Today was our relaxing day at the beach - well it was meant to be our relaxing day at the beach! As our tour bus ticket didn't expire til 10.41am - yes I know accurate, we thought we'd take the first bus at 10.15am down to Santa Monica. Now the buses never run to schedule due to all the traffic so we were pushing it a little bit! It did not arrive at 10.15! What did drive past us was a police escort with a car on a trailer filming a moving car scene - cool. Thankfully our bus did turn up at 10.35 - just in the nick of time!
Our first stop today was Santa Monica Pier - where there was more filming! This time we had not only no idea who it was but also what he was saying - it was Mexican, but he did look like he was doing a link for a TV show. The pier was good, it was sunny, we stopped for a hot dog (#2 of the holiday) then took a walk along the beach towards Venice Boardwalk. it's further than you think! This is why our day wasn't as relaxing as it should have been!
At this point the weather was great, we took in the street vendors, quirky shops and performers and the odd crazy then grabbed a milkshake at Muscle Beach and watched some 3 on 3 basketball action. It did get a little heated - probably playing for money or if being cynical or believing the films drugs or women lol. There weren't many muscles on Muscle Beach, probably because it's the middle of the day on a Wednesday, early morning or a weekend would probably be busier. People were playing to pose with the muscles that were there. Sorry I shouldn't call them muscles - they are people after all. That was a little weird.
We headed back to Santa Monica - stopping on the way to buy some art from a local artist - he was cool, had a book showing his work exhibited in many countries, never been to the UK yet though.
This is where we were a little naughty as our bus tour tickets had now expired but in a taxi it would be quite expensive, if we had to get a taxi we would but we thought we'd try to get on the tour bus first. It worked!! They didn't even check our ticket! We plugged our earphones in to make it look like our first time doing this part of the tour! Heehee. We used our journey to figure out where to go for tea for our last night in LA as we didn't want to go back to Westfield. #we settled for the best steak house in Beverly Hills - Mastro's. We managed to book a table online - good job as when we got there it was heaving! The steak was amazing - the best steak ever (well it should be at that price) but truly it was the best steak I've ever had. Big claim. Cooked perfectly. Also had great service - you can see why it's a favourite of the Beckhams and Kardashians - oh yes we googled who had been there once we got back! We even got driven back to the hotel by their private car - we asked for a taxi, got escorted to a sleek black car and driven home! It was a great way to end our time here.
Showing posts with label Santa Monica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Monica. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Monday, 12 August 2013
What's Your Dream? (Again)
A car is vital in LA if you want to get anywhere soon, if not it takes forever! Our plan for today was to get the hop on hop off bus - which handily stops outside the hotel, we can suss out the locations and decide where we want to visit as we're never going to be able to do it all - as the guy on the plane said, you won't see everything in 4 months let alone 4 days!
We eventually got the bus, it was half and hour late and headed on the yellow line to Santa Monica. There's not much between us and Santa Monica so the guide bus played the Beach Boys down our earphones! We didn't get off at Santa Monica today, we decided to come back another day and continue on the yellow line to Beverly Hills.
We alighted here and took a stroll round Rodeo Drive, on route we saw Stan Lee! Now I obviously didn't recognise him but Daniel insisted it was him driving round a corner in a Porche. We were then on a celebrity hunt. Needless to say we didn't see anyone else - well anyone we knew. We did see an awesome car outside of Bijan - which we later found out was the most expensive men's clothes store in he world - only accessible via appointment! The car was cool, I couldn't tell you what it was but Daniel could - a Bugatti Veyron. We didn't buy anything on Rodeo - well except lunch and that was even on the corner of another street, don't think we could afford Rodeo prices!
After lunch we boarded the red route to Hollywood. It is a completely different world in Hollywood and unlike what you expect the area to be like. It is not glamorous at all, filled with souvenir shops, rammed with tourists and littered with all kinds of people dressed as different famous film characters. We got accosted by Scream and posed for a photo. We wandered around a little, took in some stars then got the red route round the rest of the tour seeing landmarks like the hotel where Julia Roberts stayed in Pretty Woman - not the Wilshire with Richard Gere - we had already seen that but her and Kits place - apparently it is still a bit of a dive like in the film! I know I have used this title before - but it is the quote that comes to mind every time I think of here. What would it have been like without Pretty Woman in the 80s!?! We also saw the Whisky A Go Go - which the Bourbon Rooms from Rock of Ages is based on and then headed back to the hotel. When I say headed back we didn't actually arrive til a couple of hours later. Not having a car means getting anywhere takes forever!
We stopped in the hotel for tea tonight as we were knackered from all the travelling!! Why are portions so large!!?!!
We eventually got the bus, it was half and hour late and headed on the yellow line to Santa Monica. There's not much between us and Santa Monica so the guide bus played the Beach Boys down our earphones! We didn't get off at Santa Monica today, we decided to come back another day and continue on the yellow line to Beverly Hills.
We alighted here and took a stroll round Rodeo Drive, on route we saw Stan Lee! Now I obviously didn't recognise him but Daniel insisted it was him driving round a corner in a Porche. We were then on a celebrity hunt. Needless to say we didn't see anyone else - well anyone we knew. We did see an awesome car outside of Bijan - which we later found out was the most expensive men's clothes store in he world - only accessible via appointment! The car was cool, I couldn't tell you what it was but Daniel could - a Bugatti Veyron. We didn't buy anything on Rodeo - well except lunch and that was even on the corner of another street, don't think we could afford Rodeo prices!
After lunch we boarded the red route to Hollywood. It is a completely different world in Hollywood and unlike what you expect the area to be like. It is not glamorous at all, filled with souvenir shops, rammed with tourists and littered with all kinds of people dressed as different famous film characters. We got accosted by Scream and posed for a photo. We wandered around a little, took in some stars then got the red route round the rest of the tour seeing landmarks like the hotel where Julia Roberts stayed in Pretty Woman - not the Wilshire with Richard Gere - we had already seen that but her and Kits place - apparently it is still a bit of a dive like in the film! I know I have used this title before - but it is the quote that comes to mind every time I think of here. What would it have been like without Pretty Woman in the 80s!?! We also saw the Whisky A Go Go - which the Bourbon Rooms from Rock of Ages is based on and then headed back to the hotel. When I say headed back we didn't actually arrive til a couple of hours later. Not having a car means getting anywhere takes forever!
We stopped in the hotel for tea tonight as we were knackered from all the travelling!! Why are portions so large!!?!!
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Hooray for Hollywood...What's your dream?
So last day of our tour and we spent it seeing LA - good job too as it's a bitch to get around on your own as we found out on the first day! The weather was a little chilly to start but soon brightened up though it was extremely foggy. We stopped at Santa Barbara first, which you could hardly see due to the fog! But I'm sure it was lovely!! We went for a walk on the pier but couldn't exactly see the view! Though i did step in dog poo - booooo, why can't people pick up after their dog!
We then made out way through Santa Maria and Malibu before entering Santa Monica for lunch. We did go past some lovely houses - massive mansions when you can only really see the entry gates, but we get the impression they would have been nice - including Cher's house though my pictures doesn't do it justice as it looks like I've taken it of her shed! Ron was driving too fast for my camera!! We also went past the actual Baywatch beach where it was filmed but our first stop at Venice beach better suited Baywatch than this one.
Since we'd been to Santa Monica on our first day trying to get somewhere we didn't go on the pier with the others but hit the shops. We found an awesome shop, Forever 21, which we have since found out is coming to Europe in 2010 - fab. We got so caught up in the shopping area, which i might like to add was no smoking ever though it was a street, that we thought we were going to be late so grabbed a McD's on the run!
We then saw how the other half live - and boy how do they live in Beverley Hills. The posh shops, fancy houses, we also went passed the Beverley Wiltshire where Richard Gere stayed in Pretty Woman, what's your dream? Mine would be to have enough money to live here! We made our way to Hollywood where we saw the Viper Room - Johnny Depp's club that River Phoenix died outside of. Yet another morbid sight on our travels!
We started to take a trot down the Walk of Fame until we came to a stop as they had shut the street due to a premiere! Typical! We didn't see anyone famous - except Superman, but the red carpet was out ready! Hollywood is not what you'd expect. Beverley Hills definitely is as it is very glam but Hollywood is not glam at all. If anything its a bit of a let down considering how much Hollywood and the movie industry is worth.
We got back to the hotel and everyone was a little glum - except the two going back to Vegas, wish that was us! You always feel rubbish when you know you have to go home - wherever you have been. We went for our last meal back to Islands, where ironically the waitress remembered us! Must have made an impression - just like our trip had made on us! Oh well back to reality and ready to plan the next holiday!!!
We then made out way through Santa Maria and Malibu before entering Santa Monica for lunch. We did go past some lovely houses - massive mansions when you can only really see the entry gates, but we get the impression they would have been nice - including Cher's house though my pictures doesn't do it justice as it looks like I've taken it of her shed! Ron was driving too fast for my camera!! We also went past the actual Baywatch beach where it was filmed but our first stop at Venice beach better suited Baywatch than this one.
Since we'd been to Santa Monica on our first day trying to get somewhere we didn't go on the pier with the others but hit the shops. We found an awesome shop, Forever 21, which we have since found out is coming to Europe in 2010 - fab. We got so caught up in the shopping area, which i might like to add was no smoking ever though it was a street, that we thought we were going to be late so grabbed a McD's on the run!
We then saw how the other half live - and boy how do they live in Beverley Hills. The posh shops, fancy houses, we also went passed the Beverley Wiltshire where Richard Gere stayed in Pretty Woman, what's your dream? Mine would be to have enough money to live here! We made our way to Hollywood where we saw the Viper Room - Johnny Depp's club that River Phoenix died outside of. Yet another morbid sight on our travels!
We started to take a trot down the Walk of Fame until we came to a stop as they had shut the street due to a premiere! Typical! We didn't see anyone famous - except Superman, but the red carpet was out ready! Hollywood is not what you'd expect. Beverley Hills definitely is as it is very glam but Hollywood is not glam at all. If anything its a bit of a let down considering how much Hollywood and the movie industry is worth.
We got back to the hotel and everyone was a little glum - except the two going back to Vegas, wish that was us! You always feel rubbish when you know you have to go home - wherever you have been. We went for our last meal back to Islands, where ironically the waitress remembered us! Must have made an impression - just like our trip had made on us! Oh well back to reality and ready to plan the next holiday!!!
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Lost Angeles...
Today we had the day free to explore LA - explore? Yes we did but by bus! Dear God this city is difficult to navigate, and I'm a geographer! Our grand plan was to go to Venice Beach, then La Brea Tar Pits, then Griffiths Observatory and home by tea. In reality we did not have a clue how to get anywhere. After asking a very friendly postman we boarded a bus. Sarah had her turn at speed dating with the driver, like I had with the immigration officer at the airport, you know, polite chit chat. Turns out we had no change as well as no clue on where we were going so he let us ride for free, as did another bus driver when we got on the wrong way! People are very friendly in LA! Another bus driver, to quote, said 'she's beautiful'!! Score!!! We ended up going to Fisherman's Village then to Venice Beach and Santa Monica in the afternoon. Venice Beach was nice to chillax and observe the talent. The lifeguards were very Baywatch style glamorous! We lastly took a poodle on Santa Monica's pier.
Then started our laborious bus journey home, which we only made because a nice lady told us how! Still we didn't make it back til 6.45ish and didn't even complete our plan! Oh well turned out to be a good day. We also saw a homeless person in a face mask - was this to protect us from his germs i wonder?
Then started our laborious bus journey home, which we only made because a nice lady told us how! Still we didn't make it back til 6.45ish and didn't even complete our plan! Oh well turned out to be a good day. We also saw a homeless person in a face mask - was this to protect us from his germs i wonder?
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