Rain rain go away! - LA Adventures

For day 2, hubby and I jumped on the red line with Starline tours. It starts near Grauman's Chinese Theater, so we walked around just enough to remind ourselves what is there. Hand prints pressed into cement surrounded by the Walk of Fame. This is a very touristy area so we expected a lot of people, you just have to be patient when taking pictures of your favorite star's star or cement dedication slab.

I snagged these two shots from my hubby's Snapchat. Grauman's Chinese Theater.

After wandering a bit we jumped on the bus. The red line takes about 2 hours, so we just stayed on to see the sights and get some insight into the city. It sprinkled on us a bit throughout the day, but we managed to stay on the top, outside of the bus to get the best views. Although we did not take a lot of pictures, we learned about some of the history of the city along with the spots where celebrities can be spotted.

A very rainy/cloudy pic of the Hollywood sign.

A quick drive by the Viper Room, the location of River Phoenix's death, and the liquor store where Guns 'n' Roses used to buy cheap wine were highlights of the tour.

At the end of the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Mel's Drive In. The San Francisco based chain is famous for being featured in the film "American Graffiti" (which was filmed in SF).

Due to lack of planning we did not realize that Griffith Observatory is closed on Mondays and that was supposed to be our next stop. Instead we wandered up the highway towards The Great Wall of Los Angeles. The inspiring mural spans 6 blocks (around 2,700 ft/823 meters) and was sparked by artist Judy Baca in the 1970s. The mural tells the history of California starting with the native people and focusing on the struggles of the minorities throughout the years. This is a bit out of the way but I highly recommend making the drive!

These represent only a small glimpse at the mural. It's huge!

Santa Monica CA - It A-piers to be Raining!

I am out in California for a conference and convinced my hubby to tag along. It does not start until Tuesday (well, technically Wednesday, but my co-workers arrive Tuesday afternoon), so we have had a few days to explore LA and the surrounding area. It is unusually rainy right now. Our flight into Long Beach was slightly delayed due to flooding and huge storm that had started the evening before.

One of my staple moves when traveling is taking the double decker bus tours. Here in LA we chose Starline as they have 5 or 6 different buses throughout the area. [Buy tickets online to save $$$] You can take the green buses along the coast, get on the yellow line through Beverly Hills, or take the red line through Hollywood (just to name our top 3).

Sailboat at Fishman's Village

Sunday was our first full day and since we have a week to explore we got off to a slow start in the morning. We reached the green line around 11 am and were taken 1 stop to Fisherman's Village before the driver was on his break. We walked around a bit just to see the water until the next driver was ready to leave. It is a cute little stop if you have the time to check it out.

Pelicans looking for food around Fisherman's Village

View of the ocean off the pier.

We rode the green line up to Santa Monica Pier and took a look around. There are a lot of street performers that want you to pay for their entertainment and selfie opportunities. Some of them live off their income so do not be shy to hand over some cash, especially if they really are entertaining.

View of the ocean off the pier.

Walk all the way down the pier and gaze into the ocean, watching people play on the beach or swim in the waves. Stop along your walk to grab a bit to eat or peruse the shops and carts along the way. Do not miss a picture with the "End of the Trail" sign for Route 66.

About quarter mile (485 meters) up Colorado Avenue is the 3rd Street Promenade full of shops and eateries (and more street performers). It runs several blocks, up to Wilshire, so hubby and I took our time checking it out.

The remainder of our day was spent riding the yellow line through Beverly Hills. You can get a glimpse of the famous Beverly Hills shield which, according to Starline, you can only see in 5 places. Pictures you take of the shield can only be used for personal use as the city charges for commercial use. The yellow line also passess the famous Rodeo Drive, hubby and I talked about its prominence in the show "Entourage."

Our evening ended at the Killer Shrimp restaurant which makes their own shrimp broth bowl which is absolutely delicious!

Killer Shrimp served with french bread

I also blogged about Santa Monica and 3rd Street Promenade here.