Keep reading for a few ways to embrace the spotlight in Hollywood!
Visit a Cemetery, Stay for a Movie
One of the things I miss most about living in Chicago is the way the city celebrates the summer months with outdoor festivals and events. Watching Rebel without a Cause surrounded by groups of picnickers and underneath a full moon brought me back to my days of movies in Grant Park. This isn't your average park movie theater. In true L.A. style Cinespia brings classic movies to the big screen - in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
We arrived as the movie started so we missed out on touring the cemetery. Thank you to the security guard though who politely kicked us off the lawn 20 minutes after the show ended and also gave us an impromptu tour to see Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer's resting place. I'd recommend getting to the show during daylight so you can see some of the ornate tombstones and to claim a good spot on the lawn.
With only three shows left this season, it's time to get your tickets. You can purchase tickets and parking passes online. Food and beverages are all BYOB and I'd recommend plenty of blankets, pillows or short camping chairs. If you forget your wine, or you just run out, they also have a vendor selling bottles for only $15. Quite a deal for California.
Chill with the Band
The trip to L.A. centered around seeing a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. It was my first time in the venue and I was not disappointed. Any place where you can get tickets for three great bands for $20 - and get to bring in your own food and alcohol - is tops on my list.
There are a good number of picnic spots throughout the grounds. We got there right as the show was starting (sense a theme here?) so we headed to our seats and enjoyed our snacks and wine there. If you're seated on the benches near the top of the bowl, bring a cushion or rent one for $1. Your seat will thank you.
To get there, we took a taxi from West Hollywood which gave us front door service. There are also parking shuttles from numerous neighborhoods around L.A. Definitely take a shuttle, the parking situation at the bowl looked like a nightmare.
The acoustics are great and it's a beautiful place to see a show. Thank you to Sharon Van Etten, Neko Case and The National for making it a special evening!
Hike with a Mobile Army
I can't visit somewhere without doing a hike or something active so we headed to Malibu Creek State Park. Turns out you can't escape Hollywood even on a hike in Calabasas.
We started our hike trying to make it to Rock Pool or Century Lake and ended up at the former film site of M*A*S*H. The hot, dry hike through this park is beautiful with a variety of rock formations and view points. The hike out to the M*A*S*H set is about 2 miles from the beginning of the South Grassland trail head and ends at the Goat Buttes which you can see in the background of some M*A*S*H episodes.
The park is also home to scenery from other movies such as Planet of the Apes and Swiss Family Robinson.
Parking is off Malibu Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway and the park's site has descriptions of the day hikes.
For a post hike refreshment, drive the 15 minutes on Mulholland to the outdoor tasting room/garden at Malibu Family Wines. They have great picnic areas but make sure to bring your own food, there aren't many options at the winery.
If you need a place to stay in the Hollywood area, check out Farmer's Daughter Hotel. An affordable, boutique hotel option in West Hollywood, close to the freeway and right across the street from where The Price is Right is filmed. One of the desk staff members hosts talks with guests hoping to hit it big on the show the next day. Come on down!
If you've "been-there-done-that" in Hollywood, it may be time to look again!
Visit a Cemetery, Stay for a Movie
One of the things I miss most about living in Chicago is the way the city celebrates the summer months with outdoor festivals and events. Watching Rebel without a Cause surrounded by groups of picnickers and underneath a full moon brought me back to my days of movies in Grant Park. This isn't your average park movie theater. In true L.A. style Cinespia brings classic movies to the big screen - in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
We arrived as the movie started so we missed out on touring the cemetery. Thank you to the security guard though who politely kicked us off the lawn 20 minutes after the show ended and also gave us an impromptu tour to see Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer's resting place. I'd recommend getting to the show during daylight so you can see some of the ornate tombstones and to claim a good spot on the lawn. With only three shows left this season, it's time to get your tickets. You can purchase tickets and parking passes online. Food and beverages are all BYOB and I'd recommend plenty of blankets, pillows or short camping chairs. If you forget your wine, or you just run out, they also have a vendor selling bottles for only $15. Quite a deal for California.
Chill with the Band
There are a good number of picnic spots throughout the grounds. We got there right as the show was starting (sense a theme here?) so we headed to our seats and enjoyed our snacks and wine there. If you're seated on the benches near the top of the bowl, bring a cushion or rent one for $1. Your seat will thank you.
To get there, we took a taxi from West Hollywood which gave us front door service. There are also parking shuttles from numerous neighborhoods around L.A. Definitely take a shuttle, the parking situation at the bowl looked like a nightmare.
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Hike with a Mobile Army
We started our hike trying to make it to Rock Pool or Century Lake and ended up at the former film site of M*A*S*H. The hot, dry hike through this park is beautiful with a variety of rock formations and view points. The hike out to the M*A*S*H set is about 2 miles from the beginning of the South Grassland trail head and ends at the Goat Buttes which you can see in the background of some M*A*S*H episodes.
The park is also home to scenery from other movies such as Planet of the Apes and Swiss Family Robinson. Parking is off Malibu Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway and the park's site has descriptions of the day hikes.
For a post hike refreshment, drive the 15 minutes on Mulholland to the outdoor tasting room/garden at Malibu Family Wines. They have great picnic areas but make sure to bring your own food, there aren't many options at the winery.
If you need a place to stay in the Hollywood area, check out Farmer's Daughter Hotel. An affordable, boutique hotel option in West Hollywood, close to the freeway and right across the street from where The Price is Right is filmed. One of the desk staff members hosts talks with guests hoping to hit it big on the show the next day. Come on down!
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| Night time in the Farmer's Daughter courtyard |
Jump on the Sharon Van Etten bandwagon now! You won't be disappointed!
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