I spent this past weekend in the Los Angeles area visiting my girlfriend and seeing the sights. It was my second time in L.A., but my first being able to get out an do anything since my first trip was for a day for a judo competition. This time I wanted to be able to see a bit of what the town was about and what it was like out there.

On our first day we went to Disneyland. As a Disney employee, Amy was able to get us into the park for free, which was a big bonus considering I was trying to be economical after already having gone to Hawaii and New York City in the past two months. But, truthfully enough, I'm sure it's worth the price of admission.

We had a blast walking through the different areas of the park, going on some rides, and just relaxing with each other after having been a part, doing the long distance thing, for two weeks.

My favorite part of the visit was getting my picture taken with Mickey Mouse, number 40 on my personal bucket list. But I also enjoyed many other parts of the park, like the rides, as I soaked in the atmosphere and reminisced of the days of my childhood and when I'd watch the classic Disney cartoons on the Disney Channel.

We were exhausted with all of the walking and sun that we called it an early day at the park and got some rest for our big next day when we'd check out the Disney studio lot, which is closed to public tours.

I was particularly excited about this as well and not just because touring a movie studio takes the 101st spot on my bucket list. For me it was more of a point of being able to go some place most other folks weren't allowed. I reveled in the opportunity.

Little did I know, as we drove through security, that there was a big premiere party for the new Disney-Pixar movie UP. Checking out the party we wandered the grounds of the lot, taking in all of the cool movie memoribilia and the interesting art on the buildings, including the very Romanesque Seven Dwarf pillars holding up the main headquarters building for Disney.

We spent a good deal of time though at the base of the building in the Legends Plaza. In the plaza there's a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, identical to the one at Disneyland, as well as hand molds from several Disney icons. My favorite of all were Kurt Russell, from the Disney movie Miracle, and Mary Poppins herself, Julie Andrews.
From here Amy drove me to see her office, which I found equally as fascinating. I know seeing someone's place of employment isn't always the most exciting of ventures, but to see where they make video games was a pretty cool thing to me. I was also quite jealous that everyone there had an Xbox 360 on their desk.

Something about that just screams "unfair."

On our third day together Amy took me to see Hollywood, which I found incredibly unholy and not at all like I had hoped. It was just a throng of tourists, much like Times Square is in New York, just milling around a shopping mall, the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are held annually, and Grauman's Chinese Theater.

And while the movie theater was roped off and red carpeted for some big event, the only sort of celebrities we saw were on the previous day when we passed by Edward James Olmos and Mario Lopez. On Hollywood Blvd all it was were freaks dressed up as their favorite celebrity or movie character. Unfortunately enough one was Marilyn Monroe played by a woman who was about 70-years-old and had no business having a vent blow her skirt up.

After a quick lunch at the Disney Soda Fountain, immediately across the street from all of the chaos, we made for one of Amy's favorite spots in Los Angeles. A permenant farmer's market, right next door to a lovely pedestrian mall, offered an excellent respite to the day allowing us to shop and wander in what is the real Los Angeles.

I really enjoyed this and could easily picture going there every week. Unfortunately enough, I got so turned around as we drove through Hollywood and down Santa Monica Blvd that I have no idea where it's located. It's good thing Amy knows.

When we had purchased all we desired there we made for home, where we relaxed the rest of the weekend away, via the famed Hollywood sign. Amy had googled this in the morning and found a hidden spot where we could take in the sign after driving through several residential streets. It was the perfect location and gave us an opportunity to get a great shot of famous landmark...which oddly enough sits on the hill just above a dog park.