cultural venue in the Los Angeles area. And, admission there is free!

The ASP building sits among a cluster of stark, modern, skyscraper office buildings in Century City and is quite small in comparison. However, their use of state-of-the-art, modern technology makes up for their lack of physical space. By using high definition, top-quality digital screens, as well as two very cool interactive Microsoft Surface tables that are controlled by your own touch, you're able to see about 1,000 digital photographs in addition to the standard printed images that you see framed on the walls. And, as an added feature, the images shown on the screens are accompanied by a series of short videos and interviews of the photographers themselves...and you can see it all in just under an hour! (for those who are pressed for time...or who suffer from ADD.)

The Space is well-planned and multi-functional; in addition to the print and digital galleries, the building features a photography reading-room and a workshop area for scheduled events including a free lecture series on Thursday evenings. And, apparently, the actual interior design of this place was influenced by the inner workings of a camera and its lens. Look up at the ceiling and you'll see what I'm talking about!

The exhibit showing now is the POYi, or The "Picture's of the Year - international" featuring award-winning photojournalism from around the world. The images are fascinating, thought-provoking and inspirational. They are political, social, topical and environmental. And, several of them I thought were really amazing!

They don't allow you to take photos while inside, so I "borrowed" a few from their website to show you.

As I left The Space, once again I was reminded that a picture is truly worth a thousand words.


Quick Tips:
1- Admission is free and parking is $3.50 during the week and $1.00 on the weekend with a parking validation. But, make sure you get it validated! Otherwise, parking will cost you $34.00...and that's ridiculous!
2- The major exhibits change about every four months - a sports photography exhibit is scheduled to follow this one - check out their website for more info.
3- Directions

The Local Tourist Goes To Santa Barbara!

When you live in LA and get the itch to leave town for a couple of days without going very far, it's great that you can drive just 90 minutes north along the Pacific Coast and wind up in Santa Barbara.

I haven't been there in years, so I immediately started researching places to stay. At first, I thought I could find a nice, reasonably-priced place to stay along or near the beach. Afterall, it was the end of September...not July. I soon discovered that a "nice, reasonably-priced place along the beach" was a contradiction in terms! These days, staying anywhere near the ocean anytime is going to cost you!

After comparing rates and amenities, we decided to stay at The Montecito Inn, a charming and historical hotel in Montecito, right next to S.B. Built in 1928 by the legendary Charlie Chaplin, the Inn was originally meant as an "escape to paradise" for Chaplin and his friends. And, if you didn't know this fact before, you'll most certainly get it as you make your way through the hotel and notice the thousands of Charlie Chaplin pictures on the walls. Incidentally, this was also the hotel where my grandparents stayed on their honeymoon in 1940, so of course we had to stay there, too!



Montecito is a nice alternative to staying in downtown Santa Barbara, which gets super-crowded and full of traffic on the weekends. It's actually only a few minutes drive away from SB. There are some lovely boutiques and restaurants all within walking distance and the beach is only a few blocks away.

The rooms at The Montecito Inn are a little small, but the luxury suites are a good size, have air-conditioning and are sound-proof (which is a good thing since the hotel is literally right off the highway!). The rate's aren't too bad -we got a pretty good deal on a suite on an off-peak night. We only stayed one night, so spending a little bit more was okay. The hotel offers free use of their cruiser bikes, so we went on a nice bike ride around Montecito and down to the beach. This was the view from our bikes:

That night, we had a great dinner at Lucky's, a classic (but pricey) steak house that's right next door to the hotel. The food was delicious, my Grey Goose martini was very good...and we sat next to Jimmy Connors, the famous tennis player, who apparently is one of their regulars!

As with any beach town, there's plenty of "outdoorsy"stuff to do in SB. We checked out the beaches and the wharf, strolled along State Street and visited the historical Santa Barbara Mission.

And, if you've got any money and/or energy left over, you can blow it at the Camarillo Outlet Stores on the way home. There's nothing like a good two-day getaway...and a new pair of shoes!

Quick Tips and Info:
1- Along with free use of their cruiser bikes, the Montecito Inn offers free valet service, free WIFI, a free continental breakfast, free Charlie Chaplin DVDs upon request, and according to my husband, a really nice gym (which, of course, I never saw). And, no, they're not paying me to write this :-)
2- Directions

Secret Japanese Gardens...In the Valley???

I've been driving past these gardens for years but never bothered to check them out. Until yesterday.

I had heard they were really beautiful, and I didn't have any previous plans, so I decided to pay a visit to The Japanese Gardens located in the Sepulveda Basin in the San Fernando Valley. Yes, you heard right...tranquil, serene Japanese gardens located in Van Nuys - talk about your yin and yang!

When I got there, I discovered that they were celebrating their25th year in existence (25 years? Who knew they were even there?). Yes, 25 years ago, Dr. Koichi Kawana conceived and created these authentic 6 1/2 acre Japanese gardens in collaboration with Donald Tillman's Water Reclamation Plant.

There are actually three gardens in one - a dry zen meditation garden, a wet-strolling garden (with waterfalls, lakes and streams) and a tea garden, housing the Shoin building and an authentic tea house projecting over the lake.



When you arrive, you must show ID and register your name with the guard. Then, you're told to check in at the gift shop where you're given passes and maps. After noticing the cameras on the premises, I asked the attendant why there was all the security. It's to guard against possible terrorist threats, he says. Terrorist threats? Who's going to terrorize a bunch of bonsai trees and bamboo in the valley? Then I'm told it's not the gardens but the water reclamation plant that they're protecting. If something should happen to the plant, the whole sewage system in the entire San Fernando Valley would be affected. Oh, okay. Well, that makes sense.

The entire water supply for all the gardens, not to mention three golf courses, a wildlife preserve and several parks, is provided by the reclamation plant next door. This would account for the slight odor you smell when you're there - but it's really not that bad. Talk about "going green"! This place was probably one of the first "eco" gardens around!

Hardly anyone knows about this place, so there's actual peace and quiet as you experience these lovely gardens. What a celebration of blues and greens! The grounds are well-maintained and there are a few shaded seating areas along the paths so you can sit, relax and de-stress!
I hear you can even book the tea house for parties or weddings - which would probably be quite lovely.

So, would I recommend a visit? Yes, if you happen to be in the valley (or close to it), it's a nice place to check out. Admission is only $2-3.00, there's plenty of parking because no one really knows about it, and the vibe there is actually pretty calm and peaceful. It's a great valley place to re-charge your chi!

Quick Tips:
1- Visiting hours are limited! They offer docent-led tours by appointment only Monday through Thursday from 9:30am - 12 noon. Then open strolling is available from 12-4pm. The last entry time is 3:15 pm. Their hours on Sunday are 10:00am - 3:30pm.
2- Directions