Spotlight: Los Angeles - Hollywood Walk of Fame

Spotlight: In honor of the Academy Awards, this week's spotlight is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame comprises 15 blocks of Hollywood Blvd. and 3 blocks of Vine St., plus a short segment of Marshall Way, in Hollywood, California. The sidewalks along the stretch are dotted with more than 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars, at six foot intervals, that represent the most famous entertainment stars in the world. When the Walk was first constructed in 1960, it included 1,558 honorees selected by committees representing the four major branches of the entertainment industry at the time (movies, TV, radio, and audio recording). In 1984, live theater was added as a fifth category. Every year, nominees to be added to the path are considered by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee, and approved by the Hollywood Chamber's Board of Directors. The Committee selects about 20 new inductees each year. Stars can be awarded to individual performers, music or theatrical groups, directors, producers, fictional characters, or even corporations such as the LA Dodgers. On occasion, superstar entertainers have earned stars in multiple categories. The Walk is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the Hollywood Historic Trust. With as many as 10 million visitors a year, it may not be the path less trodden, but it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting sidewalks in the world.

Location: The Walk of Fame is located on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. The Famous TCL Chinese Theatre is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

TCL Chinese Theatre

Cost: Free to walk, but parking will cost you

Time: 1 - 3 hours (open 24/7)

Description: The Walk of Fame runs 1.3 miles from East to West along Hollywood Blvd. One way to explore it is to start at one end (La Brea Ave.) and walk to the other (Gower St.), and then walk back on the other side, not forgetting to follow the two offshoots at Vine and Marshall Way (the short diagonal that links Hollywood and La Brea). Another way is to start at whatever point you want and just see as many stars as you can in your time frame. A third option is to search for the specific stars you want to see by using the Find a Star site. Interestingly, certain stars have multiple stars for contributions in different venues of entertainment. Gene Autry is the only person to have a star in all five branches. Entertainers with four stars include: Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, Roy Rogers and Tony Martin.

Lucille Ball 

Harrison Ford

     In addition to traditional entertainers, several other celebrities have earned stars for unique contributions to the entertainment industry. At the intersection of Hollywood and Vine you can find a unique memorial to astronauts of the Apollo XI mission, since their landing was one of the most watched programs in TV history. Instead of stars, they received moons. Magic Johnson and Muhammad Ali are the only stars who were primarily athletes. Sid Grauman, who built Grauman's Chinese Theatre, earned his star for that accomplishment. Three make-up artists, three special effects experts, ten cartoonists & animators, two puppeteers, two novelists, ten inventors, and one costume designer have earned stars. Mickey Mouse was the first fictional character to receive a star - many other followed, including the Muppets, the Munchkins, and Godzilla. Three canines also have stars (Lassie, Strongheart, and Rin Tin Tin). Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. President with a star, and one of two governors (Arnold Schwarzenegger). There is also a senator, two representatives, and one European Head of State (Ignacy Paderewsky).
     The Walk currently ends at the silver "Four Ladies of Hollywood" Gazebo, where you can find the special "Walk of Fame" star. The most famous landmark along the Walk is probably the old Grauman's (now the TCL) Chinese Theatre, where the most famous stars are typically located. In addition to stars, the Theatre has almost 200 concrete blocks with handprints and/or footprints of famous celebrities including some from a galaxy far, far away - R2-D2, C-3PO, and Darth Vader. Other famous landmarks along Hollywood Blvd. are Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Hollywood Wax Museum, Dolby Theatre, Capitol Records Tower, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, and El Capitan Theatre. Some popular restaurants along the walk include: California Pizza Kitchen, 25 Degrees, Johnny Rockets, Hard Rock Cafe, Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store, Ghirardelli Chocolate, and Mel's Drive-In.

Darth Vader, C-3PO & R2-D2

Rating: 2,504 stars (out of 2,505)

Things You Should Know: - For a full list of who has stars on the Walk of Fame, go to Starfinder
- Star ceremonies are held throughout the year for the various nominees. Ceremonies are open to the public, and there is no paid admission, nor assigned seating at ceremonies.
- Living recipients of stars must agree to come to the ceremony honoring the placement of their star. Forty nominated recipients have thus not received a star due to this condition. Posthumous stars must be represented by a relative.
- The cost of installing a star in the Walk of Fame (upon approval) is $30,000 and is paid by the nominee's sponsor.
- Joanne Woodward is sometimes considered to be the recipient of the first star on the Walk, but actually she was one of eight stars randomly drawn from the original 1,558 to be installed as prototypes in order to promote the idea in an effort to ward off litigation to stop the project due to a hike in property taxes. She is, however, the first star to pose with her star for photographers.
- When news of a star's death breaks, the Hollywood Chamber of Congress places flowers on their star. As a result, the stars on the Walk have often become the sites of vigils to honor the deceased.
- Of all the stars on the Walk to date, 47% have been awarded in the motion pictures category, 24% in television, 17% in audio recording, 10% in radio, and less than 2% in the live performance category.
- Subway stops on Hollywood Blvd. are located at Western Ave., Vine St. and Highland Ave.

Nearby: The Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood & Highland, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Park

Time Capsule - February 2006 - Cruise to Ensenada, Mexico

     Ten years ago we went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. My grandmother enjoyed taking the whole family on vacations; but I think her favorite type of family vacation was on a cruise ship. On this particular adventure, we sailed out of Los Angeles on Royal Caribbean. If you've never been on a cruise before, the main thing you do on board is lounge and eat. They feed you about four meals a day (including a midnight buffet). Not only is there plenty of food, they also have a variety of foods that you would probably never try under other circumstances because: 1) Many of the entrees are very unique, so they wouldn't be found on most menus; and 2) If you did go to a restaurant that served them, they would probably be extremely expensive. However, since the food was included in the ticket price, you could experiment with new foods without worrying about ordering something expensive only to discover that you didn't like it. I ate lamb, duck, Mahi Mahi, chilled soup, and too many desserts. Dinners were formal affairs, and the staff did a show on one of the nights.
    The cruise ship sailed down to Ensenada, Mexico where we took a tour to La Bufadora - one of the largest blowholes in the world. La Bufadora is a marine geyser located on the Punta Banda Peninsula of Baja California. When waves enter the cave, the air trapped inside is forced out through the blowhole, shooting water up to 30 meters into the air, accompanied by a thunderous noise. The rougher the sea, the higher the spout will shoot. The process is repeated every minute or so. Family members who were with us had seen some more famous blowholes in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Samoa, but we all agreed that this one was the best we'd seen. After our visit to La Bufadora, we did some shopping at the outdoor markets on the way back to the ship.

La Bufadora

      Other activities we enjoyed on board were: basketball, the rock climbing wall, face painting, and watching the beautiful sunsets and coastal scenery. We saw one of the evening shows, but the entertainment was somewhat crude, so be forewarned if you have children with you. We also reserved a room for our family reunion activities, which included family stories, trivia, a talent show, and games. Overall, we had a lot of fun, and probably gained a lot of weight.

Spotlight: Los Angeles - Olvera Street

Spotlight: Olvera Street is located smack dab in the middle of oldest section of downtown Los Angeles. In fact, the popular pedestrian marketplace is part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Marker, and many of the Plaza District's historic buildings are located on the street, including the Avila Adobe (1818 - the oldest house in Los Angeles), the Pelanconi House (1857), and the Sepulveda House (1887). The town of Los Angeles was settled by Spanish settlers in 1781 on the banks of the Los Angeles River, just southeast of Olvera Street. The Plaza was the heart of the community, and served as the economic center of the settlement. A small alley branching off from the Plaza, Wine Street was renamed Olvera St. by the City Council in 1877 to honor Agustin Olvera, the first Superior Court Judge of Los Angeles County. As the town expanded during the early 1900's the town center was neglected and became a hub for immigrants - most notably Mexicans, Sicilians, and Chinese (who congregated in nearby Chinatown to make room for the construction of Union Station).

Avila Adobe

     In an effort to preserve the cultural heritage of the historic town center, Christine Sterling began a public campaign to renovate the Francisco Avila Adobe which in turn evolved into an effort to renovate Olvera Street into a working Mexican marketplace. In 1926, she recruited the help of Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, to help promote the effort. Even though the Los Angeles City Council had condemned the Avila Adobe, Sterling's efforts were rewarded with a reversal of that decision. After extensive reconstruction efforts, Olvera Street was reopened for business on Easter Sunday 1930.

Location: Olvera Street is located in downtown Los Angeles just north of Interstate 101.

Cost: Free; souvenirs and food is reasonably priced; nearby parking in official lots usually runs from $5-$9.

Time: Most shops on Olvera Street are open 7 days a week from 10 am - 6 pm on weekdays and from 8 am - 10 pm on weekends.

Description: Olvera Street is home to dozens of craft shops and restaurants with a strong Mexican flavor. In addition to the historic adobe buildings, the pedestrian mall is lined by shade trees and brick market buildings run by many of the descendants of the original vendors who opened shop in 1930. Down the middle of the avenue are smaller wooden kiosks selling T-shirts, piñatas, colorful dresses, leather goods, crucifixes, puppets, pottery, serapes, bull horns, large sombreros, and much more. More than two million visitors stroll the avenue every year, enjoying the ethnic flavor of the shops and especially the restaurants which serve traditional Mexican dishes such as delicious taquitos.

Taquitos!

      Although you can enjoy shopping this quaint street any day of the week, several ethnic celebrations spice up the experience. Some of these celebrations include: King's Day (Los Tres Reyes), Blessing of the Animals, Los Angeles City Birthday, Cinco de Mayo, Mexican Independence Day, Day of the Dead, Virgen de Guadalupe, and Las Posadas. For a full list of annual celebrations, dates and descriptions, click here.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5) - four stars if you go for one of the celebrations

Things You Should Know: - The civic group Las Angelitas del Pueblo give free 50 minute tours of the area Tuesday - Saturday at 10 am, 11 am, and noon.
- The America Tropical Interpretive Center, which houses the famous mural America Tropical by David Siquieros, is open from 10 am - 3 pm, Tuesday - Sunday and is free admission.
- For parking information in El Pueblo, click here.

Nearby: La Plaza de Culturas Y Artes, Phillipe the Original, Grand Park, Dodger Stadium

Home of the French Dipped Sandwich

Top 10 - City Parks in the USA

     There are hundreds of thousands of city parks in the U.S. By "city parks" I mean parks that lie within or bordering the city limits, and are run by local municipalities rather than the state or national park systems, and do not charge an admission fee. Of those hundreds of thousands, there are hundreds of parks that are famous for one reason or another. If I'm lucky, I may have visited 10% of the top 100 city parks in the U.S. With that in mind, here is my top ten list of city parks that I have personally visited. Naturally, I reserve the right to update this list in the future as I continue to explore this beautiful country of ours.

10. Boston Common (Boston, MA) - Boston Common is the oldest city park in the United States (1634). Originally used for cattle grazing and public hangings, it was later used by the British troops during the Revolutionary War and forms the southern end of Boston's Freedom Trail. Other points of interest include: the Central Burying Ground, the Frog Pond (an ice skating rink in winter), Brewer Fountain, Boylston Station and Park Street Station (the first two subway stations in America), Parkman Bandstand, and memorials commemorating the Boston Massacre, the Old Elm Tree, Robert Gould Shaw and the Fifty-Fourth Regiment. Best time to go - autumn for the fall colors.

9. Hemisfair Park (San Antonio, TX) - The Hemisfair was built to host the 1968 World's Fair. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." The main symbol of the fair was the Tower of the Americas, which dominates the city landscape. As often happens after an international celebration, many of the structures no longer served a sustainable purpose and were left to rot. In preparation for the 20th anniversary of the fair, the city renovated the park with cascading waterfalls, fountains and playgrounds. A branch of the river that forms the Riverwalk starts in the park. Other notable venues are: The Convention Center, the Convention Center Theater, Yanaguana Garden, and several pavilions remaining from the fair including the Mexico Pavilion, the USA Pavilion, and the Women's Pavilion.

Tower of the Americas

8. Storybook Island (Rapid City, SD) - In 1959, the Rapid City Rotary Club created a charitable, non-profit corporation to establish and operate a free children's park. The result was Storybook Island. The park was an immediate hit, attracting thousands of visitors through its tower gates. The park is filled with sets that portray characters from a variety of fables and nursery rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, the Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Yogi Bear, and much more. Storybook Island is a seasonal park, open each year from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

7. Fort Worth Water Gardens (Fort Worth, TX) - The 4.3 acre Water Gardens were designed by noted New York architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. It is billed as a "cooling oasis in the concrete jungle" of downtown Fort Worth. The main attraction is the Active Pool, in which water cascades down concrete terraces into a small pool at the bottom. Steps allow visitors to safely walk down into the midst of the cascading water. In addition to the Active Pool, visitors can enjoy meditating next to the Quiet Water Pool or enjoy feeling the spray from the fountains of the Aerating Pool.

Active Pool

6. Pioneer Park (St. George, UT) - Pioneer Park is a rustic park designed with adventure in mind. Visitors are encouraged to hike through the beautiful red rock formations and climb to the top of various boulders for fabulous views of the city. Some of the more popular formations include Dixie Rock, Boy Scout Cave, an historical pioneer cabin built in between massive red boulders, arches, and slot canyons including one called the Narrows.

Boulder Cabin

5. Liliuokelani Park and Gardens (Hilo, HI) - This beautiful park, with its cultivated Japanese gardens is located on the big island of Hawaii. The park site was donated by Queen Lili'uokalani after a tsunami devastated much of the area. It is believed to be the largest Japanese style garden outside Japan. Some prominent features include Waihonu Pond, bridges, koi ponds, pagodas, statues, and a Japanese tea house. A footbridge leads to Moku ola (aka Coconut Island), which is a popular site for picnics.

4. Balboa Park (San Diego, CA) - Balboa Park is a 1,200 acre urban park combining a variety of museums, gardens, theaters and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The land was first set aside for recreational use in 1835, before California was even a state, making it one of the oldest public parks in the nation. It has hosted two international expositions which have left their mark in the form of the classical architecture that dots the park. In addition to the zoo, some of the most popular attractions include: The San Diego Air & Space Museum, the San Diego Automotive Museum, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the San Diego Museum of Man, the Botanical Building, the Alcazar Garden, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Old Globe Theatre.

3. Central Park (Manhatten, NY) - Central Park is possibly the most famous city park in the world. This mammoth 843-acre masterpiece was built in the 1800's by Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as the nation's first public park. Today it stands out as a swath of green amidst the towering skyscrapers that surround it. The park has hundreds of features including playgrounds, ponds, gardens, lakes, fountains, statues, bridges, shaded trails, sports venues, a zoo, and a carousel. If that isn't enough, the park is bordered by some of New York's most popular museums and attractions.

2. Griffith Park (Los Angeles, CA) - As big as Central Park is, Griffith Park is even bigger (4,310 acres). Yet while Central Park has been manicured to pack as much entertainment value as possible into every square yard, Griffith Park by comparison is a sprawling, untamed expanse of wilderness with pockets of entertainment at strategic locations. Some of its popular attractions include: the Griffith Observatory, the Merry-Go-Round, the Hollywood sign, the L.A. Zoo, the old zoo ruins, Pony rides, Travel Town Railroad Museum, playgrounds, hiking trails, and much more.

Griffith Observatory

1. Garden of the Gods (Colorado City, CO) - Much of the area known as Garden of the Gods was purchased by Charles Elliott Perkins in 1879. Upon his death, his family gave the land to the city of Colorado Springs under the provision that it be a free public park. The remainder of the land was owned by Perkins' friend William Jackson Palmer, who also donated his portion to the city upon his death. Today visitors enjoy walking among and climbing on the giant red rock monoliths, looking for the unique shapes from which most of the landmarks get their names: Kissing Camels, Cathedral Spires, Steamboat Rock, Balanced Rock, Llama's Heads, and much more.

Spotlight: Los Angeles - Griffith Park

Spotlight: Originally part of the Rancho Los Feliz land grant by the Spanish, Griffith Park was named for its former owner, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith. He purchased the land after making a fortune in California gold mine speculation, and later donated much of it as a Christmas gift to the people of Los Angeles to be used as parkland. Since Griffith's original gift, further donations and city purchases have added to the Park's size.
     Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA is one of the biggest city parks in the United States (over 4,210 acres). Because of its size, it provides a myriad of entertainment options to its guests. Some of the park's most popular attractions include: the Autry National Center, the Bird Sanctuary, the Ferndell Nature Museum, the Greek Theatre, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, the Griffith Observatory, the Griffith Park Southern Railroad, the Hollywood Sign, Hollywoodland Camp, the L.A. Equestrian Center, L.A. Live Steamers, the L.A. Zoo, the Plunge, Pony Rides, Shane's Inspiration Playground, and Travel Town. In addition to these attractions, other popular activities include: hiking, cycling, golf, horseback riding, jogging, picnicking, soccer, swimming, tennis, and exploring the Old Zoo Ruins.

View of the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park

Location: Griffith Park is located in downtown Los Angeles, just west of Interstate 5 and south of HWY 134. The official address is 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, but it can be accessed via several different streets.

Cost: Admission to and parking at Griffith Park is free. Some venues may have admission or attraction fees: Autry Museum ($4-$10); shows at the Observatory ($3-$7); Merry-Go-Round ($2/ride); L.A. Zoo admission ($15-$20); Pony Rides ($3/ride); Southern Railroad train rides ($2.75/ride); Travel Town doesn't have a specific admission fee, but requests donations

Time: You could spend several days exploring Griffith Park. The park is open 24 hours, but the attractions have different schedules.
- The Autry National Center is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (Tues.- Fri.), 10:00 - 5:00 (weekends)
- The Observatory is open from noon - 10:00 pm (Tues.- Fri.); 10:00 am - 10:00 pm (Sat. & Sun.)
- The Merry-Go-Round is open from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on weekends, and on weekdays during spring, summer, winter vacation, and major holidays.
- The Southern Railroad is open daily from 10:00 am - 4:15 pm.
- The L.A. Zoo is open from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.
- Pony Rides is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
- The Travel Town Museum is open Monday - Friday 10:00 - 4:00, weekends from 10:00 - 5:00

Description: With a park this big, we are exploring it little by little on our annual trips to southern California. One place we particularly enjoyed was the Griffith Observatory. There is no entrance fee to explore the Observatory exhibits, and tickets to the shows are very affordable ($3-$7) - and well worth it! We saw the show Centered in the Universe and most of my family really enjoyed it. My wife, who suffers from motion sickness, had to close her eyes through most of it, but the rest of us enjoyed our jaunt through space and time to learn more about the constellations and the history of astronomy. Other shows currently playing are The Once and Future Griffith Observatory, All Space Considered, Water is Life and Light of the Valkyries.

     The Griffith Merry-Go-Round was built in 1926, and still uses the original horses and benches. The Stinson 165 organ that accompanies the Merry-Go-Round plays over 1,500 selections, and is reputed to be the largest of its kind on the West Coast.

     The Old Griffith Park Zoo Ruins used to house animals until 1966, when it was closed and the animals were moved to the new L.A. Zoo, which used modern animal enclosures rather than the old iron cage style used in the Griffith Park Zoo. Although the animals were moved to new homes, the old structures remain. Visitors can still walk the old path and explore the old cages and dens used by the animals.

     Near the Old Zoo Ruins is the Shane's Inspiration Playground. It is unique because it was designed with handicapped children in mind.

     The Travel Town Museum was set up as a "petting zoo" for old trains. Visitors are encouraged to climb around on the old engines and cars to get a better idea of what it must be like to be an engineer.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Many attractions are closed on Mondays and holidays.
- Parking up near the Observatory is extremely difficult to find. If you go on a weekend or holiday, you may need to park down by the Greek Theatre and hike up.
- If the old benches on the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round were a movie, they would be rated PG-13.
- The Hollywood Sign is visible from the hills near the Observatory. You can hike to the sign, but the hike is longer and more difficult than it looks.
- Sections of the Old Zoo have been closed off with chain-link fence. Although some visitors have cut holes in the fence to gain access, these areas are supposed to be off-limits.
- The Pony Rides stay open until 4:30 from March - August.

Nearby: The Chandelier Tree, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Hollywood, Dodger Stadium

Travel Tip #41 - Visit family

     Between summer vacation, fall break, winter break, spring break, Thanksgiving, and various 3-day weekends throughout the year, we probably go on 4 family vacations a year. As a school teacher, I have the time to do this because I'm off when my kids are. On the other hand, as a school teacher, the budget is tight. So how do we manage this? About half of our vacations are visiting family. Since hotels are the single most expensive equation in most vacation budgets, this helps tremendously. It also allows us to spend time with loved ones that we only get to see a few times a year. From our end it is a win-win situation. Now you might think we'd have worn out our welcome by now, but evidently my wife and daughters are super popular because we usually have more offers from family members to stay at their homes than we can accept since we don't want to change houses every night. Of course, we always reciprocate the offer. We usually have several visitors a year, and always enjoy their visits. Another way not to wear out your welcome is to not be underfoot the whole time. We make sure we spend some quality time with the family we are visiting, but we also make sure that we have other activities planned in the area so that they don't feel like they have to entertain 24/7. Naturally, we usually invite them to accompany us on our excursions, allowing them to decide whether or not they have the time or desire to visit some of the local sites. Another good idea is to offer to help out with the daily chores - preparing meals, doing dishes, cleaning up small messes, etc. Some people may be more particular than other about what they want you to help out with, but most appreciate the gesture. So the next time you need to get away from the house, but have a tight budget, you might want to consider strengthening those family ties. From our point of view, it is definitely worth it.

Spotlight: Los Angeles - Museum of Tolerance

Spotlight: The Museum of Tolerance is dedicated to examining racism and prejudice around the world, with a particular emphasis on the Holocaust. The museum was established in 1993, and examines hate crimes and bullying of minority groups and cultures from around the world.

Location: The Museum of Tolerance is located at 9786 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles. The MOT has a companion museum in NYC.

Cost: $15.50/adult, $12.50/senior (62+), $11.50/youth (5-12) & college students (with ID), active military are free. Certain special exhibits cost extra.

Time: Open Sunday - Friday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. The museum closes at 3:30 on Fridays from November - March. Allow about 2-3 hours to explore the exhibits and take the tour.

Description: Visitors start out by walking down a ramp with pictures, personal data, and quotes by Holocaust survivors. At the bottom of the ramp, visitors can view several exhibits related to the Holocaust including maps, pictures, and some artifacts. There is also a station to receive a plastic card with the name and picture of a Holocaust victim. You can then place the card in a computer console and find out information regarding the victim (pre-Holocaust). At the end of the Holocaust tour, you can place your card in another console and get a "souvenir" printout with additional information regarding the victim including whether or not (s)he survived.
     The Holocaust tour is an hour long multi-media presentation taking visitors through a series of events preceding World War II through Germany's surrender. The exhibits focus on how Hitler came to power and how the average German could passively watch as their neighbors were arrested and tortured in concentration camps. It examines the power of conditioning a populace to hate a racially or culturally different group by degrees through artful use of rhetoric and the media to tell them what they want to hear by promising them a brighter future. It also shows the various fates of the Jews who were the victims of those hate crimes.

     The museum also hosts the "Tolerancenter" - a series of exhibits that explore intolerance and bullying both in the past and present. Exhibits include the Point of View Diner, the Millennium Machine, a video presentation on the U.S. Civil Rights movement, contemporary human rights violations around the world, etc.
     Occasionally there are special temporary exhibits. We were able to see a powerful exhibit on Anne Frank. It led visitors through a timeline of her life using artifacts, pictures and narrated video (focusing on interviews with her cousin) to show what happened to her and her family both through their months of hiding and their ultimate discovery, arrest, and fate. One of my favorite parts of this exhibit was going through a replica hidden doorway (disguised by a bookcase) that leads into the "Secret Annex" where visitors watch a nine-minute film highlighting this two-year period of seclusion. The end of the exhibit had a virtual Chestnut Tree (in honor of the tree she could see through the window in the secret annex) where visitors could add their own leaf with their personal resolution on how they can make the world a better place.

Replica of hidden doorway to the Secret Annex

From the Anne Frank collection

      Another exhibit entitled Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves examines the diverse roots of several famous Americans. It also provides resources for visitors to explore their own genealogies.
   
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - The museum often hosts discussions led by actual Holocaust survivors.
- Advance reservations are required for all tour groups of 20+ individuals. For reservations, call (310)772-7639.
- The Museum offers special age appropriate tours for school field trips.
- Although the exhibits aren't overly graphic in and of themselves, the themes are naturally disturbing. Parents should evaluate ahead of time whether or not their children are emotionally ready to be exposed to these themes. They should then be prepared to have serious discussions with their children to evaluate what they observed so that the experience is positive rather than negative.
- No food, drinks, gum, or backpacks are allowed in the museum.

Nearby: Paley Center for Media, Zimmer Children's Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, Greystone Mansion, Hollywood Walk of Fame

Travel Tip #40 - Wear the right footwear

     When preparing for a trip, it is important to consider the type of footwear to bring. This may be even more important when helping your kids pack. I remember that as a kid I wouldn't pack any footwear. Rather, I would put on a pair of tennis shoes and figure that they'd work fine for any activity we'd be doing. Unfortunately, that wasn't usually the case. Specialized shoes are necessary for certain occasions. While no one would wear a pair of high heels to work out in, plenty of people think that their Loafers will be fine for a day on the town. Depending on how much walking they do, their feet may have suffered for that decision. I was reminded of the importance of having proper footwear when we went to the Midway Ice Castles last week. The ground inside the ice castles had the consistency of shaved ice. If we hadn't been wearing boots, the ice would have spilled into our shoes with every step making our excursion very uncomfortable.
     Here are some footwear items to consider when packing for next excursion: sandals, flip-flops, water socks, boots, athletic shoes, sole inserts (for added support), Loafers, dress shoes, snow boots, hiking boots, dress boots, and slippers. Obviously, you don't want to over-pack, since that will create other complications. The key is deciding which ones would be the most appropriate for your planned itinerary, and then bringing just those. Also, if you purchase new shoes right before your trip, it is a good idea to "break them in" by wearing them around the neighborhood a bit so as to avoid blisters. You may also want to bring some moleskin just in case you do get a blister; especially if you are going to be doing more walking or hiking than you normally do.
     If you would like to read more information on proper foot care, I recommend the following article. Good luck on your next vacation.