21. Hooray for Hollywood

Before I begin, I dedicate this post to Megan and all first time visitors to SoCal.  Megan is engaged to my oldest son and recently (as I write this) made her first ever visit to Los Angeles (L.A.).

As I mention in my first ever article for examiner.com, as their LA Sightseeing Examiner, of course, Megan's first experience of L.A. was LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) as it has been for so many before her and will be for so many after her.

Still, I was tickled to find out this was her virginal visit to L.A.  Now that I write these blogs and articles, I knew I would be interested to find out her first choice for sightseeing in L.A.  Her answer I'm sure you can guess by the subject of this blog, Hollywood.

If you've never been to L.A. before you may have a completely different idea of Hollywood than I do.

There is the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign, which is no where close to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  There is the Hollywood Bowl, which is not very close to the Hollywood and Highland Complex.

Hollywood is actually a district in Los Angeles not its own city or town.

Or maybe you do think of the place you do want to visit in Hollywood the same as me, which is Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.  It is where the El Capitan Theatre is located where Jimmy Kimmel Live is recorded.  This is where the Kodak Theatre is.  This is where Grauman's Chinese Theater is, where on any given evening you might find a moving premiere happening.

To get to Hollywood, we drove north on Highway 110.  For late October it was hot.  We all got a great view of the smog hovering over downtown.  We caught our exit and proceeded on Highway 101.  Traffic.  Traffic.  Traffic.  If you are from a less traffic laden area, this much traffic on a Sunday will seem stifling to you as it was to my guests.

After taking the Hollywood Boulevard exit, we turned left onto Hollywood Boulevard toward our destination.  By now we'd already been in the car for almost an hour.  We passed the Capital Record Building and started noticing stars on the sidewalk.  When we finally got to Hollywood and Highland we were hot, tired and noticing a ton of other tourists.  None of us were too thrilled about parking and walking around.  So we just kept driving.  Maybe next time...when we also attend a Jimmy Kimmel Live taping and it is night and cooler and the sun isn't in our eyes and...

What I hadn't expected to find is that a scant two or three blocks west of Hollywood and Highland is La Brea Avenue.  In fact, it is from La Brea Avenue this blog post's photo of the Hollywood Sign was taken.  I could have taken La Brea all the way to Hollywood Boulevard. It probably would have been a shorter drive.

We then decided what we'd enjoy more is finding the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard to stop and have a brew.  We're big fans of the House of Blues (HOB) venue and have been delighted with every experience regardless of location.  Here's a tip.  If you can work it out, you will be better off entering parking opportunities for the House of Blues Sunset if you are going east on Sunset Boulevard.  It was only 3ish PM, but when we pulled into the parking lot it sure seemed quiet.

Waaaaahh!  We were denied.  HOB was closed due to a private event.  I know.  Maybe it was for the best.  What's the deal now, "Buzzed driving IS drunk driving!"  I personally would have had only one beer and I was driving.  And I was thirsty.  And I will admit, a little bummed.

I felt all was not lost however.  We would follow winding and meandering Sunset Boulevard all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).  There would be plenty to see along this infamous thoroughfare.  I'd driven it before but for whatever reason on today's drive the almost 20 miles seemed extra longer and farther than I recalled.  Definitely scenic though.  To me the prize when you reach the end of Sunset Boulevard at PCH is my favorite Taco Bell (so far that is).  More about that in another blog post.

You know, in hindsight maybe as much as we were trying to push it, none of us were really much in the mood for sightseeing.

Thinking back on it, I feel I should have demanded we park and walk around at Hollywood and Highland.  So, I went back the other night with the intent of parking and videoing and such as my way of somehow making up for not getting out of the car.  A funny thing happened on the way to Hollywood.  Once I got there I still had no desire to get out and walk around, etc.

Instead, I shot this little video from my car.  My heart was in the right place.  I'm just not sure where the rest of me was.  In closing then, what comes to mind is simply "Hooray for Hollywood!"