Flat Stanley arrived in California and the first place he wanted to go see was the Ocean! Since I live in Torrance, the nearest beach was Redondo Beach. That is also where I work, so he came to work with me for a day.

In the picture above, you can see part of the beach near where I work. There are some very nice apartments and homes right near the water. You can't really see it, but there is a concrete path along this beach where people like to walk, jog, rollerskate, and ride bicycles. It is lots of fun!

Redondo Beach has a long Pier that extends out over the water. Many people like to fish there, and in some places along the pier there are shops for food and beach-related items like pretty sea shells, and pictures of whales and dolphins.

There is also a Marina at this beach. Lots of people keep boats here, as you can see in the picture below. If you look closely, you can see there is a sign which gives the distance to many far-away and exotic places. Look! Cairo (Egypt) is only 7,605 miles away!

Sometimes when I am at the Marina, I see people tending their boats. The fishermen have a lot of work to do, even when they have finished catching the fish. As they prepare the fish to be sold, I often see giant pelicans perched on the boats, begging for scraps of fish and bait, just like a dog or cat begs for food at home. The only difference is, these pelicans are so big that at first I think they are members of the crew! I get startled when I realize they aren't people!

In this picture above, you can see a few Palm Trees. One of the first things I noticed when I moved to California from the East Coast was how different the plants are. Even the shrubs, when you look closely, don't have the same leaves or buds or flowers. This is because this part of California is very warm and dry. The plants have to be able to survive in desert-like conditions on very hot days. Everywhere you find green plants here, you can usually find a hidden sprinkler to keep the ground moist enough for the plants. That uses lots of water!

One of the most fun things in Redondo Beach is the Kite Festival. Once a year, people come from all over the Los Angeles area to fly kites in the festival. They come in all sorts of fancy shapes like birds and snakes and even dragons! In the picture above, Stanley visits the kite store. He bought a kite, but unfortunately it wouldn't fit in his envelope for the ride home....

Stanley didn't mind about the kite so much when he found out he would get to go on a trip North, to the places where movies get made!

Above, you can see Stanley at the world famous Hollywood sign! This is the place where they make TV shows and Movies. The sign is really far away, so it looks tiny, but the letters are much taller than people!

We decided to go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where entertainers are honored for their work. If people really like them, they get their own personal STAR cut into the sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd.

Look at all the stars! It would take forever to see them all, but some people still try. Luckily, if you want to see a particular star, say for your favorite actress, you can use the Internet to find out the address of the building they are closest to.

I used the Internet to find these stars. I hope you recognize them! The star above is for someone who is green, and he might be the ONLY star here who is green... until maybe Shrek gets a star!

The star you see above wasn't actually in Movies or TV shows... He was rarely in front of a camera at all! However he was a person who loved entertaining children though cartoons. His company is still making new ones all the time!

What would this trip be like if we didn't see at least one big star? Well, we found this star below which was awarded to the actor Johnny Depp. He has been in lots of movies, some which you may not have seen, and others you probably have.

I think he did a movie...

...about PIRATES!!!! Oh no! While we were photographing Stanley on Johnny Depp's star, look who showed up! It is Captain Jack Sparrow! (A character often played by Johnny Depp.) Don't hurt him Captain!

Whew! Luckily for us, the Captain just wanted to find out if Stanley knew about any hidden gold. Either Stanley didn't know, or he wouldn't talk! Either way, the Captain released Stanley without a scratch. He also didn't drop the sheet of glass we had Stanley on for posing him for his pictures. Thanks Captain!

Alas, that was all the time we had to spend together with Stanley. We had to send him back home to Delaware with some beach sand as a souvenir. We promised he could come back anytime he wanted. Come visit any time Stanley!

The End