25. A Visit to Southern California

Erin and her best friend Amy flew into Diego last week. They are both in their -20s, and both are nurses who live in Georgia. was their first visit to California, and they excited.

They visited San Diego’s world-famous zoo and in love with the giant pandas. “They are cute,” Erin said. Then they drove north to Jolla so that they could glide off the 100 feet above the beach. That was scary, , fun, and expensive. They drove to the beach get a peek at nudists, but no one there. “That was a major disappointment,” Erin joked.

visiting San Diego, they headed north to Los . They saw the Hollywood sign and visited many in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. They hoped they see lots of actors and actors’ homes. If got lucky, they would get some autographs and even some photographs of them standing next to movie star.

But they were disappointed. A minivan them on a tour past actors’ homes, but actors were outside their homes. The homes themselves barely visible. They were often hidden by tall , fences, walls, hedges, or trees. Later, however, Erin Amy were able to put their hands and into the handprints and footprints of movie stars the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

They went to boardwalk just south of the Santa Monica pier, the boardwalk is famous for its muscle beach, characters, and paddle tennis. The boardwalk is one the best places in California for people-watching. The enjoyed talking to the colorful locals. They were surprised at how many people they talked to Europeans visiting California.

After Venice, they went sunbathing the beach just north of the Venice pier. even got to hang out with some real surfers. The surfers tried to teach them how ride a board in the water. That was but fun. They took plenty of pictures to their friends back home.

Erin and Amy drove Burbank the next day to watch the taping a Jay Leno show, but the line was long that they decided to pass on it. they went to a mall and had a time shopping. They flew back to Georgia with , photos, and wonderful memories. “But next time,” said , “we’re not leaving until we see some real actors!”