Cemetery of the Stars

Jill's Journal: It’s been a hoot running all over the greater Los Angeles area seeing former homes of family members. We’ve also visited several cemeteries to sort of document deceased relatives for the girls in case they’re interested someday. And I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but we have visited one cemetery just for “fun.” Yes, we went to see Marilyn Monroe’s gravesite. Happily, we weren’t alone – numerous other tourists were doing the same thing.

Almost completely hidden by tall buildings in the Westwood Village area of L.A. is a tiny, two-acre cemetery called the Pierce Bros. Westwood Village Memorial Park. It’s better known as the “cemetery of the stars.” There’s been famous people buried at all the other cemeteries we’ve visited here in L.A., but the concentration of celebrities at Pierce Bros. is mind-boggling. Other than Marilyn Monroe, who is obviously the biggest attraction here, the other graves I snapped pictures of below were ones we just happened to walk past on our way to or from Monroe’s. Apparently we missed a lot too: later we learned others like Natalie Wood, Truman Capote, Donna Reed, Peter Falk, Burt Lancaster, Frank Zappa, Janet Leigh, Walter Matthau, Roy Orbison, and a host of others are here as well.

Note the lipstick kisses on the crypt.

Look how discolored Monroe’s crypt is, apparently from so many people touching it over the last 50 years. And see that empty spot right next to her? That’s where Hugh Hefner will rest someday.

The inscription on Rodney Dangerfield’s grave cracked us up: “There goes the neighborhood.”

Mel Torme.

Fanny Brice.

Farrah Fawcett.

Jack Lemmon.

Dean Martin.

Merv Griffin must have had a sense of humor: "I will not be right back after this message.”

Don Knotts.

Carroll O’Connor.

We had no idea who Billy Wilder was, but I loved his sentiment: “I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect.” It turns out he had won Academy Awards as writer, director, and producer. Among the movies he wrote were Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, and Sabrina. He may not have been perfect, but he was awfully successful.

NBC Studio Tour and Much More

Jill's Journal: We began our day today in downtown Burbank, where television and movie studios take up block after block after block. Many studios throughout the L.A. area offer tours to the public, but most don’t allow children as young as ours so we were limited in what we could visit. The major television network of NBC is an exception.

Unfortunately, what NBC doesn’t allow is photos on its tour, so I can’t show you much of anything (apparently I’d have to kill you if I did). However, it was very interesting and surreal to walk through television sets and rows upon rows of faux walls, fireplaces, and floors in storage, along with hundreds (maybe thousands?) of pieces of furniture and props used in t.v. shows.

The highlight, by far, was the set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It’s filmed in NBC’s Studio 11 (this picture is from a distance away and not on the tour). The set is actually quite large and 387 audience members are allowed for each late afternoon taping. The entire ceiling is covered with over 400 lights which hang down to get just the right effect for every moment of the show. The cameras are numerous and a few cost as much as $500,000 apiece. It’s very, very cold in there, as colder is better for the cameras, plus the lights add a lot of heat when on. Leno’s car was parked just outside the studio. Apparently the place was crawling with secret service yesterday as the First Lady was on the show.

Johnny Carson used a different studio on the lot for his Tonight Show, of which we also got a glimpse (along with several of the other studios). Access Hollywood and something for the Telemundo (Spanish-speaking) station were the only shows actively on air, or in the middle of taping, while we were there. Days of Our Lives, the incredibly long-running soap opera, uses two studios to maintain its very prolific schedule and looked to possibly be on lunch break during our visit.

While in Burbank, a visit to the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy in the country is a must. I have so many memories of my family eating at Bob’s on Sundays after church when I was a kid, so this really brought it all back. The one my family frequented is 100 miles from here, but this one even smells just like I remember! For our Kentucky friends, Bob’s Big Boy is almost identical to Frisch’s Big Boy…but somehow Bob’s is better. Maybe it’s the nostalgia.

This Bob’s was built in 1949 and is now a California “point of historical interest.” The sign is 70 feet tall. On weekend nights, car hop service is available and apparently the parking lot fills up with classic cars.

In the Bob's parking lot on this random weekday afternoon, it was easy to spot cars that came from studios.

Practically around the corner from Bob’s and all the studios is Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. This lovely cemetery literally overlooks Warner Bros., Universal Studios, and Walt Disney Studios.

We stopped to visit the final resting place of Rob’s paternal grandmother, who passed away before he was born. Imagine our surprise to walk by the grave of Bette Davis –yes, the famous actress– on our way. We later learned we should have kept our eyes open even wider. Other celebrities resting here include Buster Keaton, Liberace, Andy Gibb, Ricky Nelson, Brittany Murphy, John Ritter, Gene Autry, Sandra Dee, and many more. Lucille Ball was also here until about 10 years ago when her family members decided to move her ashes to her hometown in New York. This cemetery was in the extreme spotlight a few years ago as the funeral for Michael Jackson took place here, although he’s actually buried at a different Forest Lawn (about 10 minutes away in Glendale).

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

Jill's Journal: Regardless of your politics, if you walk out of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum near Simi Valley, California, without tremendous respect and appreciation for our 40th president, I’m not sure you’re an American. Patriotism is in full force at Reagan’s presidential museum and that’s the way it should be. We absolutely should be proud of our president and our country.

Opened by Reagan himself in 1991, the museum sits on a hilltop with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and ocean. This museum is just tremendous, one of the most well-done among the hundred or so we’ve visited so far on this trip. And the girls! They learned so much about our country, the presidency, and Reagan himself here.

The 100,000-square feet of museum traces Reagan’s personal and public life from childhood in Illinois to movie stardom to politics. Everything from his diaries to his love letters are displayed (he wrote over 700 love letters to Nancy, including this cute one) and they really shine an intimate light on the man behind the presidency. One of the things that struck me most was how completely in love the president and first lady were with each other. Being at the museum, you get a sense of their 50+-year romance. It is just beautiful and a wonderful example for all of us to follow.

It seems so recently that Reagan was in office, but it’s been 23 years since he completed his second term. The artifacts preserved here make time stand still. Here’s the Bible Reagan used for both his first and second inaugurations. The Bible was his mother’s and one can see her handwritten notes in the margins.

Madelyn practiced her own inauguration speech, complete with teleprompter.

I thought this was fascinating...I used to keep a file of quotes that inspired me and Reagan did the same! Of course, he put his to far better use than I did. :) He kept the quotes he wanted to remember on index cards and placed them in this album for easy reference.

Just 70 days into his presidency, Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt. This is the suit cut off him in the emergency room. It’s a poor picture, but you can see the bullet hole and there are traces of blood. Normally, the U.S. president wears a bullet-proof vest outdoors, but on this particular day, it wasn’t planned for him to step outside. At the top of the picture is his x-ray. The bullet was dangerously close to his heart. He lost half of his blood.

This is the red sweater Reagan wore home after 12 days in the hospital. The event was televised around the world.

The museum includes a full-sized, exact replica of the Oval Office as it appeared while Reagan was in office. Each president gets to decorate it to his taste, right down to the colors, the rug, and the paintings hung on the wall. Reagan chose a western “ranch" theme.

Reagan’s love of Jelly Belly jelly beans is well documented.

Reagan kept extensive diaries of his eight years in the White House.

This is the guest book from the president’s private residence. The day is turned to the visit from Prince Charles and Lady Diana, the same day Diana famously danced with John Travolta in the ballroom.

Air Force One, the “Flying White House.” This exact aircraft served Reagan and six other presidents through the second President Bush.

Pictures aren’t allowed on Air Force One, but visitors are welcome to walk through. It’s a fascinating glimpse of the presidency behind the scenes.

Members of the military, proud to be visiting the museum.

These are the flags of the 26 countries Reagan visited during his time in office. He also covered 46 of the 50 states. I believe it was said he was the most traveled of the presidents, logging over 660,000 miles during his presidency.

Remember Reagan’s famous Brandenburg Gate speech at the Berlin Wall?
“Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
It helped change the world and was instrumental in ending the Cold War.
These are Reagan’s speech cards from that monumental day. The marks on the cards are his.

A piece of the Berlin Wall. Yes, THE Berlin Wall. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.

“…the sunset of my life.” This is the sad letter Reagan wrote to the American people after he learned he had Alzheimer’s disease in 1994. This one hits too close to home for me. I dare you to keep a dry eye while reading it. What incredible bravery he and Nancy showed to share such a private battle with the world. They did it to draw awareness to this terrible, terrible disease. He was a public servant to the end.

The flag that covered Reagan’s casket during his state funeral. It was presented to Nancy.

This is a condolence book signed by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In quoting Scripture, she says, “To Ronnie, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’”

President Ronald Wilson Reagan’s final resting place.