Friday, May 17, 2013

LA vacay by day - Part I

So I am finally getting round to writing about my holiday to Los Angeles!  There is simply too much to talk about, so I am going to break it down into a few posts separated into our daytime adventures and our nighttime escapades.


Firstly, I have to say that despite visiting LA a couple of times, years ago, I was not left with a lasting impression.  On this trip, however, I pretty much fell in love with the city of Angels, and cannot wait to go back!


Coming from the bitterly cold weather of London (it snowed in London during our time in LA!) it was amazing being in the California sunshine.  Cue short-shorts and iced coffee galore!


Our apartment was very near to Dodger Stadium, which was an ideal location, as we were able to get everywhere very quickly.  Literally, every time we typed an address into the GPS we were 14 minutes away...although that isn't taking traffic into account...


Of all the sight-seeing we did, I will start with my favourite - The Getty Museum.  The architecture is amazing, and the grounds are so beautifully well-maintained, dotted with modern art sculptures and plants.  The Getty Centre is one of two locations for the J. Paul Getty Trust, and opened in Brentwood in 1997.  To get to the Centre, which is up on a hill overlooking LA, you take a little tram, which adds a fun element to the experience.


I kid you not, the hubs probably took around 230948203949502340298340923084 photos of the architecture, from every single angle!  He is very thorough about capturing snaps of places that we visit, I'll give him that...


Of course we did the usual touristy things, such as visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where even though all the stars look the same, you cannot resist taking yet another picture, when it bears the name of someone that you like!


We also went and looked at all the celebrity hand prints and signatures on the forecourt of TCL (formerly Grauman's) Chinese Theatre.  It's amazing how tiny some of those hand prints are!


Give us half a chance, and we cannot resist goofing around with random sculptures of tv and movie characters...


We 'hiked' up to Griffith Observatory, and were probably the only people not wearing hiking gear.  We decided that the only difference between hiking and walking is the outfits that people wear for these activities - so really, we walked up to Griffith Observatory.


We also walked up to the Hollywood Sign, and someone commented that we weren't dressed for hiking - to this we replied 'that is because we are not hiking - we are walking!' 


The two most uttered words on our stay in Los Angeles were probably 'Art Deco' as there is just so much gorgeous 1920s-30s architecture in the city.  From the plethora of theatres and hotels, to City Hall, Union Station and the Bradbury Building - LA is a feast for the eyes to anyone who appreciates art deco design.


It wasn't just the Getty Museum and the art deco buildings that loverboy took a billion, trillion photos of - it was all the other interesting architecture too.  Such as the wonderful Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is truly an impressive sight to behold.


As well as recognising places and buildings from so many movies, there are constant reminders that you are in the historical centre of film-making and celebrities....


The only celebrity I saw (in person) was Louis Theroux, who we walked past on the way up to the Griffith Observatory.  Funny that I went all the way to Los Angeles to spot a tv journalist from London!

Well I think that's more than enough to bombard you with in one post....stay tuned for the next installment of our LA adventure....

19 comments:

  1. What an awesome first installment in your LA post series. I love that shot of you posing with Veronica Lake's star - I'd make a beeline for some of my favourite classic Hollywood stars if I was there, too. Can't wait to see what you share with us next!

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Thank you Jessica! I am glad you hear that you enjoyed the post! I always worry that I add too many photos, but as they say, a photo speaks a thousand words...I hope you enjoy the next installment! :) xx

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  2. What a wonderful photos. Youi had a great time I see :)

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    1. Thank you! Yes, we sure did! It felt great to be back in California!

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  3. So fun! You have given me some ideas for our next Hollywood trip (which I hope is very soon!). I must check out the train station now! Love all the snaps of deco. The Roosevelt is beautiful and my great grandmother used to hang out there back in the day! She thought she was going to break into the movies ;-)

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    1. Oh good! Glad to be of help! :) That is such a great story about your grandmother!

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  4. Love your photos! I live in Los Angeles which, like anywhere else, is not always a fun place to live (i.e. traffic...boooo!), but you really managed to capture the sweet and lovely part of it. You've also reminded me that it's been a long time since I've been to Union Station, or the Getty, for that matter. I need to get out more! Thanks for sharing!!! :)

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    1. Lis your comment totally made my week!!!! Thank you! It makes me feel so pleased that someone who actually lives in LA thinks that I managed to capture it well. There is so much to see and do, I can't wait to return to LA and explore some more! :)

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  5. My other half and I are sat in bed looking at these pictures and thinking we need another US road trip sometime soon!! It's funny because personally I have travelled in the US before but without the 'vintage lens' that I have now, so it would be interesting to revisit and hunt out the art deco!

    Chuckled too about the walking/hiking distinction, we live in Wales are are always popping up a mountain wearing something inappropriate compared to all the serious ramblers with their hiking poles!

    P x

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    1. Awww that is so sweet that you and your other half are reading my blog together in bed! :) There is always something new to discover on your travels, even if you have been somewhere before. As I mentioned, I left LA with a completely different feel of the place, compared to the last time I was there.

      Hahah! Yes, you MUST wear lycra if you plan on hiking! :)

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  6. You guys just seem to go to all the places I wanna go!
    Gorgeous pics :)
    LOVE that white handbag x

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    1. Thank Adele! When you finish your studies you will be able to go travelling to all these places too! :) That is my trusty handbag that I picked up super cheap a few years ago in SF. I know it is going to fall apart one of these days, and I will be lost without it!!! xx

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  7. Wow! I absolutely love your photos - they make me want to go back to LA even more than I already do (I went there in 2011 and I am currently saving to *hopefully* move stateside.) I see that you visited The Bradbury Building - isn't it amazing?! Blade Runner is my favourite film, so I made sure that building was on the top of my to-do list (also visited Union Station which was great.) You're right - LA is a veritable feast for the eyes!

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    1. Thank you!!! My photos make me want to go back to LA more than I already do! :P San Francisco has my heart, but LA totally won me over on this trip too. As my husband is Californian, for him it just felt good to be home! :)

      The Bradbury building is amazing! It was hard to get a good photo as the lighting was not cooperating with my camera, but it really is a fabulous sight to behold!

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  8. I love the photo of you outside of the musuem as well as the one of the floating (?) flowers!

    Griffith Observatory looks so beautiful. I laughed at your comment about hiking versus walking and then enjoyed both of your "walking" ensembles.

    What ceiling is that right after you start your art deco pictures? It is so lovely!

    What a fun trip so far!

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    1. Thanks Wendy! The Getty Museum is just sooooooo fabulous!

      Heheheh! Yes, it was funny to us that *everyone* saw the walk as exercise, and therefore that called for lycra, sweatbands, heart-monitors and bottles of water! :)

      That ceiling is one of the theatres - I believe it might be Pantages, but I could be wrong, as Aaron took the photo!

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    2. Ooops, I meant *Wendi* of course! :)

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    3. I'm going to be a little bitchy but that is typical Americans for you. Out for walk... nope I'm out for a hike because my legs are moving and I am going somewhere lol.

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