Hooray for Hollywood

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is longer than I expected. It stretches to over 2300 stars. Well, they're not all "stars" it seems. The criteria for getting a star turns out to be a bit loose and includes entertainers that aren't even human! Yes, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are here. So is Olive Borden. Dan Akroyd doesn't have a star yet but Judge Judy does. Go figure.

It's fun to walk the Walk and stroll down memory lane but the best part is the colorful characters who hang out here dressed in costume for the tourists. Superman, Batman, Darth Vader, Freddy; they're all here. For a couple of bucks you can have a photo with them. Hooray for Hollywood.

I'm ready for my close-up

The Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour is an excellent way to learn about Hollywood, California's history. This walking tour takes you to all of the famous sites: The Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian Theaters, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Kodak Theater and even goes inside Stella Adler's acting studio and El Capitan Theater (owned by Disney).

One of the best features is the live audio system they use. Mike, our guide, spoke into a microphone that fed into our headsets, which could adjust for volume. I wasn't sure if I would like it at first but it was comfortable and you don't miss a word of the tour. This was a great balance of insider stories, photos and sites. The walk isn't strenuous and the pace is just right. Make the Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour one of the first things you do here.