LA LA Land
Trip Start
Dec 11, 2010
1
75
135
Trip End
Ongoing
Los Angeles, California
Monday, May 2, 2011
We had a great first night in LA, chilling on the balcony with a glass (or two) of champagne and eating salmon and green salad...sooo good post Vegas!!
Next morning Julia, Tina, Phin and I drove down to Santa Monica for breakfast at Huckleberrys - a place Val, Phins mum, has raved about for years!!! We ordered "green eggs and ham"...it was good...but we were expecting amazing! I think it may have been under par due to the fact that we ordered at 10.59 and breakfast finished at 11!
We then wandered along Santa Monica beach..love the landscaping along the beach here...WA should do more of that...especially as our actual beach is so much more appealing!
I had a small celebrity moment...small as I had no idea who he was. I was ahead of the other three and walking past a villa on the beach and a guy outside said to me "are you looking for Carman?" and I responded "ahh no I am just waiting for my friends...should I be looking for Carman?!?" anyway Carman then came out and introduced himself and we chatted about the beach and Aus...the others caught up and we concluded our banter and I said to them "I just have a feeling he is someone famous". We then met up with Ian who confirmed there is a rapper named Carman so we googled him and it was the same dude! Crazy stuff!
We had met up with Ian at Paramount studios so we could take Julia and Tina on the set of Glee. Ian is awesome an introduced us to Corey (Finn) and Jonathan (Jesse) and the girls to Diana (Quinn) who we had already met on the last visit. I was impressed she remembered us and asked us how our road trip was! Corey heard this and was quite excited to chat about Vancouver..his home town. We watched for about an hr as they filmed some dialogue and then headed off to Pink Berry for some frozen yoghurt.
In the late afternoon we checked out the Hollywood walk of fame. I totally get why tourists hate LA...you can't catch public transport and the real tourist areas -like this..are full of annoying people constantly hassling you for tours. Luckily for us we have a car and local knowledge so loved it.
After the unpleasant experience we needed a drink so happy hour $3 g&ts were in order. Another evening chilling on the balcony...
Our final day with Julia and Tina :(
We started by checking out the Walt Disney Concert hall, then lunched at Urth Cafe (the one from Entourage) and shopped on Melrose Ave before some more shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverley Hills. We did a drive by Hugh Heffners mansion and then back to Venice for some drinks and dinner with the girls before taking them to the airport. I was very sad to see them go as we had so much fun together!! C'est la vie!
We pretty much spent the next two days chilling out...catching up on paperwork, banking, photo sorting etc. We went running around the Hollywood hills - trying to burn the American obesity epidemic that is personally catching on. Much time was spent dealing with qantas...we have a round the world ticket which includes a leg from LA to NYC..we decided we didnt want to catch that flight but drive across country instead! I called qantas to inform them that we wanted to cancel that leg, so they could sell the seats to someone else. They informed me that if we don't catch the flight or 'accidentally miss it'..they will forfeit the rest of our round the world ticket!!! We are very unimpressed as now we have to drive to Denver...fly to LA...fly to NYC..fly to Miami and then drive up the east...plus we have heaps of camping equipment! Grrr makes no sense but oh well.
We also had dinner with some of Trilbys Aussie actor friends..Diechen, Steph Macintosh, Les and Holly.
A last minute decision by Winnie had her flying in for the weekend from Vancouver. We had such fun on the weekend with her - a run up the windy streets toward the Hollywood sign, breakfast and shopping in West Hollywood, some movie watching and a late lunch and wander around los Feliz...plus...Saturday night...a real Hollywood party!
Corey (Finn) from Glee was having a massive house party...so Ian brought us along. It was in this all white 80s Miami style mansion..not very homely..could have been a night club...after all there was valet parking and coloured lights everywhere. There were people in the pool and all through the house...a bar which was stocked with top quality spirits and veuve cliquot! After saying hi to Corey we grabbed some drinks and headed to the dance floor. Quite funny to turn around and be dancing next to someone you are used to seeing on TV! Trilbys Aussie friends came so it was nice to know a few more people! Naia (Santana) danced with us for a while as she is good friends with Ian and now Trilby. And miracles do occur..Artie is no longer a paraplegic..he was having a boogy next to me too. Winnie, Phin and I had so much fun - what an awesome experience!!
Our last three days in LA were spent pottering about. More running...we finally made it to the Hollywood sign, more yummy food - organic coffee and breakfast burritos, umami burgers, red velvet cupcakes, amazing lebanese and sunset cocktails and nibbles at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica...you can see why we need to run! Plus chilling at Ians with DVD nights, polaroid photo shoots courtesy of Mark and organizing stuff.
It was so fantastic to be able to stay there as after months of traveling..whenever we stay in a house it is so comforting! We always struggle to leave! Amelia and Mark, Ians friends were also living there which made the house extra exciting...we renamed it, Ians hostel!
Eventually we had to say goodbye..after an amazing breakfast by Trilby we hit the road on Thursday morning for San Diego.
May 3 Update
"Phin: In L.A.......Livin in the Hills! Good morning Hollywood!"
May 4 Update
Lisa: “$3 gin & tonics in Hollywood! Happy times!!”
Phin: "Chatting away with the Glee cast...giving them some pointers!"
May 5 Update
Lisa: "Beautiful day for running in the Hollywood hills...attempting to beat the American Obesity Epidemic that is starting to effect me on a personal level!! Very sad face :( bye bye to Julia and Tina! Most amazing fun times!!”
May 8 Update
Lisa: “Party party in the Hollywood hills!!! What a gleeful time!!! Boo yah!!!"
