This is the view out the window in the hotel.

Palm Trees near Santa Monica

Santa Monica Pier; the finish line for the Cannonball Run with Burt Reynolds

Mann's Chinese Theatre; starting place for the Walk of Stars. There was a construction crew here and I couldn't get any closer.

The Hollywood Sign from Sunset Blvd.

The Universal City Citywalk

The Universal City Citywalk

The Universal City Citywalk with King Kong

The Hark Rock Cafe

This bowling alley is in the Universal City Citywalk.

The Universal City bowling alley

The gate to Universal Studios

Universal Studios Logo

Universal Studios sound stages

Universal Studios backlot courthouse used in the Back to the Future movies with Michael J. Fox

The Delorean timemachine from Back to the Future

Control panel for the Delorean; notice the Simpson meters

Control panel for the Delorean; notice the Simpson meters

Waterworld stage show at Universal Studios

Gateway to Jurassic Park at Universal Studios

King Kong attacking our tour group

This area of the Univeral backlot was used in Spartacus with Michael Douglas and Gladiator wth Russell Crowe

The Blues Brothers

The Blues mobile

The Blues mobile

These shots were all taken at the LaBrea tarpits. You can actually see natural gas bubbling up through the pools; and the water is coated with a thin layer of oil. The air here smells like fresh asphalt, and in many places tar has collected under the grass.