Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Paramount Pictures
Yes, another studio tour, but this one's my
favorite. Paramount is the only major stu-
dio still located in H ollywood, so its hal-
lowed grounds are oozing with Hollywood
history. The 2-hour walking tour (scr ew
the trams) is both an historical ode to
filmmaking and a r eal-life, behind-the-
scenes look at wor king movie and televi-
sion facilities in day-to-day operation;
63
Drive south on La Brea Avenue for about a mile, then
turn right (west) onto Wilshire Boulevard. About 10
blocks down on your right side is:
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La Brea Tar Pits
There's something about this odorous swamp
of gooey asphalt oozing to the earth's surface
that's fascinating. P erhaps it 's the location:
smack-dab in the middle of Los Angeles, the
last place y ou'd expect to find this tr uly
bizarre primal pool of hot tar that 's been
bubbling fr om the ear th for mor e than
40,000 y ears. N early 400 species of mam-
mals, birds, amphibians, and fish—many of
which ar e no w extinct—walked, crawled,
landed, swam, or slither ed into the sticky
sludge, got stuck in the worst way , and
stayed forever. It looks like a fake Disney set,
complete with cement mastodons in the
throes of certain death, wailing from hidden
speakers. If you have time, stop in the adja-
cent Page Museum, which houses the largest
and most diverse collection of Ice Age plants
and animals in the world. S ee p. 160.
Head east on Wilshire Boulevard to the Downtown
area, turn left on South Figueroa Street, then right
on West 1st Street. At South Grand Avenue between
1st and 2nd streets is the:
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Walt Disney Concert Hall
The strikingly beautiful Walt Disney Con-
cert H all is a masterpiece of design b y
world-renowned ar chitect F rank G ehry.
Even if you don't have the slightest inter est
in ar chitecture, y ou will experience shock
and awe the first time y ou see the impossi-
bly cur vaceous stainless-steel exterior . The
45-minute self-guided audio tour is ex cel-
lent: N arrated b y actor J ohn Lithgo w, it
takes you all over the building and includes
interviews with Gehry. Within is a dazzling
2,273-seat auditorium, but y ou can't see it
unless y ou attend a per formance (which I
strongly recommend). See p. 164.
Get back on Wilshire Boulevard, and head west about
9 miles to Beverly Hills. Just before Santa Monica
Boulevard on your right-hand side is:
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Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive
Okay, that 's enough sightseeing for
ergo, no two tours ar e alike, and chances
of spotting a celebrity ar e pr etty good.
What you'll get to see depends on what 's
being filmed while y ou're ther e, but it 's
cool just to hang out on the other side of
that big wall. See p. 191.
Right behind Paramount Pictures on Santa Monica
Boulevard is the main entrance to:
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Hollywood Forever Cemetery
This is the “ resting place of H ollywood
immortals” (whatev er). I t's 60 minutes
well spent walking ar ound the meticu-
lously manicur ed lawns, sear ching for
familiar names such as R udolph Valen-
tino, Douglas Fairbanks (Sr. and Jr.), Peter
Lorre, and J ayne M ansfield. F ittingly,
there's a terrific vie w of the H ollywood
sign from here. You can pick up a map of
the stars' burial sites at the flower shop. See
p. 200.
For a lunch break, drive about a mile east on Melrose
Avenue to La Brea Avenue for:
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3
PINK'S HOT DOGS
Why an yone w ould stand in line f or an
hour to buy a hot dog is wa y beyond me,
but on w eekends the line wraps ar ound
the building at P ink's Hot Dogs , an L.A.
icon that's been dishing dogs sinc e 1939.
About 2,000 of them are served every day
in 24 varieties , including a hear tburn-
inducing chili dog made fr om a secr et
chili f ormula that will stick with y ou f or
days. If the line's doable, give it a tr y. 709
N. La Brea Ave. (at Melrose Ave.).
&
323/
931-4223.
See p. 136.
today—let's go shopping along one of the
