Sunday, November 7, 2010
Teddy Bear World - general information
Occupying the former Planet Hollywood space, the museum is broken down into sections:
The 8 Wonders of America has 11 dioramas of animatronic bears depicting the unlikely lineup of New York, Mt. Rushmore, the Rocky Mountains, NASA, San Francisco, Hollywood, Sports and Washington, D.C.
Dinosaur Park features relatively realistic moving dinosaurs interacting with quirky bears.
Save the Planet mixes facts about endangered bear species on digital posters and adorable scenes of the at-risk bears cavorting.
The Teddy Bear Museum section begins with the tale of the teddy bear’s namesake, Theodore Roosevelt, and continues to include tales of bears significant to historical events, such as the teddy created for the families of those lost on the Titanic. There is also a display of antique bears, ranging from a 1905 mohair bear to more recent ones, such as Teddy Ruxpin, the Care Bears and Yogi Bear. The museum area also features famous paintings with 3-D bear faces popping out from the canvases. (The “Mona Lisa” is decidedly more kid-friendly than the rendition of Edvard Munich’s “The Scream.”)
The self-guided tour ends with an undersea scene that leads to some oversized bears — Obama bear, sumo bear and surfer bear — poised for photo ops. This leads to the Elvis theater, where film clips of Elvis in Hawaii are combined with dancing and lip-synching bears and flashing lights, for a seven-minute show.
It works in South Korea - will it work in Waikiki? A new stuffed-animal themed museum called Teddy Bear World Hawaii threw open its doors this month for a grand opening. JS&F, a toy manufacturer, resort and theme park operator based in Korea, is behind this entertainment and retail operation at the two-story space formerly occupied by Planet Hollywood Restaurant in the Bank of Hawaii Waikiki Center.
The 18,000-square-foot space leads visitors through a series of exhibits, all featuring teddy bears arranged in historic scenes, eras, costumes, and themes. Most of the bears are animatronic, and at least one attraction is interactive- the Barack Obama bear has a chair where people can sit and pose with the President.
The store commissioned artist Beverly White to craft several life-sized bears: a sumo bear, the aforementioned Obama bear, and a surfer bear. She says it would normally take a month to complete one bear, whose frame is secured by PVC piping and then given shape by putting stuffing around it.
Teddy Bear World Hawaii, the first U.S venture for South Korea-based JS&F, is on schedule to hold its grand opening on Nov. 6. The two-story, 17,000 square-foot teddy bear-themed attraction is located at the former Waikiki Planet Hollywood location on Kalakaua Avenue.
JS&F also owns and operates The Teddy Bear Theme Park and Museum on South Korea’s Jeju Island, which attracts 700,000 visitors per year.
6 November 2010 - Last day
On the way back Tracey Rhiannon and Renee became the first official visitors to Teddy Bear World, which is a teddy bear museum (it only opened today) and it was really good to see. Sue headed to Walmart and Alamoora Shopping Centre.
Spent the afternoon at the Beach. Again enjoying the swimming and tube riding.
Had tea at the revolving restaurant before doing last minute shopping.
Also packed our bags for the last time and got ready to head home.
Kuhio Beach - general information
The Waikīkī skyline is now dotted with an abundance of both high-rises and resort hotels. The beach is actually fairly short, with half of it marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are numerous rocks on the bottom. As with most ocean beaches the waves can have some force, particularly on windy days. The surf at Waikīkī is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners.
Kuhio Beach Park is located at 2365 Kalakaua Avenue at Honolulu, Hawaii. The zip code is 96815. This place is truly a blessing as far as natural beauty is concerned. It can be the best place for the tourists to sip some sun rays. Kuhio Beach Park is a part of Waikiki Beach, located between the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Kapahulu Groin, which was built in 1951 as part of the Waikiki Beach Improvement Project. It is an extension of a storm drain that runs under Kapahulu Avenue. The project also included building a low wall on the Diamond Head side of the groin and importing sand to create the beaches on both sides.
Kuhio lies on the eastern part of Waikiki. Duke Kahanamoku, a former athlete finds this pace as an amazing one and was spotted often some time back. The hula mounds are worth looking out for
With an offshore retaining wall, this is a calmer section of beach that's great for families and beginner surfers. Along Kalakaua Avenue are four stones known as the Ancient Pohaku (Wizard Stones) which are believed to hold spiritual healing powers. There is also a statue of legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku located here, often adorned with leis and a popular photo spot
To the west of the beach park are two of Waikiki’s famous surf sites, Queen’s and Canoes. Three popular landmarks are located in Kuhio Beach Park: the Prince Kuhio Statue, the Duke Kahanamoku Statue and the Stones of Kapaemahu. The Prince Kuhio Statue was created by sculptor Sean Browne and was dedicated in 2002. The Duke Kahanamoku Statue was created by sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer and dedicated on 1990, the hundredth anniversary of Duke’s birth. He is considered the “Father of Modern Surfing,” a great Hawaiian watermen, Olympic swimmer, surfer and canoeist. The Stones of Kapaemahu represent four legendary men: Kapaemahu, Kahaloa, Kapuni and Kinohi, who came to Hawaii from a faraway land. In Hawaii they were famous for their great wisdom and healing powers.
Prior to 1951, the east end of the park was fronted by a shallow reef and was called "Stonewall" for the vertical seawall that supported Kalakaua Avenue. The Waikiki Beach Improvement Project, completed in July 1951, changed the area dramatically when James W. Glover, Ltd., constructed a large pedestrian groin into the ocean. Officially known as the Kapahulu Groin, the pier is an extension of a storm drain that runs under Kapahulu Avenue. The project also included constructing the low retaining wall on the Diamond Head side of the groin and importing sand to create the beaches on both sides.
Kuhio Beach Park was named for Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana’ole, the youngest son of Kekaulike Kinoiki II and High Chief David Kahalepouli Pi’ikoi. Born on March 26, 1871, at Hoai, Kualu, in the Koloa district on Kaua’i, his mother died soon after his birth. He and his two older brothers were adopted by Kapiolani, his mother’s sister. Kapi’olani and her husband Kalakaua had no children, so when Kalakaua became king in 1874, he gave each of the boys the title of prince.
In 1893, a revolution deposed Queen Lili’uokalani, Kalakaua’s sister and successor. In 1895, Prince Kuhio and other Royalists joined Robert Wilcox in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Republic of Hawai’i and restore the queen to her throne. Prince Kuhio served one year in jail as a political prisoner. He was released on October 8, 1896, the same day as Queen Lili’uokalani and other Royalists who had also been arrested.
In 1902, Prince Kuhio was elected Hawai’i’s second delegate to Congress and served until his death in 1922. He is best remembered for his efforts to help the Hawaiian people, and in 1921 he was successful in establishing the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, a measure that opened public lands in Hawai’i for homesteading by native Hawaiians.
Kuhio Beach Park was the site of Prince Kuhio’s home, Pualeilani, or "flower from the wreath of heaven," where he lived with his wife Princess Elizabeth Kahanu. On July 22, 1918, he removed the high board fence around his home and opened this section of beach to the public. When he died of heart disease at Pualeilani on January 7, 1922, the property was given to the city. It was officially dedicated as Kuhio Beach Park in 1940.
Waikiki’s two famous surf sites, Queen’s and Canoes, are off the west end of the park. Queen’s was named for Queen Lili’uokalani, who had a beach home and a pier inshore of the site, and Canoes was named for the outrigger canoes that are still used to surf its waves today. Waikiki’s beach boys also teach visitors how to surf at Canoes, one of the best beginner’s spots in Hawai’i.
Kuhio Beach Park is the site of three well-known landmarks, the Stones of Kapaemahu, the Duke Kahanamoku Statute, and the Prince Kuhio Statue. The stones represent four legendary men, Kapaemahu, Kahaloa, Kapuni, and Kinohi, who came to Hawai’i from a distant land. They were famous throughout the islands for their powers of healing and for their great wisdom. The Duke Kahanamoku statue, created by sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer, was dedicated on August 24, 1990, the 100th anniversary of the Duke’s birth. One of the greatest sports heroes in Hawai’i, Kahanamoku is recognized internationally as the father of modern surfing. The statue of Prince Kuhio, created by sculptor Sean Browne, was dedicated on January 12, 2002.
4 November 2010 - Sea Life
5 November 2010 - Day at the Beach
Sea Life Park - general information
The Bird Sanctuary is home to many wild marine birds, most of which came to the sanctuary sick or injured. Visitors can see how these birds are cared for and rehabilitated.
The Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat lets visitors see these native animals, and interact with the trainers before and after the shows.
Sea Life Park Hawaii is active in several conservation areas, including the release of adolescent green sea turtles that were hatched and raised at the park, hundreds of which are released into the wild each year.
Friday, November 5, 2010
3 November 2010 - general information
A luau (in Hawaiian, lū‘au) is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula. Among people from Hawaii, the concepts of "luau" and "party" are often blended, resulting in graduation luaus, wedding luaus, and birthday luaus.
According to Pukui & Elbert (1986:214), the name "luau" goes back "at least to 1856, when so used by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser." Earlier, such a feast was called a pā‘ina or 'aha‘aina. The newer name comes from that of a food always served at a luau: young taro tops baked with coconut milk and chicken or octopus.
Luau-themed or Hawaiian-themed parties can be differentiated from authentic luaus by a lack of traditional food and techniques as described above. These parties range dramatically in their range of dedication to Hawaiian traditions. For example, some extravagant affairs go so far as to ship food from the islands, while others settle for artificial leis, maitais, and a poolside atmosphere. None of these are considered Luaus by purists.
Primarily in the Hawaiian islands, there are numerous commercial luau productions, which generally consist of dinner and Hawaiian or Polynesian dancing. Some of these productions are held at hotels, usually outdoors (weather permitting), and some are held at private locations without any connection to a specific hotel. These luaus are geared for tourists and have a variety of souvenirs, crafts, and photos for purchase.
REEFS
An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built for the purpose of promoting marine life in areas of generally featureless bottom. Artificial reefs may also serve to improve hydrodynamics for surfing or to control beach erosion.
Artificial reefs can be built in a number of different methods. Many reefs are built by deploying existing materials in order to create a reef. This can be done by sinking oil rigs (through the Rigs-to-Reefs program), scuttling ships, or by deploying rubble or construction debris. Other artificial reefs are purpose built (e.g. the reef balls) from PVC and/or concrete. Historic or modern shipwrecks become unintended artificial reefs when preserved on the sea floor. Regardless of construction method, artificial reefs are generally designed to provide hard surfaces to which algae and invertebrates such as barnacles, corals, and oysters attach; the accumulation of attached marine life in turn provides intricate structure and food for assemblages of fish.
Creating an artificial reef by sinking the Carthaginian will have very little, if any, negative impact on the surrounding ocean environment. Atlantis Adventures has retained BEI Environmental Services of Honolulu to oversee this project and is taking every safety precaution to ensure that the marine life will not be harmed.
The sunken vessel will be secured on a sandy bottom away from more prominent reef colonies. This will begin the natural process of creating an artificial reef that will be very beneficial to the marine life environment, highlighted by the following:
• Increasing the biomass of marine life in the area.
• Providing a future source of marine life to help relieve the pressure off natural reefs from overuse by divers.
• Providing the juvenile species of fish a place to grow. • Becoming a replenishment area for fish to congregate.
• Creating a solid substrate for coral to take hold and grow.
• Developing a new dive attraction for scuba divers and submarine tours.
• Creating an educational opportunity for schools, such as Maui Community
• College’s marine option program, to study the biomass increase.
A detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the artificial reef was prepared and distributed to approximately 30 federal, state, and county agencies and community-based organizations. Based on this report, theHawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources gave its approval. A copy of the EIS is available upon request.
Once the Lahaina Restoration Foundation decided to dispose of the Carthaginian, the nonprofit organization contacted Atlantis Adventures to see if there was interest in acquiring the vessel for use as an artificial reef.
The 97-foot, steel-hulled vessel has no historical value of any significance. Originally, it was a freight carrier in Germany before being converted in 1973 into a replica of a whaling supply vessel for display in Lahaina Harbor.
A cost estimate and feasibility study done on behalf of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation concluded it would not be cost effective to restore the vessel. In addition, the study noted there was a strong possibility the vessel would not survive being towed from Lahaina to Honolulu for restoration.
It will be approximately a half-mile offshore of the Lahaina coastline between Puamana Park and Launiapoko Park at a depth of 95 feet.
Atlantis’s reasons for creating an artificial reef are basically threefold:
It will enhance the development of fish and coral in the area. Artificial reefs have a proven track record of increasing the biomass of marine life in any given area. In 1989, Atlantis successfully launched its first artificial reef project off Waikiki; an area that was once a sparsely populated undersea habitat today thrives with an abundance of marine life due to the artificial reef.
Establishing an artificial reef – and a new place for marine life to flourish – will provide divers with alternative sites to popular dive locations. This will help relieve man’s impact on the natural reefs in the surrounding area.
While Atlantis’s business is to provide an undersea experience found nowhere else in Hawaii, we strongly support the conservation message we impart to our visitors: To respect and protect our environment. The artificial reef off Lahaina will fundamentally improve marine life in the area. By protecting and promoting the development of coral reefs, we are improving the quality of our natural resources.
The vessel will be anchored in 95 feet of water, which makes it a standard dive for most scuba operations. Scuba divers are advised to follow the safety precautions they would typically observe with any dive. Free divers should also watch for rigging wires being put in place to secure the masts.
There will be no impact on swimmers or surfers. The vessel will be located far enough from shore to not affect the surf break on large swell days.
The environmental damage caused to West Maui’s marine life – from construction runoff to snorkeling – has been an ongoing concern to the community. By using the vessel to create an artificial reef, Atlantis is developing a “new” undersea habitat that will produce an increase in fish, coral and other marine life. In effect, this proactive measure by Atlantis is improving marine conservation for the area. Over time, the vessel will slowly deteriorate and evolve into a natural reef setting as the coral grows and sustains itself.
Like all other forms of marine life, sharks are part of the ocean environment and their attraction to reefs and other locations is driven by availability of food sources. It’s difficult to speculate how many sharks – if any – and what types will be drawn to the artificial reef. Atlantis created an artificial reef off Waikiki that is now the habitat for a wide variety of indigenous marine life. A few reef sharks are often seen – namely white tip and sandbar sharks – which are considered non-aggressive species. They are sometimes visible during the day and can usually be seen sleeping under the reef.
The Submarine Tour takes place in the Atlantis 48-passenger submarine and has been featured on National Geographic specials. Each guest will receive an Atlantis Souvenir Dive Log.
Climb aboard one of our Atlantis 48-passenger submarines. Being in a submarine and descending to 100 feet underwater is an adventure in itself. You will also get to see real marine life up close. The Atlantis Waikiki dive site is home to many Hawaiian fishes, coral, and turtles. Known for its quality and safety, Atlantis is an eye-opening experience that takes you beyond the classroom as you learn about coral, reef life and submersibles while visiting our sunken shipwrecks, airplane and other artificial reefs. Atlantis has a spacious air-conditioned interior, large view ports and comfortable seating. If you haven't been to the bottom of the ocean before, this tour is a "must do!"
HULA
Hula (pronounced /ˈhuːlə/) is a dance form accompanied by chant or song. It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The chant or song is called a mele. The hula dramatizes or comments on the mele.
There are many styles of hula. They are commonly divided into two broad categories: Ancient hula, as performed before Western encounters with Hawaiʻi, is called kahiko. It is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula as it evolved under Western influence, in the 19th and 20th centuries, is called ʻauana. It is accompanied by song and Western-influenced musical instruments such as the guitar, the ʻukulele, and the double bass.
Terminology for two main additional categories is beginning to enter the hula lexicon: "Monarchy" includes many hula which were composed and choreographed during the 19th century. During that time the influx of Western culture created significant changes in the formal Hawaiian arts, including hula. "Ai Kahiko", meaning "in the ancient style" are those hula written in the 20th and 21st centuries that follow the stylistic protocols of the ancient hula kahiko.
Hula is taught in schools called hālau. The teacher of hula is the kumu hula, where kumu means source of knowledge. Hula dancing is a complex art form, and there are many hand motions used to signify aspects of nature, such as the basic Hula and Coconut Tree motions, or the basic leg steps, such as the Kaholo, Ka'o, and Ami.
There are other related dances (tamure, hura, aparima, otea, haka, poi, Fa'ataupati, Tau'olunga, and Lakalaka) that come from other Polynesian islands such as Tahiti, The Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Aotearoa (New Zealand); however, the hula is unique to the Hawaiian Islands.
Hula Kahiko
Hula kahiko performance at the pa hula in Hawaii Volcanoes National ParkHula kahiko, often defined as those hula composed prior to 1893 which do not include modern instrumentation (such as guitar, `ukulele, etc.), encompassed an enormous variety of styles and moods, from the solemn and sacred to the frivolous. Many hula were created to praise the chiefs and performed in their honor, or for their entertainment. Types of hula kahiko include ʻālaʻapapa, haʻa, ʻolapa, and many others.
Some hula was considered a religious performance. As was true of ceremonies at the heiau, the platform temple, even a minor error was considered to invalidate the performance. It might even be a presage of bad luck or have dire consequences. Dancers who were learning to do such hula necessarily made many mistakes. Hence they were ritually secluded and put under the protection of the goddess Laka during the learning period. Ceremonies marked the successful learning of the hula and the emergence from seclusion.
Hula kahiko is performed today by dancing to the historical chants. Many hula kahiko are characterized by traditional costuming, by an austere look, and a reverence for their spiritual roots.
ChantsHawaiian history was oral history. It was codified in genealogies and chants, which were memorized strictly as passed down. In the absence of a written language, this was the only available method of ensuring accuracy. Chants told the stories of creation, mythology, royalty, and other significant events and people.
Instruments and implements
Hula dance researcher Joann Kealiinohomoku with hula implements Puʻili and ʻuliʻuliIpu—single gourd drum
Ipu heke—double gourd drum
Pahu—sharkskin covered drum; considered sacred
Pūniu—small knee drum made of a coconut shell with fish skin (kala) cover
ʻIliʻili—water-worn lava stone used as castanets
ʻUlīʻulī—feathered gourd rattles
Pūʻili—split bamboo sticks
Kālaʻau—rhythm sticks
The dog's-tooth anklets sometimes worn by male dancers could also be considered instruments, as they underlined the sounds of stamping feet.
CostumesTraditional female dancers wore the everyday pāʻū, or wrapped skirt, but were topless. Today this form of dress has been altered. As a sign of lavish display, the pāʻū might be much longer than the usual length of tapa, or barkcloth, which was just long enough to go around the waist. Visitors report seeing dancers swathed in many yards of tapa, enough to increase their circumference substantially. Dancers might also wear decorations such as necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, as well as many lei (in the form of headpieces, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets).
Traditional male dancers wore the everyday malo, or loincloth. Again, they might wear bulky malo made of many yards of tapa. They also wore necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and lei.
The materials for the lei worn in performance were gathered in the forest, after prayers to Laka and the forest gods had been chanted.
The lei and tapa worn for sacred hula were considered imbued with the sacredness of the dance, and were not to be worn after the performance. Lei were typically left on the small altar to Laka found in every hālau, as offerings.
PerformancesHula performed for spontaneous daily amusement or family feasts were attended with no particular ceremony. However, hula performed as entertainment for chiefs were anxious affairs. High chiefs typically traveled from one place to another within their domains. Each locality had to house, feed, and amuse the chief and his or her entourage. Hula performances were a form of fealty, and often of flattery to the chief. There were hula celebrating his lineage, his name, and even his genitals (hula maʻi). Sacred hula, celebrating Hawaiian gods, were also danced. All these performances must be completed without error (which would be both unlucky and disrespectful).
Visiting chiefs from other domains would also be honored with hula performances. This courtesy was often extended to important Western visitors. They left many written records of 18th and 19th century hula performances.
Hula ʻauana
Dancer (Hula ʻauana), Merrie Monarch FestivalModern hula arose from adaptation of traditional hula ideas (dance and mele) to Western influences. The primary influences were Christian morality and melodic harmony. Hula ʻauana still tells or comments on a story, but the stories may include events since the 1800s. The costumes of the women dancers are less revealing and the music is heavily Western-influenced.
SongsThe mele of hula ʻauana are generally sung as if they were popular music. A lead voice sings in a major scale, with occasional harmony parts.
The subject of the songs is as broad as the range of human experience. People write mele hula ʻauana to comment on significant people, places or events or simply to express an emotion or idea.
Costumes play a role in illustrating the hula instructor's interpretation of the mele. While there is some freedom of choice, most hālau follow the accepted costuming traditions. Women generally wear skirts or dresses of some sort. Men may wear long or short pants, skirts, or a malo (a cloth wrapped under and around the crotch). For slow, graceful dances, the dancers will wear formal clothing such as a muʻumuʻu for women and a sash for men. A fast, lively, "rascal" song will be performed by dancers in more revealing or festive attire. The hula kahiko is always performed with bare feet, but the hula ʻauana can be performed with bare feet or shoes.
Hula is performed at luau (Hawaiian parties) and celebrations. Hula lessons are common for girls from ages 6–12 and, just like another kind of dance they have recitals and perform at luau.
There are various legends surrounding the origins of hula. According to one Hawaiian legend Laka, goddess of the hula, gave birth to the dance on the island of Molokaʻi, at a sacred place in Kaʻana. After Laka died, her remains were hidden beneath the hill Puʻu Nana.
Another story tells of Hiʻiaka, who danced to appease her fiery sister, the volcano goddess Pele. This story locates the source of the hula on Hawaiʻi, in the Puna district at the Hāʻena shoreline. The ancient hula Ke Haʻa Ala Puna describes this event.
Another story is when Pele, the goddess of fire was trying to find a home for herself running away from her sister Namakaokaha'i (the goddess of the oceans) when she finally found an island where she couldn't be touched by the waves. There at chain of craters on the island of Hawai'i she danced the first dance of hula signifying that she finally won.
One story is that Pele asked Laka to amuse her because Pele was bored. So right away Laka got up and began to move gracefully, acting out silently events they both knew. Pele enjoyed this and was fascinated thus Hula was born.
During the 19th century Dancer with pūʻili (Hula ʻauana), Merrie Monarch FestivalAmerican Protestant missionaries, who arrived in 1820, denounced the hula as a heathen dance. The newly Christianized aliʻi (royalty and nobility) were urged to ban the hula—which they did. However, many of them continued to privately patronize the hula.
The Hawaiian performing arts had a resurgence during the reign of King David Kalākaua (1874–1891), who encouraged the traditional arts. With the Princess Ruth Keelikolani who devoted herself to the old ways, as the patron of the ancients chants (mele, hula), she stressed the importance to revive the diminishing culture of their ancestors with in the damaging influence of foreigners, and modernism that was forever changing Hawaii.
Practitioners merged Hawaiian poetry, chanted vocal performance, dance movements and costumes to create the new form, the hula kuʻi (kuʻi means "to combine old and new"). The pahu appears not to have been used in hula kuʻi, evidently because its sacredness was respected by practitioners; the ipu gourd (Lagenaria sicenaria) was the indigenous instrument most closely associated with hula kuʻi.
Ritual and prayer surrounded all aspects of hula training and practice, even as late as the early 20th century. Teachers and students were dedicated to the goddess of the hula, Laka.
"Honolulu Entertainers" sideshow at a circus in Salt Lake City, 1920Hula changed drastically in the early 20th century as it was featured in tourist spectacles, such as the Kodak Hula Show, and in Hollywood films. However, a more traditional hula was maintained in small circles by older practitioners. There has been a renewed interest in hula, both traditional and modern, since the 1970s and the Hawaiian Renaissance.
3 November 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Honolulu - general information
Honolulu is the capital of and the most populous census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Although Honolulu refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and the county are consolidated, known as the City and County of Honolulu, and the city and county is designated as the entire island. The City and County of Honolulu is the only incorporated city in Hawaii, as all other local government entities are administered at the county level. It is the 57th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Honolulu is also the most populous state capital relative to state population. In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter".
Evidence of the first settlement of Honolulu by the original Polynesian migrants to the archipelago comes from oral histories and artifacts. These indicate that there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 12th century. However, after Kamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikīkī in 1804. His court later relocated, in 1809, to what is now downtown Honolulu. In 1795, Captain William Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor. More foreign ships would follow, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia.
In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. He and the kings that followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, erecting buildings such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, ʻIolani Palace, and Aliʻiōlani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the center of commerce in the Islands, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses in downtown Honolulu. Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, which saw the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaiʻi's subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898, followed by a large fire in 1900, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Honolulu would remain the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport of the Hawaiian Islands.
An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaiʻi. Modern air travel would bring thousands and, as of 2007, 7.6 million visitors annually to the Islands.[2] Of these, about 62.3% in 2007 entered the state at Honolulu International Airport. Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaiʻi, with thousands of hotel rooms. The UK consulting firm Mercer, in a 2009 assessment "conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments", ranked Honolulu 29th worldwide in quality of living; the survey factored in political stability, personal freedom, sanitation, crime, housing, the natural environment, recreation, banking facilities, availability of consumer goods, education, and public services including transportation.
2 November 2010 - trip to honolulu
Got up at 6:15am so that we could catch out plane to Honolulu. the trip was uneventful.
Arrived our hotel then went for a walk then ended up at the beach for a while. Went out for tea and returned to the hotel.
1 November 2010 - More Disneyland
Newport Beach - general information
In 1871 a steamer named "The Vaquero" made its first trip to a marshy lagoon for trading. Ranch owners in the Lower Bay decided from then on that the area should be called "Newport."
In 1905 city development increased when Padcific Electric Railway established a southern terminus in Newport connecting the beach with downtown Los Angeles. In 1906 with a population of 206 citizens, the scattered settlements were incorporated as the City of Newport Beach.
Settlements filled in on the Peninsula, West Newport, Balboa Island and Lido Isle. In 1923 Corona De Mar was annexed and in 2002 Newport Coast East Santa Ana and San Joaquin Hills, were annexed. In 2008, after a long battle with the City of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach annexed West Santa Ana Heights.
Newport Beach extends in elevation from sea level to the 1161 ft (354 m.) summit of Signal Peak in the San Joaquin Hills but the official elevation is 25 feet (8 m) above sea level.
The city is bordered to the west by Huntington Beach at the Santa Ana River, on the north side by Costa Mesa, John Wayne Airport and Irvine, and on the east side by Crystal Cove State.
The Upper Newport Bay was carved out by the prehistoric flow of the Santa Ana River. It feeds the delta that is the Back Bay, and eventually joins Lower Newport Bay, commonly referred to as Newport Harbor. The Lower Bay includes Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, Collins Islan, Bay Island, Harbor Island, Lido Isle and Linda Isle.
31 October 2010 - day at the beach
30 October 2010 - Disney Parks
Eventually got up and headed to the parks for the day of fun. We stayed till late and saw fantasmic and fireworks before heading home.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sea World - general information
SeaWorld was founded in 1964 by four graduates of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). They had originally considered the idea of building an underwater restaurant. Although this idea was not technically feasible, the concept grew into the idea of a marine zoological park on 22 acres (89,000 m2) along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego. With an initial investment of $1.5 million, 45 employees, several dolphins, sea lions, and two seawater aquariums, SeaWorld drew more than 400,000 visitors its first year.
In the earliest years, the park was held as a private partnership. In 1968, SeaWorld offered its stock publicly, enabling the company to grow. In 1970, a second SeaWorld park was built — in Aurora, Ohio, near Cleveland. It was followed by a park in Orlando, Florida in 1973, and the largest park, which opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1988. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (HBJ), owned and operated SeaWorld from 1976 to 1989. Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. purchased the SeaWorld parks from HBJ in November 1989. After Anheuser-Busch was acquired by InBev, SeaWorld San Diego and the rest of the company's theme parks were sold to the Blackstone Group in December 2009, which operates the park through its SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment division.
29 October 2010 - Sea World
28 October 2010 - Disney Parks
LA Experience - General Information
MANNS CHINESE THEATRE
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is located along the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922. Built over 18 months, beginning in January 1926 by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman, the theater opened May 18, 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film The King of Kings
It has since been home to many premieres, birthday parties, corporate junkets and three Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theater's most distinctive features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day.
After his success with the Egyptian Theatre, Sid Grauman turned to C.E. Toberman to secure a long term lease on property located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. Mr. Toberman contracted the architectural firm of Meyer & Holler (who also designed the Egyptian) to design a "palace type theatre" of Chinese design. Grauman's Chinese Theatre was financed by Grauman, who owned a one-third interest, and his partners: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Howard Schenck.[1] The principal architect of the Chinese Theatre was Raymond M. Kennedy, of Meyer and Holler.
During construction, Grauman hired Jean Klossner to formulate an extremely hard concrete for the forecourt of the theatre. Klossner later became known as "Mr. Footprint," performing the footprint ceremonies from 1927 through 1962.
There are many stories regarding the origins of the footprints. The theater's official account in its books and souvenir programs credit Norma Talmadge as having inspired the tradition when she accidentally stepped into the wet concrete. However, in a short interview during the September 13, 1937, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of a radio adaptation of A Star Is Born Grauman related another version of how he got the idea to put hand and footprints in the concrete. He said it was: "pure accident. I walked right into it. While we were building the theatre, I accidentally happened to step in some soft concrete. And there it was. So, I went to Mary Pickford immediately. Mary put her foot into it." Still another account by Jean Klossner (the construction foreman at the time) recounts that Klossner autographed his work next to the right-hand poster kiosk and that he and Grauman developed the idea then and there. His autograph and hand-print, dated 1927, remain today. The theater's third founding partner, Douglas Fairbanks, was the second celebrity, after Talmadge, to be immortalized in the concrete.
Sid Grauman sold his share to William Fox's Fox Theatres chain in 1929, but remained as the theater's Managing Director until his death in 1950.
In 1968 the Chinese Theatre was declared a historic and cultural landmark, and has undergone various restoration projects in the years since then. It was purchased in 1973 by Ted Mann, owner of the Mann Theatres chain, and husband of actress Rhonda Fleming. From 1973 through 2001, the theatre was known as Mann's Chinese Theatre, owing to its acquisition by Mann Theatres in 1973. In the wake of Mann's bankruptcy, the theatre, along with the other Mann properties, were sold in 2000 to a partnership of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, who also acquired the Mann brand name. In 2002 the original name was restored to the cinema palace, although the other theatres in the attached Hollywood and Highland mall retain and continue to operate under the name Mann's Chinese 6 Theatre.
In 2008, the land the theatre sits on was sold to the CIM Group for an undisclosed price. Mann Theatres continues to have a long-term lease on the venue for movie premieres and will continue to operate it as a film house. The land was sold to CIM by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation of New York and Barlow Respiratory Hospital of Los Angeles. CIM Group also owns the Hollywood and Highland retail mall next door to the Chinese Theatre, as well as numerous other residential and commercial properties in Hollywood.
The exterior of the theater is meant to resemble a giant, red Chinese pagoda. The architecture features a huge Chinese dragon across the front, two Authentic Chinese Ming Heavens dogs guard the main entrance, and the silhouettes of tiny dragons up and down the sides of the copper roof. To the dismay of many fans of historic architecture, the free-standing ticket booth was removed (which was not original to the theatre, but rather installed in the 1930s), along with the left and right neon marquees—but their absence brings the theatre back closer to its original state. The auditorium has recently been completely restored along with much of the exterior, however, the wear and tear on the physical structure over the years has caused some of the external décor to be removed, rather than repaired.
In 1944, 1945, and 1946 the Academy Awards ceremonies were held at the Chinese Theatre; they are now held at the adjacent Kodak Theatre. Grauman's Chinese Theatre continues to serve the public as a first-run movie theater. Many Hollywood films have had their premieres at the Chinese Theatre throughout its history. Today its premiers are attended by celebrities and large throngs of fans as they have been since 1927. There are nearly 200 Hollywood celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs in the concrete of the theater's forecourt.
The only person not associated with the movie industry to have a signature and handprint in front of the theater is Grauman's mother. Additionally, Charles Nelson, the winner of a "Talent Quest," had his handprints and footprints embedded in the "Forecourt of the Stars."
1920's
Norma Talmadge (post dated for the opening day May 18, 1927)
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (April 30, 1927)
Norma Shearer (August 1, 1927)
Harold Lloyd (November 21, 1927)
William S. Hart (November 28, 1927)
Tom Mix and Tony the Wonder Horse (December 12, 1927)
Colleen Moore (December 19, 1927)
Gloria Swanson (circa 1927)
Constance Talmadge (circa 1927)
Pola Negri (April 2, 1928)
Bebe Daniels (May 11, 1929)
Marion Davies (May 13, 1929)
Janet Gaynor (May 29, 1929)
Joan Crawford (September 14, 1929)
Despite claims by some that he did and that they were later removed during blacklisting in the 1950s, Charlie Chaplin never placed his handprints in the concrete at the theatre.
1930s
Ann Harding (August 30, 1930)
Raoul Walsh (November 14, 1930)
Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler (January 31, 1931)
Jackie Cooper (December 12, 1931)
Eddie Cantor (March 9, 1932)
Diana Wynyard (January 26, 1933)
The Marx Brothers (February 17, 1933)
Jean Harlow (September 25 and September 29, 1933)
Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald (December 4, 1934)
Shirley Temple (March 14, 1935)
Joe E. Brown (March 5, 1936)
Al Jolson (March 12, 1936)
Freddie Bartholomew (April 4, 1936)
Bing Crosby (April 8, 1936)
Victor McLaglen (May 25, 1936)
William Powell and Myrna Loy (October 20, 1936)
Clark Gable and Woody Van Dyke (January 20, 1937)
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell (February 10, 1937)
Fredric March (April 21, 1937)
May Robson (April 22, 1937)
Tyrone Power and Loretta Young (May 31, 1937)
Sonja Henie (June 28, 1937)
The Ritz Brothers (September 22, 1937)
Eleanor Powell (December 23, 1937)
Don Ameche (January 27, 1938)
Fred Astaire (February 4, 1938)
Deanna Durbin (February 7, 1938)
Alice Faye and Tony Martin (March 20, 1938)
Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (July 20, 1938)
Jean Hersholt (October 11, 1938)
Mickey Rooney (October 18, 1938)
Nelson Eddy (December 28, 1938)
Ginger Rogers (September 5, 1939)
Judy Garland (October 10, 1939)
Jane Withers (November 6, 1939)
1940s
Linda Darnell (March 18, 1940)
Rosa Grauman and George Raft (March 25, 1940)
John Barrymore (September 5, 1940)
Jack Benny (January 13, 1941)
Carmen Miranda (March 24, 1941)
Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor (June 11, 1941)
Rudy Vallee (July 21, 1941)
Cecil B. DeMille (August 7, 1941)
The Family of Judge James K. Hardy (August 15, 1941)
Abbott and Costello (December 8, 1941)
Edward Arnold (January 6, 1942)
Joan Fontaine (May 26, 1942)
Red Skelton (June 18, 1942)
Greer Garson (July 23, 1942)
Henry Fonda, Rita Hayworth, Charles Boyer, Edward G. Robinson, and Charles Laughton (July 24, 1942)
Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour (February 5, 1943)
Betty Grable (February 15, 1943)
Monty Woolley (May 28, 1943)
Gary Cooper (August 13, 1943)
Esther Williams and Private Joe Brian (August 1, 1944)
Gene Tierney (January 24, 1945)
Jack Oakie (February 21, 1945)
Jimmy Durante (October 31, 1945)
Sid Grauman (January 24, 1946)
Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison (July 8, 1946)
Margaret O'Brien (August 15, 1946)
Humphrey Bogart (August 21, 1946)
Louella Parsons (September 30, 1946)
Ray Milland (April 17, 1947)
Lauritz Melchior (November 17, 1947)
James Stewart (February 13, 1948)
Van Johnson (March 25, 1948)
George Jessel (March 1, 1949)
Roy Rogers and Trigger (April 21, 1949)
Richard Widmark and Charles Nelson (April 24, 1949)
Jeanne Crain (October 17, 1949)
Jean Hersholt (October 20, 1949)
Anne Baxter and Gregory Peck (December 15, 1949)
Gene Autry and Champion (December 23, 1949)
1950s
John Wayne (January 25, 1950)
Lana Turner (May 24, 1950)
Bette Davis (November 6, 1950)
William Lundigan (December 29, 1950)
Cary Grant (July 16, 1951)
Susan Hayward (August 10, 1951)
Hildegard Knef (as Hildegarde Neff) (December 13, 1951)
Oskar Werner (December 13, 1951)
Jane Wyman (September 17, 1952)
Ava Gardner (October 21, 1952)
Clifton Webb (December 7, 1952)
Olivia de Havilland (December 9, 1952)
Adolph Zukor (January 5, 1953)
Ezio Pinza (January 26, 1953)
Donald O'Connor and mother Effie (February 25, 1953)
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell (June 26, 1953)
Jean Simmons (September 24, 1953)
Danny Thomas (January 26, 1954)
James Mason (March 30, 1954)
Alan Ladd (May 12, 1954)
Edmund Purdom (August 30, 1954)
Van Heflin (October 8, 1954)
George Murphy (November 8, 1954)
Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr (March 22, 1956)
Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and George Stevens (September 26, 1956)
Elmer C. Rhoden (September 16, 1958)
Rosalind Russell (February 19, 1959)
1960s
Steve McQueen's hand and footprints, placed upside down at his request.
Cantinflas (December 28, 1960)
Doris Day (January 19, 1961)
Natalie Wood (December 5, 1961)
Charlton Heston (January 18, 1962)
Sophia Loren (July 26, 1962)
Kirk Douglas (November 1, 1962)
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward (May 25, 1963)
Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine (June 29, 1963)
Mervyn LeRoy (October 15, 1963)
Hayley Mills (February 22, 1964)
Dean Martin (March 21, 1964)
Peter Sellers (June 3, 1964)
Debbie Reynolds (January 14, 1965)
Marcello Mastroianni (February 8, 1965)
Frank Sinatra (July 20, 1965)
Julie Andrews (March 26, 1966)
Dick Van Dyke (June 25, 1966)
Steve McQueen (March 21, 1967)
Sidney Poitier (June 23, 1967)
Anthony Quinn (December 21, 1968)
Danny Kaye (October 19, 1969)
Gene Kelly (November 24, 1969)
1970s
Jack Nicholson's prints from 1974.
Francis X. Bushman (November 17, 1970)
Ali MacGraw (December 14, 1972)
Jack Nicholson (June 17, 1974)
Tom Bradley and Ted Mann (May 18, 1977)
The Chinese Theatre's 50th Anniversary (May 24, 1977)
C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2-D2, and Darth Vader (August 3, 1977)
George Burns (January 25, 1979)
1980s
John Travolta (June 2, 1980)
Burt Reynolds (September 24, 1981)
Rhonda Fleming (September 28, 1981)
Sylvester Stallone (June 29, 1983)
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (May 16, 1984)
Donald Duck and Clarence Nash (May 21, 1984)
Clint Eastwood (August 21, 1984)
Mickey Rooney (February 18, 1986)
Eddie Murphy and Hollywood's 100th Anniversary (May 14, 1987)
McLean Stevenson (December 19, 1989)
1990s
Gene Roddenberry, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, George Takei, and Walter Koenig (December 5, 1991)
Harrison Ford (June 4, 1992)
Michael Keaton (June 15, 1992)
Tom Cruise (June 15, 1992)
Mel Gibson (August 23, 1993)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (July 14, 1994)
Meryl Streep (September 25, 1994)
Whoopi Goldberg (February 2, 1995)
Bruce Willis (May 18, 1995)
Steven Seagal (July 10, 1995)
Jim Carrey (November 1, 1995)
Johnny Grant (May 13, 1997)
Robert Zemeckis (July 8, 1997)
Michael Douglas (September 10, 1997)
Al Pacino (October 16, 1997)
Denzel Washington (January 15, 1998)
Walter Matthau (April 2, 1998)
Warren Beatty (May 21, 1998)
Danny Glover (July 7, 1998)
Tom Hanks (July 23, 1998)
Robin Williams (December 22, 1998)
Susan Sarandon (January 11, 1999)
William F. "Bill" Hertz (March 18, 1999)
Ron Howard (March 23, 1999)
Sean Connery (April 13, 1999)
Richard Gere (July 26, 1999)
Terry Semel and Bob Daly (September 30, 1999)
2000s
Anthony Hopkins (January 11, 2001)
Nicolas Cage (August 14, 2001)
Martin Lawrence (November 19, 2001)
John Woo (May 21, 2002)
Morgan Freeman (June 5, 2002)
Christopher Walken (October 8, 2004)
Jack Valenti (December 6, 2004)
Sherry Lansing (February 16, 2005)
Adam Sandler (May 17, 2005)
Johnny Depp (September 16, 2005)
Samuel L. Jackson (January 30, 2006)
Kevin Costner (September 6, 2006)
Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Jerry Weintraub (June 5, 2007)
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint (July 9, 2007)
Johnny Grant (July 9, 2007) placed hands and footprints in concrete 2nd time
Will Smith (December 10, 2007)
Michael Caine (July 11, 2008)
Hugh Jackman (April 21, 2009)
Robert Downey Jr. (December 7, 2009)
VENICE LOS ANGELES
Venice is a district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, that features performers, fortune-tellers and vendors. Throughout the summer months, the boardwalk is actively entertaining, and this tradition continues on weekends in the winter. It is an important tourist attraction in Southern California, and has retained its popularity in part because it is an attractive location for walking and bicycling. It was home to some of Los Angeles' early beat poets and artists and has served as important cultural center of the city.
Venice is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by the unincorporated Marina Del Rey on the southeast, by Culver City on the east, by the Los Angeles neighborhood of Mar Vista on the northeast, and by the city of Santa Monica on the north.
Venice of America was founded by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a beach resort town, 14 miles (23 km) west of Los Angeles. He and his partner Francis Ryan had bought two miles (3.24 km) of oceanfront property south of Santa Monica in 1891. They built a resort town on the north end of the property called Ocean Park, which was soon annexed to Santa Monica. After Ryan died, Kinney and his new partners continued building south of Navy Street in the unincorporated territory. After the partnership dissolved in 1904, Kinney built on the marshy land on the south end of the property, intending to create a seaside resort like its namesake in Italy.
When Venice of America opened on July 4, 1905, Kinney had dug several miles of canals to drain the marshes for his residential area, built a 1200-foot-long pleasure pier with an auditorium, ship restaurant, and dance hall, constructed a hot salt-water plunge, and built a block-long arcaded business street with Venetian architecture. Tourists, mostly arriving on the "Red Cars" of the Pacific Electric Railway from Los Angeles and Santa Monica, then rode Venice's miniature railroad and gondolas to tour the town. But the biggest attraction was Venice's mile-long gently sloping beach. Cottages and housekeeping tents were available for rent.
The town's population increased, annexed adjacent housing tracts, and changed its official name from Ocean Park to Venice in 1911. The population (3119 residents in 1910) soon exceeded 10,000, and drew 50,000 to 150,000 tourists on weekends.
Attractions on the Kinney Pier became more amusement oriented by 1910, when a Venice Scenic Railway, Aquarium, Virginia Reel, Whip, Racing Derby and other rides and game booths were added. Since the business district was allotted only three one-block-long streets, and the City Hall was more than a mile away, other competing business districts developed. Unfortunately, this created a fractious political climate. Kinney, however, governed with an iron hand and kept things in check. When he died in November 1920, Venice became harder to govern. With the amusement pier burning six weeks later in December 1920, and Prohibition (which had begun the previous January), the town's tax revenue was severely affected.
The Kinney family rebuilt their amusement pier quickly to compete with Ocean Park's Pickering Pier, and the new Sunset Pier. When it opened it had two roller coasters, a new Racing Derby, a Noah's Ark, a Mill Chutes, and many other rides. By 1925 with the addition of a third coaster, a tall Dragon Slide, Fun House and Flying Circus aerial ride, it was the finest amusement pier on the West Coast. Several hundred thousand tourists visited on weekends. In 1923 Charles Lick built the Lick Pier at Navy Street in Venice, adjacent to the Ocean Park Pier at Pier Avenue in Ocean Park. Another pier was planned for Venice in 1925 at Leona Street (now Washington Street).
For the amusement of the public, Kinney hired aviators to do aerial stunts over the beach. One of them, movie aviator and Venice airport owner B. H. DeLay, implemented the first lighted airport in the United States on DeLay Field (previously known as Ince Field). He also initiated the first aerial police in the nation, after a marine rescue attempt was thwarted. DeLay also performed many of the world's first aerial stunts for motion pictures in Venice.
By 1925, Venice's politics became unmanageable. Its roads, water and sewage systems badly needed repair and expansion to keep up with its growing population. When it was proposed that Venice be annexed to Los Angeles, the board of Trustees voted to hold an election. Those for annexation and those against were nearly evenly matched, but many Los Angeles residents, who moved to Venice to vote, turned the tide. Venice became part of Los Angeles in November 1925.
Los Angeles had annexed the Disneyland of its day, and proceeded to remake Venice in its own image. They felt the town needed more streets, not canals, and paved most of them in 1929 after a three-year court battle led by canal residents. They wanted to close Venice's three amusement piers, but had to wait until the first of the tidelands' leases expired in 1946.
In 1929, oil was discovered south of Washington Street on the Venice Peninsula. Within two years, 450 oil wells covered the area and drilling waste clogged the remaining waterways. It was a short-lived boom that provided needed income to the community, which suffered during the Great Depression. The wells produced oil into the 1970s.
Los Angeles had neglected Venice so long that, by the 1950s, it had become the "Slum by the Sea." With the exception of new police and fire stations in 1930, the city spent little on improvements after annexation. The city did not pave Trolleyway (Pacific Avenue) until 1954 when county and state funds became available. Low rents for run-down bungalows attracted predominantly European immigrants (including a substantial number of Holocaust survivors), and young counterculture artists, poets and writers. The Beat Generation hung out at the Gas House on Ocean Front Walk and at Venice West Cafe on Dudley. Police raids were frequent during that era.
Venice and neighboring Santa Monica were hosts for a decade to Pacific Ocean Park (POP), an amusement and pleasure-pier built atop the old Lick Pier and Ocean Park Pier by CBS and the Los Angeles Turf Club (Santa Anita). It opened in July 1958, in Santa Monica. They kept the pier's old roller coaster, airplane ride and historic carousel, but converted its theaters and smaller pier buildings into sea-themed rides and space-themed attractions designed by Hollywood special-effects people. Visitors could travel in space on the Flight to Mars ride, tour the world in Around the World in 80 Turns, go beneath the sea in the Diving Bells or at Neptune's Kingdom, take a fantasy excursion into the Tales of the Arabian Nights on the Flying Carpet ride, visit a pirate world at Davy Jones' Locker, or visit a tropical paradise and its volcano by riding a train on Mystery Island. There were also thrill rides like the Whirlpool (rotor whose floor dropped out), the Flying Fish wild mouse coaster, an auto ride, gondola ride, double Ferris wheel, safari ride, and an area of children's rides called Fun Forest. Sea lion shows were performed at the Sea Circus.
Since attendance at the park was too low to justify winter operation, and with competition from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Marineland, it was sold after two seasons to a succession of owners, who allowed the park deteriorate. Since Santa Monica was redeveloping the surrounding area for high-rise apartments and condos, it became difficult for patrons to reach the park, and it was forced into bankruptcy in 1967. The park suffered a series of arson fires beginning in 1970, and its was demolished by 1974. Another aging attraction in the 1960s was the Aragon Ballroom that had been the longtime home of The Lawrence Welk Show and the Spade Cooley Show, and later the Cheetah Club where rock bands such as the Doors, Blue Cheer & many other top bands performed. It burned in the 1970 fire. The district around POP in the southside of Santa Monica is known as Dogtown, it is a common misconception that Dogtown is in Venice.
THIRD STREET PROMENADE
The Third Street Promenade is a pedestrian mall in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is considered one of the premier shopping destinations in West Los Angeles and frequently draws crowds from all over Los Angeles County. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean coupled with Los Angeles's mild climate, it is also a popular tourist destination.
Third Street has been a center of business in Santa Monica since the town's inception in the late 1800s. The Promenade's roots date back to the 1960s when three blocks of Third Street were converted into a pedestrian mall. Although successful at first, by the late 1970s, the pedestrian mall was in serious decline, despite the construction of Santa Monica Place mall designed by Frank Gehry, at its southern end. Subsequently, the area was redeveloped in the late 1980s-early 1990s (and renamed Third Street Promenade) to become the nationally recognized success that it is today. The project was part of a larger redevelopment effort in Downtown Santa Monica, encompassing several blocks of an area called Bayside District. Santa Monica Place has since been renovated as well into a new shopping center, which also resembles a pedestrian street, and is scheduled to open August 6th, 2010
The Third Street Promenade includes a mix of local and chain businesses. It had the original Starbucks Hear Music Coffeehouse before it went out of business; currently, it boasts a Mann Theatres, AMC Theatres, and Loews Theatres. Larger tenants include Anthropologie, H&M, French Connection UK, Barnes & Noble, Urban Outfitters, a three-story Gap, Armani Exchange, Guess?, Apple, American Eagle Outfitters and Pottery Barn.Third Street Promenade hosts a popular farmers' market twice a week. Street performers and entertainers are a frequent sight on the street. On a typical Saturday night in the summer, singer-songwriters, classical guitar players, magicians, clowns, hip-hop dancers, lounge singers, session drummers, and many harder-to-classify artists line up approximately 50 feet (15 m) apart from each other all along Third Street.
On July 16, 2003, 86-year-old George Russell Weller lost control of his car and drove through a crowded farmer's market on the promenade, killing 10 people. The Third Street Promenade is featured in the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles.
HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD
Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. West of Laurel Canyon it continues as a small residential street in the hills, finally ending at Sunset Plaza Drive. On the east side of Hollywood Boulevard it passes through the neighborhoods of Little Armenia and Thai Town.
The famous street was named Prospect Avenue from 1887 to 1910, when the town of Hollywood was annexed to the city of Los Angeles. After annexation, the street numbers changed from 100 Prospect Avenue, at Vermont Avenue, to 6400 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1946 Gene Autry rode his horse in the Hollywood Christmas parade and was inspired by the children yelling "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus," to write the song "Here Comes Santa Claus" along with Oakley Hnicknamed "Santa Claus Lane". The Hollywood Christmas Paradepasses down Hollywood Boulevard every Sunday after Thanksgiving.
In 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which runs from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, was created as a tribute to artists working in the entertainment industry. The Walk of Fame recognizes such celebrities and icons as Walt Disney, Michael Jackson, Hugh Hefner, and many more. (The Walk runs for an additional 3 blocks on Vine Street.)
The Hollywood extension of the Metro Red Line subway was opened in June 1999. Running from Downtown to the Valley, it has stops on Hollywood Boulevard at Western Avenue, at Vine Street and at Highland Avenue. Metro Local lines 180, 181 and 217 and Metro Rapid line 780 serve Hollywood Boulevard. An anti-cruising ordinance prohibits driving on part of the boulevard more than twice in four hours.
SUNSET STRIP
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive. The Strip is probably the best-known portion of Sunset, embracing a premier collection of boutiques, restaurants, rock clubs, and nightclubs that are on the cutting edge of the entertainment industry. It is also known for its trademark array of huge, colorful billboards and has developed a notoriety as a hangout for rock stars, movie stars and other entertainers.
As the Strip lies outside of the Los Angeles city limits and was an unincorporated area under the jurisdiction of the County of Los Angeles, the area fell under the less-vigilant jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Department rather than the heavy hand of the LAPD. It was illegal to gamble in the city, but legal in the county. This fostered the building of a rather wilder concentration of nightlife than Los Angeles would tolerate, and in the 1920s a number of nightclubs and casinos moved in along the Strip, which attracted movie people to this less-restricted area; alcohol was served in back rooms during Prohibition.
Glamour and glitz defined the Strip in the 1930s and the 1940s, as its renowned restaurants and nightclubs became a playground for the rich and famous. There were movie legends and power brokers, and everyone of significance danced to stardom at such legendary clubs as Ciro's, the Mocambo and the Trocadero. Some of its expensive nightclubs and restaurants were said to be owned by gangsters like Mickey Cohen, earning the Strip a place in Raymond Chandler's 1949 Philip Marlowe novel, The Little Sister. Other spots on the strip associated with Hollywood include the Garden of Allah apartments — Hollywood quarters for transplanted writers like Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, and F. Scott Fitzgerald — and Schwab's Drug Store.
By the early 1960s, the Strip lost favor with the majority of movie people, but its restaurants, bars and clubs continued to serve as an attraction for locals and tourists. In the mid-1960s and 1970s it became a major gathering-place for the counterculture — and the scene of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in the summer of 1966, involving police and crowds of hippies, serving as the inspiration for the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth."
As the Strip became a haven for musical artists in the 1960s and 1970s, the Hyatt West Hollywood (now known as the Andaz West Hollywood) became a hotel of legend. Many musicians lived or stayed at the hotel for the easy access to the live music venues on Sunset Boulevard. This is how the hotel became known by names such as the "Riot Hyatt" and the "Riot House," thus serving as a redolent location for the Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous.
In the early 1970s a popular hangout for glam rock musicians and groupies was Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. The Strip continued to be a major focus for punk rock and New Wave during the late 1970s, and it became the center of the colorful glam metal scene throughout the 1980s.
In November 1984, voters in West Hollywood passed a proposal on the ballot to incorporate and the area became an independent city. Increasingly, the western end of the Strip is occupied by office buildings, mostly catering to the entertainment industry, and expensive hotels.
HARD ROCK CAFÉ
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock 'n' roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The largest Hard Rock is in Orlando. Currently, there are 149 Hard Rock locations in 53 countries.
BEVERLY CENTER
The Beverly Center is a shopping center in Los Angeles, California, United States.
The Beverly Center is a monolithic eight-story structure located at the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, California, between La Cienega and San Vicente boulevards. Anchor tenants include Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and a 13-screen movie theater (originally a 14-screen multiplex). While the mall features staples of American retail—such as Banana Republic, Victoria's Secret and Forever 21—it is also home to several high-end designer boutiques, including Armani Exchange, Just Cavalli, D&G Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Ben Sherman, Diesel, Gucci, Dior, The Ferrari Store, Burberry and Hugo Boss, with True Religion to open soon. Along with the retail and designers' boutiques, Beverly Center offers guest service desk, valet parking, and taxi services. The mall also has several restaurants including Pinkberry and Wave Restaurant & Bar. The mall's Rooftop Terrace offers sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills, Downtown Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Westside.
The Center's externally-visible escalators previously resembled similar escalators at the Pompidou Center in Paris, France; however, the escalators underwent renovation in 2007 and now have a significantly different appearance which affords visitors a significantly expanded view of the surrounding area, and hills.
The Beverly Center was originally opened in 1982 by developers A. Alfred Taubman, Sheldon Gordon & E. Phillip Lyon. (The site's former occupant was a small amusement park known as Beverly Park and Kiddyland, featuring a ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and mini roller-coaster, and a pony ride known as Ponyland.)
The mall's unusual shape and lack of street frontage along San Vicente Blvd is due to its location on top of the Salt Lake Oil Field. The western portion of the mall property contains a cluster of oil wells, all operated by Plains Exploration & Production, in a drilling enclosure that is active to this date.
The opening of the mall featured the debut of the Cineplex movie theater, a multiplex movie theater initially boasting 14 screens, at that time the largest number of movie screens in any US multiplex. The multiplex was launched on July 16, 1982, with the West Coast premiere of Miramax's The Secret Policeman's Other Ball which played on three of its fourteen screens. Even though the movie theater was located in Los Angeles, the opening was newsworthy enough to warrant a full article in the New York Times. In the late 1980s, three smaller screens were removed on the main floor, so two larger auditoriums could be built on the roof. The theatre closed on June 3, 2010.
The mall contained the USA's first Hard Rock Cafe, the third installment of the restaurant chain, following those in London and Toronto. The Beverly Center was originally anchored by Bullock's and The Broadway department stores, and in 1993 Bullock's opened a separate Bullock's Men's store, before both stores were renamed Macy's in 1996. The Broadway closed its location in 1996 when it was absorbed into Macy's and its former store was reopened as a Bloomingdale's in 1997.