L.A. Trip - Day 7

It's Thursday and today we leave the Disneyland Resort and drive back to L.A.

I woke up at 6:30 and read/surfed on the iPad until 8:30 or so, then showered and dressed.  I headed out at 9am while Todd slept.  I walked around the hotel and through some of the shops at Downtown Disney, but didn't buy anything; was just killing time.

I spy a hidden gazebo

I'm guessing they hold weddings at this one

I headed back to the room where Todd was getting ready, and we packed and checked out at 10:30am.  On the way out of the lobby we stopped at the bell stand and picked up our Radiator Springs Racers on-ride photo.  The hotel and surrounding areas were hopping by this time - remember this was Labor Day weekend and the Disneyland half marathon weekend.  People were streaming in, extra staff were everywhere holding signs and giving directions, and it was quickly becoming a madhouse.  Glad we were leaving (thanks to great planning!).

After loading up the car, we walked back to the hotel for breakfast at Steakhouse 55.  I had the Two Times Four breakfast, which was two pancakes, two scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, and roasted potatoes with peppers and onions.

Not just for dinner, although if we had stayed longer it would have been nice to give it a try.  Garlic and peppercorn lamb chops sound delicious.

The restaurant is surprisingly empty - we caught it right at the end of breakfast service.  Oh well, more ambiance for us.

Yes, please

An Autopia car outside the convention center, next to the restaurant

It was 11:30am when we finished eating.  After breakfast we left (for real this time), made a quick stop in Walmart in Anaheim, then got on Interstate 5 heading to L.A.  We narrowly avoided a semi-truck death race between two speeding 18-wheelers who kept cutting each other off, and finally made it back.

We're back - did you miss us?

We were much too early to check into our hotel, so instead of even driving there we drove over to Santa Monica then north up the coast.

Santa Monica Pier, from the car as we drive by

Todd wanted to keep driving along the coast for another hour to see Mugu Rock, but I was not thrilled with that idea.  We compromised by deciding that he was crazy, and instead turned east and went up into the hills at Malibu to do the other thing he wanted to see (that I also had never heard of):  Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

You want to drive 2 more hours round trip to see this rock?  Photo from www.malibutimes.com.

After a pretty good drive, we had a difficult time finding the visitor center.  For a national park, there wasn't much signage and what little there was wasn't very obvious or helpful.  We missed the road to the center twice and had to double back both times.  Even then we couldn't tell if we were on private property or part of the park.  There was no one around, and everything from the road looked abandoned and desolate.

Up into the hills

Yes, those are hills all right

I'm positive this is where we'll be murdered

Only one other car in the parking lot, and it looked like it had always been there.  We almost didn't get out of ours, but by this time I needed the restroom.

Not much more hospitable up close.  This photo doesn't convey the creepiness of the place.  A thousand low-budget horror films ran through my mind as I headed toward the bathroom.

I took care of business and we left.  I'm sure if it weren't for the drought this area would be more interesting/inviting, but as it was it was just dry scrubland and dead grass (and not that much different from Texas in summer).  It wasn't much of a diversion, and since we were just there to kill time anyway, we saw no reason to stick around and explore.

We drove some winding back way through Calabasas and Topanga before getting on the 101, then the 405.

Mulholland Drive

Sunset Boulevard

We stopped for gas, then popped in to a Trader Joe's for hotel snacks before driving to the W Los Angeles - West Beverly Hills.  This W hotel had a different vibe as it was situated more in a residential area right across from UCLA.  We were booked in a Spectacular Suite "cool corner" room with a king bed.

Blingy peep hole

Entry way

Hallway

First door to the right leads to the bathroom

Second door leads to the bedroom

Bedroom

Back to the hallway

The living room

Office area

The bar - no touchy

A little touch of 2001: A Space Odyssey

Relaxing for a bit

Living room view

Bedroom view

It was about 4pm when we checked in.  We relaxed a little and cleaned up before leaving at 5:15 to go back to North Hollywood and something familiar for dinner and a movie.  We drove through Beverly Hills on the way.

Passing Rodeo Drive

Tourists at the Beverly Hills sign

An impressive house on the hill

Palm-lined streets

We parked at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center (where the TCL Chinese theater is) and walked to the Pig'N Whistle.

I started off with a Midnight Espresso martini which was delicious and strong, so I had another one with dinner.  I needed as much booze/caffeine in me as possible since we were going to see The Transporter Refueled after dinner.  The things we do for those we love.

For my meal I had fish and chips (with plenty of malt vinegar - yum!) with assorted fries and peas.  I've always said I don't like peas, but I guess years of eating pot pies, Mexican rice and fried rice have desensitized me - I tried these and they were really good.  Maybe it was the alcohol.  Doesn't matter; I ate them all.  Go me!

Mmm...Windex.  I don't remember what Todd's drink was called, but I took a sip and wasn't a fan.

Delish

Tile detail

The upstairs bathroom was occupied, so down the hall and to the uber-creepy basement went I.  This is another photo where it doesn't come close to showing how dreadful the place really is.

The SINNERS sign wasn't lit, so I didn't venture through that door - now I'll never know what was on the other side.

After dinner we went to the ticket booth and bought our tickets to the 7:45pm showing of The Transporter Refueled, then walked to the theater to see the show.  While we were waiting at the corner for the light to change we stood next to a homeless guy named Steve.  I knew his name was Steve because it was written on the side of the Starbucks frappuccino he was drinking.

We got to the theater and headed inside.  I bought a buttered popcorn, because vacation, and we watched the movie.  It was unsurprising awful - made me want to wash my eyes.

Back again

So tall

Carpet medallion

Standing on the carpet looking back toward the balcony

Famous costumes on display in the lobby.  Are they the actual costumes?  Not sure.  Here is Marilyn Monroe's dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Dorothy's gingham dress from The Wizard of Oz

Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress from Gone with the Wind

And last, but not least, the entrance to the downstair's men's room.  Such a bold contrast - the white porcelain against the red tile background with the gray tile floor.  

We left the theater and drove down Sunset Blvd. back to the hotel.  On the way I saw a banner attached to a streetlight advertising an event at the Hollywood Bowl the next night:  A showing of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial accompanied by the L.A. Philharmonic live in concert playing the score in sync with the film.  We talked it over and bought tickets online once we got back to the hotel.  Wow, what an opportunity!

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