After the Alley, we headed over to the Tar Pits. This was a great place to go, especially w/ a 2 year old. This was his opportunity to get out of the stroller and run around. We were able to get in for free, thanks to the sweet old lady at the cashier counter. She was sympathetic to active duty dependants, and let us roll right on it. Hey, 10 bucks saved...LOL!!
For Lunch we stopped at Fuddruckers, which was right across the street from the Tar Pits. The food was alright, and the atmosphere was decent too. It was definitely a welcomed rest. We had aready walked around so much and needed the break.
After our little break, we headed to downtown Hollywood. We sat in traffic for awhile, but this city girl, was all too happy to be amoung civilization again! After we found some parking, we headed down Hollywood Blvd.. We stopped at the Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre/Mall. Of course we had to hit the Build-a-Bear Workshop for Veronica, before heading back out to the packed streets on the blvd.. We checked out some of the famous Stars, and the Hand/Foot Prints. Michael and Vero had their pictures taken w/ Elmo, and Elvira. Check out the pic of Michael and Elvira. Can you believe this kid? He had a cheesy smile on his face and when she put him down he actually said 'Thank You!" to her! Unbelievable! LMAO!!!
We eventually hit Ripley's on the corner of Highland and Hollywood. We spent about 45 minutes in there. I wasn't that impressed w/ this museum though. The one in San Francisco is way better and cheaper.

The hostal is in a great location – just a few blocks away from Puerte del Sol and right on top of a Metro station. It looks great. Clean, quaint, a little bit funky. It also doesn’t have room for us. The owner/manager explains to us that he e-mailed me immediately after receiving my reservation request from Hostels.com to refute any claims of vacancy. He refunds the 5 or 6 Euro down payment usually due to Hostels.com and calls a hostal down the street which, he assures us, has much lower rates.
All goes (almost...) well: we end up getting to our NEW hostal , and discover too much quaint, not enough clean, and a heavy dose of funk best personified by the sagging mattress and musty bed cover that immediately begins to bother Mel’s allergies. Welcome to Madrid! Hey, it’s only one night. We toss our bags in a corner and start a-walking...right?
Of COURSE not! This is Spain, dummy! We settle in for a couple hour siesta in an effort to develop a better feel for the culture and THEN set off for Madrid’s famous modern art museum