<p>Thedad-
Great coup on the parking spot on Holllywood Blvd! We paid some outrageous amount for a short period of parking when we did the tourist-y bit when out looking at Cal Tech and Harvey Mudd. Enjoyed driving a little rental (Toyota Echo) in the ritsy Hollywood Hills-- seemed kinda antithetical. Sad part was that a few days later was the day that older gentleman mowed down all those people in the Farmers’ Market. Awful stuff on the local news… Yuk</p>
<p>As for Fried Green Tomatoes, Cathy Bates was driving this big ol’ Cadillac. She was signalling to pull into a parking space when a guy in a small car (I think it was a VW Beetle) looks at her, smirks, and pulled in ahead of her and grabbed the spot. If I recall correctly (actually, I had to ask my H. as I couldn’t recall exactly), Cathy Bates takes her big ol’ Cadillac and rams into the back of the VW, pushing it out of the spot as she drives into the spot. When she gets out, looking at this smashed VW, she says “they’re younger and cuter, but I have better insurance”.</p>
<p>Okay, weenie, I got onto the fodor’s website and just lost an hour of the morning, have bookmarked it and now fear for my afternoon!</p>
<p>congrats on the excellent parking thedad. I am one of those that never got the hang of parallel parking and when I have to go into a city, will circle for blocks until I find a pull in spot or pay extra for lot parking.</p>
<p>ctheflute, we will probably do some hiking. Our family had done quite a few hikes before (son has done over 100 miles in New Mexico mountains) but will have 2 sets of Grandparents along and logistics and weather will determine what we do. One set of Grandparents live in Colorado and hike often in the Rockies but the other set are flatlanders and not accustomed to the elevation or hills. We will most likely break up into different groups.</p>
<p>Jym, thanks for the Cathy Bates/FGT explanation.</p>
<p>Btw, anyone visiting CalTech should take off half a day and visit the Huntington Museum and Gardens, entrance just about a mile away.
Museum has Gutenberg Bibles, first folio Shakespeares and the like, paintings like “Blue Boy” (bleah) and one of my favorites, “Mrs. Siddons with the Tragic Muse.” The gardens are spectacular and if you make reservations the afternoon tea in the tea room is very nice. You can’t possibly “see it all” on one trip but one visit can capture the highlights. The rose gardens are mind-boggling in scope and diversity.</p>
<p>KathieP, I set a new record for parallel parking the other day: made it with a <em>total</em> of six inches, fore and aft. My previous had been about a foot and I can’t do it when I’m tired…the ol’ spatial computer goes “Tilt!” But TheMom finds it disgusting anyway.</p>