Okeydokey, here's part two - lots of photos in this thread.  :-)

 

Leaving the Lake Elsinore area:

 

 

 

In California? Who'da thunk?

 

Downtown L.A. - the iconic Watts Towers are on the left:

 

Almost to Beverly Hills (and our hotel):

 

The highrises of Century City:

 

My partner snapped this pic of a church in Beverly Hills:

 

We stopped briefly at the hotel and then headed to Studio City - on the way we saw a bit of Hollywood:

 

 

 

We went over the mountains via Laurel Canyon Boulevard, but everything was so close to the road and I didn't have a chance to get any decent pics. Ah well, we finally made it to CBS Studios and saw a taping of 'Hot in Cleveland'. Obviously it's been great to see my photo as the opening title on the show every week - it was flat out surreal to see that it's shown on every monitor on the set in between takes, and being introduced to the audience as the photographer was really humbling:

 

Of course, no photos during filming (shucks!) but ah well - afterward we wandered around Studio City. Not sure *what* the deal was here  :wtf:

 

No, we did not eat here:

 

Sights along Ventura Blvd:

 

 

 

 

Yowza!

 

 

 

 

Last shot of Ventura before we head back to the hotel:

 

Speaking of, did I mention our hotel had a lovely rooftop pool?  :wink2:

 

Century City:

 

Beverly Hills City Hall:

 

Downtown L.A. in the smoggy distance:

 

 

The Century condo building - Candy Spelling downsized from the 56,000 sq. ft. Manor to the penthouse in this building:

 

More humble abodes in Beverly Hills:

 

And not-so humble abodes on higher ground:

 

Can't go to California and *not* get a shot of some 'Googie' architecture!

 

"Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard" Well, SOUTH Santa Monica Boulevard ... you get my drift.

 

 

Yeah, I saw more Bentleys and Rolls-Royces in three days than I ever have in my life:

 

Of course, I had to stop at the best chocolatier on Earth!

 

Back to the fancy vehicles:

 

 

 

What a cute little... moose??

 

Took a walk around a small park:

 

 

 

 

Even Beverly Hills has "scary" back alleys!  :-D

 

OMG, they even have vandalism!!!  :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the homes are lovely, some are fugly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure what the hell they did to this Tudor  :-P

 

 

Back to the park:

 

 

I have NO idea:

 

Our hotel, the L'Ermitage:

 

 

 

 

 

Grabbed lunch at Il Pastaio:

 

Of course, when in Beverly Hills, you have to go to Rodeo Drive!

 

Bwahahaaaa!!! Discount store invades Rodeo Drive!  :lol:

 

 

EEK!!! Run for the hills - they have aggressive panhandlers!!!  :roll:

 

Holy high heels!

 

 

Via Rodeo - the 'everybody and their brother' Kodak shot:

 

 

 

Ooo, sparkly!

 

Okay, I have to admit I enjoy "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills", especially Lisa Vanderpump, so we had to stop at Villa Blanca for a drink. While we were leaving we had a celebrity sighting - Drake http://www.drakeofficial.com/ was having lunch with a friend on the patio; however, I also got a celebrity 'death stare' when he saw I had a camera so no, no photo of him. Oh well.

 

A nearby building had huge movie posters plastered on it:

 

And back up to the rooftop pool at the hotel - sorry for the blurs and noise on the photos, I didn't have a tripod with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day we headed over to West Hollywood - en route we went to Wilshire Boulevard:

 

 

 

 

Holy cow, another scary back alley!!!

 

The Four Seasons Hotel:

 

 

 

 

This stretch had quite a few design and furniture stores:

 

 

 

It's not Beverly Hills but it's still pretty posh - in Cleveland, this would bottles of Cobra or Colt 45  :lol:

 

Pacific Design Center by Cesar Pelli:

 

Yep, an ironworks studio:

 

EEK!!!!!!!!!! Okay, interesting way to advertise your spa but yeesh!

 

Farmers Market on Melrose Place (no, I'm not kidding - this street *is* Melrose Place!):

 

Some nicely landscaped homes nearby:

 

 

And not-so nicely landscaped:

 

 

 

 

 

There *might* have been a little Photoshopping here  :wink:

 

Yep, we're in West Hollywood alright!

 

 

 

 

Stopped at the Abbey for a drink:

 

 

 

 

Okay, last of the scary back alleys, I promise!

 

Last of the Googie gas station!

 

And back to LAX - hope you enjoyed!

 

Congrats on your fame!!!  It couldn't happen to a nicer person. Very happy for you!!! :laugh:

 

 

Did you notice the cute little BH homes that are dwarfed by the mansions?

Did you get a chance to go inside BH city Hall grounds?

Did you see the Church of Latter Day Saints?

 

Were you staying on Olympic?

 

I live about 7 min away from where you took this pic and you didn't visit!  :'(

 

 

 

 

Took a walk around a small park:

 

 

The Googie gas station is always at LEAST $.30 more expensive than surrounding stations.  And yet, there are always cars filling up there.  Only in BH.  Excellent shots MayDay, hope you enjoyed your visit to SoCal.

I can't believe those Rodeo Dr. street signs! I don't think even someone making a mockumentary about Beverly Hills could have dreamed up something like that.

^That's just one sign, and it's actually on the grounds of Two Rodeo (shopping center that was designed to resemble a European street lined with boutiques); still pretty umm, gaudy?

^oh I see, so it's actually a fake street sign not officially sanctioned by the city (?) There's still no excuse for it! :shoot:

Nice work!  I really like the iron bars ones and the one after, the spa face masks. 

I was never a fan of Pelli's Blue Whale building.  Horrendous.  Also, I think everybody's seen Drake somewhere at sometime.

 

Thanks for the photos.

Great Pics!! I always love how bright and vibrant certain neighborhoods look in that Cali sunshine. Makes me wihs the North east wasn't so gray. Great job!

Great set, although thanks to this pic

 

 

I will now be humming this all afternoon

 

I love these pix. If I had known you were going, I would have given you my old address in BH and told you to drive by - the homes north of Sunset have their own unique beauty and neighborhood feel that's much different than the flat streets. I recognized so many things from your pictures - that cool tree right next to Santa Monica Blvd, the neighborhood near the Farmer's Market - I think you walked down the street where my friends lived for many years, we used to stay at their house and dog-sit when we were on vacation and they would come back to Ohio at the same time. Wow, I really miss it!

Awesome set. California is so goofy yet so fun. Great place to visit.

 

And UO sure is hiring some hot pregnant models these days for its ads!  :-P

 

http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/la2012/la2012_80.jpg

Southern California has always seemed like one giant trainwreck to me.  I just couldn't do it. 

This one image more than makes up for Southern California's real or perceived shortcomings: