Most people aren't old enough to remember, but there was
once a television show called "Queen for a Day" -- it
turned an everyday housewife into a "queen" and gave her a
chance to see -- if only for a day -- how the Other Half
lives.

Today you can do the same thing with a trip to Beverly
Hills. The average mortal may not be able to afford
anything they'll see in the posh stores on Rodeo Drive, but
they'll certainly get a taste of what life would be like if
they could. And therein lies the fun -- it's like dressing
up for the prom, or putting on airs at the local country
club. In this little getaway, you get to pretend you're
something that you are not.

Of course there are lots of movie stars out there,
mortgaged to the hilt, who are essentially doing the same
thing.

Start your pretend weekend with accommodations like the
Montage Beverly Hills, footsteps from Rodeo Drive and the
newest luxury hotel in the area. Sister property to its
famous Laguna Beach hideaway, the Beverly Hills version is
just as swanky but built with Spanish Revival architecture
that matches the Mediterranean styling you see throughout
the city. It's not quite the Hearst Castle, but the
flavor's the same and the opulence just as pronounced. Our
first clue was that our garden-variety SUV was outclassed
the moment we eased onto the Montage circular driveway and
took our place right between the Bentley and the Maserati.

You'll want to have a few bills ready to tip your valet and
bellhop. Five bucks seemed awfully little reward for
putting our vehicle to bed amongst all those classic cars,
but some habits die hard. Our poor valet -- he got stuck
with us and our SUV while, very next car, his co-worker
drew a top-of-the-line fully-tinted Beamer and some
executive who probably doesn't even know what a
five-dollar- bill is. And then it dawned on us: maybe that
guy's pretending, too.

Our room at the Montage was just as you would expect:
ultra-luxurious. At 500 square feet it was larger than most
hotel rooms and featured elegant dark wood furniture -- a
cabinet, combination desk and LCD TV hutch, stylish
headboards on two queen beds -- as well as a muted brown
and beige color scheme that contrasted well with the
furniture. Our room featured a lanai perfect for enjoying
breakfast while looking over the hotel's courtyard and
gardens. The same tones and rich brown woods were used
along with marble to make the bathroom and dressing area
seem fit for a (pretend) king.

The Montage would be our base of operations and, with its
location at the intersection of Canon and Beverly Drives,
it's in the heart of the action. It was a quick walk over
to the famous Rodeo Drive, probably the first thing that
comes to mind when you think of visiting Beverly Hills.
Almost all of the big-name stores are neatly compressed in
a little two-block area where you'll find Valentino, Fendi,
Gucci, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent and Armani. The key to
success here, apparently, is to be sure and give your store
a foreign sounding name. No one will spend buku bucks to
shop at Jones, Smith or Johnson.

Now some pretenders will sweep into town and think they
will spot movie stars up and down Rodeo because, let's face
it, hitting Rodeo is a little like driving to Costco for
the well-heeled who live in the hills that are no more than
10 minutes away. But we're told the stars avoid the
commoners on weekends so your star search will have to be
mid-week. Another tip: hang out in the alley ways where,
instead of the homeless, you'll find jobless movie stars
who, while waiting for their next acting job, have their
chauffeurs drop them off at the back entrances to top
clothiers and jewelers.

If you really must see a movie or television star, stop by
the Paley Center for Media, where you can at least see them
on a television screen. Just a few blocks from Rodeo, this
is like a library for TV watchers and has a unique setup
where you can search for television shows dating back to
the beginning of TV and then sit at a television and watch
the entire show. Have a favorite show from the 80s? Just
punch in the number and the show magically appears on your
screen. The Paley Center also is now the West Coast edition
of the Museum of Broadcasting, a popular attraction for
visitors to New York City. And there are regular events at
the Paley Center when they will have the stars come in and
be honored for their achievements -- a great way to lure
them out of their Beverly Hills mansions long enough that
the little people can get an up-close look.

Lots of people who visit Beverly Hills will take one of the
star tours where you'll be driven around town in a bus or
some unusual vehicles we noticed that looked like vans that
had the top half removed, ostensibly for a better view of
the stars. We're told the chances of seeing a star are
slightly less than seeing a Republican in San Francisco,
but you will see some fascinating homes and be able to put
a name with a house. A better bet, we think, is the Beverly
Hills trolley tour which you can catch near Rodeo Drive.
For five dollars, you can ride around town for 40 minutes,
visiting all the Beverly Hills highlights including the
Beverly Hills Hotel and a number of stars' homes.

The dining choices in Beverly Hills are spectacular. We
enjoyed a couple of excellent meals at the Montage -- lunch
at the poolside Conservatory Grill and breakfast in the
more formal Parq. In both cases, the food and service were
excellent and came with some especially good
people-watching and eavesdropping. One thirty-something man
sitting next to us, for example, was telling his male
friend that the impeccably dressed middle-age woman sitting
a few tables away was worth about three billion dollars.
Later he left his friend, went over to her table and
launched into some serious schmoozing which we're certain
had nothing to do with money.

Another restaurant deserving special mention is the LA Food
Show, a relatively new eatery on Beverly Drive. The
unbelievably attentive service was only surpassed by the
fascinating and eclectic menu. Our Gaucho Steak was hearty
and tasty, while the Cajun Trout was done to perfection.
Both entrees were reasonably priced.

We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a place called Boe
where we ate on the patio in front of the Hotel Crescent,
one of the city's hot social spots right now. It's a great
place to people-watch, especially if you stop in for dinner
on a Friday or Saturday.

If you visit on a weekend, be sure and check out the
Farmer's Market held each Sunday near the Beverly Hills
Police Station from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The parking area
looked a little like the Montage with Land Rovers
outnumbering Jeeps 10 to 1, but the concept is the same as
in any other community: reasonably priced super-fresh
produce along with the unusual knick-knacks and food booths
galore.

With just one night in Beverly Hills, we left a lot undone
-- no time for the Spa at the Montage, for example. There
were several gardens we didn't have time to see. And our
time on Rodeo was spent "speed-shopping, " something I
invented this trip to keep my wife from making our pretend
trip a real trip with real credit card bills to remind me
of our great time.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Beverly Hills is in the heart of Los Angeles and
adjacent to other fun areas to visit such as Santa Monica
and Hollywood.

WHAT: Beverly Hills is the epitome of wealth and style with
more famous people living here than anyplace we can think
of. It's fun to play in the Big Leagues for a weekend.

WHEN: Anytime of the year. L.A.'s weather is almost always
good.

WHY: Beverly Hills is making an all-out effort to welcome
visitors and anyone who For more watches TV or movies will
immediately recognize the famous landmarks. Terrific hotels
and restaurants, as well as sunny weather all help seal the
deal.

HOW: For more information on Beverly Hills, phone
800-345-2210 or visit www.lovebeverlyhill s.org.