Beverly Hills, 90211

I was given the exciting opportunity to travel to Beverly Hills on business recently. Although most of my day and evening was spent working in doors, I did take a brief moment one evening to get some site seeing in.

I decided to head over to west Hollywood to see Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the night life surrounding it. There was quite the crowd for a Tuesday evening.

On the sidewalks surrounding the theatre, you'll find the walk of fame; actors/actresses, comedians, musicians, etc.

You'll also find a number of street performers taking pictures with sight-seers. That night, I saw The Joker (from the Dark Knight), Marilyn Monroe, Yoda, and our friendly neighborhood Spider Man.

Finally, at the theatre, you get to see where all of the movie stars put their hand and foot prints in the cement. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, and Darth Vader.

Right next to the theater, you'd find the Kodak Theatre. Peering inside, you'd see columns, from floor to ceiling, that were illuminating the names of the movie titles that won 'Best Picture' at the Academy Awards. It was rather neat to read some of the older movie names. Walking up the stairs to the theatre, the columns included future years for the upcoming best pictures.

At the top of the stairs and taking a short walk right around the corner, you find yourself in the middle of the Hollywood and Highland Centre (i.e. Kodak Theatre mall). Plenty of shops and food to choose from. Across the street, you can see where they film Jimmy Kimmel Live. Unfortunately, my time was limited, so I briefly caught a bite to eat at Johnny Rocket's and headed back to my hotel.

It was fun to get out and see some of these touristy things. After a few days in Beverly Hills, I was ready to head back home to a more quiet place.

-Curtis