The Walk of Fame now features 2500 hand or foot prints, with some dating back to 1927. Some of the more interesting stars we saw were Tom Cruise, Bruce Lee, Drew Berrymore, Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Steven Spielberg, Bee Gees, and more! I wanted to take a photo with Ellen Degeneres' star but I couldn't find it. In order to be nominated, the artiste must have five years of experience in any of these five categories: movie, broadcast television, broadcast radio, audio recording and live performance. Annually, the city receives close to 200 nominations, but only 10% of them will be selected.
The iconic HOLLYWOOD sign could be seen from far despite the fog, but it was too faint to be captured by the camera. Each alphabet is 14 metres high, and 9 to 12 metres wide. It was a real estate advertising sign erected in 1923. It was meant to be taken down after 18 months but due to its popularity, it is still standing today. In 1949, the City Council of Los Angeles replaced it with a new sign made of wood and metal, but over the years it deteriorated again. Today, it is stainless steel, with a white paint cover.
The Grauman's Chinese Theatre, built in 1927, is shaped like a Chinese pagoda adorned by dragons and heavenly dogs. Actors dressed as Spiderman, Captain America, Obama, and more pose for photos. We took a group shot with Captain America and a green man (unknown character).
Dolby Theatre, previously Kodak Theatre, where the annual Oscar is held since 2002, can host 3300 people. Nokia Theatre, double in size, which was completed in 2007, has been competing with the Dolby Theatre as the choice venue. American Idol was held at the Nokia Theatre.
Most of the afternoon was spent at the Universal Studios. We first took the Studio tour which includes the impressive King Kong 360 3D ride. We also passed the studios for CSI, the set for Desperate Housewives, Jaws, etc. After grabbing some fried chicken tenders from Doc Brown's chicken, we queued for The Simpsons virtual roller coaster ride. The 15-minute motion simulation cost us 90-minutes queuing time. We wanted to go for The Transformer 3D ride, but we realised that the 110-minute wait time might be longer in reality, and we wouldn't be able to finish in time. So we compromised and went for the Special Effects Stage show to learn the secrets behind the making of some of our favourite movies like King Kong, Jurassic Park and more. The Blue Brothers performance made a great close to our day with some upbeat songs and dancing.
Nana Fund: $8.25 Starbucks, $20 group photo with Captain America, $27 Fried chicken lunch
Highlight: Dinner at NYC Seafood restaurant was fantastic! We had a full 8-course meal with chicken soup, braised pork belly, celery with prawns, butter lobster, steam fish, long beans, and more!