Student Reflects on Sight Seeing in Hollywood

This past weekend the opportunity to go on a road trip to Hollywood came up, so off we went in a little red truck to tinseltown. The weather did not meet the original expectations for the weekend, though I did not check the forecast so it makes sense.

As a first stop upon arrival, the Beverly Wilshire gleamed amongst what seemed like a sea of dull gray buildings and a cloud of smoke. Visions of Pretty Woman and all the glamour from the movie suddenly came to life before my eyes. Counters of marble, furniture of rich dark woods, and flowers stood in vases to compliment it all.

The staff seemed very determined to make it a memorable stay, as someone walked with us every step until the elevator, making conversation, and answering questions about the amenities. A Pretty Woman package is even available where guests get the opportunity to take pictures recreating scenes from the movie.

The people make the place, and in Los Angeles, there is no limit to the amount of interesting people. A man drove next to us on the way to Hollywood with the top down on his car and the radio blasting rap songs. He sang along with an air of importance, with the same confidence a celebrity walking the red carpet might possess.

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Hollywood Boulevard in the late afternoon is not as crowded as might be expected. Tourists roam about pointing out all the theaters and stars on the walk of fame, and taking pictures to look back on after they get home.

In the time just before the sun sets a change takes place as the more diverse performers come out. The ones in all gold that pose as statues, the three different Marilyn Monroes all wearing similar costumes, or the Michael Jackson impersonator with a crowd waiting to watch him dance.

The absolute weirdest feeling is standing next to someone you watch on tv all the time or whose music you listen to regularly. The wax version of Selena Gomez stood just outside the elevator on the second floor of the building with a face so real I thought at any moment she might come to life. If a real celebrity has hair on their face, their wax counterpart does too. –Elizabeth Baker 

Out of the many interesting things, the gold statue man is definitely a favorite. He said I looked like someone from tv and gave me a rainbow slinky for free. Only a few steps more brought Edward Scissorhands, taking pictures with tourists and pretending to give people haircuts. A major thing that makes the Hollywood experience enjoyable is when you see a favorite character from something and getting to take pictures with them and see them standing in front of you. Even when you know it isn’t really them it still gives a feeling of excitement.

For dinner, Cho Oishi in the Hollywood and Highland shopping center served California Rolls and shrimp that made for a perfect meal to end the day. Of all the attractions on Hollywood Boulevard, Madame Tussauds looked like a worthwhile place to visit. Professional pictures are available for purchase all throughout the museum if tourists want something other than what they can get from a smartphone.

The absolute weirdest feeling is standing next to someone you watch on tv all the time or whose music you listen to regularly. The wax version of Selena Gomez stood just outside the elevator on the second floor of the building with a face so real I thought at any moment she might come to life. If a real celebrity has hair on their face, their wax counterpart does too. The effort put into detail shows in the eyes, or the smile, anywhere there might be a mistake.

To end the night, we stopped by TCL Chinese Theatre (Graumans) and took pictures of the hand and footprints of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, and Johnny Depp. Soon after this we took an Uber back to the hotel and watched Pretty Woman while posting photos from the day on Facebook. This trip will always be one of my favorites, with all the unique people and places that make up the shiny, dream filled city of Hollywood.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @_Elizabethann16 and via Email: Elizabeth Baker.

For more opinions, read EDITORIAL: Walk away from gossip’s fire.