We arrived in Los Angeles after stopping off in Monterey, San Luis Obispa and Santa Barbara overnight along the way.
The drive along the coastal route of ‘Big Sur’ was the best highlight of our journey to LA after our time in Yosemite National Park. The aforementioned towns were used to recharge our batteries.
To read about the incredible experience we had in Yosemite, click here.
Day One – Hollywood Boulevard, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour & D-BOX Cinema Experience
We were staying at The Sonder Beverly Terrace in Los Angeles for the next four nights, which was was a lovely boutique hotel. I’d recommend staying here if you’re visiting LA. Unfortunately, any accommodation is going to be on the expensive side.
LA is also a really widespread city, meaning it’s hard to pinpoint a ‘central’ location. The Beverly Terrace is situated one mile away from Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, around four miles away from Hollywood Boulevard and around eight miles away from the Hollywood sign.
It was the Champions League Final when we arrived and I had timed it perfectly as the match had only just kicked off. To Emily’s delight, I spent the next two hours watching the match in our hotel room.
Afterwards, we got an Uber to Hollywood Boulevard – home of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
It was a hive of activity. After having a good look around, we decided it would be a good idea to go on another Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour. Once back, we eat at Miceli’s Italian Restaurant and then decided to go and watch a film. We were in the home of cinema after all!
We made our way over to the TCL Chinese Theatre and paid $28 to watch the new Top Gun: Maverick film starring Tom Cruise in a D-Box Cinema.
I’ve seen lots of films in an iMAX cinema before but never had the opportunity of going to a D-Box screening. Here, you feel more like you are in the film. It’s almost like being in a simulator where you feel every vibration. Needless to say, the film and the experience didn’t disappoint.
On our way out, I spotted Daniel Craig’s Walk of Fame stone and decided to re-enact my best impression of James Bond.
Day Two – Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Sign & Celebrity Bus Tour in Beverly Hills
First thing, we went out in the car to Griffith Observatory where we were met with views of Los Angeles including Downtown LA and the Hollywood sign.
We then decided we wanted to try and get closer to the famous Hollywood sign. There were a few hikes we could have done, but we decided against that due to the possibility of rattlesnakes in the area.
Ignoring road signs instructing cars strictly not to access the Hollywood sign path, we continued our way up. Luckily, when we returned to the car 20-minutes later, it hadn’t been towed away. The pictures were well worth it!
Afterwards, we drove back and parked just off Hollywood Boulevard and went on an audio Celebrity Bus Tour in Beverly Hills. I thought this would be a bit of a gimmick, but I really enjoyed seeing famous Hollywood star’s houses.
Day Three – A full-day at Universal Studios
Originally, I was very much against the idea of going to Universal Studios, but I’m really glad we did.
*NOTE* – At some point, I plan on writing a separate blog post with my top tips before visiting, so I’m just going to include some pictures and videos here for now.
Day Four – Rodeo Drive & Baseball match
On our last day in Los Angeles, we explored the affluent shopping street of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and window shopped in the likes of Fendi, Gucci, Versace etc.
Later in the evening, we drove just outside of the city to Dodgers Stadium – we were going to the baseball!
We’ve seen D.C. United vs New England Revolution in the MLS and New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals in the NHL so far on our travels. This time Los Angeles Dodgers were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB. Unfortunately, they lost the match 5-3.
I enjoyed the football and ice-hockey more than the baseball, but I’m still glad we got to experience a baseball match.
Next up, we end the first part of our American Roadtrip in San Diego where we’ll be visiting San Diego Zoo, before jetting off to Las Vegas for four nights. I CAN’T WAIT!
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Thanks for stopping by, until the next time…
Al