[We took the opportunity to break up our trip from Australia into North Carolina by resting a while in sunny California. Craig's favourite spots were Rodeo Drive and "house shopping" in Beverley Hills. We were browsing around the shops on Rodeo Drive when this sleek sports car parked along the street. And immediately you could tell who the tourists were because the cameras started popping out, eager fans hoping to steal a snapshot of a star. So we turned around as the engine was slowly turned off, and we gawked with everyone as the car doors opened up vertically to reveal.... NOBODY! Just some foreign looking muscled bodyguard lapping up a bit of attention his fancy car has caused. R.O.T.F.L.
Bored and sans shopping bags after the quick walkabout, we piled back into our car and drove through a few streets around Beverley Hills and Bel-Air. We didn't follow any map of the stars' homes (available for only two dollars - an amusing tourist attraction in itself). With our in-depth TV knowledge and collective imaginations in tow, we had our theories on who took up residence in those beautiful palatial homes!
Venice Beach was full of surprises. All along the street were self-declared artists, musicians, street performers, fortune tellers... really all sorts of attractions, with hordes of tourists milling about. Also lined against the street were shops galore, and as long as they were stamped with "Venice Beach", they were of course legitimate souvenirs.
Nothing beats the main attraction though.... sun, surf, and your little piece of the beach, and you're all set for a summer in LA!
*Wish we stayed longer - there was still so much to see and do!
Los Angeles, July 2008]
