LA Weekend

So we took it upon ourselves to check out Los Angeles. Saturday morning we loaded up the pooches and headed for downtown. Our destination, the L.A. Farmer's Market. I drove us through the San Fernando Valley, home to the movie Valley Girl and also where I went to PT school, then it was over Cahuenga Pass and into the heart of LA.

It has been a very long time since I've been to Los Angeles. And we were right downtown. It was quiet and we were able to drive around and take it all in. From the central business district, we headed for the farmer's market. Interestingly enough, it's right in the middle of Hollywood. It has been going for 75 plus years and, in true Hollywood, California fashion, sits right beside a HUGE shopping experience called the Grove. But hey, we weren't complaining, because lots of star-sightings occur there...just ask TMZ!

So we hung out, looking for movie stars and ate at a nice taqueria. Then it was off to the Sunset Strip, past the Whiskey a Go-Go and the Roxy. These were some of the clubs that we would go to in our early 20's to check out bands, get a little wild and try not to get arrested. Sunset is one of the most scenic drives anywhere in the Southland. It takes you from Hollywood to Beverly Hills, past Bel Air and into Pacific Palisades, before dropping you off at PCH and the beach. En Route we decided to stop by a park and walk the dogs.

Okay, picture the two of us and our three rowdy dogs walking in a nice park in P.P. Needless to say, I felt a little like the Beverly hillbillies. But they behaved themselves and all was going swell...until we ran into the Paparazzi. Yes, I'm talking the real deal here. Turns out Jennifer Garner was playing with her daughter Violet on the playground while husband, Ben Affleck held the baby. (Please don't read too much into this. Susan gave me the details) Now I would've gotten a nice shot of them, but Susan threatened be with bodily harm if I was going to follow suit with the Paparazzi, so no picture was taken. We did get within about 50 feet of them and it was definitely them. Wow, mission accomplished with my quest to see a movie star!

The afternoon was spent walking around Santa Monica and finally driving back up the coast to Ventura. It was a great day, one for the books. Maybe it was the nostalgia, maybe the holiday weekend, who knows. Only thing I know is that you can take the boy out of California, but can't take California completely out of the boy.