By late afternoon on Friday, Eli and I were Hollywood bound to visit Phillip Holbrook. On our way, we ran into the one thing that seems a constant in California...traffic!! Our 6 hour trip turned into 8 and a half, but that was okay because we had good company, good tunes, and a fun weekend ahead. Once we got to Philip's apartment in West Hollywood, we walked down to a local bar named Barney's Beanery which was a great spot for catching up and relaxing.
On Saturday, we took our time getting ready and met Phillip's roommate Will who had just moved from New York. Once we were full from our coffee, we headed to Venice beach which was quite a site! It is a popular place to be on a pretty day as there were numerous street performers, street venders selling anything and everything under the sun, as well as lots of food and people from all walks of life. We rented bikes and headed north just past Santa Monica on a bike path that ran along the beach. It was a perfect ride with a gorgeous ocean view and lots of people watching. Once we got past Santa Monica, the beach was not as crowded so we locked up the bikes and went walking along the beach. Correction...Phillip and I went walking. Eli, a lone brave soul, went swimming in the Pacific Ocean which has COLD WATER. He survived...and even reported it was fun!!
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| too cold for us!! |
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| Yea...that's him splashing around!! |
After hanging out on the beach we rode back to Venice where we ate a seafood lunch at Danny's Deli . We can't come to the coast without getting a delicious seafood meal!!! After a delicious meal we went site seeing via the car through Venice to the canals, through Beverly Hills where we stopped for the most amazing cup cakes at Crumb's Bakey, and back to West Hollywood. After freshening up, we walked to Cabo Cantina for drinks and to watch Mexico beat the US in soccer...even though I'm not a soccer fan it was an awesome atmosphere. Phillip then took us to the Griffith Observatory which is a spot with an absolutely stunning view of the entire city. It also has a planetarium where we saw a show. Following this we trekked downtown to one of Phillip's friends houses which was in the middle of the city. We settled in on the roof where there was a large seating area and grill. It was great to meet new people and get a feel for the city.
Sunday morning before we went site-seeing, we fueled up at the Griddle Cafe which had the widest variety and largest pancakes and french toast I have ever seen. Philip got the red velvet pancake, Eli got the wholey moley pancake, and I got the apple French toast. The amount we had could have fed a basketball team. Philip then drove us all around to many places I cannot remember but to the highlights such as through Beverly Hills, on Hollywood Boulevard where we got out and saw the star walk. Then we went to the Grove and farmer's market which is where the Cheesecake Factory is located and that is where Phillip works. It was great to get a look at where the big TV shows and movies are created, where the bit events like the Oscars take place, and the area that so many aspiring and successful actors/actresses/photographers/film producers/etc live and work. As with the other cities, we just got a snippet of the city but really enjoyed it. It is always nice to have such a great host as Philip to help guide your tour. While driving home and running through major traffic again...Eli and I decided big cities are great fun to visit but we like our more simple way of life in Napa...Virginia....and North Carolina!!!
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