Tuesday October 7th

All the things to do on San Francisco-list has been done, so I had to find something new today. So I took the bus to Golden Gate Park and walked around in there.

First real stop in the park was the Japanese Tea Garden.

A quiet nice little park with japanese trees, houses and bridges. It was really a nice place to visit - highly recommended! :)




After that I walked to the California Academy of Science - always something more I can fit in this head of mine! :)

Here is the albino alligator they have:


They had a nice Planetarium (where they showed the movie "Fragile Planet", narriated by Sigourney Weaver), but I also liked the Rainforest "room":


Butterflies were flying around freely in there. Real cool.

And the mandatory "Look at me"-frogs:


But the truth is, have you been to one of these museums, you have seen the most part of them all. Some new things in each museum (like this museum's roof, on which they had planted grass and flowers), but very much the same.
I still liked it though - and will always go to more of these when I see them.

I also spent some time in their garden, reading my current book ("Relic" - not sure if it is any good yet) while laying in the grass. Vacation is nice!


In retrospect, both the Japanese Garden and the Science museums were fun - but I am sure that it would have been ten times better sharing the experience with someone.
Going there alone - not the same thing.

Well, well - moving on.

I went back to the hotel after this, had spent about five hours in the Park. I made a reservation for my car tomorrow - going to be much more expensive than expected. :( and ordered a pizza (which just arrived!).

Tomorrow I will head down Highway 1 towards LA. I will probably stop one night on the way (not sure where yet).
If it has internet, I'll post a new log then - if not you have to wait until Thursday. :)


And here is a bonus picture, just because I am an old-time Arnold fan:

Friday October 10th

Am I doomed or am I just stupid? You decide.

The day started off pretty ok, went to real good - and then turned to the worst day yet.



Here is today's events:

I started the day by driving to Hertz to return car #1, to make the whole car rental thing a whole lot cheaper. It seems Hertz didn't want that, because their daily rate for the three days I had the car was about the same as one weeks rent. So all in all, they ended up charging me 735 dollars (about 5100 SEK). OK, I thought - It's still better than before.

Shuttle bus from Hertz (btw, let this be a lesson to all - don't use Hertz unless someone else is paying the bill) to LAX (LA International Airport) where I take another shuttle to Dollar Car Rental.

They can't find me in their computers, but they make another one for almost as good price as my internet reservation (which I hadn't paid for yet). With some insurance and a GPS (I really need one!), the price is about 650 dollars (4500 SEK) + gas. It's ok at least, so off I go with a cream coloured Dodge.



I had looked on the map before I left the hotel to see what's close to the rental service (which was in Inglewood) so off I go to... Torrance High School!

Now why do I want to go there? Does Sunnydale High mean anything to you?

It is the school where Buffy went! And Torrance High was where they filmed most of the outdoor schools scenes.

Anyone recognize it?





Unfortunally they had fences all around it so I couldn't get in to take pictures on the schoolyard. :(

But then again, I should probably be lucky I wasn't arrested for taking pictures on the school and their students...


Apperently they used the same high school to film the old Beverly Hills 90210 show if anyone been watching that show.





After that, I drove to Venice. By the way, seven lanes freeways - in each direction. There are some big roads here... Wonder if I ever will get used to it?

About the roads, they are mostly in bad shape here in LA. They were better in SF. However neither city seems to have heard of a "green wave" with the traffic lights. They are almost always red when you get to a new one. :(



Anyhow; Venice!




Since I was at this paradise beach, I figured I had to at least dip my feets in the water, which I did. Cold, but nice.




Then I spent some time walking along the beach.

and watch the Muscle Beach (where Arnold used to pump while he was here).

I also was outside Gold's Gym, where he used to spend a lot of time.

Life was good. Everything was bright, I had fun.

So I figured. I am at Venice, I will probably not return here while I am in LA - so why not go all the way and actually take a proper bath?

So I looked for some swin trunks that does not look like someone has thrown up on them and in the third store I actually find a pair of blue ones (not really good looking, but will work).

As I am getting ready for my swim - I realize that leaving all my things on the beach might not be a wise move, so I put everything in the car. But what to do with the car keys?

I figure either put them by my clothes with the chance of getting stolen (you never know...) or have them in my pocket and risking water damage & dropping them.

So I go and get a platic bag and put the keys in there - and the bag in my pocket. All set! And I get into the water! Still cold - and some larger waves and currents than back home, but I am enjoying meself. Until I realize that apperently the Pacific likes my car - I had dropped the keys.

I tried to look for them, but realize soon the futility of it.

Anyone see my car keys anywhere?

So I am stuck on the beach with nothing really. No phone, no money, not even sunglasses - it is all in the car. :(

What to do?

So I go back to the store where I bought the swin trunks and get them to help me. They try, but we can't find the number to the rental agency (all the papers are of course in the car...) - but a man from the resturant next door (he was more lika a regular bar customer in that resturant) helps out and we find the number (car rental is under "automobile rentals" in American yellow pages - go figure...). I even get to use his cell phone and after some discussion with Dollar (both from me and this guy), they will come with a new car - and tow the old one back (they don't have spare keys? Really strange). In addition it will cost me about 150-200 dollars (1000-1500 SEK) to help me out. :(

Anyhow, it will take about two hours before they arrive, so I ask this very nice guy to help out again. So he talks to the resturant manager to let me eat dinner - and pay once I get into my car. No problem there, so I get a pizza at this place (called The Terrance, btw - good place - try visit it!).

When I am done eating, the new car arrives - which is the exact same model as my old one, but this is black :)

They car guy even has a key that works for the doors in my car #2, so I do get my things and put it in car #3.

After having settled the resturant bill (with some serious tipping - and paying for the guy's first drink when he comes in tomorrow), I wonder what to do next.

I didn't want to go directly to the hotel, I figured I could do some tourist-ish thing first, so I drive to the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park. I arrive at about eight (yeah, that long took the whole "loosing the car keys" adventure - about three-four hours in total). They view from the hill is fabulous! (I even get to see the Hollywood sign! :)

My phone camera isn't the best in the dark, but here is a picture that turned out ok showing the LA skyline at night:

I went into the observatory (famous from such movies as Terminator "Your clothes... give them to me, now. ", Rebel without a cause and... Charlie's Angels 2) plus it was in the Star Trek Voyager episode "Future's End") and looked around.

It had the standard" The Universe - so does it work" thing going, which is excellent for the normal crowd. I had seen most of it before, but it was of course still fun.

I went to look in their big telescope and was actually the last person who got to look in it before they closed at 10. The view today was of the moon. Very cool to see it up front. :)

So that was my day. After the observatory I went back to the hotel and will now sleep - gosh, is it 1:30 already? :(

Tomorrow I have decided to leave the car at the hotel. It just brings me bad luck.

I will go to Hollywood (by bus) and will walk around there all day.

Looking forward to it! :)

Saturday October 11th

Today I took the bus to Hollywood and spent most of the day on Hollywood Blvd.


I started with looking at a map to find out where some of the interesting stars were on the Walk of Fame (Arnold: 6764 Hollywood Blvd and Winona: 7018 Hollywood Blvd ).
While looking for them I popped into a few stores on the way until I got to the more interesting part of the street.

I found the Capitol Records building:

as well as Kodak Theater - where the Academy Awards (Oscars) has their award show.

Here I also found the stars I was looking for:

When I came to Grauman's Chinese Theater I thought I would not only look at it

but also watch the movie that was played there (I like going to the movies in other countries :)

The movie this week was Body of Lies, an American movie about terrorists and whatnot.

I also found a Horror Movie Festival playing at the regular cinema-plex part of the Chinese Theater called Screamfest. Maybe I'll go for a movie there later on if time permits.

After the movie I headed for the bus stop to take the bus home. However, while waiting for the bus, I found this gem:

Anyone recognize it? ;)

(it says "Art Mooney")

Now I am back at the hotel to try to figure out what to do tomorrow. Still not sure.

Sunday October 19 - part II

So what happened at Universal Studios really - and how was it?
Gather around and let me tell you...

I got to Universal Studios in time well in time for when they opened (which was 9am).


First thing I did was to take the studio tour - a bus that took you around the soundstages

and the outdoor sets at the backlot.

Skull Island as used in Peter Jackson's "King Kong".


The village of Amity from Jaws.

They had the whole Desperate Housewifes set here where they did the outdoors scenes (indoor scenes is of course made in the sound stages). Not that I watch the show, but maybe some of you recognize the houses:




They also had the set for the original Phycho movie:


as well as the set for the plane crash site from Spielburg's version of War of the Worlds:




During the night (when the park is normally closed) they were going to have a "Halloween Horror Night" thing with a lot of different horrifying stuff. Here are some photos of the props for that (I will of course go on that as well, but since my camera isn't as good at night, I figured I better photograph some of it during the day):



There were a few zombies out during the day as well (but not as many as during the night! :)




I found this dead girl very hot. Does that mean there is something wrong with me?


On to the shows and rides I was at!

Here is the entrence to T2:3D - had to see it - and I loved it! :)

The Waterworld show (pretty good for something based on a crappy movie)

and the Simpson ride:


Here we have the Jurassic Park ride. I didn't go on this during the day though. I waited until the Horror night ride - when it was made in total darkness! :)
It was a raft thing again - just like in Gothenburg and San Diego Sea World - with the additional dinosaurs.


After all this (was done at about 4pm) I bought some stuff (T-shirts and whatnot) and returned them to the car.

Then back to Univeral Studios for...

Halloween Horror Nights - featuring Freddy, Jason and Leatherface!


All around the park they had people with different horror make-up moving around scaring the people walking by. Some was real scary - with chainsaws and the lot.

They also had made 4 different mazes (walk around in a house and see scenes from the Elm Street/Friday/TCM/Various movies) with people jumping at you and scaring you half to death.
They were pretty good (especially the Friday the 13th house).

I also went on the "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween show". It was really good. They made references to the movies being shown this past year + some song/dance numbers.

Some regular rides were also open, but some had a Halloween twist to it (like the "Jurassic Park in the dark").

The main ride was a "Studio Tour on the backlot" - just like the one on the day.
Only problem is that it took you in (to the crash site seen above) - and made you get off the bus. Then you had to go back - with scary people all around you in the dark.
It wasn't bad at all - but I must admit it wasn't as good as it could have been (or as I imagined it). The problem was that they had too many people doing it at the same time. It's hard to get scared when you are walking together with hundreds of people in one long queue. Often you see the actors scaring someone up ahead - then you know they are there.

To summerize the Horror night, I have to say I really liked it - but it would have been an easier scare with company - especially someone who scares easily.
Being alone you are more on the look-out then walking around talking to friends. And having someone screaming at your side also hightens the feeling.

Apperently Jennifer wanted to join me, but I didn't get her email until I got home :( (which actually was as early as 11pm).

Well, well. Tomorrow it's Vegas.