California Dreamin'

Well, we are on a short vacation to southern California to visit a nephew and his family as well as friends in Beverly Hills. I am not sure I can call this a vacation when one is already retired but I choose to do so. We are staying in Century City near Beverly Hills and we can see the Hollywood sign from our hotel window...once the haze clears.

We have been to L.A. and its environs many times but I am still awed by the mystique of this movie capital. Driving down Sunset Boulevard one cannot help be impressed by the very large, and very old mansions of the golden years. We drove up Benedict Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, and across Mullholland Drive to see how the other folks really live. We found that they live really close to each other. Other than those who can afford "estates", the homes are nestled snugly into the hillside for the most part. Too close for us.

With a day free before our dinner with friends at the Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills, we drove up and over to Simi Valley to take in the Reagan Presidential Museum and Library. It was an impressive sight, and site. The old Air Force One is on display there where we took a walk through it. Compared to newer 747 AF One, this 707 was quite cramped. The museum was awesome and there is never enough time to do it justice. We ended with a trip to the memorial site where President Reagan is entombed. The view from there is breathtaking and is worth the trip alone.

The next morning we decided to breakfast near Rodeo Drive hoping for a glimpse of someone famous. Looking over the crowds we saw no one we knew, but then again I am sure that most were in the screen industry in some capacity. But who can identify a director or assistant director or assistant assistant director? Do you ever watch the end credits roll at the end of a film? All of those people work in the industry and likely go out to breakfast at the good places too. Very few will recognize the key grips, the riggers, the gaffers, the best boys and the like. But it is fun to rub elbows with those folk who work with the really big stars.

We did our first morning breakfast at The Farm of Beverly Hillls. The food was good but we saw no one noteworthy. The next morning we tried Nate 'n Al's Deli, a local favorite, and we spotted Larry King kibbutzing with a few of his cronies. We sat across from Larry but I avoided my "rube" behavior and did not stare...too much. By the way, the food was OK, but our waitress was a hoot. She argued with us on most things. I called her Miss Personality of 1964, but not to her face, poor dear.

We drove over to Long Beach to see our nephew, his wife and three year old. They live on the beach so again the view was spectacular and at dinner, we managed to get a view of the Queen Mary sitting majestically in her berth.

California, for all its foibles, is still a great place to visit. We will head back to Arizona soon and we hope to clear the area before the next earthquake.