VISITORS--PART ONE
We started the month with a visit from friends from Phoenix, Malinee and Carlton Press, and Orlando, David Fernandez. After a day at Disneyland, Malinee and Carlton headed to area relatives, and David stayed on for another week of sight-seeing in Los Angeles.
HOLLYWOOD LANDMARKS
David is very knowledgeable about Old Hollywood so we made sure to take him by all of the major film studios: Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Disney, Universal, Sony [previously MGM] and the Henson Studios [previously Chaplin].
One of David’s favorite films is Gone With the Wind and even though the sets are long gone, he still got to see the Selznik Studios building which is [sort of] the first very shot in the movie.
He also recognized the Alta Nido apartments that William Holden’s character lived at in the Oscar-winning Sunset Boulevard.
TRADER VIC’S
The three of us spent a sightseeing day in Beverly Hills and topped it off with a terrific dinner at Trader Vic’s. The food was delicious, the service was smooth and their signature cocktail was a hit with the drinkers at the table.
The Beverly Hills restaurant was the second in what has become a global chain with over 20 locations including Munich, Osaka, Beirut and Dubai. http://www.tradervics.com/restaurant-1.html
I was surprised to learn that the restaurant was named after a real person, namely Vic “the Trader” Bergeron. He was one of those larger-than-life characters who traveled the world, wrote books and, capitalizing on his love of Island culture, became a restaurateur. He created over a thousand different cocktails but his most famous has to be the Mai Tai. The name is an abbreviation of the Tahitian phrase “Mai Tai - Roa Ae." (or “out of this world - the best.”) In this 1970 article below, Vic explains his creation of the famous drink and shares the original Mai Tai recipe, the subsequent changes in the mixture and the current formula which has been in use since 1964. http://www.tradervics.com/mai-tai-1.html
VISITORS--PART TWO
Two weeks later, Daryl’s mother and sister--Rita and Annette--flew in from North Carolina for a few days. Daryl took them to Disneyland, the Getty Villa and Malibu. Rita left Saturday morning and Annette’s husband, Paul arrived that afternoon. We took the two of them to see the HOLLYWOOD sign, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Hollywood & Highland--where FOX was setting up for the American Idol finale.
After spending the weekend with us, Annette and Paul headed north to visit Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Yosemite National Park. On the way back to LA, they visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium and toured Hearst Castle. They had an awesome time. We might have to take the same vacation this fall.
http://www.nps.gov/seki/
http://www.nps.gov/yose/
http://www.mbayaq.org/
http://www.hearstcastle.com/
US BANK BUILDING
We got to talking about the skyline of Los Angeles during their visit. Though not as recognizable as New York or Chicago, it is home to the 77-story US Bank Tower, the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Read more and see a picture of it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Bank_Tower
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS & SCIENCES
On Thursday, May 18, I was at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater for a lecture hosted by Phil Alden Robinson who wrote and directed Field of Dreams. His guest was Paul Haggis, the first person to write back-to-back Oscar Winners for Best Picture, namely, Crash and Million Dollar Baby.
It was a casual discussion filled with encouragement and insight for struggling writers. Haggis got his start on Scooby-Doo and worked his way up to Facts of Life and thirtysomething. Robinson talked about how difficult it was to watch his original screenplay become the Dolly/Stallone vehicle Rhinestone. They agreed that the best way to uncover problems in a script was simply to read it aloud to someone. “The flaws will jump off the page!” Phil got a big laugh with this but then he and Paul began commiserating on how painful it is to brave that first read-through.
The 2-hour program included film clips, audience questions, and lots of laughs. All for $5. I’ll be back. http://www.oscars.org/events/
HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM
While I was attending the AMPAS lecture, Daryl was at the Hollywood Heritage Museum for a “Hollywood Past & Present” event. Hosted by the author & photographer of the book, it was an interesting look at the changes in and around Hollywood from the early 20th century to today. http://www.hollywoodheritage.org/main.html
TATSU--THE TALLEST, FASTEST “FLYING” COASTER
Two days later--Memorial Day Friday-- I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain to ride Tatsu--my first “flying coaster“ experience. Instead of sitting upright as the train went through drops, banked curves and loops, I was lying on my stomach with my arms out in front of me.
As the coaster pulled out of the station and climbed up 100 feet, I was searching the ground for a soft spot to land in case my harness came undone. Once that initial panic subsided, I enjoyed the ride a lot. There are some twists in the track that deliver the “flying sensation” you might experience in an especially vivid dream.For the facts and figures about Tatsu, click here: http://www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain/ParkPress/tatsu-factsheet.pdf
Six Flags Magic Mountain has seventeen roller coasters, including several record holders. My least favorite of these was X. Billed as a “4-D coaster“, this ride reminded me of an especially vivid nightmare. Imagine going up a 200-foot hill backwards, taking the first drop upside down and then riding a free-spinning rocking chair through a track modeled after the human intestine. Naturally, it’s a big hit with the kids.
Here’s a picture from a fan site. Notice that the people at the front of the train are facing forward. The people riding the rear seats are upside-down.
http://www.coastergallery.com/2005/MM81.html
On the positive side, there is also the Psyclone. It’s an exact replica of the famous wooden coaster in Coney Island. The only thing Six Flags changed was the spelling.
For information on the other thirteen coasters or the park in general go here: http://www.sixflags.com/
MANN’S CHINESE THEATER
Later that night, we saw our first movie at the historic Chinese Theater. http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/
It was the perfect venue to see an “event movie” like X-Men: The Last Stand. Our 10:00PM show was completely sold out with a line that was already wrapping around Hollywood Boulevard when we joined it at 8:30.A favorite for Hollywood Premieres, the Chinese Theater is most famous for its courtyard of celebrity handprints. Here’s a map which tells you who and where each one is:http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/forecourt.php
But the inside of the theater ain‘t too shabby. In fact, I think the words opulent, grand, and ginormous came to mind as we entered the auditorium. Daryl and I took some time after the show to admire the details that made this one of the premier movie palaces. Here’s one picture from a company that did the earthquake retro-fit on the structure.
http://services.pcl.com/projects/Archived/5200160/index.aspx
Thanks to Shawn Anderson for pulling the group together and including us. It was a great evening.
Oh and one more thing. Judging by the audience reaction to the trailers, the biggest hit of 2006 may just be Snakes On A Plane.
DESCANSO GARDENS
Two days later, we were with our friend Cynthia at Descanso Gardens. It’s about five minutes north of us in LaCanada/Flintridge. Once a private compound, this 160-acre site is filled with flowers, trees, miniature train rides, and an estate house. The gardens are famous for its Rosarium, which was in spectacular bloom the day we visited.
I wish the website had more pictures, because it a beautiful place. We are definitely going back. http://www.descansogardens.org/site/
THE MELTING POT
Two days after that, Annette and Paul were back in town and we had dinner in Pasadena at The Melting Pot: A Fondue Restaurant. The four of us had a lot of fun dipping vegetables in gooey cheese, meat into seasoned oil, and marshmallows into warm chocolate. It was a tasty, interactive meal where we couldn’t help but play with our food.
Our server Adrian told us that the Pasadena location was the 100th store in the chain. He also told us that the very first Melting Pot is still located on Horatio Ave in Maitland, Florida. Fittingly, it was the site of our first visit, many years ago, thanks to friends Byron and Shephard. Maybe there’s one near you: http://www.meltingpot.com/
STAR SIGHTINGS
I saw Wonder Years star Fred Savage in the lobby of the Disney Channel Building a few weeks ago. David Fernandez saw Jeff Goldblum while he was at the movie theater.
When we were in the parking deck of Hollywood and Highlands, we saw Carlos Alazraqui. You might recognize him as the face of Detective James Garcia on Comedy Central’s Reno 911. He’s also the voice of Mr. Crocker on The Fairly OddParents and the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” Chihuahua. You never know who you might be standing next to out here. http://www.carlosalazraqui.com/active/site/index.php?id=213
We already have several things on the books for June. With luck I’ll have that Update ready before the July 4th holiday rolls around.
Until next month,
James & Daryl
