In February 2015, I visited the iconic City of Angels. As the trip was organised by my college’s Media department, our week in California was perfect for those obsessed with all things film and television. Our trip took us on a whirlwind tour of all the most iconic sights in LA, as well as some more unique ones.
Day 1
On a cold British winter morning, we all arrived at Heathrow for our flight. With an 11-hour duration, it was an extremely long flight, but there was plenty to keep us occupied. Once we were flying over America, we were able to see a number of famous cities out of the window, including New York and Las Vegas. As we came in to land, our excitement was growing. I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing the Hollywood Sign out of the window just as we touched down!
Once we had landed in LAX, and we made the long journey to our hotel. The Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel, located in Studio City, has been open since the 1880s and is famous for hosting a wide range of celebrities during the classic Hollywood era. Stars such as John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn and Clark Gable visited the hotel during the 1940s and 50s. It is a beautiful hotel, with a stunning pool tucked away in the centre. It has unfortunately now closed, so I feel honoured to have stayed in a part of Hollywood’s history. Once we arrived at the hotel, we were able to explore the local area. But, as we were all extremely jetlagged, the day ended rather quickly once we had arrived.
Day 2
After a well-needed rest, we were thrown into the first of many action-packed days. On the schedule for Day 2 was Downtown LA and the surrounding area. Our first stop was El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the oldest section of the city. Americans only arrived in the Los Angeles in 1847, so much of the district’s traditional Spanish and Mexican heritage still remains. Olvera Street, famous for its Mexican market, and Avila Adobe, the oldest surviving house in Los Angeles, are just two of the famous historical landmarks within this district.
We then travelled on to other famous Downtown LA landmarks such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Bradbury Building (where Blade Runner was filmed) and the Water Court, a tucked away oasis in the middle of the Financial District. Our last stop of the day was LA Live and the Grammy Museum. At the time of our trip, there was a Taylor Swift exhibit showing at the museum. Various costumes and memorabilia from the singer’s career were on display, as well as other iconic costumes from the careers of artists such as Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga. LA Live is an exciting area of Downtown Los Angeles, and includes landmarks such as the Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre. We were free to have dinner wherever we wanted, and my small group chose Italian café Live Basil Pizza, located in Microsoft Square. This was a perfect end to our first full day in Los Angeles.
Day 3
The next day was full of sights from the more ‘touristy’ side of LA. Our first stop was the Warner Brother’s Studio tour. On the tour, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes view of the backlot. We were shown into one of the sound stages, where the set of popular TV series Pretty Little Liars had been built. We were then taken onto the famous set of Friends, complete with the iconic Central Perk café. An exciting exhibition had also been set up on the backlot, celebrating 75 years of Batman. Costumes, props and vehicles from the popular films were on display, complete with a wall full of various Batman masks. But the most exciting part of the tour was right at the end; we were on the buggy being taken back to the visitor centre, when suddenly we were treated to a fleeting glimpse of The Big Bang Theory star Sheldon Cooper.
The star-studded theme continued as we travelled to The Grove and the Farmer’s Market, located near Beverly Hills. The Grove is a popular entertainment complex filled with well-known shops and restaurants, and the Farmer’s Market is a huge historic area perfect for grabbing a bite to eat after a day of shopping. Once we had finished at The Grove, our journey took us past Beverly Hills and its famous hotels, then down Rodeo Drive. We finally reached the coast just as the sun was going down. Unfortunately we couldn’t spend much time at Venice Beach, but we were still able to appreciate it. The beach is absolutely huge, with a vast number of shops and even an outdoor workout centre.
We then moved on to another famous oceanside attraction: Santa Monica Pier. We reached the pier just in time to watch the sunset, and then we were able to spend the evening enjoying the attractions. Santa Monica is the official end of Route 66, and has a large number of shops such as Bubba Gump Shrimp (famous from Forrest Gump). We spent our evening eating fairground food and watching the neon lights on Pacific Park, which were truly spectacular.
Day 4
Hollywood was on the schedule for Day 4. After having an adorable Valentine’s Day-themed breakfast at the hotel, we headed off to our first stop of the day: The Griffith Observatory. If you want spectacular views of Los Angeles, this is the place to go. We were extremely lucky with the weather; we were able to clearly see Downtown LA, downtown Santa Monica and of course the Hollywood Sign (even if it was tiny!). The observatory itself was also extremely interesting; there were exhibitions on the universe, and we were able to catch a glimpse of the observatory’s huge telescope.
Once we had taken in the views of Hollywood, it was time to head down into the famous neighbourhood itself. Our first stop on Hollywood Boulevard was the famous Chinese Theatre, where famous celebrities have immortalised their hand and footprints on the ground. We then headed to the Hollywood Museum, which houses numerous costumes and other memorabilia from Hollywood’s history. We were able to visit the original Max Factor makeup rooms, view a number of classic movie costumes and props, and even visit the set of Silence of the Lambs. Connected to the museum is Mel Drive-In Hollywood, a 50s-style diner, and we were able to enjoy classic American food and milkshakes.
The rest of the evening was spent on Hollywood Boulevard, taking in the stars of the Walk of Fame and enjoying the shopping at Hollywood & Highland. The street was being set up for the Oscars at the time, so there was definitely a buzz in the air. Hollywood Boulevard is also famous for its street performers, ranging from classic actors to famous superheroes. Hands down the best part of the day was meeting ‘Hollywood Wolverine’! The atmosphere on the Boulevard was truly magical; it was a great way to end another day.
Day 5
For our penultimate day in Los Angeles, we visited one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions: Universal Studios. As soon as we arrived, we headed straight to the world-famous studio tour. We were shown a number of famous film sets on the backlot, such as the city hall from Back to the Future, the Bates Motel from Psycho and the famous plane crash set from War of the Worlds. We were also shown several interactive exhibits, including a staged event for Earthquake, where a sound stage has been transformed into a San Francisco subway station and is subsequently ‘destroyed’ by earthquake effects. We also went past the famous Jaws event, where the infamous shark jumps up next to the tram. The final stop on the tour was ‘King Kong 360 3-D’, a spectacular exhibit modelled on the film King Kong. We wore 3D glasses as the tram entered a sound stage designed to look like Skull Island. The trams were suddenly caught up in the famous fight between King Kong and several huge dinosaurs, and the incredible 3D effects made the experience feel so real and absolutely terrifying.
Once we had disembarked from the tour, we were free to explore the park. Our first stop was the famous Jurassic Park ride, which has now sadly been closed for refurbishment. The water ride took us on a journey through ‘Jurassic Park’, before it became a thrill ride complete with a T-Rex emerging from the darkness. After a bite to eat at the Jurassic Café, we headed back out into the park. We visited ‘Universal’s Animal Actors’, a live show featuring many of Hollywood’s famous animals, then headed back to the centre of the park. After visiting one of the park’s many gift stores and spending far too much money, we headed out onto Universal City Walk for even more shopping. Our day ended with a group meal at the Hard Rock Café on Universal City Walk. Exhausted from our day of excitement, we took the opportunity to enjoy our final evening in this incredible city.
Day 6
Our final day in LA. After packing our bags and checking out of the hotel, we headed down to the coast. The whole week had been unseasonably warm for February – the temperature reached 30 degrees every day – so it was no surprise when temperatures dropped to the high teens on our last day. Our final stop on our week-long adventure was Manhattan Beach, a beautiful oceanside neighbourhood famous for its exclusive villas and boutique shops. We were able to enjoy these shops as we spent the whole day at the beach, and we also had lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area of Downtown Manhattan Beach. Although it was colder than it had been all week, we still took the opportunity to sit on the beach and enjoy the California sunshine. We even headed down to the shore at one point, and I was able to stand in the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
But of course, as the sun started to set, we knew that our USA adventure was drawing to a close. We all got back on the coach one last time and headed to LAX. Of course we were able to do even more shopping once we got there, but once we were on the plane, we were all exhausted. Most of us slept the whole way home, dreaming of the amazing week we had spent in one of the most magical cities on the planet.
Jetsetterss 