Travel Fact

One of the new wave of travel websites that help visitors find knowledgeable locals who ho offer unique tours or other bespoke experiences, usually at affordable rates, is www.vayable.com  The site lists 1,500 guides worldwide, all of them prescreened.  Experiences range from a $37 walking tour of San Francisco street art to a $310 motorcycle tour of Versailles.

Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

Hi Wendy!  Thanks so much for the birthday note. Much appreciated.  Where did you get the birthday/color print out you sent me. I love this kind of stuff! I still have the tree print out you have me last year on my fridge which I share with all my friends.  Hope we can grab a drink(s) soon. Best, Kim [zero + maria cornejo]

Just in Time

The first free-standing Patek Philippe boutique just opened its doors in Beverly Hills located at 360 North Rodeo Drive, adjacent to Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel.  Owned and operated by Gearys - which also owns and operates the Rolex next door - the 1,250 square foot bird's eye maple and rosewood lacquered interior was designed by French designer Patrick Gaguech.  Sought after by collectors who know fine timepieces, this boutique is the must-stop shop for aficionados of the newest watches of the season.

Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

Hi Wendy, How are you? I hope you are doing well!  I wanted to thank you for the very nice birthday card. I love reading those interesting details about my birth date. I know you mailed it in June but for some odd reason, I just received it in Aug. Must have been lost in the mailroom over here., so sorry for the late reply. Anyway, it was so sweet of you.  Thanks again!  Laurie [All Star Travel Group]

Animated Films Under the Stars

I captured this Pixar screen scene with
last Friday with my nieces.

The perfect way to spend Friday evenings with your family! Head to Hancock Park, spread out on a blanket, and watch animated films under the stars. Films start at sundown (between 8 and 8:30 pm). Come early for a pre-film animation art workshop!  It's free for all at the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater as part of their partnership with the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival. www.lacma.org  This coming Friday, LACMA is showing Chance of Meatballs - and that's not a weather forecast.

Thought for the Day

Try not to become a person of success, but rather, a person of value. - Albert Einstein

Hollywood Walk of Fame

As a tourist trap, it's a sure bet.  Add a few 'characters' and everything gets a whole lot more colorful.  Besides a few odd encounters, finding a celebrity whom you like makes it all worth while.

Levitated Mass

Levitated Mass by artist Michael Heizer is composed of a 456-foot-long slot constructed on LACMA's campus, over which is placed a 340-ton granite megalith, held up only by Chloe Krueger!  The slot gradually descends to fifteen feet in depth, running underneath the boulder.  Heizer conceived the art installation in 1969 but only discovered an appropriate boulder decades later, in Riverside County.

Playing the Tourist

The scheduled finale was Beverly Hills on Friday.  You know, swimming pools / movies stars.  We left Paramount Pictures in the early afternoon and headed for the hills, Beverly Hills.  Here is a photo taken in Will Rogers Park at the intersection of Sunset Blvd, Beverly Drive and Camden Drive.

High Brow and Low

After a day of horseback riding at the Hollywood Ranch, late lunch at the Farmers' Market on Third and Fairfax, a brief look-see at the Apple Store, we headed for the Hollywood Bowl.  When I told the girls we were going to a Mozart concert, they said, "What?" "Mozart?"  But they were good sports and listened respectfully through the 90 minute violin concerto and symphony numbers 32 and 39 without a fuss and "sorta' liked it."  And since we were already parked at Hollywood and Highland, we had to look for Johnny Depp's hand and foot prints.  All of us may need a vacation from our vacation.

Disneyland

It was Disneyland or bust on Wednesday.  I can't believe that two girls could stay so late.  We also went to California Adventure.  We had a brush with 'theme park exhaustion'.  Here are two photos - one from the beginning of the day and one at the end!  We were soaked to the bone from the Grizzly River Run. With luck, there was a convenient gift shop next to the exit where Aunt Wendy could purchase a few dry items and carry on.

Saturn Through the Looking Glass

Today my nieces and I went to the Griffith Observatory to see the Los Angeles cityscape and gaze at the stars.  As the sun set over the Santa Monica Mountains, there were pink and purple streaks in the sky through the light haze of smog and dust.  The Hollywood sign disappeared and the waxing moon showed itself in the western sky.  Astronomers set up large telescopes on the front lawn so we could get glimpses of the moon and Saturn.  It was positively astounding to see ringed planet; I thought it must be a paper cut-out stuck on the lens.  Certainly it wasn't visible to the naked eye!  To which the astronomer replied, "I know where to find it in the sky." The planetarium show and the educational displays are worth a visit, but, seeing Saturn was extraordinary.

Sponges

So where is Spongebob Squarepants?  This wonderful sculpture is in the window of the Folk and Craft Art Museum on Wilshire Boulevard on 'Museum Row'.

Oscars Outdoors

Over the Rainbow

Last night was the finale in a series of outdoor movies at the new 'Oscars Outdoors' campus at Vine Street.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took over a block of land just north of the Pickford Building to create a grassy park where they have shown Academy Award winning films all summer on Saturday nights.  Food trucks matching the theme of the film are arranged in an adjacent lot.  The Wizard of Oz sing-a-long was sold out in 24 hours!  A beautiful balmy night and a good voice was all that was needed.

Nieces arrive today

Today is the big day!  I pick up my two gorgeous (Wisconsin) nieces at LAX for a week-long trek around Los Angeles. I might need a vacation when my vacation is over!  We have all sorts of things planned.  I just hope it cools down a bit.  This weather could tone it down about 8 - 10 degrees and it would be perfect.
I'm so grateful they're not three.

Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

Dear Wendy,  Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday greetings card. That was very thoughtful and gracious of you to do this!  Take care and have a wonderful day!  Warm regards, Sanjiv [Expert Travel Associates]

Travel Fact

J.D. Power and Associates 2012 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study has been released and shows overall guests satisfaction dropping 7 index points from last year.  Overall guest satisfaction has been on a downward track in recent years.  Check-in/check-out, food and beverage, hotel services and hotel facilities received their lowest scores since 2006.  Not at Luxe Rodeo Drive - we're doing better than ever, proven by our recent  ww.tripadvisor.com postings.  The highest ranking hotels have the human touch.  At Luxe we do it right.

Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

Thank you so much Wendy appreciate the birthday message!!!  Best Regards, Nkonzo "Fred" M  [R.A. Travel, Inc.]

Thought For The Day

Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you. - From the last episode of "Cheers"

Walk of Fame

Went to Hollywood today and walked across this star near the entrance to Bed, Bath & Beyond.  Tourists kept stopping and taking photos but since it's a 'radio' symbol, I think it might not be the Michael Jackson they were thinking it was.  The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others. The Walk of Fame is maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust with a reported 10 million visitors in 2003.