Madame Tussauds called my name this morning and I chose to visit her using the LA City Pass, a trusty voucher booklet that grants you entry into not only Madame Tussauds but also the Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour, Kodak Theatre or The Hollywood Museum and the Starline Movie Stars Homes Tour.

For only $59 per adult and $39 per child (ages 3-11), it offers a massive 46% off the regular admission prices at the combined attractions. It’s such value for money and is perfect for a fan of all things ‘Hollywood’ like me!

Having visited Madame Tussauds in New York last year and in Sydney more than a decade ago, I knew what to expect but was so excited about seeing two of my all time favourites immortalised in wax.

They share very similar names as a matter of fact…The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and Rocky (aka Sylvester Stallone).

Granted, the line of other guests may have been backing up behind me as I aimed to perfect my pose (and make a wax figure look as real as possible next to me), but it was well worth it with the photos of my up close and personal experience a keepsake for years to come!

Now, to be perfectly honest, not every single one of the figures looks exactly like the celebrity they’re aiming to be, but, most of them are freakishly spot on and you will most probably find yourself apologising for bumping into one thinking they’re actually real. This is not somewhere I’d like to be after dark!

My advice for Madame Tussauds is to allow enough time to really experience the attraction, you’ll be surprised by how much time it takes to gaze, pose and read up on the celebrities via the handy information panels dedicated to each one.

Girls, you’ll want to dress up and wear make up if you’re anything like me. Guys…I’d pass on the make up, but looking sharp next to Marilyn Monroe is always a good idea in my books! Remember that these photos will grace your photo albums for years to come…

Staying at the Hollywood Heights Hotel was perfect for this part of my LA experience as it’s positioned just behind the Kodak Theatre and within a 10 minute walking distance of Hollywood Blvd.

Breaking up your itinerary and accommodation accordingly, to reflect the areas of LA that you’re anticipating to visit, is the best thing to do with limited public transport options and traffic that one can never avoid.

I headed across town to Culver City for my next tour at Sony Picture Studios.

Very different to both Universal and Warner Bros Studios the day before, our tour guide Jay Jay was a wealth of knowledge and walked us through the studio that was bustling with action.

The new Christian Slater TV show, ‘Breaking In’ was filming so we were on ‘Christian alert’ for the tour hoping to catch a glimpse of the star…unfortunately, we didn’t but the idea that he was on the other side of the sound stage wall was enough for me! Whilst we missed Brad Pitt by a matter of hours, we did manage to catch Katie Holmes walking into the main building sans Tom…wonder if she was signing her next movie contract?

With this being a walking tour, the feeling that you’re a part of a safari looking at animals in their native habitat is removed and you feel more like you belong on the studio lot, which is quite nice!

To get a little closer to these ‘animals’ I decided to apply for tickets to see the sitcom ‘Rules of Engagement’. Starring David Spade and Patrick Warburton among others, this comedy was the perfect way to really see what it’s like being a part of a ‘live studio audience’ after hearing this catch cry before many a sitcom over the decades.

The benefit of travelling by yourself is that shows which are normally sold out often have space for single guests. In addition to being able to obtain the free tickets, they often need you to fill a seat in the front row! When you next travel to the USA, I highly recommend taking part in the experience by logging onto a website such as www.tvtix.com or even the website of your favourite show.

Tickets are generally released 30 days before the day of filming, but you can also email the show directly and plan in advance so as not to miss out.

Leave your cameras and phones at home though, being a part of a studio audience is akin to going through airport security and these items will be confiscated until the end of the show.

Australian warm up guys need to learn a thing or two from the American comedians employed to entertain what can be a very restless audience before and in between takes.

Ron Pearson, comedian extraordinaire, was one of the funniest men I have ever been privileged to watch. He interacted with the audience better than anyone I have ever seen and his accents…well he could have easily passed as several different nationalities!

Just when I thought my cheeks couldn’t handle any more laughter, he balanced a ladder on his chin whilst juggling! The man could do anything and, it wasn’t just the audience that appreciated the comic relief, I was honoured enough to have a chat to star of ‘Rules of Engagement’ about how talented Ron was. Patrick Warburton seemed more interested in watching him than filming his scenes!

Day 2 of my USA adventure had ended with a barrel load of laughs and more than a few celebrity encounters…who would I see the following day?

e-Travel Blackboard will host its own Hooray for Hollywood at this week’s Thirsty Thursdays. Stay tuned for fab photos and keep an eye out for any celebrities who might just pop in!