Sightseeing in Beverly Hills, '40s-Style
Every day, dozens of buses filled with tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of glitz and celebrity make their way down Rodeo Drive and weave through the residential streets of Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills has been a popular tourist destination ever since the lima bean fields were plowed under in 1912 and silent film stars such as Will Rogers, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford decided to plant their own roots there. In the '20s, Rogers, then the City's honorary mayor, was quoted as saying his biggest job was to direct tourists to Pickford's legendary estate, Pickfair. There have been bus tours through the City that long. But, in the '40s, tourists found another way to go sightseeing in Beverly Hills - by bike! It makes sense: World War II, gas rationing, and thousands of troops passing through L.A. on the way to the Pacific battlefield. And it looks like a lot of fun. You can catch a glimpse of the bike tours in this Beverly Hills Historical Society video. Or you can ride through the streets of Beverly Hills yourself on the first Bike With the Mayor this Sunday at 9:00 am. I repeat: It looks like a lot of fun!
