JJK Goes to Hollywood

What?  It was already the last day JJK was going to be here.  :' - (

Jaiden and Kolten really wanted to see touristic Hollywood stuff, so we decided (and I'd never been either) to go see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the theater formally known as Graumans.  Kolten really wanted to see the Hollywood sign.

Once we got to Hollywood and parked (again - lowest level for the win).  We went up to street level and lo and behold we were right at Morgan Freeman's star.

Kolten didn't want to take a picture, but he's the one that always talks about Morgan Freeman.  So to maintain his cool factor he pretended to just be tying his shoe.

There are approximately a bizillion hawkers trying to sell tickets on a "See the Homes of the Stars" tour.  The first guy that asked if we were interested I politely declined, "No, thank you."  Not good enough for him, I guess so he asked why.  When I said I didn't find the idea particularly interesting he said, "Well you're the one taking pictures of cement!"  Well played, Tour Salesguy.  Not only do you have a absolutely fabulous career hawking, cut-rate tours in front of a mall, you have now totally convinced me to buy a ticket.  Excellent salesmanship! 

I really just love that someone named Spanky McFarland has a star.

For KiLee and Nate

Nobody puts Jaiden in a corner ... (of a star)!

I always pretended Kelly when we played Charlie's Angels as kids.

The Disney for Mandi

Apparently my dad is some sort of television star.

The theater formally known as Graumans

Hollywood Sign - turns out it wasn't as cool as Kolten thought it would be.

And all my photos here turned out kind of awful.

Jodi's plan had been to leave Long Beach around 5 pm so they could get to Vegas in time to walk the strip a little, see the Bellagio fountains, etc.  But, of course, in true Taylor fashion we ended up chatting until more like 7:30.  So they got on the road a little later than anticipated.  Their visit was really fun, but way too short.  I'm hoping they can make it back out here at least once more before I move again!

JJK at the Beach - sort of

Unfortunately for Jaiden this vacation included basically zero beach time.  JJK were here at a time when Hurricane Marie (maybe, I don't remember exactly) was spinning offshore and creating massive waves on south facing SoCal beaches.  Like 15 - 20 foot waves.  There were sand berms plowed into pace, there was flooding, there were surf warnings, and all the world renowned big wave surfers were in town.  But regular people, who are not strong ocean swimmers - not so much allowed in the water.

After The Gettys on Saturday we ended up at Belmont Brewery for dinner. Jodi really wanted to go somewhere she could get fresh seafood, but that also wouldn't kill me.  That is actually quite the dilemma. Belmont Brewery is right on the beach so while we waited for a table Jaiden ran out on the beach to sink her toes in the sand.  It was, however, after dark, so I don't have any pictures of her pirouetting through the sand.

Walking back up the the restaurant deck she did have to hug the wall to make way for cyclists, though.




We had a really lovely dinner (wherein Jodi did not eat seafood, but we both had some really good short ribs), and then went back to my apartment and chatted until the wee hours.

JJK at The Huntington

JJK (the new TLM) were able to come visit me over Labor Day weekend.  It was so great to have visitors come and hang out.  We did some fun stuff, but honestly, I would've been happy just sitting around talking for 3 days.  I think we all had fun out and about - sometimes it is hard to tell if teenagers are having a good time, or if they just default to being to cool for stuff.  :)

On Friday we went to The Huntington.  It is my favorite place, and since I'm able to get a visitor in for free it's a good place to hang out.  My favorite thing about hanging out with Jaiden is that she doesn't care that I'm an embarrassing, out-of-touch aunt and will still do goofy things and indulge me when I asked for a picture.


Although sometimes that means I get this:


Folowed by this:


I told the nubbins that if you stand on the edge of the pond the fish will come up and nibble on your fingers.  Jaiden was terrified of them biting her fingers (even though they don't have teeth) and would splash and scare them whenever they got close.


Kolten was definitely steadier, but the fish were really suspicious after Jaiden!


We did a bit of an abbreviated tour because it was hot, and well... teenagers so after the Lilly Ponds we headed straight to the Japanese Garden.

This guy sits on top of the Tea House




Herding teenagers is kind of like herding cats!






It had been a while since I'd walked through the Bonsai Court; I don't usually go all the way over there, but Jodi wanted to check it out, and a lot of the trees were in bloom.

Hibiscus bonsai


Natal Plum (the have regular sized Natal Plum trees in the gardens as well)




Pomegranate




In the Bonsai Court:




I'd never seen this bust before and I failed to take a picture to remind me who it is, but I especially like his glasses.


We headed over to the Chinese Garden where we had the traditional almond cookies and cold beverages and sat by the lake and chatted and relaxed.  I failed to take any pictures of this portion, but one day I'll remember (or feel motivated) to get my camera out and capture this little ritual.  After a bit we started to get hungry (almond cookies only go so far), and decided to head out.  As we were walking back out I remembered that I'd told the teenagers that if they were good they could play in The Children's Garden before we left.  There are a lot of cool play stations, and water activities (that with the drought may or may not be working on any given day).

Where is Jaiden?


Where. Could.


She. Be?


Oh, Hi Jaids.  There she is. Looking a bit like a GIANT with the tiny blue door.



See how she indulges me in goofy-stuff.  Love it!

She felt a little more comfortable with her fingers near these fish.




Until it bit her, of course!


Kolten was cool as a cucumber, as usual.


I made Jaids crawl into the prism tunnel... and then I couldn't get her back out.




And she took these amazing photos for me from the middle of the tunnel.


There was a weird smoking tee pee thing.  I don't know what the real purpose of this is, but it was a foggy mist.  (Ok, I looked it up it is an interactive Topiary Volcano - the leaves are theoretically red and the mist is the smoke - it erupts every 5 minutes or so.)


And sometimes Jaids gives you this:


Before this:


The teenagers then found the pebble chimes.  You drop little rocks through the top and they hit spikes on the way down that make wind chime noises.  I thought I took a video, but now I can't find it. :(




Magnetic Sand was another big hit.  The both made mohawked hair on the forms.






I always wanted someone to pose with the crows.  Kolten didn't want to be in the picture, but we told him that since he had to he better hustle to get the shady side of the bench!




I had promised water activities and so we headed over to the vortex and water bells.  Jaiden discovered she is a water-bender.




We were kind of hanging around waiting for the Rainbow Room misters to go off.  The docent monitoring the Garden said it only went off every 20 minutes or so, and it was finishing just as we came into the Garden, and then it started again while we were busy somewhere else. We had decided to call it quits without seeing it, but just as we turned to go it turned on again.


And as we were leaving there was a sign made especially for them:




Afterward it was time for dinner.  I told JJK that I usually go across town and eat at either Olive Garden or BJs Brewhouse (btw, who names a restaurant BJs?!).  Neither are particularly my favorite, but they are easy, familiar, and most of all tradition - stretching more than a decade when I first visited The Huntington.  When I told them Olive Garden was a) an option, and b) was a 2-story restaurant it was decided.  As a bonus, they were running their special where you can choose 1 entree to eat there, and then get another to take home.  Bonus 2 meals in 1 for hungry teenagers who totally believe in the absolute necessity of second dinner.   We sat, ate, and talked at the restaurant and then drove back to Long Beach where we sat and talked for several more hours - and planned the adventure for tomorrow.  JJK went back to their hotel and I went to bed very happy to have family visiting!