Day 7-8 - Los Angeles

As we drove across the desert from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, we watched the outside temperature go higher and higher on the car’s thermometer.  At one point it said it was 107 degrees outside!  It felt like an oven out there!  We were very thankful for our air conditioning!  We drove through miles and miles of hot, dry desert.  As we traveled, we thought about those who came before us – during the Gold Rush era – without the benefit of plush automobiles, air conditioning, and paved highways.  What a long journey they must have endured!

We were thrilled to finally see green as we neared Los Angeles.  You wouldn’t necessarily think that you would see lots of green as you got close to L.A., but after traveling through the Mojave Desert it was beautiful!  We watched the temperature drop outside and the surroundings grow lush.  We stayed in a hotel in Monrovia, a suburb on the eastern edge of the city, so we didn’t have to contend with horrible traffic on the way.  One thing we were surprised about was the amount of smog – so much so that it obstructed our views of the San Gabriel Mountains.  Although the temperature was perfect in L.A., we like our clear views of the Rocky Mountains much better.

Can  you see that mountain in the background?

We passed by many streets and other locations we had heard about before – Santa Monica Blvd., Sunset Blvd., Mulholland Dr., Capitol Records, Hollywood Blvd., and Dodger Stadium.  

The biggest thrill of our visit to L.A. was visiting our nephew, Davy, who is a grad student at USC.  We had a wonderful visit and a delicious dinner with him the first night we were in town.  The next day, he and his girlfriend, Curran, showed us around Hollywood.  It was cool to see the sights there, but most of all it was fun to hang out with the two of them! 

Curran and Davy

In Hollywood, we walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame and saw lots of “stars.”

Vin Scully - famous sportscaster

Kermit the Frog - our favorite muppet

Along the way, we saw different movie characters roaming the streets of Hollywood. 

Darth Vader

We also visited the famous handprints and footprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

Aidan and Ryder had a lot of fun on the musical staircase.

This piano staircase played a different note each time you moved to a new step.

We saw the famous Hollywood sign.

A fun surprise was seeing a Mennonite choir singing on the sidewalk.

We ended the day with a relaxed evening at Davy’s apartment – visiting, playing, swimming, and doing laundry.  It was a great ending to a fun and busy day in the city.

Both Aidan and Ryder say this was their absolute favorite part of the entire trip because they got to see their cousin, Davy, and swim in his pool.