Hollywood. It invariably conjures images of glamour, artistry and smell of perfumes. Hollywood Walk of Fame is a side walk comprising of embedded stars with names of actors, singers, producers, fictional characters, directors, and famous folks involved with the entertainment industry. It's a street lined with museums, theatres, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and apartments for over 15 blocks. Interestingly, the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Vine street has names of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins.
The "walk" is always crowded with curious tourists jostling each other and budding artists showcasing their talents in the hopes of catching the attention of a talent scout. A popular tourist destination, it receives about 10 million visitors in a year.
I thought it would be a change for my daughters to experience some real-life frenzy of fans trying to catch a glimpse of stars, or even chat one up and get an autograph.
We piled into the car to head to Hollywood Blvd which was a short 10-12 minutes drive. Short drive. Or so I assumed. Well, when I checked for directions, my friendly GPS lady (I call her GyPSy) told me that I would reach my destination, a parking structure on a street adjacent to Hollywood Blvd, in 27 minutes. Right. I decided to treat my girls to a bus ride which would take us about the same time. I would get to see some action as well, while someone else did the driving!
The bus drove down Sunset Blvd, a long stretch of road with old buildings on either side, some over a 100 years old built during the early days of Hollywood when movies were gaining fame in North America. Many of these buildings were used as studios those days but have long been converted into restaurants and shops now.
Our first place of visit was Madame Tussaud's museum. There are three floors of figures, from early stars such as Bette Davis and Alfred Hitchcock to Clint Eastwood to Robin Williams to E.T. to X-Men and the most recognized politician of today - President Barack Obama. The wax figures are painstakingly made over several days. But, the most attractive feature are the eyes. They appear alive. And seem to look into your own.
The girls loved E.T.
As we exited the museum we saw warning signs to beware of purse thieves. Well, we couldn't miss out the very crowded Hollywood Blvd! It being a holiday, and a very pleasant day everyone decided they wanted a piece of the movie action I suppose. There were mime artists who tried hard to remain still, or scare a few unsuspecting passers by. We gawked at the buildings and every expensive car driving by. Oh it must be "him" or "her," right? Who else can afford to own such a vehicle? Then there were people advertising tours, cheap souvenirs and perfumes. What is it with Hollywood and perfumes?
We walked down the street looking at the stars on the side walk and recognized some of the names. It was so crowded that the three of us held each others' hands. After about a couple of blocks we stopped to have lunch at one of the open air malls which had over a 100 shops and restaurants. We headed to California Pizza Kitchen because their vegetarian options are really good, like the white corn guacamole and chips, flat breads, appetizers like lettuce wrap, soups, salads, pasta and veggie pizzas.
The whole expedition took us about four hours. We hopped on the bus and headed back.
To sum up, on Hollywood Boulevard parking is limited and expensive, so it is good to take a taxi or public transportation. You can take a guided tour to the Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre where the Oscars are held, Guinness Book of Records Museum, Hollywood Museum, Hollywood sign, Madam Tussauds Museum among others. There are good restaurants which serve vegetarian and vegan food. Walking and bus tours are also available for those who want to take in most of the sights and know the history of the place.
Its a glimpse into lights, camera, action way of life.
The "walk" is always crowded with curious tourists jostling each other and budding artists showcasing their talents in the hopes of catching the attention of a talent scout. A popular tourist destination, it receives about 10 million visitors in a year.
I thought it would be a change for my daughters to experience some real-life frenzy of fans trying to catch a glimpse of stars, or even chat one up and get an autograph.
We piled into the car to head to Hollywood Blvd which was a short 10-12 minutes drive. Short drive. Or so I assumed. Well, when I checked for directions, my friendly GPS lady (I call her GyPSy) told me that I would reach my destination, a parking structure on a street adjacent to Hollywood Blvd, in 27 minutes. Right. I decided to treat my girls to a bus ride which would take us about the same time. I would get to see some action as well, while someone else did the driving!
The bus drove down Sunset Blvd, a long stretch of road with old buildings on either side, some over a 100 years old built during the early days of Hollywood when movies were gaining fame in North America. Many of these buildings were used as studios those days but have long been converted into restaurants and shops now.
Our first place of visit was Madame Tussaud's museum. There are three floors of figures, from early stars such as Bette Davis and Alfred Hitchcock to Clint Eastwood to Robin Williams to E.T. to X-Men and the most recognized politician of today - President Barack Obama. The wax figures are painstakingly made over several days. But, the most attractive feature are the eyes. They appear alive. And seem to look into your own.
The girls loved E.T.
As we exited the museum we saw warning signs to beware of purse thieves. Well, we couldn't miss out the very crowded Hollywood Blvd! It being a holiday, and a very pleasant day everyone decided they wanted a piece of the movie action I suppose. There were mime artists who tried hard to remain still, or scare a few unsuspecting passers by. We gawked at the buildings and every expensive car driving by. Oh it must be "him" or "her," right? Who else can afford to own such a vehicle? Then there were people advertising tours, cheap souvenirs and perfumes. What is it with Hollywood and perfumes?
We walked down the street looking at the stars on the side walk and recognized some of the names. It was so crowded that the three of us held each others' hands. After about a couple of blocks we stopped to have lunch at one of the open air malls which had over a 100 shops and restaurants. We headed to California Pizza Kitchen because their vegetarian options are really good, like the white corn guacamole and chips, flat breads, appetizers like lettuce wrap, soups, salads, pasta and veggie pizzas.
The whole expedition took us about four hours. We hopped on the bus and headed back.
To sum up, on Hollywood Boulevard parking is limited and expensive, so it is good to take a taxi or public transportation. You can take a guided tour to the Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre where the Oscars are held, Guinness Book of Records Museum, Hollywood Museum, Hollywood sign, Madam Tussauds Museum among others. There are good restaurants which serve vegetarian and vegan food. Walking and bus tours are also available for those who want to take in most of the sights and know the history of the place.
Its a glimpse into lights, camera, action way of life.
