Hollywood

This afternoon we trekked to Hollywood to see the tourist stuff of L.A. We drove up to town in the Mini and stopped at In and Out burger, the famous California burger chain which makes its food fresh (they actually peel the potatoes for the fries in the store on the day they serve them - what a concept!). It was quite tasty for fast food, actually, and quite an experience.
After parking we walked up Hollywood Ave., and decided to stop at the L. Ron Hubbard Scientology building to see if they had a tour. During this trip we have been experiencing a whole variety of religions and faiths, and thought that it would be interesting and amusing to see what the Scientologists had to say. This is the building that Tom Cruise and other famous Scientologists frequent, but we didn't see any of them, of course. The tour was essentially an overview of L. Ron Hubbard's life and Scientology teachings led by a perky tour guide who subscribed to the religion (and told us that she had sweated out red hair dye from 10 years ago during the detox program - weird and disgusting). Some parts of the religion are actually OK, and I especially liked one of the tenets about respecting other religions. Other parts, however, are quite strange, and the fact that Hubbard created this religion after writing science fiction is slightly unnerving.
After that experience, we headed up Hollywood Blvd, looking at the stars on the walk of fame as we went. The neighborhood is mostly run down and filled with tourist shops, tattoo parlors, and other seedy-looking establishments until you reach Hollywood and Highland. This is where the Kodak theater is (built specifically to hold the Academy Awards) and also an outdoor shopping mall which actually offers a view of the Hollywood sign, albeit a far away one.
We reached Grauman's Chinese Theater and looked around the hand and footprints of the stars amid what seemed hundreds of other tourists and costume-clad street walkers looking to make money from pictures. The theater is also sort of old-looking but it is still moderately kept up for the tourists.
Overall I think I enjoyed northern California better, mostly for the people, but also for the atmosphere that gives off a more laid-back vibe. According to some that live here (including our host, Mike), people in L.A. are here "to be seen" or "to make it" one way or another, whether in the entertainment industry or not. Thus, some people (I am not saying everyone, but the general vibe seems to be this way) have more attitude and believe they are "hot stuff". This was a stark difference from everybody I encountered in northern CA. Speaking of the area, we heard that there was a small earthquake this morning in San Fran, which would have been a bit scary but also an experience.