17th October 2009
We were only driving 20 miles south today to our final motel before flying out on Sunday, but we decided to take the scenic route. We headed back to our old friend the Pacific Coast Highway and drove through Malibu with its roadside beaches and beachfront homes.
Then we saw a pier with a ferris wheel on it heralding our arrival in Santa Monica. We parked up for a few hours to wander along the pier thronged with people enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. There were also plenty of people on the beach and in the water. Before returning to the car, we walked along the promenade above the beach.
Next we wanted to go to Hollywood, well we are in LA! We drove through the neighbourhoods of Bel Air and Beverley Hills before arriving on Hollywood Boulevard. We drove past the walk of fame with all the stars on the sidewalk, Mr Mann’s Chinese Theater where all the celebrity handprints and signitures are and the Kodak Theatre which hosts the Oscars every year. There were hundreds of people about, tour buses, cameras, people dressed up as film characters, a bit of a circus! We didn’t feel the need to stop ;).
We tried (and failed) to glimpse the famous Hollywood sign, so that’s the mission before we fly out tomorrow evening.