Yesterday was my birthday! Even though I celebrate every day, I think it’s a wonderful thing to go out and celebrate extra much for your birthday. So, I accepted an invitation to just such a party in the Hollywood Hills! Of course, there were three things I had to do before my birthday: see history, see an icon, and find a place to frolic!
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It just so happens that there is a California Historical Landmark in the middle of Hollywood! Actually, there are two in this area, but one was completely closed off until the first Saturday of July. I’m so close to fifty, too! Oh well, I at least got to see #554: The Hollywood Heritage Museum! It was late and closed, but I learned from the plaque that it was the site of the first movie shot in Hollywood: The Squaw Man! I was standing at the doorway where Cecil B. DeMille once set foot! My knees wobbled a bit, which loosened me up for the rest of the night.
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A little danger on one’s birthday never hurt anyone. Well, maybe it has hurt somebody before, but without it, an adventure just isn’t an adventure! In any case, since the signs only warned the dangerous animals to be cautious (and not party animals), I skipped forth with wild abandon to see one of America’s most iconic sights:
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The Hollywood Sign! It’s majestic in person, and really difficult to find without a GPS system. It’s also right next to a reservoir! Did you already know about Lake Hollywood Reservoir? It’s seated right in the Hills. It used to be for drinking water, but now it’s been chlorinated and might just be there for show. It’s really pretty in any case, and it has a nice northern woods feel to it. Look for it some time!
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The sun was setting! With history and icon out of the way, I still had to find a place to frolic! In Hollywood, there’s one place that’s really suited for frolic: Runyon Canyon! Lots of people take their dogs to Runyon Canyon, but a beaver can have plenty of fun here too! The views at sunset are glorious; you can see from downtown to Santa Monica on a clear night, sometimes as far as Catalina Island! The hills are really steep, though, so if you’re going to go running, be sure to know your skill level beforehand. Oh, and love dogs too. There are so many! I danced and skipped with quite a few of them!
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There comes a time at every birthday when I need to take a moment to think about the year I’ve just lived and the year that’s coming up. It just so happens there’s a bench for that at Runyon. I’m about halfway through my landmark goal for the year. I’m a seventh of the way to my World Wonders goal. I still haven’t found George. Even though he could be in outer space for all I know, it’s still a nice thought that I might be on my adventures one day and suddenly find him again. Every once in a while, I do get homesick, maybe even a little lonely. It’s hard to keep in touch when your family lives in lodge on a pond. The water makes electronics impractical after all, almost as much as messenger albatrosses. One day, I will go visit home. I just need to find the right flight. In the mean time, eye on the prize. Go Bill!
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The party was held on Mulholland Drive. It’s a terrifying place for transit, but the views are gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind living here some day. In any case, all I can say about the adventures I had at the party that night is…
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…what happens on Mulholland Drive, stays on Mulholland Drive.
Toodle-oo!
