Hollywood land

Stephie rubbing elbows with some of the locals.


Hollywood Boulevard symbolizes many of the hopes and dreams contained in the American experience. And perhaps nowhere contains those familiar movie images better than the Hollywood wax Museum.

The Mummy represented the best of the classic movie monsters to me. It's image takes me back to the early 1970's and the late, late, 'creature feature' on Friday night. No other monster terrified me more than the Egytian tomb dweeling undead mummy, shuffling relentlessly in pursuit of his victims. Dracula and the Wolfman didn't scare me like the Mummy did. Perhaps it was the ancient wrapping or the deadened stare he gave. He was slow, but never gave up pursuit. No wooden stake, no silver bullet would save you... if the Mummy wanted you, you were doomed.

Pinhead... a more current manifestation of the hellish creatures inhabiting our collective psyche. Unlike the mummy, Pinhead is an intellectual and at times articulate demon. Though not my favorite, he embodies the more current blood and gore movies so popular today. My favorite line from the Hellraiser series has got to be Pinhead stating, "I am exquisitely empty", ironically summarizing todays horror films.

Of course, I have to give nod to perhaps the greatest adventure and action series of all time... James Bond.

Parking in Hollywood can be excrutiatingly difficult and painfully expensive... in a car. Not once did I have any real trouble finding parking for the Vespa. Yet another benefit to riding motorscooters.

Stephie and me at the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Man, it was packed. Folks from all over the world were visiting, placing their hands and feet into the concrete molds of their favorite actors. I think we must have heard a dozen languages. For many movie fans, this is "Mecca". Stars adorn the sidewalks on both sides of the street for many blocks, some I recognize and some I don't.

Cruising around Hollywood on the Vespa is a great way to see the town; anytime we saw something we wanted to see up close, we just made a quick stop and hopped off... then hopped back on to continue our journey.


My cobalt blue ET4 at the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. You might notice that I'm parked in a red zone... we just pulled up quickly, got off, took the picture, and sped off to find legal parking around the block.

On the road again. The trip home past the Beach cities, industrial wastelands, and Camp Pendlton went much faster. Despite the traffic (a lot of lane splitting) we got home in 3 hours. Once we got to Dana Point, we took Interstate 5 south to San Diego. The Vespa ran faster, the same headwinds that slowed us on the way North became a tail wind that helped to propel us at highway speeds of 65 and 70 Southward. Several times, I had to pass slower vehicles in the right lane, surely atonishing any observers.

All in all, it was a fun two-day trip. The ride up to Santa Monica, Hollywood, and home again allowed us the opportunity to see, smell, and hear the California Coast in a way we could not in a car with windows rolled up, radio blasting, air conditioner blowing. I can't wait for the next trip, perhaps to Mexica, Canada, Montana, or...where ever the wind blows me.