When we left off last time I had just checked into the Loew’s Hollywood hotel. I paid for two nights in the hotel and two days on the Starline Hop on Hop off bus but the first day went to waste due to Panorama’s Coronavirus day.

Here is the hotel (Loew’s Hollywood).

Here is the room.

The view is the Hollywood and Highland shopping center. The Dolby theatre entrance is to the right. El Capitan theatre is across the street and Jimmy Kimmel Live is next to it.

This is a great location if you’re taking the Starline tour bus. Their main office is in that shopping center and their buses leave right out in front there.

They have three routes: Hollywood, Downtown, and Santa Monica. I want to get all three in.

I spoke to the driver of the Hollywood bus. It doesn’t leave for 45 minutes. She tells me the downtown bus will leave from in front of the El Capitan theatre across the street in 10 minutes. I have to be all about time management today so I’m going for the downtown bus first. I also found out the Santa Monica route isn’t running today.

I made it across the street. This is a look back at the Hollywood bus in front of the Dolby theatre.

The downtown bus has arrived.

Just like in whale watching boat I opt for the better view up top. These bars are going to get in the way of some of my pictures but once we start hitting tree branches, I’ll better understand their purpose.

This is just like the one I did in London. They give you headphones you can plug in and the audio gives you the tour as you drive along.

And we’re rolling. This is Hollywood High School. A lot of actors and directors went to school here including Carol Burnett, John Ritter, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Warren Christopher who served as Secretary of State under Bill Clinton was also a graduate.

Well we just went around the block and pulled into the parking lot where their main office is. The driver says we’re going to be here for 30 minutes. I’m going to see if I can find some food. Had I known this was going to happen, I could have already eaten and just gotten on the Hollywood bus.

I don’t see any places around here where I can eat and be on that bus in 30 minutes. I’m just going to grab a nutella churro and lemonade.

I barely made it back as the bus was pulling out of the parking spot. But he stopped and I made it back on.

Hollywood Athletic Club. John Wayne was a notable member.

Crossroads of the world. A.K.A. America’s first shopping mall.

“He’s a member of the academy. Which one? He didn’t say.”

Paramount Studios.

We had a tourist heckler out in front of the paramount studio.

The Wiltern theatre.

This high school is on the ground where the hotel Robert Kennedy was assassinated in used to be.

MacArthur Park.

And we’re downtown.

This tunnel was used in Terminator, Independence Day, and other movies.

This is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

City Hall

The Chinatown gateway

Chinatown

This is the Hall of Justice. Big trials such as the Charles Manson murders took place in that building.

The one thing about the top of this bus is you have to watch out for low hanging branches. The bars don’t protect you from the ones hanging down.

This is where I needed to eat. That stuff smells good.

Union Station

Another City Hall shot.

U.S. Bank Tower. It was destroyed in the movie Independence Day. They rebuilt it nicely.

The Biltmore Hotel. A lot of scenes from movies and television shows have been filmed there. It was in Ghostbusters, Splash, and Beverly Hills Cop to name a few. Portions of it were used as White House in Scandal, a casino in Beverly Hills 90210 and the fancy training facility in Rocky III.

This was the first park in L.A.

This is me falling down when the bus starts moving.

The State Theatre. This is where Judy Garland made her debut.

The Convention Center with the Good Year Blimp overhead.

This is the Staples center where the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings play.

The Westin Bonaventure. A lot of movies have been filmed here including the elevator scene with Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich in “In the Line of Fire.”

And we’re heading back to Hollywood.

Griffith Obsevatory

Capital Records

“Riding at night cause I sleep all day.”

The hotel is in sight. I’m going to need to stop by the room to pickup my charger because my phone is almost dead.

I’m back out in front of the Dolby Theatre where my Hollywood tour is supposed to begin but the street is shutdown and they’re putting up a big tent.

Another good thing about staying here and taking the Starline tour bus is they have people all up and down this street selling the tours. I asked one about my tour. He said the bus will be leaving from the CVS/Walgreens which is a block down the street.

I was able to find the Hollywood bus. It leaves in 40 minutes. That gives me time to run to my hotel and pickup my charger.

I was able to retrieve my portable phone charger from the hotel room. The only problem is my bus is gone. It was supposed to leave at 3:30 and it’s only 3:15.

Another bus pulled up.

This bus leaves at 3:40. Apparently even if a bus is scheduled to leave at a certain time they could be called and told to leave earlier.

And we’re rolling. Guitar center/rock wall.

The Laugh Factory. Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, and Jerry Seinfeld are among those who have performed here.

John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and Ronald Reagan all lived in this building.

Another big comedy club

This was used in the movie Superman 2.

This is the most famous Rock club on the strip. The Doors used to be the house band here.

We’re entering Beverly Hills.

City Hall. This is the building that was used as the Police Headquarters in Beverly Hills Cop.

The Four Seasons

The Hollywood hills

This is the Beverly Center which is an eight floor shopping mall.

Flynt Publishing

John Wayne statue in front of Flynt Publishing.

Restaurant Row

Peterson Automotive Museum. The exterior of the building is made from 100 tons of steel and includes 140 thousand screws. They have 100 vehicles on display while the other half of the collection is inside a vault in the basement.

Farmer’s Market

CBS Studios

Fairfax High School. Carole Lombard, Mickey Rooney, Timothy Hutton, Demi Moore, and Slash are among the notable alumni.

The Groundlings is an improv comedy school that has weekly shows. This is where the Pee-Wee Herman character and many Saturday night live skits were developed. Will Ferrell and Jon Lovitz are among the long list of notable Groundlings alumni.

Pink’s Hot Dogs. I wanted to stop and eat here but since I lost all day yesterday, I have to press on.

Paramount Pictures

A meeting of the Hop on Hop off buses.

The Pantages Theatre

And we’re back at CVS/Walgreens.

Next time we’ll cover Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood wax museum. I have so many pictures from there it deserves it’s own post.