Damkier's Travels: Hollywood

The Classic Hollywood Sign

Few places in the world catch the heart more than Hollywood. This neighborhood is home to the largest entertainment industry in the United States if not the world cranking out movies, television, and all sorts of productions designed to make us laugh, cry, and enjoy life a little more. Technically within the City of Los Angeles, Hollywood has a rich, albeit short, history and is worth a visit on any trip to Southern California.

Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame

On my recent trip, I opted to take a tour of Hollywood and Los Angeles. My tour guide took us through various parts of Los Angeles and Hollywood used as movie sets and homes of the stars. We drove along Mulholland Drive past million dollar mansions and celebrity houses, stopping for a quick view of the Hollywood Sign before the cops come by. Everyone has such a close relationship with movies and television that this experience is satisfying for all.

Beverly Hills. That's Where I Want to Be.

My tour also visited Beverly Hills. This is the real deal folks, lots of very rich and famous people living in paradise. There is no drought in Beverly Hills, and all the homeless are given the real bum's rush. We drove along Rodeo Drive past lots of stores way out of my price range, passing exotic cars and very beautiful people with huge plastic surgery bills. Even the squirrels wear Prada!

Farmers Market with Grove Trolley

The tour concluded at Farmers Market. This large and popular market is an homage to the historic markets that served the oil workers in and around the site. Farmers Market has a wide variety of food vendors and restaurants serving all sorts of delicious items. The location is also historic for hosting a race track and baseball stadium for the old Hollywood Stars. Its proximity to the upscale Grove outdoor shopping mall also adds to the overall popularity.

Entrance to Warner Brothers Studio Tour

When in Hollywood, you must do a studio tour. This is an active industrial area with near constant production of movies, television shows, commercials, and other productions. I took the Warner Brothers Studio Tour which is one of the best tours around. They take you through the studios which are immediately recognizable from many famous scenes. Warner Bros uses the entire lot for filming, so offices often turn into hotels or emergency rooms with fake snow and rain added for effect. It is really impressive to see how the process works. On the grounds are several museums with Batman and Harry Potter exhibits and a final studio with interactive displays on special effects and green screens.

On this trip, I attended a taping of the television show @Midnight. This is a comedy game show on Comedy Central. You are not allowed to take pictures or even have a cell phone during the taping so I do not have any images, but you can stream the episode online here. I am a big fan of the show so it was a treat to see it in person including all the takes, mistakes, and reshoots. I highly recommend attending a taping of your favorite show while in Hollywood. Many shows are available here.

Yours Truly Riding a Broom outside Hogwarts

It is really fun to lose yourself in the movie magic. Walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame looking for a special actor is really unique, even while dodging the costumed characters requesting fees for pictures and the various con artists milking the tourists dry. Experiencing even a small bit of that magic is an amazing experience and is highly recommended for everyone. Please experience a bit of this magic yourself by enjoying the rest of my pictures below.