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| El Capitano Theatre |
A little way down the street, your attention is grabbed by a huge T-Rex atop the roof of a 1920s building, originally used as offices and apartments. Now, it is home to Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. The tour guide shows the T-Rex with a clock in its mouth but that has gone and it now sports sunglasses and a camera around its neck. Right next door is the old Hollywood Theatre, housing the Guinness World Records Museum. Out front stands a model of the world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow, who stood 8 feet, 11 inches tall.
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| Terry Rex |
Further along, there is the Pig and Whistle Restaurant and the Egyptian Theatre. The restaurant was one of a chain of family restaurants. It opened in 1927, with pipe organ music welcoming the diners. Now you don't get that in McDonalds! The theatre was originally going to be a Moorish palace until Howard Carter stumbled across the tomb of King Tutankhamen and the building was hastily rebuilt to resemble an Egyptian temple. Opened in 1922, the decorative ceiling inside, modelled on Tutankhamen's tomb is still there for all to see. That is, unless they have an event going on when you visit and not even the old Neill charm and an English accent can gain you entry! We moved on, somewhat disappointed.
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| The Egyptian Theatre |
With another side stroll, we came to a building shaped like a cruise ship, with a globe on top of the mast, Crossroads of the World. Originally a shopping mall, it and its surrounding buildings, now look like private dwellings. When it opened in 1936 it was the city's first cosmopolitan shopping mall.
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| The Crossroads of the World |
Back on the boulevard, we were starting to flag. The sun was still beating down and we'd been on our feet for a good many hours.
Pressing on, back towards Hollywood and Vine, the boulevard took on a rather seedy look. The highlight of this area and no doubt why it is now mostly filled with, shall we say, lingerie shops, is Frederick's. This 1940s store, with its pink awnings was the first of its kind, selling 'unmentionables'. Today, those around it are selling far worse! At this point we decided to call it a day and made our way back down into the metro station.
3 trains, red, blue and green, later and we were back at the station, at which, we had started our day. As we walked back under the flight path once more, we stopped again to watch the aircraft landing, counting the sets of lights twinkling in the sky, on the approach.
Back at the hotel, we did some packing, before heading out to Denny's again, for our dinner.
Tomorrow will be our last day, as we fly out at 6pm. Before that though, we have a breakfast date with our friend Carol, who is taking us to Manhattan Beach. Should be nice, as the weather is predicted to be scorching again.
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