Tuesday, Day 12

We started out late today because they have complimentary guest laundry, and I just HAD to do a load (I mean, come on, it’s COMPLIMENTARY!) So, after a slow start (and about 20 minutes waiting for the dryer), we were finally on our way. We followed the directions from Pasadena all the way into L.A. on Route 66. It’s pretty amazing. Route 66 goes along Sunset Blvd, and then over to Santa Monica Blvd. We saw the Hollywood Sign, Dodger Stadium, Beverly Hills Police Department, past Rodeo Drive and Wiltshire Blvd. We finally ended up at the Santa Monica Pier. We couldn’t go any further west. We were done! After a very quick picture as we turned left, we all cheered, and then headed south a bit towards lunch. I had heard so much about the In-N-Out Burgers, that I just had to have one! So, we went up Lincoln Blvd. for about 2 miles until we found one.

It was a VERY busy place, but you really on can order one of three things: a hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double meat double cheeseburger. We got combos which included fries and a drink. They were very good, very juicy hamburgers. The fries were excellent too (on the box they say that they peel, cut and fry the potatoes right on site…never frozen). I also found it interesting that at the bottom of the hamburger wrapper, in really small print was “Revelation 3:20.” So, of course, being who I am, and having the technology that I do, I immediately went to my blackberry and looked it up. Revelation 3:20 says:

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me.”

I thought that was a really cool thing for a hamburger joint to put, even if ever so discreetly, on their wrappers!

After lunch we headed back to the pier to park and swim. We went past the original Muscle Beach where we saw guys doing very muscle-y things, so, of course, we had to pose with our muscles out in front of the sign! We also saw a man who had long hair and a long beard running as fast as he could along the waterfront. I said to Steve “Look at that homeless man run!” Steve said “What else has he got to do?” We’re so bad.

We changed in the public restrooms (lovely) and headed for the water. Andy and Emily headed straight in. Pete jumped around at the water’s edge. Steve watched a woman change right on the beach under a towel. He was quite impressed at her dexterity and ability to keep covered up, even though she was a grandmother. I told him that she probably had years of practice. We also saw a family of four nearby each with their own tattoos. What a wonderful family activity.

Andy made a friend (of course) out in the surf. They had a lot of fun ‘catching waves’ and body surfing. It was hard to extract both of them from the water when it was time to go. I told them that I was sorry, but that 1 and a half hours was all we had time for. They said “I thought it had only been like 15 minutes!” Guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Once we left the pier, we decided to take the long way home. We drove a bit of the Pacific Coast Highway, and then more of Sunset Blvd. We went through Brentwood, Bel Air and Beverly Hills again. That is quite a drive. Unfortunately, the rest of L.A. was with us, so it was a very slow go. Once we past everything we wanted the kids to see (like famous sights that they’ve never heard of: The Roxy, the Whisky a Go-Go, etc.) we headed back towards the hotel. It took us 2 hours to get back! I told the kids later that they had really experienced the real L.A….from a car, in traffic!

Once back at the hotel, we had a quick dip in the pool (since we still had our suits on) and then we showered. By 6 we were back in the car and headed back into L.A. for dinner. We met Ben Hardy (our old college friend) and his wife Emily for dinner. Well, we picked them up and we all went to El Coyote for dinner. They had WONDERFUL guacamole! Emily is an actress and so we talked about films and actors and the business for most of the time.

After dinner, we went back to their place and parked (they live in Hollywood, just a hop-skip-jump from Hollywood Blvd. and Grauman’s Chinese Theater). We then walked the Boulevard looking at the Walk of Fame and all the names on the stars. We made it to Grauman’s Theater and looked at all the hand and foot prints in the cement. Turns out that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson had been there July 9th, and so we were able to put our hands in their prints! The kids were thrilled. I also got photos of Peter Sellers and Tom Hanks.

We then walked down to the Kodak Theater where the Oscars are held each year and we walked the stairs, which are covered in the red carpet at Oscar time. To the right of the theater they have a mall now, and if the Hollywood sign had been lit, we would have seen that they have designed the building so that it frames the sign perfectly. Oh well. Next visit?

We then walked back to their apartment and watched some of the commercials and shots from the Hallmark Movie Emily was in. She has the starring role in a horror flick coming out later this year called 12. I’d love to see her in it, but I’m not sure I can stomach a horror flick. It was fun to talk to her, and I think the kids learned a lot, too. From the stuff we saw tonight, you can tell she is very good. I hope she goes very far.

We said goodnight and headed home. It is amazing how much better the traffic was at midnight then when we first tried to go home at 4! It is quite late now, and I should get rest so that I am prepared for our big trip to the giant redwoods tomorrow!