Doin' LA (and the West Coast)
Been a bit slack in updating the blog, so this entry is kinda lengthy.
We've been doing a bit of traveling along the West Coast before going back to Melbourne, including south (Tijuana) and north (Vancouver) of the border. Within the US, we visited SF and LA.
The funny thing is that we are only doing the LA "tourist" stuff when we're leaving. Like a lot of people, we tend to take things for granted of the local attractions when we live in the area. It's only when you are leaving that you take time to look around.
City of Angels
Pink's
Finally checked out Pink's on Melrose and La Brea. Pink's has been around since 1939 (it used to sell for $0.10) and is an institution around here. We ended up queuing for 50 minutes before placing our orders. The famous chili dogs were kinda average and weren't really worth the time.
Pink's Hot Dogs
Outside Pink's, with hordes of people lining up for the quintessential LA "taste"
Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood sign is somewhat reclusive and difficult to find. Erected on Mount Lee at Griffith Park, many people don't know that it's illegal to hike to (or basically get anywhere near) the sign, which is set well back behind restricting gates and protected by security. After some Google research, we found a location with good camera shots.
Hollywood sign in the background, at intersection of Beachwood and Cheramoya
Hollywood sign in the background, at intersection of Beachwood and Cheramoya
Live Audience
Another LA "to do" attraction is being part of the live audience for a TV show. Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" wasn't recording, so we went for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "The New Adventures of Old Christine", filming at Warner Bros' Stage 5 at Burbank. Admission is free as you are supplying the atmosphere and laugh track for the show. It was very interesting to see a show being recorded in front of your eyes - the large number of staff on-hand (including writers, directors, props, makeup etc), the professionalism and camaraderie of the cast members, attention to detail of the directors and props crew, etc. Julia was the main star was appeared very friendly. The surprise guest star was Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza), playing a gynecologist. The episode being recorded is the Season 3 finale and the second episode since the end of the WGA strike. A definite eye opener was that it took about 4 hours to film a relatively simple 30 minute sitcom, where most action is filmed in a controlled indoor environment (as opposed to filming on location, for shows such as Lost and Prison Break).
Bottle of water from "New Christine"
VIP parking stub for the taping of "New Christine"
The Grove/Farmer's Market
The Grove/Farmer's Market is another LA "must-do". The market is really a outdoor food court, with some very good food such as the Zagat-rated French Crepe Company that serves sweet and savory crepes. The huge Victoria's Secret store at The Grove advertised that Adriana Lima would make a store appearance for a product launch. However, we didn't anticipate the filming of "New Christine" would take so long, so we didn't have time to see Adriana.
Farmer's Market
San Fran
We caught up for dinners with Uncle Benjamin (yummy HK-style crabs) and Aunt Stella (more crabs).
Dinner with Uncle Benjamin and family
Also caught up with Mike who was there for a conference. Tried the Zagat-rated burgers on Mike's midnight whim at Joe's Cable Car Restaurant.
Micks and me devouring a burger @ Joe's Cable Car Restaurant
Stayed at the Palace Hotel in Union Square (the grandest hotel during the frontier/gold rush era) and went to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, where "mysterious" anti-gravity forces are reputed to be caused by aliens (NOT!)
Palace Hotel - dining area
Outside the Palace Hotel
Union Square
Union Square
Seattle
Stayed at the W Seattle - very modern and chic as usual. Had plenty of clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder, winner of the nation-wide Great Chowder Cook-Off for the last several years. The Smoked Salmon chowder was delicious! Bought a bunch of snowboarding gear at huge discounts, and saw the construction of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (3 days to assemble the aircraft from pre-made parts such as the wings and tail from Germany and Japan) during the Boeing Tour at Everett.
W Hotel - Seattle
Inside a 737 cockpit
Seattle Library
Boeing plant - Everett, WA
In front of a Rolls Royce engine
Multi-color carrots @ Pike Place Market
Bunch of multi color chili @ Pike Place Market
Yummy Alaskan King crabs @ Pike Place Market
Delicious chowder @ Pike Place Chowder
Vancouver
Went up Grouse Mountain (15 minutes from downtown, and closes at 10 PM - I would snowboard every night after work if I lived there!), and ate the famous wonton noodles in Richmond (located on the same street as the rear entrance to the Four Points Sheraton Vancouver hotel - it took us ages to find the restaurant!). We also checked out Granville Island Public Market and Robson St.
Tijuana
Man, Tijuana was disappointing. The main street in downtown, Avenida Revolucion, is a sleazy tourist trap lined with bars, pharmacies selling cheap/fake Viagra and souvenir stores selling junk. Beers (Coronas) were cheap though, about US$1 each. For dinner, we crossed the border back Stateside and ate cheap $12 live Maine lobsters at Ole Madrid restaurant in San Diego.
The Tijuana Arch
Jai Alai Palace - previously used for playing jai alai (like racquetball), now used for concerts and Luche Libre (Mexican pro wrestling)
Looking down Avenida Revolucion
Right before crossing the border into Mexico
$12 whole lobster at Gaslamp District, San Diego
Aaron and a sangria (red wine, brandy, schnapps and fruit pieces and juices)
Wendy with the lobster
We've been doing a bit of traveling along the West Coast before going back to Melbourne, including south (Tijuana) and north (Vancouver) of the border. Within the US, we visited SF and LA.
The funny thing is that we are only doing the LA "tourist" stuff when we're leaving. Like a lot of people, we tend to take things for granted of the local attractions when we live in the area. It's only when you are leaving that you take time to look around.
City of Angels
Pink's
Finally checked out Pink's on Melrose and La Brea. Pink's has been around since 1939 (it used to sell for $0.10) and is an institution around here. We ended up queuing for 50 minutes before placing our orders. The famous chili dogs were kinda average and weren't really worth the time.
Pink's Hot Dogs
Outside Pink's, with hordes of people lining up for the quintessential LA "taste"
Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood sign is somewhat reclusive and difficult to find. Erected on Mount Lee at Griffith Park, many people don't know that it's illegal to hike to (or basically get anywhere near) the sign, which is set well back behind restricting gates and protected by security. After some Google research, we found a location with good camera shots.
Hollywood sign in the background, at intersection of Beachwood and Cheramoya
Hollywood sign in the background, at intersection of Beachwood and Cheramoya
Live Audience
Another LA "to do" attraction is being part of the live audience for a TV show. Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" wasn't recording, so we went for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "The New Adventures of Old Christine", filming at Warner Bros' Stage 5 at Burbank. Admission is free as you are supplying the atmosphere and laugh track for the show. It was very interesting to see a show being recorded in front of your eyes - the large number of staff on-hand (including writers, directors, props, makeup etc), the professionalism and camaraderie of the cast members, attention to detail of the directors and props crew, etc. Julia was the main star was appeared very friendly. The surprise guest star was Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza), playing a gynecologist. The episode being recorded is the Season 3 finale and the second episode since the end of the WGA strike. A definite eye opener was that it took about 4 hours to film a relatively simple 30 minute sitcom, where most action is filmed in a controlled indoor environment (as opposed to filming on location, for shows such as Lost and Prison Break).
Bottle of water from "New Christine"
VIP parking stub for the taping of "New Christine"
The Grove/Farmer's Market
The Grove/Farmer's Market is another LA "must-do". The market is really a outdoor food court, with some very good food such as the Zagat-rated French Crepe Company that serves sweet and savory crepes. The huge Victoria's Secret store at The Grove advertised that Adriana Lima would make a store appearance for a product launch. However, we didn't anticipate the filming of "New Christine" would take so long, so we didn't have time to see Adriana.
Farmer's Market
San Fran
We caught up for dinners with Uncle Benjamin (yummy HK-style crabs) and Aunt Stella (more crabs).
Dinner with Uncle Benjamin and family
Also caught up with Mike who was there for a conference. Tried the Zagat-rated burgers on Mike's midnight whim at Joe's Cable Car Restaurant.
Micks and me devouring a burger @ Joe's Cable Car Restaurant
Stayed at the Palace Hotel in Union Square (the grandest hotel during the frontier/gold rush era) and went to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, where "mysterious" anti-gravity forces are reputed to be caused by aliens (NOT!)
Palace Hotel - dining area
Outside the Palace Hotel
Union Square
Union Square
Seattle
Stayed at the W Seattle - very modern and chic as usual. Had plenty of clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder, winner of the nation-wide Great Chowder Cook-Off for the last several years. The Smoked Salmon chowder was delicious! Bought a bunch of snowboarding gear at huge discounts, and saw the construction of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (3 days to assemble the aircraft from pre-made parts such as the wings and tail from Germany and Japan) during the Boeing Tour at Everett.
W Hotel - Seattle
Inside a 737 cockpit
Seattle Library
Boeing plant - Everett, WA
In front of a Rolls Royce engine
Multi-color carrots @ Pike Place Market
Bunch of multi color chili @ Pike Place Market
Yummy Alaskan King crabs @ Pike Place Market
Delicious chowder @ Pike Place Chowder
Vancouver
Went up Grouse Mountain (15 minutes from downtown, and closes at 10 PM - I would snowboard every night after work if I lived there!), and ate the famous wonton noodles in Richmond (located on the same street as the rear entrance to the Four Points Sheraton Vancouver hotel - it took us ages to find the restaurant!). We also checked out Granville Island Public Market and Robson St.
Tijuana
Man, Tijuana was disappointing. The main street in downtown, Avenida Revolucion, is a sleazy tourist trap lined with bars, pharmacies selling cheap/fake Viagra and souvenir stores selling junk. Beers (Coronas) were cheap though, about US$1 each. For dinner, we crossed the border back Stateside and ate cheap $12 live Maine lobsters at Ole Madrid restaurant in San Diego.
The Tijuana Arch
Jai Alai Palace - previously used for playing jai alai (like racquetball), now used for concerts and Luche Libre (Mexican pro wrestling)
Looking down Avenida Revolucion
Right before crossing the border into Mexico
$12 whole lobster at Gaslamp District, San Diego
Aaron and a sangria (red wine, brandy, schnapps and fruit pieces and juices)
Wendy with the lobster
Comments
you still in the states?