The Observatory is Closed? Wait, What? Day 3

So we learned Griffith Observatory is CLOSED on Mondays!

 

We got up that Monday morning, got ready, and looked for the IHOP that was close to the hotel. (The above picture was right outside the IHOP.) After eating breakfast, we knew we were driving back up to the observatory to see that darn sign! But alas, it’s closed on Mondays, which we did not know. So we drove back down the mountain knowing we wouldn’t be going back up.

Disappointing? Yes.

Did it ruin the trip? No way!

For those who don’t know who Chris Hardwick is – he is the host of The Walking Dead after-show called The Talking Dead. He also hosts another program called @Midnight. I looked and looked to get some kind of tickets for a live taping of a show, and this was the only one I could find. Actually, we were put on the wait list and then given tickets the same day. Jim watched a couple of episodes, so he knew it was a potty-mouth show, but it was Chris Hardwick!

We went down to Hollywood to see the Walk of Fame. THAT was so cool! We parked in the parking garage, and I didn’t even mind spending the money. And people were everywhere! I had to break down and buy a new pair of Sketchers because all I took was sandals – yeah, I know. And we got some souvenirs, t-shirts, magnets, etc.

 

Oh, and there was public restrooms in the mall! I was shocked.

There was quite a few musicians on the streets trying to sell their CDs, but masquerading as giving them away. It was frustrating because we were down there to see things and not be accosted by people trying to sell us things we didn't care about. 

 

I ended up having a horrible hot flash out there in the mall area and thought I was going to die. It took, what seemed like forever, for me to cool down. We sat down, had some Annie’s Pretzels, and talked to a guy from New York. His family was on vacation, too.

Afterwards, we went to find parking where the show was being taped at a stage I can’t remember the name of… The signs on the street were so hard to understand that we drove around several blocks before stopping to read them. Something like “free parking for 2 hours unless it’s on Monday when the street cleaners come by…” But not all signs were the same. It was crazy!

Oh, and we couldn’t take our cell phones in with us, so we have no pictures to prove that we were there. But if you watch the episode, you can see us. From the back.

We stood out in line with a bunch of interesting people while we waited to be herded into the security line. The gal behind us was from England and was taking a year-long trip and going to many countries. She told us a story about it being so hot and her roommates didn’t want her to use the fan, but she did it anyway, and, well. So the guy behind her was from Chicago, and then there was a couple of older ladies, in their 60s, who, while standing there in line, watched as their car was towed down the street. Whoops! They parked in the wrong spot. And I'm not sure, but I think someone with the show helped them afterwards.

In the security line, Jim realized he had his knife with him. So he gave it to them, and they held it until after the show.

We sat out on benches while we waited for them to usher us in. Somehow we ended up in the second row of the studio. The guy who warms up the crowd singled several people out, including a beautiful middle-aged woman who was there with her son (and they made him dance on stage for 20 seconds), a young single lady who really played along, and me. Yes, the person who doesn’t like spotlights shining on me, no attention, etc. There was some foul language, and it was a little embarrassing, but Jim got a @Midnight t-shirt out of the whole thing AND we got to see Chris Hardwick! He is funny, but I have to admit that I do like him better on The Talking Dead.

Afterwards, we picked up Jim’s knife and headed out so Jim he could show me where he lived when he lived in in LA as a young adult. He also wanted to go to a hamburger place that he swore was just fantastic, and when we saw one of the locations, we decided to go to the one by our hotel in Burbank instead.

To say that it’s a little hole in the wall is an understatement. And guess what? They didn’t have a public restroom, either! I had to walk across the parking lot to the Carl's Jr to go to the bathroom. Insanity! (Yes, that is the Challenger in the background behind my head.)

 

We decided the food wasn’t exactly as good as he remembered, stopped by Walmart to get some playing cards, and went back to the hotel. Then we sat in the lobby and played Canasta for a while. It was a lot of fun.

I had already decided that I was glad we didn’t live in LA, but to visit there was just priceless. We were having such a great time, and really, we had only begun.