L.A. Tour

While we spend our week in the L.A. area we thought it prudent to include a tour of the highlites of this area. A full day bus tour showing all the touristy stuff should do the trick. First stop is where L.A. began. This is the original Spanish Mission where the city started. Four wooden posts on this block shows the first town limits. Hard to believe L.A started this small.

This is the name on the mission and is the actual name of L.A. although the full name's not used much anymore. A bit if trivia. L.A. is the one city in the world with the longest name which can be reduced to the shortest.

L.A. city hall is very recognizable. It's been in many movies from Batman to the latest movie Gangster Squad. Look for it.

Now we're in Hollywood. We're on a walkway in the Kodak Theatre, the building that holds the Oscar Awards. Can you see the sign on the hill behind Grammie?

How this, better? The famous Hollywood sign. Gives you goosebumps. Well, almost.

Here's the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Grammies standing on Shirley Temple. If you don't know who she is ask someone over 50. The stars go on for many blocks and any movie personality can be found here. Directors like Alfred Hitchcock and George Lucas to stars like Charlie Chaplin and Harrison Ford. Anybody that's anybody. Bet you didn't know the star has to pay for his star on the Walk of Fame.

Behind Grammie is a set and shoot going on. Notice how I've absorbed the vernacular so fast. Anyway, it was a Spanish show shooting so we got bored and left.

Along Hollywood Boulevard is Grauman's Chinese Theatre where the original owner had stars put their footprints and comments in cement in front of his building

There are dozens of imprints but this one is typical. They go back to the Clark Gable days and one of the most recent was in 2010.

A quick drive through Beverly Hills got us a few fast views of Hollywood homes of the stars. Most had high hedges and gates so all we saw was hedges and gates. Pretty exciting. The bus wasn't supposed to be on those streets so we didn't dawdle.

They couldn't stop us peasant tourists from doing some shopping on Rodeo Drive. We didn't see any movie stars but we did see lots of other tourists. A wild time. Some of the folks bought socks or something just to get a shopping bag but we're above those kinds of shenanigans. Besides, the socks were 20 bucks.

 That's Santa Monica Pier behind Grammie. It was a beautiful Saturday and the place was packed. Great looking beach and there were even a few surfers out.

This is the Santa Monica Park. It was very nicely cared for. I ran into some big shot. That's our bus in the background. We didn't let it out of our sight; we'd never find our way back.

As far as beach views, parks and the pier, Santa Monica is by far the nicest we saw.

The other end of the spectrum was Venice Beach. That's where muscle beach is and where Arnold used to pump iron. I was looking forward to seeing the roller skating beauties and beautiful people. No such luck. 

There were lots of roller skaters and bike riders but the park was filthy and half the people there were homeless and druggies. The beach was covered with filth and passed out shopping carts. What a disappointment. It did have a certain earthy panache about it though. We even bought a few things along the boardwalk. On our way back, we drove along Sunset Strip and Mulholland Drive and by Chinatown. The guide pointed out many buildings and spots which have appeared in different movies. OK we've seen enough of L.A., can't wait to head back to quiet little Hemet and relax. Hope you've enjoyed our brief tour.

Universal Studios

 We had thought that we'd go to Universal Studios another time, but we found a tour that took us there and back for less than an internet ticket so being the frugal sort we snapped it up. Plus they threw in an L.A. night tour. Bonus.

 A Jurassic Park boat ride through treacherous jungles and vicious dinosaur attacks followed by an 84 foot drop down a waterfall got our blood pumping.

Universal has a lower lot where all the theme rides are. Transformers 3D was probably the scariest ride of all. Totally 3D but way crazy. My heart pumping after that one. Couldn't do it twice.

 Grammie waited outside while I did the Revenge of the Mummy ride. She doesn't do roller coasters. After the ride I wished I hadn't either. Woozy. 

 I guess at our age this is more our speed. A social moment with Dora and whoever he is.

 A break from the nausea sounds good so the famous Universal Lot Tour seems in order. This is a typical type of lot building. Its been in a number of movies but changes so you can't tell. It was used as city hall on the TV show Ghost Whisperer and also was the clock tower on Back to the Future. Looks so solid.

 A number of streets, all looking different are used for sets for all kinds of movies and TV shows. You can't tell from the front that they aren't real buildings. Fronts are made in modules and can be changed or moved from building to building easily. Mostly fiberglass.

This big panel is painted to look like the distant streets or countryside depending on the need.

At this spot on the tour they showed how car explosions and car flips and rolls can be done. Note the big hydraulic arm under the cars. 

In the back lot is a storage area for vehicles used in movies and on TV. Here's the Back to the Future car.

This is one of the big reinforced trucks from Jurassic Park 2 or was it 3.

This is the big trawler from the most recent King Kong movie and Skull Island. The ship is the one actually used in the movie and is 6 feet long. The panel behind has the actual view of Skull Island from the movie.

Here they make floods.

This display shows a plane crash and has been used on a number of shows. The only one I recognized was the plane crash in Ghost Whisperer. I guess you've figured out we watched the show.

For those of you old enough to recognize this, it's the original set for Psycho with the house in the background and Bates Motel up front. As the tour trolley arrives, a man comes out of the motel carrying a womans body and drops it in the trunk. Adds authenticity. The other side of the house looks completely different and is still used for different sets.

If you're a fan of Desperate Housewives, here is part of the set for Wisteria Lane. All the houses are here with signs saying who lived in each house. It's a complete street with real trees and grass. It was used until the series ended.

After the tour ended, we went for a walk through the French Quarter in the upper lot. Grammie found her favourite ride.

I found my ride but Vin Diesel wouldn't part with it.

Thought I'd try my hand at directing. How hard can it be.

They found a job more suited to my abilities. That's a picture behind me. Looks pretty real doesn't it.

We came across Springfield in the upper lot. The store behind me sold Duffs beer as well as Ahpoo's regular fare like 3 day old wieners.

The Simpsons Ride was another crazy 3D experience. Universal really has a handle on creating mind blowing rides. You can hardly stand when you get off. I'm glad I had a few hours of level ground or I might have created my own Krustyland. 

It's been a great day. We went on every ride (well I did), sometimes more than once. Took the Backlot Tour and explored every foot of the park. We did it up right. Now, as we wait for the tour bus to take us to Downtown LA we'll stop at the Hard Rock cafe and have a relaxer and some grub. Sure glad we decided to do the Universal thing.

Disneyland

Our last day at Disneyland. We actually wandered back and forth between the parks but will treat my blog as single trips, its easier. You can probably tell from my clothing that its a bit warmer. In fact, the jacket came off fairly quickly.

To make sure we get to do the favourites, we immediately headed to Adventureland and did the Indiana Jones Adventure. This was probably one of my favourite rides. Riding a wild jeep through caves and jungle with danger at every turn. What a blast! 

Next was Jungle Cruise. Slow and sedate boat ride down a jungle river, hokey but still fun.

 

Time to ramp things up a bit with Splash Mountain. A log cruise ending in a 50 foot drop down a log flume. Just what the doctor ordered.

I tried to take a picture just as we went over the edge of the flume. It sorta worked. Its hard to hold the camera steady and scream at the same time.

This is what it looks like from the outside. A real rush and a bit wet. Glad we didn't do it the first day.

Time to head over to Tomorrow Land and take the Finding Nemo Undersea Voyage. Years ago we took the Nautilus ride in Disney World and it took forever to get on the ride because it actually went underwater and safety issues made everything slow. Now it settles in the water about 4 feet so the top stays dry and speeds things up, therefore no delays. Not as exciting but what the hey, we're still underwater.

Someone else is looking for Nemo as well. Colours are more vivid underwater for some reason.

A couple of bobsled rides on the Matterhorn kept us going until lunch. I'm always amazed they make such a large display for just a 2 minute ride. Presentation is everything I guess.

On to Main Street USA for lunch and a break. The weather looks pretty good now doesn't it.

If you've been to any Disney parks you'll recognize "it's a small world" after all. For an hour after you can't get the tune out of your head. But it's a tradition, we had to do it.

Toon Town is a fun area based on the Roger Rabbit movie. All the buildings are toon style and the Car Toon Spin car race through Toon Town is a lot of fun.

Grammie wanted to take one of the cars home but the gas station couldn't fill her up. There were fish in the gas pumps for some reason.

We found our dream motor home there. If we couldn't buy it, at least I got some ideas on how to upgrade ours.

Back to Tomorrowland for a couple of fun rides. Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters was such fun we kept going back for more. They give you laser guns and you shoot villians. Fun for all ages.

Star Tours was a space ride with C3P0 and other Star Wars characters. Each 3D ride was different so we went back a few times to help the Rebel Alliance. Fast and exciting.

What would Disneyland be without their trademark parade. As the sun set the huge parade went on for at least a half hour. Every Disney character you can think of paraded by with lots of music and singing.

It's designed for kids but it sure brings back memories of Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night.

The grand finale is the fireworks. They lasted about 15 minutes and were spectacular. They were themed to different music and Disney movies and at times were exploding all around us. It's hard to get the beauty in a photo but I picked this one because if you look lower centre you'll see the statue of Walt Disney holding Mickeys hand right in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Disneyland is way smaller than Disney World in Florida but the original is more intimate and familiar somehow. We've had a blast here.