I always pictured Hollywood as glamorous with stars walking up and down the streets. We were greatly disappointed when we went for our honeymoon 13 years ago. The place was dirty, and sketchy. I was most disappointed that there weren't any open businesses at Hollywood and Vine. Since then they have built the Kodak Theater and cleaned the area up quite a bit. It's still fun to recognize the stars names along the streets. Watch out for the sketchy characters hanging out. They are self employed street performers. We steered our 2 year old away from the man in the torn up Elmo costume. Small children won't find this activity very exciting. Older kids probably will enjoy taking pictures with their favorite star's star.

Every year when we visit Yosemite we make sure to take the time to make the trek up to Glacier Point. The first year I visited Yosemite with my husband's family we made the 4 mile trek up to Glacier Point from the valley floor. I do not recommend doing this with small children or brand new hiking shoes. ;) Now, we drive up to Glacier Point. The view from up there is spectacular. You have an amazing view of Half Dome, El Capitan, and Vernal Falls. My girls are pretty fascinated by the lizards and chipmunks they have seen up there too. There is a gift shop at a snack counter up there as well. Don't forget your camera. You will want to capture the breathtaking views.

We have taken the Jelly Belly Factory tour a couple times. My biggest tip is to be sure it's not a holiday. The factory is closed on holidays. They will still give tours. The presentation is on a television screen but you won't get to see the factory in action. At the end of the tour you can shop for your favorite flavors in their candy shop. They have a tasting bar where you can taste each flavor they make. There is a cafe on the premises as well. Our favorite part, of course, is coming home with bags of our own mix of Jelly Bellies.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is a chain restaurant based on the movie Forrest Gump. It's a fun place to eat. Lots of movie memorabilia. The servers ask movie trivia. It's a fun upbeat place to eat.

We visited Pier 39 a couple years ago with a very large group of 20+ people here for a family reunion. We ended up at Bubba Gumps, which, is located at the end of Pier 39. They were great at accommodating our large group. I would recommend Bubba Gump to any group whether it's a group of 2 or 22. :)

Pier 39 is your typical tourist stop with the same souvenir shops you find all over the country. The highlights are the Carousel at the end of the pier and the sea lions. This is also the location of the Aquarium of the Bay. It's a fun place to visit. However, if you are pressed for time, Pier 39 does not need to be at the top of your list.