Hollywood

Just west of downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, CA is home to historic places like the big Hollywood sign. The first motion picture studios opened in Hollywood in 1911, and just twelve years later, the sign was erected to announce the new Hollywoodland residential area. You can drive to the 50-foot sign that no longer has the word land, but is still one of the most exclusive areas in Los Angeles to live in. It has lost its 4,000 light bulbs, but it is still a famous part of the history of Hollywood.

Below the eccentric homes with great vistas you can also enjoy from the scenic drive through the hills, the Hollywood Boulevard has no lack of attractions for a visitor on a California vacation. 18 blocks of bronze stars with famous movie stars names is embedded in the cement sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.

Los Angeles also has high ticket shopping areas like Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, only adding the mystique and lure of this city. From past to present, you can experience the magic and nostalgia of the big screen in Hollywood CA. The Hollywood Entertainment Museum lets you see famous props like the captains chair from the original Starship Enterprise. Also a major landmark, the Chinese Theatre is an impressive sight that you should forget to include on your Hollywood vacation. Stars of the big screen have made their impression here as well; they flock to this elegantly lit theatre for movie premieres and have their handprints and name on the sidewalk in front of the Chinese Theatre.

Places like Hollywood Boulevard, Mann's Chinese Theatre, and the famous sign are famous landmarks you can expect to see on Hollywood tours. You don't have to waste your time reading when there are a number of companies that lead Hollywood tours to the major attractions. You can save a lot of time and get a more enriching experience you will actually learn something at if you take one a the guided Hollywood tours.

Los Angeles is a big city that takes at least a weekend to fully explore. Hollywood is located close to downtown and major attractions like Movie Studios, so it's a good place to look for a place to stay and turn your trip into a Hollywood vacation. If you're looking for a cheap Hollywood hotel the Magic Castle gives you great value and comfortable accommodations that are shielded from the traffic on Franklin Avenue. This used to be an apartment building; so all the guest rooms at this Hollywood hotel overlook a courtyard with a pool. You don't have to spend a lot of money to find a comfortable Hollywood hotel.

A recent facelift to the Hollywood Boulevard is the elegant Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, which was renovated in 2002. Inside, the Kodak Theatre is the famous venue where the annual Academy Awards Ceremony is held. You can see the city and the Hollywood sign from the windows of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.

You can feel like a star on your Hollywood vacation as you look across to the Hollywood Hills and imagine what it might be like to have the world at your feet.