When in the LA area for conference, what else can you go see if you are in the area for a weekend Hollywood of course!

Hollywood of course, but there is so many other things to see as well. How about the popular Venice Beach?

I’m not sure if it is because of the rain if just because it really looks like a tourist trap more than anything else, but on a Saturday morning it is empty. This this is where they filmed the movie “White Men Can’t Jump.” I do not really want to jump around in the rain this morning.

This is where Arnold Schwarzenegger goes to workout with all his friends on the weekends like today.

We learn something new about Venice Beach area is that there is a different set of homes where there are actual canals where people like to go canoeing and kayaking.

Since it was raining, we thought it would be best to check out and see if any of our celebrity friends were home and were up for coffee since nobody is going out in this weather. Taylor Swift did not seem to be in the mood though…

So we wondered if we could go trick or treating in the day instead since this house looked welcoming for visitors…I guess I did not have enough Hocus Pocus today.

Without question, Beverly Hills is better to visit in the rain then in the hot summer, because that means it will not be crowded.

And driving around, there is so many places to see it’s hard to decide where to stop and check out.

It almost becomes a test to see how many buildings you recognize from TV shows and movies.

Speaking of TV shows…we tried to get on a famous Netflix TV show but no luck today.

No celebrities to hang out with here, so lets go try and have lunch with some! We had a great brunch at the Beverly Wilshire with all the other aspiring actors and actresses. Highly recommended.

But since we were in the area, why not check out the most famous shopping street in the United States: Rodeo Drive.

I was actually surprised in how small and short the street and shops are compared to how people rave about it, Maybe it is it because of the famous Donkey Kong statue at one end of the street?

It is great place to take pictures and everyone welcomes you into their shops. Just do not expect to find parking anywhere nearby to park your rental car though! All the spaces are taken up by valets and G-wagons.

Still no luck on finding the celebrities on a rainy day, so we decided to go try and catch a movie at the Dolby Theatre where they hold the Academy Awards each year…but it turns out, the only open it once or twice a year for second events and rarely for actually movies.

It was so hard to believe this is where all the dressed up celebrities come for the Oscars…this place is in the middle of a regular shopping mall and they just put up big curtains to create an illusion it is a special place.

and right after they win their awards, they step next door and party at Hard Rock Cafe! Oh yes, this is number 25 for me: https://davidcrosstravels.com/2023/02/11/hard-rock-cafes/ How many have all of you seen around the world?

I guess this where Jimmy Kimmel likes to eat after his show since his theater is right across the street as well…

Personally, I found the celebrity stars the most fun

There are so many!

and they go for miles. You have to be careful you do not bump into people since you are always looking down at them…

and then there was also the nearby original Chinese theater you can go into and actually see movies sometimes.

What is original is the hand and foot prints of some people

Anyone recognize this director?

So much to see, I would say it is more than a weekend and a place worth coming back to more than once. Stay tuned for future updates!