Day 31-- Hollywood

Michael and I got out of the house around 10am and headed south to Hollywood. I parked the car and we went to all the usual spots- saw the walk of fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre... When we stood in front of the Theatre with all the hand and footprints from famous people, Michael said, "why are we here?" He just didn't get it. I kept looking for Jim Carrey or someone he knew.

So, we went to the McDonalds on Hollywood Blvd and had a quick lunch. Then we jumped on one of those double decker tour buses. We saw a ton of sites. I'm going to post the pictures on my mac account, because there will be a lot of them.
(the link will be updated here)

After our tour of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, we headed to Pasadena to visit with the Berle family. Julia Berle is this supermom who has a son, Baxter, who was once autistic. We hung out in the backyard, had dinner and then talked til about midnight (sorry Julia). Michael had a lot of fun playing with Baxter, Peter and Liza.

Oh and speaking of dinner, I just have to mention that I had the best tasting corn of my life. It tasted like "butter" literally. But, Julia said she didn't put anything on it. She also made this grain dish which totally hit the spot and green beans to die for. If you ever visit the Berle's- please ask for the vegetarian special :)

Julia's house is so awesome and behind their house is a property that is used for movies. Ever see the mansion in The Princess Diaries or Garfield? That's it. Once in a while they shoot movies there, but you can't see a lot because they have walls of ivy growing. The whole area is really beautiful.

Julia Berle and I met a few years ago when she and Baxter came to speak at the conference. It was so nice to spend some time with them. We actually crashed there that night.

Another thing I wanted to mention- now I understand about the Freeways and traffic here in LA. WOW. And the roads are very hilly and winding. I don't know how people drive 70 and go around curves like that. I guess you get used to it, but it keeps you on your toes if you are a first-time visitor.