As my youngest son, Tad, settled into his new life in Los Angeles, I spent a day exploring a little town with a big reputation: Beverly Hills. Is it as razzle dazzle as it seems? Yes and no . . .

Here are some pictures of the Beverly Hills High School–a beautiful old campus that is now surrounded by skyscrapers.

Rodeo Drive is every bit as over-the-top as I expected. Designer stores, sideways lined by stunning flower baskets. Definitely worth a trip if you’re ever in the area! Sightseeing, that is.

I was surprised to find a Whole Foods near Rodeo Drive. Had to go in, of course! It was a small store, but there was one thing that seems oh-so-Beverly-Hills-ish. Roasted vegetables near the salad bar.
Here’s a classic gas station with not-so-classic prices.
Gotta hand it to the city planners–they did a great job with the civic buildings.
My husband’s grandfather, who was a Presbyterian pastor, retired in Beverly Hills. (Yes, that does seem like an unusual place to retire . . . on a pastor’s salary! But this was a long time ago, before California real estate went sky high.) It was a modest little Spanish-style house. Was. That house was knocked down and a new enormous one is being built on the tiny lot. And in case you’re wondering . . . the house was sold when Steve’s grandfather passed away in the 1960s.
Not far from Beverly Hills are the major motion picture studios. I drove past several. Below is FOX Studios.

And is SONY is in nearby Culver City.

The studios have their own power sub-stations to generate their own electricity.
These satellite disks were every bit as gigantic as they appear.
I didn’t take pictures of the homes of Beverly Hills, but they were . . . jaw dropping. The entire town has a smaller geographical footprint than you’d think, considering most everyone has heard of it. Every bit as beautiful as you’d assume (even the sky was azure blue). Overall, it was less intimidating than I expected. Certainly, Rodeo Drive lived up to its over-the-top reputation, but the rest of Beverly Hills seemed like it was filled with everyday people. Nicely dressed ones.

P.S. Congratulations to the winner of last Wednesday’s giveaway, PAT THOMPSON! Please email info {at} suzannewoodsfisher {dot} com to claim your prize. 

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