Tag: Hollywood

Hollywood Calling

Hollywood is the must-visit attraction in Los Angeles, CA to get close with your stars or to be one. With Allegiant offering flights to LAX international airport from the region, reaching to LA is now a click away. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier, Getty Center, and the Universal Studios Hollywood are some of the top attractions in Los Angeles, California!

California is the third-largest state in the USA and Los Angeles is the biggest city in California. The City of Angeles is the home of the Stars and is a city busy with tourism, events, and economic activity. It can be overwhelming to decide what to see if you have limited time. Booking ahead saves a ton of money and you can get flights and hotels at an affordable rate. You need to plan what to attractions to visit during your stay in LA. Most people plan their trip around sports or cultural events so they can get most of their trip.

LAX airport itself is like a big city and is overwhelming again. 🙂 Most hotels operate free shuttles from the LAX airport. (the best way to get around)

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is more of a video shooting studio than of a theme park. The Studio tour will take you throughout the studio in a tram. The live commentary provides information about the studio and the sets. The 4d experience during the tour is very thrilling. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the latest attraction of Universal Studios Hollywood. You can find Harry Potter fans in their costumes, pick up your wands, have some butterbeer, and walk through the halls of Hogwarts. The ride takes the visitors through a quidditch game and around fly the castle. Pets show, Transformers show, Water World, Walking Dead, and other park highlights are very entertaining. Lockers are available to store extra luggage and the park has plenty of food joints. Book tickets online to get a discount and there are options for multiple visit tickets.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

To get a glimpse of Hollywood, start with the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the Hollywood Boulevard. Each star costs around $30K and the funds go to the film association and to maintain the star. You can see the Dolby Theater and walk the stairs where Oscar stars go every year. The Chinese Theater has handprints and signatures of famous film stars in the entrance. The walk is very entertaining and fun. There is a wax museum, Ripley’s museum, and Hollywood history museum in the same area if you are interested.

Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign

Griffith Observatory has the largest telescopes and planetarium for visitors. Space research and exhibits at the venue provide a glimpse into the sky and space. The astronomers’ monument in the front has famous astronomers in the history of space. The museum will let you watch through the telescopes during the night and there are presentations throughout the day. Space and the stars are changing continuously and we are unable to capture the change in a lifetime. What we see that change is constant but in the space world, change takes a lot of time. 🙂

Griffith Observatory is also where you can get good pictures of the Hollywood Sign. There are hiking trails in the Griffith Park ad a Greek Theater at the bottom of the hill. You may spot a film star if you are lucky. You can reserve a bus tour that can take you through the luxurious mansions of famous stars and the places they hang out.

Santa Monica Pier

Beach is the most famous attraction in LA. Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach are famous for their boardwalks. The Santa Monica Pier is the end of the trail for Route 66 and that is the end! 🙂 The beaches are clean and safe for families. You can walk by the ocean or take a dip in the water. Santa Monica Pier is also a famous spot for movie shootings. Enjoy the sunrise and sunset at the Pier. You can take a day trip to Malibu beach from LA if time permits.

Downtown LA

Downtown LA is busy with high rise buildings, banks, corporate offices, and a lot of economic activities. Downtown LA also has museums and cultural centers where you can spend your time. Glass slide thru the OUE SkySpace is a must for a mini thrill. Abundant shopping and nightlife are available in Downtown LA.

Getting Around LA

Public transportation is the best mode of getting around LA. LADOT operates buses with a minimum charge around the famous attractions. LA Metro Rail is the fastest way to get around the city. Uber and Lyft are also widely available for local commute. Bicycles, electric kick scooters, skateboards, electric skateboards, and other boosted boards are available for rental in LA.

Union Station in LA has the most beautiful architecture with the biggest chandeliers and highest ceilings. But beware of the panhandlers and people asking for food or train fare. Homelessness is the biggest problems in LA and you can see that in the Union Station despite the warnings.

The locals are very friendly and helpful to visitors. I observed that they are not judgemental and are okay however you are. Unlike the MidWesterners, the Los Angeles locals are not immediately jumping to correct you but they let you adapt your own paths and styles. 🙂 I think LA is a lot of fun but I did not get to see Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus or Lilly Singh during my trip. 🙂

Cars 2: Ka-Ching

For all the fans of Lighting McQueen, Cars 2 offers a great entertainment with best pal Mater playing a key role. Cars 2 by Disney Pixar is fun to watch and the humor by the tow truck is engaging. The only thing lacking in the movie is people. 🙂

Story

After winning the piston cup Lighting McQueen plans to take rest for a while in Radiator Springs along with his friends and team members. He plans special days with Sally, but to his despair, his friend Mater joins him everywhere. Although Lighting McQueen appreciates Mater’s friendship, he does not like Mater meddling in his own affairs.

a new entrepreneur designing alternate fuel plans to organize a World Grand Prix and invites major cars in the world to join the race. Lighting McQueen joins the race and this time plans to take Mater along with other team members to the races. The funny old Mater with his natural gestures adds humor and embarrassment to their trip.

While on the tour, mysterious accidents happen with the new fuel and all the participating cars start exploding one by one. The mystery behind these accidents gets the top spies to work. The spies mistake Mater for one of the agents and involve him in the operations. Good Mater thinks that its all part of a dating scheme and joins the game. The rest of the story is how Mater helps solve the case through his wit and wisdom.

Review

The movie casts cars in all the roles including the Queen of England! As the team has to travel world wide, popular locations in Japan, Russia, Italy, France are good. The animations and scenes are engaging and the screenplay is well planned. You would not feel bored but continue laughing with the comedy by Mater.

The sequences, situations, and locations seem so real that one may forget it is involving only cars. Kudos to the Pixar’s animation team for capturing the expressions of the cars just like real people. Overall, you will fall in love with the Mater and Lighting McQueen once again in Cars 2. 🙂

Movie Review – Brindavanam

Brindavanam is a over hyped movie with songs and fights merged in to a senseless story and is a pure waste of time and money. 🙂 The star cast is capable enough but I thought they are wasted in this movie.

Brindavanam is a story about two college girls. One of the girls lands in to a trouble of early marriage. So, her friend lets her boy friend to go as her friend’s lover. The story is all about hoe the hero saves the family woes of the heroine. Meanwhile, he falls in love with the second heroine as well as continues the friendship with the first one.


Totally the story is baseless and is weaved with unnecessary emotions, dances and fights along with needless comedy. The movie is a total waste of money and time of the makers as well as the viewers. It is one of the worst movies I watched in the recent past. 🙂