Pasadena City Hall

Completed in 1927, the Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, California is a stunning piece of architecture. From its impressive dome to its ornately manicured courtyard, this impressive landmark is part of Pasadena's Civic Center District. In 1980 this entire district, including the Pasadena City Hall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This location has long been popular with filmmakers, however there are two notable examples where the Pasadena City Hall stands out in my mind. One is where it featured prominently as a backdrop in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940) and the other is as the City Hall of Pawnee, Indiana in NBC's Parks and Recreation. Given how beautiful the building is, it's easy to see why it's still such a popular location. 

Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California

Opened in 1888, Hotel del Coronado is a grand Victorian beachfront hotel located just across the bay from downtown San Diego, California. Playing host to royalty, presidents, and celebrities, it was the largest resort in the world when it opened. 

This massive property gained popularity in the early 20th century as a playground for Hollywood's A-listers. From Douglas Fairbanks to Charlie Chaplin to Clark Gable, there was no shortage of big names that stayed here. Understandably, this has continued to this day. Hotel del Coronado has also been the setting for several major films, including one of my all-time favorites, Some Like it Hot starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.

While visiting around Christmas there was a giant outdoor skating rink that proved to be incredibly popular. As novel as it was for southern Californians to skate outside, it was just as novel for a Canadian like me to see it happening on a beach. Hotel del Coronado is a pretty spectacular place, and those views on Coronado Beach aren't bad either.

Hotel del Coronado ca. 1900

Charlie Chaplin at Hotel del Coronado ca. 1921

Marilyn Monroe filming "Some Like It Hot" at Hotel del Coronado ca. 1958

Snowman made of sand on Coronado Beach.

Hollywood Movie Premiere at the Chinese Theatre

We drove into Los Angeles, California late in the afternoon and were feeling pretty energized after arriving at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. We were anxious to do some exploring on Hollywood Boulevard and decided to start out at Hollywood & Highland. After grabbing a late bite to eat we walked back to our hotel and discovered that there was a movie premiere taking place at the iconic Chinese Theatre just across the street.

At  this point we had seen so many incredible things on our Pacific coast road trip that a movie premiere on Hollywood Boulevard just added to the novelty of where we were. To be honest, it was only after the fact that I learned what was really going on and discovered this video (posted below). The movie premiere was for the documentary Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer. 

We were more concerned with our own adventures than catching glimpses of celebrities. Still, the premiere was a nice side note while exploring the touristy epicentre of the entertainment industry. The next day we went back and checked out the cemented handprints at the Chinese Theatre before driving to Beverly Hills. Then it was off to our final coastal destination: San Diego.