There were two weeks between my little road trip to Chicago and my little air trip to California. Not a lot exciting there. I finished my 1974 Oscar nominees and continued with Two and Half Men. I had a couple of good lunches at work, one with Brandie at Benihana for teppanyaki on September 29, 2010, one with Tim at Tan Thai Cuisine on October 1 – both delicious. Right smack in the middle of these two weeks was my 39th birthday. Nothing exciting there either. I ended up spending it at home, watching some 1937 Oscar nominees, eating Burger King, and taking a nap. I justified the boring day by notifying everyone that I would be celebrating the following weekend.
That following week, Ashleigh had a big day on Monday, October 4, as she had her first doctor appointment and heard her baby’s heartbeat. Early choices for names include Lucy and Ryder. We’ll see. I was getting ready for the closing as I re-financed my house that day and had to stop by Carolyn’s house to pick up a signed quit-claim. I met her and her husband’s daughter Fiona for the first time. Quite a cutie. That evening I met up with April Jones, my old Ankeney and BHS classmate who I had renewed acquaintance with at the BHS reunion. She and her nine-year old son Presley met me at Friendly’s that evening for dinner.
On Tuesday, after taking care of my new car title transfer, the plates, and closing on my house at Union Savings Bank, I went over to Mom’s for my birthday dinner. Ashleigh joined us there and also swapped out her car so Bob could fix hers again. We had a great dinner of barbecue chicken, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, poppyseed cake, and ice cream. Nobody cooks it like Mom does. She also gave me two winter coats for my birthday gift. Dad had sent me a check.
But my birthday present to myself was to blow this town yet again for another fun-filled weekend of celebrity encounters and other adventures. This all began on Thursday evening, October 7, 2010. I left work around 1:30pm and headed over to Dad’s house, changed clothes, and we set out for the Dayton airport. I had a 4:10 flight to Denver, during which I sat next to no one thankfully. The 6:10 flight from Denver to Los Angeles was only slightly more eventful as I set next to two chubby sisters who where headed to Australia, one of whom was having an asthma attack for half of the flight.
I arrived at L.A.X. at 7:37, having gained a total of three hours. Trying to meet up with Jimmy was a struggle as my phone had run out of power. But eventually I got it charged and we found each other. We went straight to his house in San Pedro and picked up Jimmy’s wife Ellen. We got to Sushi 21, not far from their house, at about 9pm.
This is always a delightful way to start road trip. I got the all-you-can-eat buffet and started off with the Dynamite appetizer, the eel roll, the crunchy roll, and baked scallop roll. Ellen also got a crunchy roll, and mine was considerably larger. It was like they were trying to fill me up. I was nice and full by the time I finished these, but not wanting to be defeated by the sushi, I ordered an additional Las Vegas roll and a Chicken Teriyaki roll. As it turns out, I was defeated. I simply could not finish it all. They were supposed to charge $1 for each piece not consumed, but they didn’t. It didn’t matter; I could eat no more. I went back to Jimmy’s place, thoroughly stuffed.
You may not be able to tell it here, but I am about to ralph up raw fish
Elbie was a little bit disturbed by the newly introduced Halloween decor
So stuffed from dinner that the only thing I was capable of at this point was collapsing on my pullout couch with a good book
I woke up on Friday morning, still full. But by the time we had left around 7:45am, picked up David at his place in Burbank, and stopped at the Coral Cafe, I was apparently ready for a light breakfast of country fried chicken and eggs. Our friend Bob was on a pre-arranged trip to Lone Pine this particular weekend, so unfortunately I wouldn’t be seeing him. But I did bring along “Little Bob”
Little Bob joins us for breakfast at the Coral Cafe
We were just a little bit behind schedule when we arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood, so we met up with our friend Rick Greene about 15 minutes late. I had been to Universal twice in the past, the first time in 1988, the second in 1997, so I was anxious to see what all was added here in the last dozen years. To get to the entrance, we walked through the Universal CityWalk – and right past the Hard Rock Cafe. Jimmy and I had eaten here back in 2008, but it was at night so I didn’t get a very good picture in front of the building. Hint taken.
A nice shot outside the CityWalk Hard Rock Cafe
Jimmy had an $8 off coupon for me to get into the park, while the California residents among us were able to purchase season tickets for about the same price as a daily admission. Once inside the park, we began our exploration of the new (to me) attractions, beginning in the Upper Lot section of the park.
With the giant Universal globe moments before entering the park
Cameraman entrance statue with Rick, David, Jimmy, and me
The first of these was The Simpsons Ride, a very cool 3-D film combined with a simulators, which had replaced the DeLorean time machines from Back to the Future: The Ride. It simulated a run-down amusement park ride, with your car hopping from one ride to the next. It was a bit bumpy and could have used some extra ‘fourth-dimension’ effects, but it was very cool and funny overall.
Outside the Simpsons ride with a familiar cartoon face…and Homer Simpson
It was hard to grab these screen images off of Universal’s monitors. The images were weak and they tried to shut them off if they spotted you with a camera. Buttfaces.
Next up was the world famous, tried-and-true 45-minute Studio Tour. The tour has been in existence since 1915, with the trams being finally added in 1964. Obviously, over the years, much has been added and taken away…or burnt to the ground! The tour itself is a combination of film sets and props actually employed in numerous films and television shows, exterior views of the sound stages, staged events and attractions, and a ‘witty’ tour guide – in our case a hot British girl.
Ready to enjoy the world famous Studio Tram tour
In 2008, certain areas of the backlot were burnt to the ground including the entire King Kong encounter attraction and the Back to the FutureCourthouse Square. The Square has been rebuilt, but the King Kong animatronic was substituted with King Kong 360 3-D. The effect is that you enter an soundstage wearing your 3-D glasses, when suddenly the tram is attacked by dinosaurs, which jump all over and around you. King Kong makes his appearance and defeats the dinosaurs.
Included in the many sets are generic European, Western, and New York style streets, Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives (which includes houses used in Leave It To Beaver and The Munsters), the Psycho house, the cabin from The Great Outdoors, and sets from War of the Worlds and How the Grinch Stole Christmas – both of which interfere with my enjoyment of the sacred ground of the Psycho house. There are also many cars used in films on display (including the Death Mobile from National Lampoon’s Animal House), and the entrance walls to the Lyon Estates as seen in Back to the Future.
A typical British Big 7 set, Morrissey’s pub
The Death Mobile as seen in National Lampoon’s Animal House
The tram turns onto a western style street
Down the fictional Wisteria Lane – actually named Colonial Street – sits the Leave It To Beaver house. However, the original LITB house was relocated in 1988, and this newer facade was constructed for the 1997 LITB movie. So this house is not original.
Also on Colonial Street is the original 1313 Mockingbird Lane from The Munsters. It was remodeled when it was introduced on Desperate Housewives as not to be to recognizable.
This is the Solis’ house on Desperate Housewives, where Eva Longoria’s character lives. It was also the haunted house in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and portions of its facade were used to create the Psycho house in 1960
Although the house has been relocated and the entire motel was rebuilt for Psycho II in 1982, the front and left side of the house was part of the actual structure as seen in the original Psycho
In 2008, a look-alike for Norman Bates was added to the tour, carrying a body out to Marion’s 1957 Ford…then stalking the tram with a kitchen knife. The set pieces of Whoville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas nearly ruin the whole effect.
The cabin as used in The Great Outdoors, with the water tank and blue screen behind it
Staged scenes and attractions (in addition to King Kong) included an appearance by Jaws, the subway Earthquake, the parting of the sea, the flash flood, the Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, and the Fast and the Furious special effects display. Overall, the Studio Tour is something that every red-blooded American needs to see at least once. I’ve now seen it thrice.
David and Rick observe a car that has just seemingly flown toward them
A familiar backdrop outside the Studio Tram ride
It was about 1pm by the time we got off that ride, posed for a picture with Jaws, made our way to the Lower Lot, and boarded the Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride. This sits in the area that once housed E.T. Adventure. It is an indoor steel coaster that moves though an abandoned archaeological dig, ripe with Mummy-ish special effects. The coaster goes forward than backward along a different track reminiscent of Disney’s Everest. We were stopped in a dark room at the end of the ride before we made our way into the unloading area, and we thought the ride had broken down – and were a little concerned that another coaster might come along and whack us. It didn’t.
Fun with fish
Our gang heads down the “Starway” to the Lower Lot
Congratulating the mummy on a ride well done
Our apparent lack of thrills on the Mummy ride, which may have killed the folks in front of us
Our next ride was right across from The Mummy and was one that I recalled quite vividly from my 1997 visit. It was Jurassic Park: The Ride, a water ride with a nice big drop full of dinosaur animatronics. It ends with a giant Tyrannosaurus emerging and attacking the boat before you go down the 85 foot drop. Fortunately, we didn’t get too wet. At least those who missed being sprayed by the Dilophosaur didn’t.
Ready to take the plunge of the Jurassic Park ride
Two tiny dinosaurs fight over the popcorn left behind by a rider
It was about 1:30 when we decided to get lunch at the nearby Jurassic Cafe, which had a variety of foods to choose from. I opted for the orange chicken and lo mein from Panda Express. After we finished eating, Rick took off to attend his son’s baseball game.
Heading back up to the Upper Lot, I stopped to overlook the San Fernando Valley. Sharp eyes will find the Warner Bros. Studios among the scenery.
David, Jimmy, and I then headed back down to the Upper Lot to check out T2 3-D: Battle Across Time. If I thought Disney had a lot of 3-D attractions, Universal was riddled with them. I had seen this one before when I came in 1997. It combined 3-D effects with live actors, literally coming through the screen in some cases. Based on Terminator 2, it made me wonder what California residents thought of seeing their Governor so up close and personal as a Cyborg.
OK, one more 3-D attraction…or so to speak. Shrek 4-D was the last major attraction to see and we hit that one just before 4pm. It was good, but more of the same…an entertaining 3-D movie, combined with movable seats, water mist sprayers, and lighting effects.
Once we finished, we headed over to Universal’s House of Horrors, which had certain times throughout the day that it was open. This was in essence the scariest haunted house I’ve ever gone through. Stocked with live actors, it is similar to low budget local haunted houses, only much fancier and much scarier. These things usually don’t scare me, but I can tell you that on at least one occasion I nearly jumped out of my skin. David and Jimmy each experienced similar frights. The one that got me was when I tried to take a picture of a figure, which ended up jumping straight at me. Frankenstein, who I knew was coming for me, gave me a bit of a start as well.
This was the picture of Chucky that I ended up with after he jumped at me and made me nearly toss the camera
Before and after the haunted house, I also stopped to greet two of the look-alike actors roaming the streets. I enjoyed a nice exchange with Lucy in particular, who asked if I could get her into show business. I replied in a Ricky Ricardo Cuban accent that she need to stop all of her scheming. Groucho wasn’t nearly as good, but was a welcome site after I had emerged from the House of Horrors.
With the Lucy Ricardo look-alike
Groucho and Braddo
Last – and probably least – we ended our day at Universal with the 5pm performance of Universal’s Animal Actors, stopping for an orange soda with our hands before it started. This was a basic animal stunt show complete with birds, monkeys, dogs, ferrets, pigs, and ducks. Many of the animals have appeared in recent feature films such as Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, Night at the Museum, and Dr. Doolittle.
Farewell Universal. And an orange soda for you, my dear…
A final, colorful picture of us at the Universal Studios fountain as we headed out
I had seen the Hard Rock Cafe on Hollywood Boulevard (not to be confused with the Univeral CityWalk Hard Rock seen earlier in this posting) during my last Hollywood visit. However, at that time, it was not yet open and we only got to browse the Rock Shop. But it opened over the summer this year and that was where we headed after we finished our day at Universal Studios.
We got there about 6:45 and were quickly seated. I still felt guilty about the huge sushi dinner from the night before, so I opted out of the traditional gourmet burger and just went for the Twisted Mac & Cheese with Chicken. Of course, since dinner was a bit lighter, I capped it off with a small bit of strawberry cheesecake. I was certain that this, my tenth Hard Rock of 2010, would be my last of the year. But of course, things often change in the Catsafterme world.
Back on Hollywood Boulevard – at the newest American Hard Rock Cafe, my 10th for the year, 30th overall
If you had any doubt that I was in Hollywood for the weekend, this should prove it
With our matching marcaroni meals
After eating, we browsed the memorabilia for a bit and then headed out. Jimmy and I dropped David off and then headed back to his place. It had been a great day, but we still had plenty to do the next day – including the number one reason that I had made the trip in the first place.
A collage of John Lennon memorabilia: including handwritten lyrics to Imagine, John’s brush and comb set and Super Chromonica Harmonica (both gifts from the Beatles manager Brian Epstein) and a rare photo of John and Yoko’s estate in St. George’s Hill taken in 1969
On January 21, 2010, Ringo Starr played at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and played so hard with these that he busted a hole through the drum snare head – also seen here
I nearly bypassed this tan suede jacket, before realizing that it was the one that John Lennon was wearing on the cover of Rubber Soul
The Hollywood weekend will continue…
Bypass the trip and continue with 2010…
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