[photo courtesy of hollywoodsign.org]
[please click on the photos for more detail!]
Continuing on our Los Angeles journey, we had to pay a visit to Hollywood, if not for any other reason but to satisfy our touristy curiosity. Hollywood is iconic, famous, infamous, and strangely intriguing. It is almost as if the simple action of walking along Hollywood Boulevard somehow provides an illusion that you are part of “it”; the “it” being the Hollywood vibe, the scene. I don’t know quite how to explain it, really. Perhaps it is one of those feelings that simply draws you in, despite the best intentions to convey a feeling of indifference.
Our first stop was literally at the train station.
This is certainly like no other train station I’ve ever encountered. My goodness, even the train station (and I mean the local trains just like here in Chicago) has gone “Hollywood” to coin a phrase. An old movie camera greets passengers after getting off the escalator. (note the fake palm trees in the back; ah yes, we are in movie-magic Hollywood after all!).
Our next stop was the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine.
This area became well-known in the 1920’s for its central location of movie and radio-related businesses. It is now the central point for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Speaking of which, let’s take a look at a few sidewalk stars, shall we?
Captain Kirk himself; William Shatner a Canadian guy!
David Foster; an amazing music producer (and a Canadian as well!)
Anne Murray; probably one of the most famous Canadian singers of all time!
Mary Pickford; a Canadian movie icon of the silent film era (I apologize for the photo’s clarity or lack thereof).
There are approximately 2,500 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Clearly I chose just a few well-known Canucks for Canadian content!
What would a trip to Hollywood be without stopping by the Chinese Theatre to see the handprints and shoeprints of some very famous movie folks!
The above photo is the entrance to the theatre; however, you can’t even take a peek inside unless you pay $10.00. No thanks, I’ll just stand outside in the sun with the other 300 tourists for free!
Denzel Washington
Jimmy Stewart; one of my all-time favorite actors. I ‘stood’ in his shoes!
Kevin Costner; another one of my favs!
Marilyn Monroe; my goodness, what teeny-tiny feet she had!
And of course I had to include “THAT” Cher! Yes, apologies for my feet in the photo!
These guys showed up for some ‘photo ops’ as they say:
Quite an impressive looking “Kiss” look-alike group. Although I must confess, I think their egos were quite weighty!
Whilst strolling down Hollywood Boulevard, we saw this:
The car was covered entirely in little toy cars! Um, yes, let’s leave it at that, shall we?
Next post we’ll take an architectural tour of some amazing buildings in downtown Los Angeles!
The Chicago Files 
What a time you must have had there walking among the greats of the movie world. Those names invoke such memories – Jimmy Stewart – now that’s a name and I can just here him speaking in that signature drawl of his. Was he Canadian too. Great post Cher. 🙂
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Hi Don! Thanks so much for your comments! Oh yes, we had such fun! Although Jimmy Stewart was not a Canadian (wish we could claim him as ours!) he was the most amazing, gentle soul. I feel he was the epitome of the ‘old Hollywood’ actor; glamor and grace. Although I am certain it sounded silly when I wrote that I stood in his ‘shoes’, it felt right. I didn’t do that with any other footprint homage. Big hugs as always, Don! Cher xo
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hear him speaking – spelling
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🙂
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What fun!
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It was terrific!! I bet if you took photos there, they would be phenomenal!!! Big hugs, Cher xo
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I’m with you on Jimmy Stewart. Loved that guy! An I think your feet look cute in the photo and it gives it veritas!
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Awh, bless! Thank you so much for that! Big hugs, Cher xo
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Aw, Cher, you brought back such memories! It was many years ago that I was with my husband (sadly, now deceased) and we were on a 2-week tour called, “The West.” One of the areas we visited, of course, was the, at the time, was called, “Grumman Chinese Theater.” There were so many stars in front of the entrance and all along the sidewalk. Of course, there must be so many more now. I also was a fan of Jimmy. His portrayal of every character he played was so warm – you could just feel the feelings he projected. When we were there, there was a guy with a very BIG snake standing on the sidewalk, off to the side of the entrance. He invited passersby to have a photo taken with his snake (for a fee, of course). Needless to say, he attracted lots of attention. Was there any person doing this or something similar with some kind of animal or bird when you were there? So glad you enjoyed it so much. 🙂
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Hi Carol, Thank you so much for your words as always! While we did not see a snake, there were all kinds of people dressed up in costumes from movies. I think I would have run the other way had I seen a snake like the one you were describing! It was quite the place to visit, but it was incredibly crowded and we had to wait even to take the photos of the hand and shoe prints. Everyone was stepping on them of course! Yes, wasn’t Jimmy Stewart the most amazing, gentle soul? I cannot think of anyone else in the roll of George Bailey in, “It’s a Wonderful Life” than dear Jimmy Stewart. Thank you, Carol! Big hugs, Cher xo
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As I remember, the crowd wasn’t as thick as you describe while you were there at the Theater. It must have been around 18 or 19 years ago when I was there. But, as you could imagine, I will never forget that SNAKE!! Needless to say, I surely wasn’t one who took a photo with that beast! Ha! Hugs back, Cher. 🙂
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Haha, I’ve seen that “toy car” car driving around Los Angeles many a time!
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You haven’t, have you? *LOL* *LOL* Oh Shelli, that is too funny! Cher xo
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That sure looks like a cool time. The car covered in cars is hilarious. Love Jimmy Stewart, Shatner, Cher (and you too Cher)…Glad you had a great time. 🙂
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Thank you! Yes, we had a great time. That car was out of control! *LOL* Awh, thanks so much! Hooray for Hollywood indeed! 😉 Cher xo
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Indeed! 🙂
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*LOL*
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