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Trip to the US, October 2017
  • Rasmus Holmen
  • Rasmus Holmen

Trip to the US, October 2017

A 17-day adventure by Rasmus Read more
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  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler

    Guns N' Roses

    October 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Pretty amazing concert at the famous Madison Square Garden. I was super lucky to get a ticket in the pit - a small area closest to the stage. There were probably only 30 other people there, so very intimate!

    The band played for over 3 hours and delivered a really good performance 🤘    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler

    Clooney and Letterman

    October 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Crazy day. I got up early in the morning for the trip from my hotel in downtown Brooklyn to the JFK airport. There was a lot of traffic apparently, so the Uber driver chose an interesting route that passed through half the state. Fortunately there was no line at check in - otherwise I might still be in NYC!

    Anyway, after a six hour flight across the nation I landed in sunny L.A. (actually New York was warmer but that’s another story). Now, LAX is probably the worst airport in the Western Hemisphere when it comes to ground transport. I must have spent an hour waiting for the bus to Union Station. Then a train, and another bus to get to my hotel. Quite the journey.

    After getting settled at my hotel - the lovely Tangerine where I’ve now stayed 7 times (!) - I got on yet another long drive for an event across town. Just a few days ago I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the taping of a new show with David Letterman. I think it was the first episode. As it turns out, his guest was none other than George Clooney! So there I was - in the second row - watching Letterman interview George Clooney for well over 90 minutes. Pretty unique and intimate experience, in a venue with only 250 people.

    Clooney is not only a great actor, but an activist and philanthropist who is engaged in many great causes. It was so fascinating to listen to him talk about his career, and all the great humanitarian work him and his wife are doing. It was also fun to see Letterman again who hasn’t been in the spotlight much since he retired from The Late Show.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler
    View from my roomDining in styleMy hotelVenice

    Sunset...

    October 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Relaxing day! I started this morning with a walk around the Toluca Lake area which I’ve gotten to know a bit now that I’ve been there so many times. I visited a couple of cool stores, and grabbed some lunch close to the hotel.

    I then made my way to the famous beaches of Santa Monica where I checked into the luxurious Loews, where I have a really nice ocean view room. I can only afford one night here but it’s been great to try it out even for a short time!

    The afternoon was not too eventful - just a walk on the beach, including the Venice boardwalk, and ultimately I saw the beautiful sunset over the ocean. Later I had a nice dinner at my hotel :)    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler

    Marina del Rey

    October 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Another day with a lot of walking around!

    After checking out of the amazing Loews in Santa Monica, I went to the nearby Marina del Rey. After some lunch and relaxation by the pool, I went out for a long walk around the marina area, and eventually I ended up in Venice. I checked out a few locations from tv shows I like, and watched another beautiful California sunset :)Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler

    The Greek..

    October 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today is Hollywood Day! This morning I switched from my hotel in Marina del Rey to The Magic Castle hotel in Hollywood - usually rated #1 or #2 in all of Los Angeles. I have stayed here several times before and it is indeed a very good hotel. The service is just great, and they have all these extra touches like an ice cream machine and free soda. As much as you want! It’s also located very centrally in the touristy section of Hollywood.

    After checking in I went for a walk in that very area - the Walk of Fame is indeed the only place in Los Angeles where people actually walk. I then tried the half hour tour of the famous Chinese Theatre, which was actually very interesting. I also browsed the Hollywood & Highland center, where you can see the Hollywood Sign from a distance. I’ve been here 8 times now so I kind of know the sights very well but still a fun place to visit.

    It was 35 degrees C today - very hot! - so I spent a bit of time by the nice pool at the hotel. After some dinner I eventually made my way to The Greek, a legendary venue where I saw Evanescence live. They were playing with a symphony orchestra as part of a new production and tour that launched just yesterday. It’s a bit of a contrast from their usual rock shows, but great performance from Amy Lee and a lot of beautiful songs.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler
    Room at Waldorf AstoriaRodeo Drive

    Beverly Hills

    October 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    After hanging out some more at The Magic Castle hotel this morning - one of my absolute fav places - I went back to the touristy Hollywood Blvd. This time to visit the Dolby Theatre for a tour. It was a fairly short tour, but interesting to get a little glimpse of the place that is the permanent host of the Oscars. And we saw an actual Oscar, of course :)

    A little later I went on a Starline “Movie Stars Homes Tour” - an event that is almost mandatory if you’re a tourist in Hollywood! I’ve done it before, but the tour guide is usually fun, and you get on a nice drive up the Hollywood Hills, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip. I don’t think we actually saw that many celeb homes, although we did drive by a few homes that are on the market in the 150-200 million dollar range. It was sad to drive past the last home that Michael Jackson lived in - coincidentally across a home once occupied by another king; Elvis!

    Speaking of Beverly Hills, after the tour I checked into the ultra luxurious Waldorf Astoria. It only opened in June so everything still looks brand new and sparkly! They have a very sleek rooftop bar and pool with amazing views. It took a while longer than normal for my room to be ready, so they treated me to a free lunch with drinks! Not bad.

    After lunch and a quick walk on Rodeo Drive, I went back to Hollywood to attend a bona fide red carpet premiere at the Chinese Theatre that I toured just the day earlier. It was the US galla premiere of the movie Geostorm starring Andy Garcia, Ed Harris and Gerard Butler as the lead. Turns out I was sitting relatively close to him in the theater, so I ended up walking behind him when we were leaving. Pretty surreal to leave a first screening of a big Hollywood movie with the guy who stars in it. The movie was a bit nuts, but pretty entertaining.

    Now it’s time for a night in one of the most fancy and luxurious of the many hotel rooms I’ve tried in this country!    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler

    Last day..

    October 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    My last full day of this trip. This morning I tried to get the most out of my one-night stay at the Waldorf. I went to their incredible rooftop pool to hang out for a bit and enjoy the sun. It is still very warm here!

    After checking out, I went for a walk around the West Hollywood area and eventually made my way back to the Toluca Lake/Burbank area for a tour of Warner Bros. Studios. I have done the tour several times before, but it’s different every time since there’s always a lot of things happeing on the lot. It’s fun to roam the grounds where many of my fav. movies and shows were made, and continue to be. The tour included a look at the soundstage for the show Lucifer, the ‘picture car vault’ with many cool Batmobiles, the museum with props and costumes, and the various buildings and streets used in countless productions.

    They also have a relatively new feature that ends the tour - ‘from script to stage’. I got to hold an actual Oscar! Pretty cool.

    In the early evening I went to check out the Universal Citywalk with interesting shops and dining options. I kind of wanted to visit the Universal Studios theme park next door as well, but I have absolutely no money left!

    Instead I went back to Hollywood and walked to my final hotel - the mythic Chateau Marmont. I was upgraded to a ‘cottage’ which turned out to be my own little house! There is a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. It’s a somewhat unusual hotel in many ways, but still a very in demand hotspot especially for locals. It’s infamous for being the place where actor John Belushi died in his bungalow some decades back.

    Tomorrow it will be time to head back home again..    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US, October 2017Traveler
    Chateau Marmont hotelChateau Marmont, outside my cottage

    Going home..

    October 18, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    On the plane now, on the long flight back to Copenhagen! Before I got to the airport though, I did find time for one last thing: a tour of Paramount Pictures Studios!

    It’s always an interesting experience to visit these Hollywood production locations where a lot of movie (and television) magic has happened over the years.

    During the tour we visited several soundstages, and saw the set for Grace and Frankie for example. Not a show I currently watch, but fun to see it behind the scenes. The immensely popular This Is Us was also taping there today. We also saw some props and picture cars, much like at Warner. Overall a fun tour and nice way to end a great trip.    Read more

  • Trip end
    October 19, 2017
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