Author: wordynerdbird

Jetsetting #7

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9.45pm LA time.
This is it. I’m on the plane and contemplating my second-last flight for this holiday.
This is my flight back to Australia.

I’m feeling quite heartbroken. I don’t want the magic to end.
I don’t want to go home.
I don’t want to go back to routine, to getting up for work, to teaching classes and grading essays and attending staff meetings.
That all seems so far away. So long ago.

But how do I tell my husband that? He’s sitting right beside me and I know he has seen the tears but he hasn’t asked or said anything.
He’s keen to get home. He’s had enough of travelling for now.

Not me.

Something within me has changed over these past four weeks. I can’t define what it is that has changed, but I do know I have left a few large chunks of my heart behind.
Before we set out I knew that I would love Canada – I already did – but I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the USA.
I can say quite confidently now that while my love for Canada is stronger than ever, I do love the USA, and definitely want to visit again. Almost every place we visited captured my imagination and my heart in some way.
I might skip Chicago next time, though.

Hard Rock Cafe

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There are any number of places to eat along Hollywood Blvd.
We went into one place that looked great after looking at the menu outside, but we couldn’t stay there because the music was so loud I couldn’t stand it.

We quickly chose to go to the Hard Rock Cafe partly because it’s iconic, partly because we know the food is good, and partly because every time I see the sign, Carole King tells me to.

Our experience there wasn’t quite as outstanding as it was at Hard Rock Niagara Falls, but it was still pretty darned good. Delicious food, fantastic music, and good, quick service.

Aces.

Hollywood Blvd #3

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There are many buskers and street performers working the blocks closest to the Chinese Theatre.
Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s free entertainment.
It’s really not.

Some of them are really quite pushy and slightly deceptive – they will offer something like a CD and say all you need to do is like their Facebook page, but then they want to be tipped and insist on at least ten dollars.
Others offer photographs with celebrity lookalikes or costumed characters. These were not anywhere near as pushy and were happy with one or two dollars each for a photo opportunity.

The worst one I encountered was dressed as a space princess with pink hair, who practically ran up to me and asked for a hug. She was trying to hug me before I could say no.
Whoa! Lady! Out of my personal space, please. Totally out of line.
I managed to take a couple of steps back and say, “Sorry, I don’t do hugs!” and almost ran away. Ugh.
That was really awkward.

Hollywood Blvd #2

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A walk along the Walk of Fame was quite an experience for me. The sidewalk stars along Hollywood Blvd reminded me of actors, singers and personalities I have loved over the years.
It was exciting to take pictures of their sidewalk stars and I enjoyed the memories that came flooding back as I did.
Of course, there were plenty of stars that I saw in the pavement and thought “ahuh”, too. I fully understand why they have been awarded sidewalk stars, but they are just not as important to me as others. That’s how music, film and TV work, though: they appeal to different people in different ways.

I didn’t get to all the sidewalk stars. I walked down one side of the street from Pantages Theatre to the Chinese Theatre, where the hand and footprints of celebrities are imprinted in the cement.
I had the same reaction there. There were some that I was keen to photograph and others that didn’t interest me at all.

Sid Grauman’s idea of immortalising celebrities with their hand and foot prints was genius. He understood that it was a permanent way of preserving the memories of those who would not always be with us. His memory is preserved too, in the personal messages written to him in the cement by those same stars of Hollywood.
I found it impossible to leave there without a strong sense of history and respect, but at the same time really enjoyed the fun of it all.

Hollywood Blvd #1

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The banners advertising shows at Pantages Theatre tugged at my heart strings as we toured around Hollywood. Having some experience of my own in both performing and directing amateur musical theatre, I had heard of Pantages and was keen for a chance to visit.

Pantages Theatre is one of the icons of musical theatre in LA.
The exterior is gorgeous Art Deco architecture, with a commanding sign in lights that immediately draws one’s attention.
The lobby and box office are ornate and elegant. The Art Deco ceiling and it’s done have been beautifully preserved. This looks exactly like an historically famous house of musical theatre should.
The tall, rich wooden doors into the theatre beckoned, but the theatre itself was not open to tourists, so
I didn’t get a chance to see inside the theatre. That was disappointing, but it’s quite understandable that they are not going to turn all the lights on every day or disrupt rehearsals on the off chance someone wants to look around.
If we had more time in our schedule, I would have loved to see a show there.
Maybe next time.

Starlight Tours Hop On/Off Los Angeles Tour Bus

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By far the easiest way to get around Los Angeles and see the sights in it’s different areas is by using these buses.
Using cabs will cost you bucket loads of money and it’s all really too far to walk.
Different tours of the various parts of the city are colour coded so it’s easy to plan your activities for the day. The stops where these tours interconnect are clearly marked on the tour maps and announced as you go, so that you can always find your way back to your original starting point if you need to.
Each coloured route takes about 2 hours if you just ride the bus and don’t get off to explore or shop.

The ticket office is outside the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd, right on the Walk of Fame near Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where the hand and footprints of many celebrities are preserved in the cement.
We booked our tickets through our travel agent, which meant that we could get on the bus and start our tour at the stop nearest our hotel instead of having to get up to Hollywood Blvd to begin with.

We did the “red tour” which took us through West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the shopping precincts of Rodeo Drive and Melrose Drive, and the iconic Hollywood areas of Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd.

The tour provides you with a set of earbuds for the recorded commentary that explains the different locations and their significance, and highlights points of interest. It struck me as both odd and refreshing that this commentary is recorded entirely with a British accent.

There was lots to see and myriad opportunities for photos from the open-air top of the double-decker bus. It’s a good idea to wear a hat up there though, especially if you sunburn easily or if you have any hairstyle other than a #2 shave, as it does get pretty windy up there.
The seats up on top of the bus are quite slippery, especially when going around corners, so It’s a good idea to wear jeans or other clothing that is less likely to slip around on the plastic seats.

If you have mobility issues and find it difficult or impossible to climb tight stairs, you can still enjoy the tour from the lower deck of the bus. The windows are big, and although you probably won’t get the same opportunities for photos, the tours are still well worth doing.

At The Gym

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I’ve often joked that I would like to buy a pub, name it ‘The Gym’ and post regularly on Facebook that I was working hard at the Gym.
The guy who owns the Gym Sportsbar on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood has done exactly that. It’s genius, really.

‘Happy hour’ is from 4 til 8 each day, and most drinks are 2 for 1.
You can enjoy your drink and watch your choice of sports, or play darts, or just chat with the other patrons.
The locals and staff are all really friendly, and by the second time there we felt almost like locals.
It’s actually really nice to see that the guys who work at this bar get along really well and choose to hang out there and play darts or watch sports even when they aren’t actually working.

When you get hungry, Five Guys is right next door and they gladly and frequently deliver. Those burgers are really, really good: not greasy at all and the salad was super fresh.

When visiting the Hollywood area, lots of people like to go to the bars, clubs and restaurants frequented by the rich and famous in the hope of seeing or meeting celebrities.
If, like me, that’s not your style, The Gym Sportsbar is a pretty cool place to spend some time and enjoy getting to know some of the West Hollywood community.

Hollywood.

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Our time in LA has been spent in the West Hollywood and Hollywood area.

Our hotel – the Ramada On Santa Monica Blvd at West Hollywood- was suggested for us by our travel agent back in Melbourne, and it has been sensational. It’s not absolute top-of-the-line but it’s really nicely appointed and the service is outstanding. It’s also really well situated as there are lots of bars, cafés and restaurants as well as shops, salons and gyms.

When I posted about my Route 66 experiences in Albuquerque I had no idea that our hotel in LA was also on Route 66. That was a lovely bonus that I discovered upon arrival.
It’s really cool when things work out like that. Aces.

Jetsetting #6

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It’s really cool looking over the desert landscape of Arizona en route to LA. Dark rocky outcrops stand out among with the rich sandy tones of the plains. A large blue lake shimmers in contrast to the rocks and sand, while a ribbon of settlement and farms draws life from its water.

The Rocky Mountains extend north and south, the highest peaks still lightly dusted with snow. I can see where the snow is starting to melt and run down to meet the streams below.
I didn’t realise I was going to see these majestic mountains, and I feel so small but also so blessed at the same time.

The landscape flattens into a rich tapestry of pasture and agriculture, fed by streams and another bright blue lake. They give way to much more settled areas, networks of roads and then the suburbs of LA.

I would have taken pictures of all of that, but the window at my seat is too scratched to allow any photography. That’s a very great shame, because everything I saw was amazing.

New Mexico

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New Mexico is beautiful.
It’s different to every other part of the USA that we have visited. There is a very strong Mexican and Native American influence on the culture and way of life.

The scenery is breathtaking. The colours of the desert soil and rocks change through the day.
The Sandia Mountains rise behind Albuquerque, creating a dramatic backdrop to the life of the people who love there. At sunset they turn a dramatic pinkish-red colour, for which they are named: “sandia” translates to “watermelon”.
We went up into the Sandias in the late afternoon and looked out over Albuquerque, the desert around it, and the volcanoes in the distance. We would have loved a chance to visit those lava fields, but our time was too limited.
As the city lights began to flick on and the dusk deepened, I could clearly see Route 66 passing right through town.

The people of New Mexico are very friendly and engaging. They love to stop and talk. They smile a lot. They love to be helpful and are very welcoming to visitors.

My first visit here has been very special. This place has touched me in quite a powerful and almost spiritual way, which I had not expected.
I am not sure whether I have fallen a little bit in love, or whether I’ve enjoyed a beautiful flirtation.
Either way, I am leaving with some delightful memories which I am sure will make me smile for many years to come.

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