It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Los Angeles and see all the Marilyn sites.  When I realized that Marilyn fans from all over the world were going there to attend a memorial service I decided now was the time to go.  What was I waiting for?  It was a 5 hour flight from Toronto to LA which made the trip seem that much shorter but I certainly don't regret going.  It was the experience of a lifetime.  We stayed at the Orchid Suites which was a short walk to Hollywood Boulevard.  Friday was basically a meet and greet day and time for me to get over my jet lag ;)  On Saturday, we did a walking tour of the Boulevard which included a stop at the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Entertainment museum and Ripleys.  Then it was a driving tour of Marilyn haunts and finally dinner at Russo & Franks.

 

One of the first things I got to see when I arrived was Marilyn's handprints at Mann's Chinese Theatre.  It really hit me hard to actually place my hands in her prints....it was a perfect fit!

Marilyn's star is located right outside of McDonalds on Hollywood Blvd. Someone had left some flowers for Marilyn there and we were going to take them to the cemetery but when we returned from shopping they were gone.  Marilyn is everywhere in LA as you can see by this huge mural.