Flat Ben visits Cali

I love this project!  There is a book for children called Flat Stanley all about a little boy who wants to travel the world and he makes it easy by making a flat version of himself so he can mail himself wherever he wants to go...or something like that.  When I was a teacher, the first graders did this project and I would look forward to them announcing at Monday morning chapels the adventures of their Flat "insert name here".  A couple of years ago, I took Flat Carson (son of Tyler and Lindsay) around LA.  And I was so excited to find Flat Ben in the mail for more LA adventures!  So...the rest of this blog will be in the voice of Flat Ben. 

Greetings from Los Angeles!  I have had so much fun visiting with my aunt, uncle and cousin in California.  California is a HUGE state right next to the Pacific Ocean.  Los Angeles is in the southern (bottom) part of the state.  Los Angeles is a big city (second biggest in the United States!).  There are all different kinds of people and cultures.  And a whole lot of traffic with beeping horns! 

Our first adventure was to go explore an area of Los Angeles called Hollywood.  Los Angeles is known for the film business and Hollywood is where many television shows, movies and commercials get made.  Chances are...if you see it on TV or in the movie theater, it was made in Hollywood!  We walked down Hollywood Blvd. to take in the sites. 

Here I am in front of where they shoot the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.  This comes on way past my bedtime, but I hear it is pretty funny for adults. 

This is the Dolby Theatre where they have the Academy Awards (the Oscars).  This is where actors and actresses get awarded for the work they have done in movies each year.  I was so excited that the song "Let It Go" from the Frozen movie won for Best Song this year!   Look who else won an Oscar...

Each actor/actress gives an acceptance speech after they win, so I of course had to thank my aunt and uncle since I won the Oscar for Best Nephew!  

 

Did you see me in Ellen's famous selfie?  It was retweeted so many times that it set Twitter records and broke Twitter!  

The "Walk of Fame" on Hollywood Blvd. is lined with these stars on the sidewalk with television/movie stars' names.  Even Kermit The Frog has a star!  

 Look who we ran into!  Some of the stars even hangout on the street.  Here is Spiderman and Superman! 

I saw so many of these double decker tour busses.  You can ride one of these all around Los Angeles to see all of the sites. 

 This is on the ground in the cement in front of Mann's Chinese Theater.  Celebrities put their hands and feet in wet cement and it dries!  I got to moonwalk on Michael Jackson's feet and my feet and hands were almost as big as Shirley Temple's! So small!

I went to work with my uncle Jess one day.  He produces workout videos and they were shooting one on a set that day.  

 This is one of the cameras they were using. Big!

 This is so people know to be quiet and not interrupt when a recording is in progress.  

 Look Mom!  I'm on TV! 

 Listening to what has been recorded. 

 Now I am in charge of the camera! 

Microphone

 My aunt lives in the Venice Beach neighborhood of Los Angeles, so I got to hang out here quite a bit. I went to the Farmers Market with my aunt. She likes to shop here over the grocery store because everything is so fresh and grown on a farm by local farmers. She likes their fresh flowers too!  There are Farmers Markets all over Los Angeles.

Flower Guy!

 Yum!  Fresh veggies!

I spent some time at the beach with my cousin.  The weather is so nice here!  It is beach weather almost everyday and it rarely rains.  While we were having one of the coldest winters on record, California was having one of their hottest!  My cousin thought it would be funny to bury me in the sand.  Can you see me? 

 That is the Pacific Ocean behind us!  There were big waves and I saw alot of surfers!

Venice is home to Muscle Beach which is where big body builders work out on the beach.

 Right of the sand is the famous Venice Boardwalk.  There are lots of shops with fun trinkets and souvenirs.  I bought some venice t-shirts for Real Ben and his brother, Des, and his sister, Genevieve.

Venice Sign

I had so much fun!  There is so much more of Los Angeles to see.  Aunt Lane and Uncle Jess said I can come back, but only if I bring the Real Ben with me next time!  

With love and adventure, 

Flat Ben