In LA we stayed at a quiet county campground in Simi Valley.  It was so quiet in the canyon here that we had no wifi and no cell service.  It’s quite an inconvenience in the 21st century when we’re so used to having them.   We spent two days with our friend, Mark, who I’ve known since my days growing up in Erie.  He was a great tour guide and drove us all around showing us places we’ve always heard of but had never seen since this was our first time in LA.  

The Graumann’s Chinese Theatre (now TCL Chinese Theatre) had so many tourists milling about that when we drove up to it I knew there was something there.  Sure enough there was the Hollywood Walk of Fame with all the stars on the sidewalk.  This didn’t impress me so much as they were just names and a star on the sidewalk.  People could even buy a template with letters to create their own “star” for a photo op.  But the real attraction was the actual cement squares in front of the theatre where the old and recent Hollywood celebrities signed their names and pushed their iconic parts into wet cement.  

It was a challenge to find the best location to see the Hollywood sign.  Turns out it was up the hill to the Griffith Observatory on a 100 degree day.  Worth it!

We went to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures which just opened last September.  It was the only place we saw that face masks were mandatory even though we heard that we would have to wear them in LA.  The museum was modern and comprehensive.  I liked best the costumes and movie memorabilia.

The next couple of days were spent in Studio City at the home of our friends Ellen and Benjy and their two cute little kids.  Ellen’s mom, Lois, surprised us by being there too.  I mentioned her on this blog way back in May when we visited her and Ron in Colorado Springs.