DAY 19 - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14, 2010

IN ADDITION TO BEING A PORT OF CALL, LOS ANGELES IS THE END OF THE FIRST SEGMENT IN THE THE WORLD CRUISE. THEREFORE THE PROCESS OF EXITING THE SHIP FOR TOURS WAS COMPLICATED BY THE ADDED PROCEDURE OF GOING THROUGH IMMIGRATION.

THE PLAN SEEM CLEAR ENOUGH WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARRIVING IN THE LOUNGE AT SPECIFIC TIME SLOTS. HOWEVER, AND EVEN THOUGH THE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES WERE ON BOARD VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, THE DID NOT RECEIVE CLEARANCE TO LET PASSENGERS OFF THE SHIP UNTIL LATER AND THE HALLWAYS AND WAITING AREAS BEGAN TO BACKUP. ALL AREAS WERE CROWDED WITH TOURIST AND DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS.

OUR TOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS TO DEPART AT 9:45. WE DIDN’T GET OFF THE SHIP UNTIL 10:20. WE DIDN”T GET ON THE ROAD UNTIL 10:45. NONETHELESS, WE HAD A GREAT TIME VISITING SITES WE NEVER SAW BEFORE AND HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE. TAKING THIS TOUR IN A SUNDAY, VIRTUALLY TRAFFIC FREE, MADE IT EVEN BETTER.

OUR FIRST DRIVE BY WAS LOS ANGELES COLISEUM, LOCATED ON THE USC CAMPUS. OUR GUIDE, CAPT DAVE, INFORMED US THAT THE REASON L.A. DOESN’T HAVE A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM ANYMORE IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE RESTRICTION THE UNIVERSITY PLACES ON THE USERS OF THE STADIUM. HENCE, THE RAMS MORVED TO ST. LOUIS AND THE RAIDERS BACK TO OAKLAND.

OVER THE YEARS THE STADIUM HAS BEEN USED BY THE DODGERS, FOR SUPER BOWL, AND OLYMPICS, AS WELL AS, THE PRO TEAMS MENTIONED ABOVE. ALTHOUGH WE DIDN’T GET OFF THE BUS, WE WERE ABLE TO SNAP PICTURES OF THE MASSIVE ENTRANCE THAT IS SO FAMILIAR TO MANY OF US, ESPECIALLY SPORTS FANS.

AS WE EXITED THE GROUNDS OF THE COLISEUM WE PASSED THE STAPLE CENTER, HOME OF THE LAKERS I BELIEVE, AND THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE USC CAMPUS HOUSING. CAPT DAVE ALSO MENTIONED IT COST ALMOST $100,000 PER YEAR TO ATTEND USC. FOLKS IN THE AREA HAVE ENAMED THE UNIVERSITY. THEY CALL IT THE UNIVERSITY OF SPOILED CHILDREN.

THE DOROTHY CHANDLER SQUARE WAS OUR NEXT VENTURE. THE CENTER SQUARE HAS A HUGE SCULPTURED WATER FOUNTAIN IS SURROUNDED BY SEVERAL THEATERS AND ARTSY ACTIVITIES. THE SQUARE PROVIDES THE PERFECT PALCE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE OLD LOS ANGELES CITY HALL. THE BUILDING, I SEEM TO REMEMBER, APPEARED IN EVERY EPISODE OF OLD TV SERIES DRAGNET, WITH JACK WEBB.

THE BUILDING BEHIND THE CHANDLER CENTER IS A WALT DISNEY STUDIO AND THEATER. THE OUTSIDE STRUCTURE CONSIST OF OVER 10,000 STAINLESS STEEL PANELS. WHEN FIRST CONSTRUCTED, THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN ON THE PANELS CREATED SO MUCH HEAT, THE BUILDINGS IN THE AREA COMPLAINED THAT THERE AIR CONDITIONING COST HAD SKYROCKETED. THE PANELS HAD TO BE SANDBLASTED, 4 TIMES, AT A COST OF $270,000,000, TO REDUCE THE GLARE.

AFTER SPENDING 50 MINUTES IN THE SQUARE WE BOARDED THE BUS FOR A TRIP TO THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL. IT IS A PLACE I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE BUT NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO SEEK OUT. THE BOWL HOLDS18,000 PEOPLE, HAS A GIGANTIC STAGE AND PROVIDES EXCELLENT ACOUSTICS.

AS WE LEFT THE BOWL AND MADE OUR WAY TO HOLLYWOOD BLVD CAPT. DAVE POINTED OUT THE FAMOUS HILLSIDE SIGN THAT SPELLS THE WORD HOLLYWOOD. HOWEVER, THE SIGN NOW READS “SAVE THE PEAK.” IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A DEVELOPER IS TRYING TO ACQUIRE A LARGE PORTION OF THE LAND ON TOP OF AND AROUND THE SIGN AREA FOR HOUSING ETC. A GROUP OF CITIZENS, I PRESUME WEALTHY, ARE TRYING TO RAISR ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE THE LAND AND SUBSEQUENTLY DONATE IT TO AN ORGANIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRIFFITH PARK FOUNDATION. CAPT. DAVE SAYS TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON THE EFFORTS TO RAISE THE MONEY. STAY TUNED!

WE EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO HOLLYWOOD BLVD AND HAD CLOSE TO AN HOUR OF FREE TIME TO EXPLORE THE AREA ON OUR OWN. THE PERFORMERS ON THE STREET IS WORTH ANY PRICE TO WITNESS. SPIDERMAN, STAR WARS CHARACTERS, CINDERELLA, THE HULK AND 100’S OF OTHERS ALL DOING THEIR THING TO EARN A BUCK. AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE SIDEWALKS, FOR ABOUT A 2 MILE STRETCH, ALONG HOLLYWOOD BLVD ARE PAVED WITH THE STARS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE, MOSTLY OF THE MOVIE INDUSTRY. HOWEVER, JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM GRUMMAN’S CHINESE THEATER IS THE STAR OF BILLY GRAHAM. IT IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

GEORGIA AND I WALKED UP THE LONG STAIRWAY TO THE OUTDOOR PLAZA WHERE SEVERAL BIG NAME FRANCHISES HAVE STORES. THERE IS PLENTY OF SPACE FOR PEOPLE WATCHING AND FOOD CONCESSIONS. WE FOUND A NICE SEMI-QUIET PLACE TO MAKE A CALL TO GRANNY. AS WE FINISHED THE CALL WE STARTED BACK TO THE BUS WE SNAPPED PICTURES OF EL CAPTAIN, THE DISNEY THEATER, AND MARILYN MONROE. SHE STILL LOOKS GOOD, FOR BEING DEAD FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

A STOP AT THE FARMERS MARKET MADE THE DAY COMPLETE. WE HAD A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR OF FREE TIME. MANY IN THE GROUP FOUND PLACE TO GET FOOD, ALTHOUGH THE TOUGH PART WAS FINDING SEATS. THE PLACE IS A MADHOUSE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY’S. LINES WERE LONG, PEOPLE EVERYWHERE...SOME REAL STRANGE. GEORGIA AND I WALKED UP AND DOWN EVERY LITTLE NOCK AND CRANNY UNTIL WE FOUND...A DONUT SHOP. PEOPLE TOLD US IT IS THE BEST DONUT AND COFFEE SHOP IN THE CITY. THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE FARMERS MARKET FOR OVER 70 YEARS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT IS STILL OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY.

LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE OUR TOUR HAD TO END AND OUR ROUTE BACK TO THE SHIP TOOK US DOWN SUNSET BLVD, INTO BEVERLY HILLS WITH THE GRAND FINALE A RIDE DOWN THE WORLD FAMOUS RODEO DRIVE.

OUR BUS MOVE DOWN WILTSHIRE BLVD TOWARD SANTA MONICA. I HAD HOPES WE WOULD TRAVEL TO CALIFORNIA ROUTE 1 AND HEAD SOUTH TO THE SHIP, BUT THAT WAS NOT IN THE CARDS. INSTEAD THE DRIVER SHOT UP TO I-5 AND SOUTH TO THE 405 (I-405). WHEN I SAW THE SIGN FOR THE LOS ANGELES AIRPORT I MENTIONED TO GEORGIA THAT WE WOULD BE PASSING THE EXIT WHERE WE STAYED WITH SCOTT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS ON ASSIGNMENT IN TORRANCE. AS WE CAME CLOSE TO THE EXIT I POINTED TOWARDS THE MARRIOTT AND MUM SAID, “LOOK THERE’S MILLS RESTAURANT.”

MILLS RESTAURANT MAKES THE ABSOLUTE BEST PUMPKIN PANCAKES IN THE WORLD. WE BOTH CAN ATEST TO THAT FACT AS WE FREQUENTED THE PLACE MANY TIMES DURING OUR STAY WITH SCOTT.

WE ARRIVED AT THE PIER AROUND 3:30 AND AFTER GAINING ACCESS TO THE EMBARKATION TENT WE SAT DOWN TO MAKE CALLS TO THE KIDS. EARLIER IN THE DAY WE SPOKE TO SCOTT AND BARB.

THE SHIP LEFT THE PIER AS SCHEDULED AT 7:00 AND WITHIN A FEW HOURS OUT TO SEA THINGS GOT VERY ROUGH. SWELLS OF UP TO 8 FEET TOSSED THE SHIP FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND UP AND DOWN. SOMETIMES IT SEEMED THE SHIP WAS GOING IN ALL DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME.

I MANAGED TO UPDATE THE BLOG TO INCLUDE PICTURES WITH ALMOST EVERYDAY’S ACTIVITIES. I’M ALSO BEGINNING TO GET BRAVE AND INTEND TO ATTEMPT ADDING JUST PICTURES AND PLACE IT ON THE BLOG. I’M HOPEFUL, BUT BE SURPRISED IF IT WORKS.

THE COMFORTABLE WATERBED LIKE FEELING WAS JUST A LITTLE UNSETTLING DURING THE NIGHT. GEORGIA WOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THOUGHT SHE WAS ABOUT TO LOSE IT ALL...BUT DIDN’T. I AWOKE DURING ONE OF THE SWELLS AND FELT I WAS ABOUT TO ROUND OUT OF BED. WE BOTH MANAGED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT UNSCATHED.