Searching for Hollywood’s Real Stars

In Los Angeles, the stars are everywhere. They line the pavement on the famous Hollywood Blvd. strip, they sit disguised in overly cramped cafes on Melrose and you can even find them in the eyes of some young hopeful, aspiring actor or actress looking for their chance to appear on the silver screen. However, the hardest place to find stars is straight up in the night sky where you’d expect to see billions. Sigh. Sad, sad, sad… With all the light pollution from the city itself, real star gazing can be a tough hobby to take up in the City of Angels without the use of tools, but there is good news my true star gazing pals.

On Friday, November 3rd, a newly restored Griffith Observatory is set to reopen to the public after four-years of work and expansion. The observatory has long given people the opportunity to view the real stars resting over and directly above the city as well stars over places unimaginable. CNN dishes the details on what Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory now has to offer the public. The Zeiss telescope in the Eastern dome and the solar telescope in the Western dome both remain, but should the night become chilly or you just need to step inside the observatory building, you’ll notice the big, new changes. The building which expanded 40,000 square feet is the house of plenty new attractions which include scale models of planets, exhibits on tides, optics and electricity, and other natural phenomena according to CNN.

It is said that some 7,000 people are expected to swing by the observatory when it reopens next month which is quite heartwarming. It helps me think people are trading in those silly Star Maps (guides for stalking down famous folk) for the real deal.

Photo of the Day (10/14/06)


Look in the sky – it’s a bird, it’s a plane… Yes, yes, it is a plane, but look at those clouds! Today’s POTD comes from Patrick Powers who notes that the previous day’s rain showers created some “wicked clouds” over Redwood Shores in California. The plane looks so tiny like it is going to be swallowed by the fat fluffy clouds within seconds. I’m also willing to bet there was some wicked turbulence flying around clouds like that.

Photo of the Day (10/11/06)


Today’s photo comes from Misha Logvinov and was taken at what must have been magic hour at the Tuolumme Meadows in Yosemite National Park. If you look closely you’ll notice the hot pink fiery looking color on the peaks as the sun disappears for the day and the beautiful reflection of it all in the water. Man, would I have loved to have been there at this very same moment with my own camera. Stunning? Absolutely! Nice work Misha.

Want to see your photo on Gadling? Be sure to submit your favorite travel shots to our Gadling Flickr pool.

World’s Tallest Tree

Wouldn’t you have thought that news about the World’s Tallest Tree would be totally old? I mean, wouldn’t scientists, or tree huggers or tree measurers for that matter already be certain which tree is the tallest? How can this be new news? Well apparently it is. Apparently some guy climbed up to the top of a giant redwood in Redwood National Park and discovered that the tree was, in fact, taller than they (that is, scientists and tree measurers) thought. The tree is named Hyperion and stands 379.1 feet tall, one foot taller than previously thought.

(Aside: what if the rain just washed away a foot of dirt at the base of the tree. Would that make it taller?)

The guy who did the measuring is named Steve Sillett, and he is a forestry professor at Humboldt State University, where he also smokes a lot of pot and comes up with grand ideas like “hey, let’s go measure that tree! (just kidding…I made that up). Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool that a) they didn’t already know for sure where the tallest tree was and 2) that it turns out to be in California as opposed to China or Siberia or some such place. (Another aside: if I was the Governator, I’d totally make this a photo opp)

Last Hippie on Haight Street

Although a big chunk of Haight Street in San Francisco is now packed with tourists, yuppies and beggars, you can still find occasional treasures. If you can get past the cheesy hippie souvenir stores and grungy-gone-chic clothing boutiques, that is. Yes, and there is even a McDonald’s on one side and GAP smack in the middle. OK, so it is the original GAP, but still..

The Red Victorian is a small B&B at 1665 Haight Street, a part of the Peaceful World Inns, run by a sweet, entertaining lady named Sami Sunchild. She started this hippie hotel in order to create a “new alternative for corporate tourism” and it is fair to say she succeeded. You can choose from 17 unique rooms, such as the Summer of Love Room, the Flower Child Room, or the Peace Room. We recently stayed there and can definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for clean, quaint, and pretty affordable accommodation in SF.

Sami actually joins her quests for Breakfast Conversations, so if you are ready to discuss peace in the Middle East over your fair-trade latte, Sami will be all yours. Of course, if you have any good ideas on that topic, please get back to us. Peace out.