Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch

 

The Malibu Café has been in operation for over 50 years.  It is an amazing location in the hills.  I read about this place and knew I had to see it for myself.  The Ranch has been used as a filming location for several TV shows including Beverly Hills 90210 and The Bachelor.  The Café is in the center of the Ranch and is breathtaking.  There are several seating areas and so much to see. The food and service were wonderful.  I plan to go back many more times!

 

This area was hosting a luncheon while we were there.

 

We sat in this area on the ground.

You can go boating.

Or relax by the water.

                                       
                              My BBQ chicken salad was delicious and the presentation beautiful.

Play pool outside....

Welcome to Fantasy Island

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is in Arcadia - about an hour from me.  It is 127 acres of  garden areas near the San Gabriel Mountains.  I have always wanted to visit - mainly because I read the house from Fantasy Island was there.  In March, I made the trip. The place  was peaceful and calm - a great spot to spend the day wandering the beautiful grounds.

 

Welcome to Fantasy Island!  Standing by this house, I thought of ALL the celebrities that had been standing right where I was.  So many stars had appeared on that show.  I still watch the re-runs today.

PUMP Restaurant - WeHo

I am a BIG TIME Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Fan - especially Lisa Vanderpump!

Lisa and her husband Ken own 3 restaurants in the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood area. The newest one is PUMP -  which is an outdoor garden restaurant in the middle of West Hollywood.  Eating here has been on my Bucket List since it opened and tonight I finally did it!  The atmosphere was great!  The service was outstanding!  The food was delicious!  It was a great evening. 

 

 

Chicken Milanese

Pounded and lightly breaded chicken breast, pan-fried with fresh lemon, served with homemade potato salad with scallions and turkey bacon and a small arugula salad with pine nuts, tomatoes and red onion.

 

 

 

 

Fruit tart for dessert!

Tony Dovolani - DWTS

 

I have been a big fan of Tony's for many seasons. During those years, he always eluded me.

I finally got to meet him over the weekend and he is definitely a sweetheart.  Although he and Suzanne Somers were eliminated earlier in the season, he is still dancing in the group dances.  I loved watching he and Melissa Rycroft  dance (and WIN) the All Star Season.

DWTS - Val and Rumer

 

I think this year, it will be Val's turn to win the Mirror Ball Trophy.  In my opinion, the last couple of years, he has been one of the top performers but has never taken first place.  This year Rumer is an excellent  partner and I think they will win it all.  I didn't know much about Rumer (except that she had famous parents) and it has been fun watching her and getting to know her through her dancing and interviews.  They have a great partnership!

Riker and Allison - DWTS

Riker and Allison are so much fun to watch on Monday nights - very energetic and entertaining.  I was very excited to meet them over the weekend as well.  They were very sweet and happy to pose for pics - even though they were running late.

 

 

 

Chris the Bachelor

 

Since the beginning of Season 20 of Dancing With The Stars, my goal has been to get a picture with Prince Farming - Chris Soules - the Iowa farmer who proposed to Whitney Bischoff at the end of the last season of The Bachelor.  On several Monday nights, I went to the Grove hoping to meet him, but it didn't happen.  This weekend, I visited the Practice Studio and there he was.  He was very sweet and accommodating after a long practice.  Mission accomplished!

Musso & Franks - Holllywood

Musso & Frank's Grill is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood.  It opened in 1919 and quickly became a popular hangout for celebrities.  Today, the popularity continues - it is still a great place to meet and eat.  It is also a frequent filming location as well as appearing in some of Michael Connelly's books.

 

The bar where Harry brought Brasher on a date.(BOSCH)

Steve Kroft (60 Minutes) dined at the next table.

The famous Chicken Pot Pie

Madame Tussaud's - Visit #2

Some friends came into town and wanted to head over to Madame Tussaud's in Hollywood.  I'd visited recently but had such a good time, I was ready to go again.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this visit.

 

Cameron Diaz

Robin Williams

George Burns

Marilyn Monroe

 

 

Bosch Alley

While watching the first episode of Bosch on Amazon Prime, I knew I had to find the alley where Bosch shot Flores.  It looked so creepy in the rain (fake rain for filming, but still rain).  I checked google maps, starting at Mariachi Plaza, and it didn't take long to locate it.  A couple of days later, I headed out to see it in person.  In the daylight, it wasn't nearly as spooky.

 

 

The stone by the sidewalk is how I found it.

This is where they turned and walked into the alley.

Closer look in the alley

Greystone Mansion - Beverly Hills

Greystone Mansion is a beautifully landscaped estate in Beverly Hills.  Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed the residence as a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son, Ed "Ned" Doheny, Jr. and his family. In 1965 the property was purchased by the City of Beverly Hills. It is now a public park used for many special events. The house and the grounds are also frequently used in the filming of tv shows and movies.  A few include:  Jumping Jack Flash, Spiderman, Batman and Robin, Gilmore Girls and Knight Rider.

 

 

Chilton Academy from Gilmore Girls

Bird's Cafe - Hollywood

Bird's Café in Hollywood is mentioned in a few of Michael Connelly's books. It's a popular lunch spot on Franklin Avenue.  Recently, I went to check it out and I was very impressed.  They specialize in rotisserie chicken and it was wonderful. Everything was delicious and I will be back.

 

The Bar area inside the restaurant.

My meal:  1/4 white meat chicken, baked potato, flat bread and dipping sauce

Echo Lake Park

 Echo Park Lake is a beautiful and peaceful oasis in the well populated neighborhood of Echo Park. The area has been used many times as a filming location.  Parts of Echo Park were sometimes used as San Francisco in the TV show Parenthood.  Michael Connelly titled one of  his books ECHO PARK and wrote about many places in the neighborhood.  The ending of the book played out here in the Park.

 

The Lady of the Lake Statue is shown above.

 

There are beautiful views of downtown from the area.

 

The park is peaceful and beautiful and enjoyed by many.

High Tower Apartments - Hollywood

The High Tower Apartments are a unique complex with a great view near the Hollywood Bowl.

In the Raymond Chandler film THE LONG GOOD BYE, detective Philip Marlowe  lived here.

Since Michael Connelly (the author) was a big fan of Raymond Chandler novels, he used the location in his book ECHO PARK.  The garages are on the ground level and residents get keys to the elevator (which is the tower).  The property is very unusual and also very charming.  Who wouldn't love to live there with the great views?

 

 

Tunnel from the Gate to the Elevator

The elevator at the end of the short tunnel

The one car garage that is very narrow

Harry Bosch House - TV Show

My obsession with the Amazon Prime TV Show BOSCH continues.  The location from the show that I most wanted to see was Harry's house in the Hollywood Hills.  From the show I could tell it had floor to ceiling windows and a very cool patio with a great view.  The house is way up in the hills and the view was spectacular.  #LoveAllThingsBosch

 

Rizzolis and Isles

A couple weeks ago, the TV show Rizzoli and Isles was filming at the lake in Huntington Beach Central Park.  I borrowed Poffie the Schnauzer and went over to check it out.  I've never seen the show, but it was fun watching them film.  A dock was build in the lake and it was full of boats (which never happens there.)  Hopefully, I'll be able to catch the show on TV.  By the way, this is the same lake that was used in Dexter a couple of years ago.  Our Central Park is becoming quite the movie location.  It's nice to have the filming come to me instead of the other way around.