A few days in LA

I figure it is a pretty rare thing to have a milestone birthday fall on the Saturday of a long weekend even if it is thanks to a newly created provincial holiday. I am really grateful that the stars aligned this way so that I could have such a fun weekend. On my thirty years plus one day of being we moved from the Disneyland area to Santa Monica. I don't think I already mentioned this, but I have been to Los Angeles twice before with the last time being in 2006. Each visit has seen me gravitate to Santa Monica maybe because of its familiarity or due to the laid back nature of this beachside area. It was too early to check in so we made a beeline for the pier via the beach and after a few happy snaps we began the city sightseeing hop on hop off tour. I definitely recommend doing the tour if you are short on time, if it is your first visit or you are without a car. Before leaving for the trip I had a look at the public transportation system and it didn't really seem tourist friendly so we had already decided to do the tour. It was an excellent decision and I really enjoyed the interesting narrative that went along with the ride. We got to cruise through the areas of Brentwood, Westwood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Century City and West LA. We hopped off the tour to check out the touristy sights from Hollywood & Vine to the Chinese Theatre before picking up where we left off and making our way back to the beach for check in. That night we strolled around Santa Monica squeezing in a teeny bit of shopping and a delicious dinner. The waitress was even sweet enough to bring out a slice of red velvet cake with a lit candle. The last day of the long weekend was the warmest of them all and involved the tour once more. We got off to explore the Farmers Market and the adjacent The Grove shopping area. Our only celebrity sighting occurred here thanks to the filming of the TV show Extra, which allowed us to spot the hosts Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos. Instead of waiting for the next bus, we walked to the Millions of Milkshakes stop to both skip a number of stops and in the hopes of having a milkshake. This is where we met the last disappointment of the weekend because the store was closed for filming and wouldn't be reopening until long after we had to leave. We got back on a tour bus and finished our time by soaking up some sun. The trek back home was delayed due to an issue on the flight, but eventually we returned to reality. The lovely flowers that were waiting at the doorstep from a dear sweet friend cushioned this return to reality and my new age. Birthdays mean you are now a year older and while that may seem like a bad thing, I cannot help feeling loved because of the well wishes and gestures of those that matter to me.