California - Los Angeles

This post is coming at the PERFECT time.  I’ve scheduled this post on Los Angeles to appear on the blog at the same time as I’m landing in Los Angeles on my way to vacation in Australia.  I’ve visited Los Angeles twice.

First, you have to visit Hollywood Blvd and the Walk of Fame.  It did surprise me because it’s more of a tourist stop than glamorous and there were no famous people!  None.  But, you’ve got to go to say you’ve been there.  The Walk of Fame (http://www.walkoffame.com/) is where the famous people’s handprints are.  While you’re down there, look at the surrounding mountains to see the big HOLLYWOOD sign.

Hollywood sign from Hollywood Blvd.  Photo taken by me.

We did see the red carpet for the premiere of The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) at Kodak Theater within the Hollywood & Highlands Center (http://www.hollywoodandhighland.com/), but we couldn’t stick around for the actors to arrive at the premiere.

We drove two hours from San Diego to Los Angeles’s Union Station, parked the rental car, and took the Los Angeles Subway System to get to Hollywood- http://www.metro.net/.  The subway was really confusing and we didn’t see many people taking it, but it was inexpensive, and very clean.  It also helped us because we didn’t have to drive through town, deal with the traffic, or find parking everywhere we wanted to go.  So, I’d suggest that no matter what town you’re in, look into taking that town’s subway system to get around.

Being the southern belle that I am, I absolutely love the Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles (http://roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/) chain in Los Angeles!  Its good ole soul food!!  One of my co-workers suggested it after seeing famous people on BET and VH1 eating there.  In the two times I’ve been there, I have not seen a famous person.

Two of my friends just recently moved out to Pasadena (home of the Rose Bowl) and I’ve adored their pictures of them checking out what’s just round their corner in the Los Angeles / Pasadena area.  They visited the Getty Museum and I thought the view of the skyline was pretty cool.  Admission is free which is even better, though parking is $15.  Be sure to check it out if you’re in town - http://www.getty.edu/visit/index.html.  I want to if I get out there again.

Two other places I’d like to check out are the Grammy Museum (http://www.grammymuseum.org/) and the Griffith Park and Observatory (http://www.griffithobservatory.org/).  I love music and to have a whole museum devoted to award winning music – WOW!  The most expensive ticket is $12.95, and they have various discounts on their website.  Griffith Park and Observatory has a breathtaking view of the skyline and Outer Space!  Plus, it’s FREE!  You can’t beat that.

Griffith Observatory and it's view.  Photo from internet.

This is just some of the many things to do in Los Angeles.  So far, we’ve discussed different cities in California: San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.  If you know of anywhere else in the Los Angeles area we should check out, please leave a comment below.  I hope you all enjoy my next post - my California wish list.  It’s amazing what you’ll find just round the corner.

California - San Francisco

I really enjoyed visiting and working in San Francisco for a few days.  On a free day, I took a Gray Line Bus tour of the city that included Alcatraz.  It was a great tour showing me the basics of San Francisco.  Because it’s such a big city, I’d suggest finding a similar tour to see everything and make the most of your time.  You can always go back and spend extra time at the sites you really enjoyed if you have more time.

You should start at the Golden Gate Bridge - http://goldengatebridge.org/visitors/whattodo.php.  It’s what people think of when they think of San Francisco!  You should check out the gift shop in the Round House on the south end of the bridge.  Also, you should try to walk across the bridge because it’s got a great view of everything from there and you get to say you’ve walked on the bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge

Next, make a stop at the Fisherman’s Wharf area (including Pier 39) (http://fishermanswharf.org/).  Be sure to check out the seals!  You’ll probably hear them first.  They are there year-round.  It’s also neat to see the fresh seafood that came in that morning.  This area has great shopping and restaurants too.

You want REAL Chinese food?  Visit the San Francisco Chinatown (http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/).  It’s the biggest and oldest Chinatown outside of Asia!  It is much bigger than the one in DC.

Alamo Square Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamo_Square,_San_Francisco) – you’ve probably seen it and didn’t know it.  It’s shown during the introduction to the 80s show Full House – remember seeing the row of townhomes with the city skyline in the back?  Those townhomes are called the seven sisters.  The park has a great view of the city skyline.

Alamo Square Park

Twin Peaks also has a great view of the skyline - http://www.sftravel.com/twinpeakssanfrancisco.html - though there is a very winding road to get up there.

I think Lombard Street is an amazing feat of engineering.  It’s considered the most crooked street in America.  http://www.sftravel.com/lomabardcrookedstreet.html.  Thankfully, the tour bus just stopped at the bottom of the street for us to see it and didn’t attempt to drive down the street.

Lombard St. Picture found online.

Another pretty place that I saw on the bus tour was the Golden Gate Park - http://www.golden-gate-park.com/.  This area is very pretty and if you have extra time, it might be good to go back and see the wonderful details of the park.

At the end of the tour, we boarded a boat to Alcatraz - http://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm.  The boat trip was great because it sails underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.  Alcatraz is an island in the San Francisco Bay that had a real prison that was shown in the movie – The Rock.  I got the audio tour headset once arriving on the island and it told me stories of the prisoners as I walked around on the grounds.  I liked that I could take my time on the tour and pause it whenever.  From the island, you’ll have a great view of the city, the bay, the bridge, and the surrounding areas.

One side of Alcatraz.

The other side of Alcatraz.

Inside the prison.  Alot had the headsets on.

San Franciso Skyline from Alcatraz.  Picture taken by a fellow Alcatraz tourist, Will.

I spent another day with my college friend Tim, who moved out there after graduation.  I took the San Francisco subway, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) (http://bart.gov/) out to the suburbs where Tim lives.  The BART was confusing, and wasn’t heavily used, but it was cheap and I didn’t have to drive out there.  Tim showed me around the eastern and northern suburbs.  We visited the town of Sausalito (http://www.sausalito.org/) – such a quaint little town to walk around in. 

Sausalito

From there, we went to Conzelman Rd., a one-way road up a hill (north of the Golden Gate Bridge).  You’ll come back down the hill on Fort Barry and Simmonds Rd.  Tim took this picture of me when we stopped going up the hill and I swear I would think I photo shopped me into the picture if I wasn’t there.  It’s really high up.  Check it out!

Photo taken by Tim on Conzelman Rd.

The one regret I have with my San Francisco visit was that I didn’t ride on a cable car!  SHOCKER!  So, please don’t be like me and not ride one.  You’ve got to do it.  http://sfcablecar.com/.

These are just a few of the things I did in San Francisco.  Because California is huge, it will take a few posts this week so come back soon as we discover what’s just round the corner in California!  If you know of anywhere else in the San Francisco area we should check out, please leave a comment below.

**Pictures taken by me unless otherwise noted**