Time for a Men's trip out to the West Coast!  So in mid-July Brett, Brad and myself had an extended weekend in

Hollywood, California! 

We could only spare 4 days but it was action packed....   Kathy dropped us off early on a Friday morning for the sunrise non-stop out to LA.  On the flight, Brad watched "Grumpy Old Men" on his PC, while Brett had about 8 cups of Coffee.  

Upon arrival, we rented a car and immediately hotfooted it out to Hollwood to make our 1PM VIP tour at Paramount Pictures Studio!

• Click here for pictures at Paramount
• Click here for pictures Seeing The Rolling Stones   
• click here for Pictures At Curly & Shemp Howard's Grave
• Click here for all the other pictures 
• Click here to Download the Pictures
• Click here for Video At Curly's Grave
• Click here for video of the Hollywood Star Tour 
•  Click Here for Video Of "Start Me Up"
• Click Here For Video Of Stones Playing "Gimme Shelter" 
•  Click here for Video Of Other Stones Song Snippets
• Click here For Video At LA Angels Baseball Game 
• CLick here for Video On Forrest Gump's Bench 

At Paramount, we sat on the bench that Tom Hanks spent half the movie of Forrest Gump on - complete with a box of Chocolates.  We took pictures with a real Oscar and raced around the backlot on a guided tour in a Golf Cart.  Saw the film vault including the original reels of The Godfather movies.  

When the tour guide asked me what my favourite Movie was, I took Brett & Brad and made them act out with me the last lines of Chinatown.  "Come on Jake, it's Chinatown"  Epic!  The tour guide gave us a standing ovation.

Following, we checked into the Westin Hotel where I had booked us a suite.   Brett & Brad bear-cubbed it in the King Size bed, while I slept in the Hide-a-Bed in the Living Room directly under the Air Conditioning vent - I froze.  We had dinner the first night at a Mexican restaurant after walking out of the Dennys down the street as it smelled - BAD.

Saturday, we took a drive up the coast to Malibu and then took it easy during the afternoon as we had The Rolling Stones concert that night at So Fi Stadium.  Also, that was the day that Trump got his ear winged - so we watched the news on that.  The concert, my 41st alltime, was my fifth, and last, of this summer tour.  The lads did not disappoint.  Can't wait 'til the boys tour Europe next year!

After the show we stopped at a local McDonalds for a morsel.  I had a small fries, Bradley had a single Cheeseburger and Brettie wolfs down a Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese!  That's right, a half pound of meat right before bedtime - these kids!  

Sunday, we headed out to a dicey neighborhood in East LA and the Home Of Peace Cemetery to say Hi to Curly Howard of The Three Stooges, buried in the ground and his brother Shemp, who's in the Mausoleum.  Picture upper right is us 3 with Curly.  

Brad brought an absolutely stellar memento to leave on Curly's grave.  It was a minature pair of Ice Tongs holding a miniature block of Ice.  Glued to the Ice Block was a dime.  Stooges fans will know the meaning of the Ice Tongs & Ice - but you will have to be a Stooges SAVANT to know why Bradley glued a dime to the Ice.  From the Stooges Epic Short, "An Ache In Every Stake"

We then went into the Mausoluem to try and find Shemp - and that was hard.  Bradley & I had found him back in 2002, but who's going to remember where he was 22 years later?   Finally, Brad found him and we recreated the picture we took 22 years ago...   Isn't it awesome?    

 

After spending the morning with Curly & Shemp, we drove into Anaheim to see the Angels baseball game.   They were playing the Seattle Mariners and the stadium was damn near empty.   

The tickets I got on Stub Hub were $8 bucks a seat.   Cheapest thing we did all weekend.   The Angels were trailing most of the game until our right fielder Joe belted a 3 run blast to send us all home happy.       

From there we hit a Shakey's Pizza Parlor (remember those from about 40 years ago in Chicago?) for a tasty Pepperoni Pie.   BRAVISSIMO!  Then we headed back to our Hotel for our last night in the Ice Chest.

Monday was our last day and we Breakfasted at the Denny's on Sunset Boulevard.   This one did not smell.   I was hoping to be served by Lupe - our waitress we had from our family trip in 2002.   Best Waitress I ever saw - but alas she was not on shift.       

I had booked us on a cheesy, guided  2 hour Hollywood Stars tour.  First stop was out to the Hollywood sign - where our upfront view of it was from about 5 miles away.   The tour got worse from there. 

No sightings of any hot starlets, whatsoever.  None.  Had we seen some, I know they would have liked to spend the afternoon with The Johnson Boys.  Opportunity lost.

Following, we hoofed it back to LAX for our return home from what was - 

A whirlwind trip!  We Had A Great time!

Thank you Lord for my sons!

 

Visit www.rickyjohn.com for more about our family!