California ~ Day 2

Day 2 was spent at Warner Brothers Studio tour and walking Hollywood Blvd.

After our studio tour, we ate lunch at the famous In-n-Out Burger.

Isabella tried her first hamburger!  She liked it and actually ate half of it.   

Driving in LA is just so pretty with the palm trees.  

We stayed at this Holiday Inn which was within walking distance of Hollywood Blvd. 

We saw the Chinese Theatre. 

We ate a milkshake from Ghiradelli.

Visited the La La Land gift store. 

Saw a Tom Cruise/Top Gun look alike 

Walking the Blvd

Dolby Theatre

And before all that happened, we actually went on the studio tour first. 

Brook at the front entrance 

Girls in front of the Gilmore Girls gazebo 

Church used in the Waltons 

Brook on the outside set of Fuller House 

Me in front of the cafe used in La La Land 

There are the actors in front of this cafe.

Dance studio from Gilmore Girls 

Street corner used in a scene from the movie Vacation 

Doors used in the scene of the orphanage from the Annie movie 

Parking lot for Fuller House cast 

Woodworking room for building scenes 

Brook and Eden at the front of the tour bus 

The large studio building on the right was used for the water scene in Dunkirk. 

In honor of Friends cafe 

Brook was the barista during the Friends scene and we were all in the background. 

So fun! 

This was a neat demonstration of film cameras. 

Brook doing a scene from Harry Potter 

Brook holding an actual Emmy award. 

And me holding the Emmy

It was a fabulous day and we loved the studio tour.  I actually have many more photos, but tried to show just the highlights and my favorites.

California ~ Day 1

Happy Monday and Welcome October!!!

Get ready for a week of California pictures!  And basically, like most other things, I post this so that I will have an "online diary" of my vacation so I will remember some of these little details in 20 years. But I hope you will enjoy some of the photos as well!

Before pictures though, here is some background to this trip.  First, Brook has been planning this trip to Los Angeles for 3 1/2 years.  In 2013, she told us she wanted to go to LA for her 13th birthday.  I am so glad we made it happen.  (Isabella was in London for her 13th birthday because we were in Europe for training at the time).  This is my first vacation this year, so I was ready. Not only that, but it was my first flight since arriving back from Bogota.  It was therapeutical to fly out of Memphis and back into Memphis in just 1 weeks time with no passport required.

6:15am ~ Memphis airport 

Flying again :) 

Not our car, but we did have a great rental car.  I'm so glad we rented a car, which was a mini van, but it was so nice and it was great to have space to spread out, and have space for our luggage. 

First stop after the airport was Santa Monica pier. 

At this point, I decided Avery could just send our things. It was beautiful.

The Pacific Ocean and the mountains....ahhh....

This was the first time the girls had seen the Pacific Ocean.

There are fair type rides at the Pier. 

We rode the Ferris Wheel. 

The views were beautiful! 

Then trying to adjust to California time, we ate lunch at this spot and could see the water in the distance.

Next stop, Rodeo Drive! 

Just sipping drinks from a local coffee shop on Rodeo on a Friday afternoon. 

We saw some fancy cars. 

And we saw some fancy stores and these beautiful topaz jewelry pieces too. 

That's all for today.  It was a good, quiet weekend of me and the girls while Avery went camping.  We actually had a few activities, but none that were photographed :).