Day Tripping- La La Land

Hooray for Hollywood!

I know, I know. The economy sucks! But that doesn't mean you can't try new things and visit new places. Since I (like the rest of you, I'm sure) am currently on a budget, the big trips are on hold. Most recently, I've decided to give Hollywood another try. They've actually cleaned it up a bunch in the last few years. I've taken 2 separate day trips to Hollywood recently and here's what I've found:

Griffith Park Observatory:

http://www.griffithobs.org/

Admission is free! Woo hoo! Located in Griffith Park above the neighborhood of Los Feliz, the Griffith Park Observatory over looks the city of Los Angeles (including the Hollywood sign). It has great views of the city and the stars if it's a clear night! They have a ton of exibits on astronomy including the planets, stars, the moon, etc. All for free. For approximately $7, you can check out a show at the Planetarium located within the Observatory. http://www.griffithobservatory.org/psoplanet.html A very interesting show and I definitely recommend seeing it while you are there. You can also check out the ginormous telescope (only open on clear nights) and check out the stars and planets live and in action.

The view of LA from the Observatory

Pink's Hotdogs:

Hollywood's famous hot dog stand. Opened in 1939. Tons of celebrities grab a Pink's hot dog while they are in town. There are autographed pictures all over. The line is crazy long and it's literally a big "stand". No inside dining. They do have an outdoor patio with lots of seats. Any kind of hot dog you can imagine, they have. The dogs are all named after celebrities. Vegetarians, don't worry, they even have a vegi dog! Woo hoo! And yes, we did stand in line for 45 minutes to get a freaking hot dog. Don't judge. We wanted to say we'd been there, done that. :)

http://www.pinkshollywood.com/

The Grove:

The Grove is such a cute outdoor shopping center. I love it there. They have a ton of shopping places, a few pricy restaurants, a water show (think a tiny Bellagio watershow), live music, a trolly, coffee and icecream stands, etc. The Grove is a good "people watching" place. The Farmer's Market is also next door.

http://www.thegrovela.com/

The Grove @ Christmas time

Universal Studios:

Soooo expensive! However, I got in for free since there was a travel industry day. Yayyyy me! It was fun, but there is not a ton of things to do. The rides are more about the special effects rather than speedy rollercoasters. Be careful of all the rides because pretty much all of them squirt water in your face. Seriously. The Backlot Tour is fun, but I've been on it so many times, that it's not as exciting as it used to be. I would say go if you've never been. But if you are looking for speedy roller coasters, try Disney or Knott's in Orange County instead. Universal is more about special effects and movie making.

We did get to meet the Grinch and take pictures with the "Who's" since they had "Grinchmas" going on. ;-)

http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/

Pantages Theater:

So this one's gonna cost you. However, you should definitely see a show here if you can. The theater is amazing. I saw Lion King there and also Wicked....TWICE! Both shows were amazing and the theater was beautiful.

http://www.pantages-theater.com/?gclid=CNPu4omDkJgCFRYiagodDXDYng

Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store:

Located on Hollywood Blvd near Hollywood & Highland. Fun old fashioned icecream parlor with a Disney flare.

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/soda_fountain/main.html

***Just in case you are wanting a picture of the Hollywood sign......it is NOT lit up at night. Take your pictures during the day! I'm just saying....

If you would like to get close to the Hollywood sign, check out this website for the best places to view it: http://www.hollywoodsign.org/see.html They show you directions to see the sign. I personally took the Beachwood Canyon one which leads into some really cool houses. I would definitely like to check out the Lake Hollywood one. And of course I've been to Hollywood & Highland but that is pretty far from the sign.

**The Capital Records building was built in 1956. It was the worlds first circular office building. It resembles a stack of records (vinyl 45's) on a turntable. The needle at the top has a red blinking light that blinks in Morse Code to spell out the word Hollywood. It has done so since the building opened in 1956.

There are a ton of other things to do while in LA/Hollywood. Melrose Ave has funky hip shops and cafes, Robertson Ave is famous and most likely filled with Papparazzi because of the famous expensive shops such as Kitson. There's Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood & Highland, Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Fashion District are just a few more highlights.

Another thing to do is to just drive around. Drive up into the Hollywood Hills or Beverly Hills and gawk at the mansions!

Have fun discovering Old Hollywood!

Movies to see:

All of them! It's Hollywood biatches!

(However, The Holiday is a good one!)

Maine

Rocky coastlines, fresh seafood, loads of lighthouses and some amazing scenery.

Being as though we were here in October, it was the perfect time for the changing of the fall leaves. Bright orange, red and brown leaves were everywhere. I have to say, I knew the least about Maine before going on this trip. But the scenery was probably the most beautiful. I mean just from the freeway, all we could see were trees and bright leaves and blue lakes and rivers. It was amazing.




Portland Maine:

We decided to stop in Portland Maine. Again, we stopped at the Tourist Station and got our fill of maps and brochures.



Off of Highway 95, we took exit 44 towards route 1. We made a left at route 1 (Main Street). Right on Broadway and that took us all the way to two lighthouses. Bug Light and Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. By this time, it was freezing out. (I'm trying to remember, but I believe it was in the low 40's) We had seen so many lighthouses at this point that basically I was kicked out of the car to take some pictures and that was that. Back into the car and back on our way.

I was actually able to walk out all the way to Bug Light. It was freaking freezing and windy, but for some reason I really wanted to go on it just for the reason that I could. On my way back, I could see my sister in law yelling at me to go back on so she could get a picture. It was absolutely freezing and water was splashing up under my feet. But hey, she got the picture!



Bug Light

Off to the next lighthouse which I do believe might be my favorite (definitely top 2). Portland Head Light near Fort Williams. This one is a must see. We all got out for this one.


Portland Head Light

While driving along the highway, we saw a lobster shack. It was so cute and very much what I had pictured to be in Maine. However, it was not open. Not sure if it was closed for the season or just because it was so early in the day.




Rockland:

We decided to head to Rockland, Maine. There was a downtown main street with shops, restaurants, museums, etc. We actually found a Puffin Visitor Center. It is a small gift shop/museum geared towards young children. They have a live video feed of Puffins and other sea birds being filmed 20 miles south of Rockland on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge. They also have a movie about saving the Puffins, a crawl in Puffin burrow for kids, paper work and information regarding Puffins and adopting a Puffin and also small projects for kids to take home. My niece is a huge fan of animals and was thrilled to hang out here for a while. She even got a "Project Puffin" pin for her backpack. The proceeds go to saving the Puffins!
http://www.projectpuffin.org/PPVC.html



We also stopped by Rockland Cafe. Famous for their fish cakes. My mom and sister in law were dying for some "New England" clam chowder, so this seemed like the perfect spot. We were not looking for anything fancy. Just a typical small diner type place. Being as though, I do not particularly like seafood (but I really wanted to say I ate seafood in Maine), I decided to try some little shrimpys. (yes, I said "shrimpys") My mom and sister in law finally got their clam chowder.
http://www.rocklandcafe.com/



My shrimpys......

Another near by lighthouse we stopped to visit was Owl's Head Lighthouse in Owl's Head Maine.

Owl's Head

Somewhere in Maine.....










Hotel:

Again, being that I work for Marriott, we stayed at a Marriott brand property. The Marriott Fairfield Inns & Suites in Brunswick. Free internet & parking! Woo hoo!

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pwmbw-fairfield-inn-and-suites-brunswick-freeport/

Only one night in Maine and then it was back down the coast to...... Massachusetts!

Rhode Island!

Providence, Rhode Island.....


Probably the most confusing city to drive in. Seriously. It was horrible. And I wasn't even driving. Every road splits off into two, maybe 3 separate roads. Those 2 or 3 separate roads also refused to have street signs telling us which street was which. Rude. Being named "Map Girl" by my niece, I was in charge of all things directions. For someone who gets car sick very easily, this city was a daunting task. But we all made it alive!!! Barely.

The city of Providence was way more "big city" than I had expected. My mom being a huge fan of the tv show Providence also felt the same way. She thought it would be more of a small town feeling. It was way more urban than we pictured it to be. However, there was so much history there and we were definitely some amazing parts.


Some Pictures of Downtown Providence:

Jamestown & Newport Rhode Island-

Since we were in Providence for 2 nights, we decided that we needed to get out of the city for the 2nd day. We decided to go on a lighthouse search. Being "map girl", I had already noted that there were a ton of lighthouses in Jamestown and Newport. So again, we set sail in our Sebring to find new places.

Jamestown is a very small island off the coast of Rhode Island. We took highway 138 which took us over a bridge to Jamestown. On the bridge, we spotted our first lighthouse. It was a small lighthouse in the middle of the water. Once in Jamestown, we went south to Beavertail Light. This was our very first lighthouse stop! Woo hoo!

Beavertail Lighthouse, Jamestown Rhode Island

From Jamestown, we drove over another small bridge which took us to Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is another small island. Pretty easy to navigate. This is where we found Castle Hill Lighthouse and our new house. ;-)

Castle Hill Lighthouse

My new house and front yard....

After our second night in Rhode Island, it was time to pack up the Sebring again and move on to our next destination. We became pro at packing up the car knowing what we were going to need in the back seat for my niece and what we could shove in the trunk. I have to say, there are so many amazing things out there for kids now adays. She is a great traveler. As long as we had the dvd player, an iPod full of Dora and Backyardigans and her Leapster books to read, she was all set. She kept herself busy with the exception of me needing to select the new shows on her dvd's and iPod.

Our next destination was Maine. However, we made a small stop in New Hampshire. We saw the visitor's bureau from the freeway and decided to stop. We found out that Portsmouth, New Hampshire was near by and decided to go there. It was a great stop. We found a nice little downtown area with shops and restaurants. It was very cute and very festive for the fall time of year.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Next Stop.....

Maine!

Connecticut!

New England road trip continued......

Connecticut! Day 2 & 3




















Packed in our Sebring, we drove from New York to Mystic, Connecticut. The drive was only about 1 1/2 hours long. We arrived at our home for the next 2 nights. The Residence Inn Mystic Groton www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gonmy-residence-inn-mystic-groton/. Turned out to be a great place to stay! The rooms are meant for long term stays. Each room has a bed, living room area with a sofa bed and a small kitchenette. The kitchenette has a full size fridge, dishwasher and microwave. The stay includes free internet, parking and breakfast. Very economic! It is also very close to Mystic Seaport and downtown Mystic.

I really loved Mystic. Some of the things that should not be missed are:

Mystic Seaport- A seaport with a beautiful view. It is free to stop by and look but if you want to go into the museum and onto the boats it will cost you.
Mystic Seaport- A Museum of America and the Sea- $18.50 for adults & $13 for children 6-17
www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=1































Mystic River Drawbridge- Takes you to downtown Mystic (Mystic Pizza is here). We actually saw the drawbridge lift to let a boat go through. I was kicked out of the car to go take pictures. I'm serious. This actually happened quite a bit through out our trip. ;-)
http://www.mysticpizza.com/restaurants.aspx





































Downtown Mystic- Shops, restaurants, a few bars and home of Mystic Pizza where they filmed the movie with the same name. Starring of course, Julia Roberts. We did get to dine in Mystic Pizza and it was very yummy. It is filled with tons of memorabilia from the movie and actually plays the movie on the tv's. A must see for movie fans.
















Old Mistick Village- Very cute old town shopping village. A small movie theatre, coffee houses, chocolate and candy stores, gift shops, restaurants and great landscaping. Old Mistick Village was the beginning of our New England leaf collecting adventure. My mom was collecting different types of leaves for herself and I promised a friend I would bring her leaves that would remind her of where she grew up on the east coast. Old Mistick Village was a great place to start our collection.
www.oldmysticvillage.com/
















Clyde's Cider Mill- OMG a must see for a cider lover like me!!! I love hot apple cider and hard cider. FYI, Hard Cider = alcholic beverage. And for those of you who think hard cider is a "girly" drink at the bar.....it actually has more alcohol than beer! So do not judge!!!! ;-) Okayyy?! Clyde's is the oldest steam powered cider mill in the United States! Only open from September to late December so plan accordingly. They have cider making demonstrations and a gift shop where you can purchase the cider and other specialties to go. They also serve hot cider, hot apple pie, candy apples and apple cider donuts. These apple cider donuts must have been delicious because there was a 30 minute or longer wait for them! I guess I'll just have to go back. I did try the apple pie and cider and both were delicious.
www.bfclydescidermill.com/

**My mom and I actually got the chance to go to the movies at Old Mistick Village. Funny thing is that the latest movie started at 7:10pm! They definitely shut down early in small town Mystic! We saw the movie, The Secret Lives of Bees. I had just read the book and was dying to see the movie. The movie was pretty much exactly like the book. Both were amazing! Check them out!
www.foxsearchlight.com/thesecretlifeofbees/

**I started a game with my niece in New York. I bought her an I Love NY button for her back pack. To get her involved in the trip, we told her to collect a button from each state she went to. This became a game for her and she was so excited each time she found a new button. She would tell everyone about her buttons and which states she already had and which states she still needed. She is 4 but she is super smart. She listed the states we were visiting in correct order each time. I would say 70% of the trip she was involved in her leapster computer, her books, her dvd player or my brother's iPod that was filled with Dora and Backyardigans. These all kept her busy and let us gawk at the scenery without complaints. 20% of her time was spent playing around these different cities and the last 10% was spent on finding buttons. She had a blast with it. One minor problem occured when we lost the New York button in the airport. We thought it was gone forever. About an hour later, we found it. Thank goodness. I did not want to see the meltdown that would have occured had we not found it. Ek!

Next Stop........
Rhode Island!


Travel Girl's Connecticut Movie:
Mystic Pizza





















Travel Girl Reads:
The Secret Lives of Bees: by Sue Monk Kidd

London!

London Calling:


















How to get around:


The Big Bus Company
http://www.bigbustours.com/
How to buy tickets:
-On the bus at any Big Bus departure point
-From any uniformed Big Bus staff
-internet
-hotel concierge
You can also purchase tickets to: Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, Kensington Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral through the Big Bus Company.

Save 2 pounds if you buy tickets online.
Adults: 20 pounds (approx)
Child: 10-12 pounds (approx)

This is a great way to get around the city. It's simple and you get a great view of the city from the top of the bus. They have stops at all of the main tourist attractions. You pick which sites you want to see. You just go back to the pick up spot and wait for the next bus when you are done.


London Underground
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
If you have more time, travel like the locals and ride the tube! Mind the Gap!


Things to Do:

London Theatre
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/


Madame Tussauds
www.madame-tussauds.co.uk/
Not your typical wax museum. You can actually touch these ones. You can pose with your favorite stars and take tons of fun pictures. Have "dinner" with George Clooney. Give Prince William a hug. Very fun. Try not to spend all day here!

12 pounds (approx)





















Me and Wills. What? I just ran into him at Kensington. ;-)
BTW, I'm not short, he's just freakishly tall!


London Eye
http://www.londoneye.com/
Adults 15.50 pounds
Children 7.75 pounds
Children under 5 FREE





Tower of London
www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/
Adults 16.50 pounds
Children 9.50 pounds
The Tower of London was a place of execution between 1388 and 1747. Over 130 men and women were killed by beheading. This type of death was reserved for members of nobility. It was an honorable death, unlike hanging.

Must see the Crowned Jewels! Collection of crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, armill and royal robes used during the coronation ceremonies and at other state functions.

FYI, this is not the "London Bridge". However, if you are going to pick a bridge to see in London, this is the one!


Kensington Palace
http://www.hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace/
Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since the 17th century. Until 1997, it was the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince William and cousin, Zara Phillips on an unofficial basis.
Currently, the Palace hosts an exhibition, "Diana, Princess of Wales" by Mario Testino, which is open to the public.


Buckingham Palace
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page555.asp
Official residence of Britain's sovereigns.



Westminster Abbey
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/



Trafalger Square
http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/

Picadilly Circus

The Times Square of London!

Shopping!

New Bond Street- Upscale shopping

Oxford Street-www.oxfordstreet.co.uk/

Covent Garden- www.covent-garden.co.uk/

Camden Market- http://www.camdenlock.net/ A must see! Huge open air markets. Get everthing from records, clothes, crafts, goods, food, etc. An interesting mix of people. Expect to see mohawks, platform boots, piercings and funky clothes!

Abbey Road! A suprisingly busy street. This was a very hard picture to coordinate!

Platform 9 3/4. It does exist!!!! If you go to King's Cross Underground Station, you will find this in between platforms 9 and 10. You can ask an employee for directions. (kind of embarassing but totally funny! ha ha.)


My Travel Video Log (VLOG)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UIXiz3N_B2g



Movies to See:
The Holiday
Notting Hill
Bridget Jones
Love Actually






























**If you are feeling adventurous, there are a ton of Bed & Breakfasts available where you can rent a room. I've stayed in a cottage in Notting Hill/Holland Park. It was a little bit out of the way but it was sooo worth it. It was a great experience to stay at a real house. I had my own bathroom and bedroom and I even got a continental breakfast each morning. A tip in finding a good Bed & Breakfast is to make sure it is within a short walking distance to an underground station or taxi service. Trust me on this one!!!



**When you are traveling via the tube (underground, subway, etc) late at night, be aware that some lines close after a certain time. So your stop may not be available. You may have to taxi it or learn how to navigate the night buses!



**Tube passes can be purchased at most major underground stations. You can use cash or credit card. They have day passes, but if you know you will be there for more than a day, the better deals are the multi day passes.