To make use of our time here I booked us onto a tour of the Hollywood homes. I have always wanted to do this - like forever (it's the only way i can put it) but it was something i definitely wanted to do during our time in LA.
The best tour I'd researched on Tripadvisor was an open air bus tour that started in Hollywood. The ones that left from Anaheim were in one of the big buses and I'd read they couldn't get up the Hollywood Hills - I wasn't going to leave anything to chance - I wanted to see the stars homes!
I arranged a transfer with the hotel, it ended up being with a really nice guy called Nate who drove a Lincoln. Terry, although he has never wanted to drive in a Lincoln, was kind of impressed. Nate knew a lot about the area and told us he could have done the whole tour. Well, we didn't know, so we told him just to drop us off at Hollywood and we arranged with him to pick up us later and drive us around the beaches. Just want to mention, the hire car we were going to pick up for the week we changed to pick up the day before we leave for Vegas. Transfers (we've discovered) are so cheap within Anaheim that there has definitely been no need for a car.
We arrived at the pick up point for the tour. The guy who owned the company met us there - in a old T-shirt and ripped jeans. His son dressed no better. He just looked liked someone trying to make a buck in Hollywood. Our tour guide 'Eddie' arrived. Now, Eddie was kind of cool. He was studying script writing at some acadamy and was clearly trying to fund his way into the big time. Eddie was funny.
The owner - tried - to close the door of the bus - at least there were seat belts (it seated 11) Bang, bang, bang, yep finally it closed. Now normally I would be alarmed but no, Eddie made us feel at ease. Then off we went!
The first home we saw was Orlando Bloom's, then the home of Charlize Theron. Ron Howard's home then the restaurant from the scene in Grease. Whiskey A Go Go - where so many famous bands got their start. It just didn't seem real somehow.
Then into Beverly Hills to see the houses of - Leonardo Dicaprio, Ringo Starr, Ellen, Joaquin Phoenix,
Christina Auguliera, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore - and just around the corner from her - Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp, Dr Phil, where George Clooney grew up (poor George), Lisa Maree Presley, the Playboy Mansion and Bruno Mars. We also saw the late Aaron Spelling's house (the biggest and best) which was bought by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for his daughter Petra at a price of $150 million dollars. $150 million and the most expensive home in the US - some of the rooms are just for gift wrapping.
We were then dropped of at the Chinese Theatre (movie theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) for a quick look around and checked out the Walk of Fame. Our transfer Nate picked us up and we cruised past Santa Monica and Venice Beach on the way back to the hotel.
That we night we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and got ready for bed - to spend another big day at Disney!
At the Hollywood sign - Mick, you have to teach me more about the camera settings!! Blurred!
Ron Howard's house
Leo's
Christina Auguilera's
Tom Cruise - the bigger the star the bigger the hedge
Demi Moore
Johnny Depps new pad
Bruce Willis
The gate to the Playboy Mansion - note the rock's speaker, 'talk to the rock' to get in
Where Kim Kardashian had her baby shower - who cares?
Where one of the Housewives of Beverly Hills bought their wedding dress (who cares again)
This Car belonged to Bijan Pakzad, who passed away on April 16, 2011 at the age of 67 after suffering a stroke. Bijan was an Iranian-American menswear designer whose clients included presidents, kings, and countless Hollywood celebrities. This custom Bugatti Veyron was the most recent addition to his car collection. He always enjoyed driving his cars and displaying them in front of his famous store on Rodeo Drive. It costs $1500 just to enter the store.
Where Brad Pitt got his first job in Hollywood - he had to dress up as a chicken.
No comments:
Post a Comment