Last month I took the kids to Disneyland. That was a trip that was pre-planned and was super fun. Since I wanted to take the kids to Universal Studios and Hollywood too but didn’t get a chance last month, I decided at the last minute to take one last trip before summer vacation ended.
So on Friday the 13th, last week at around noon we set off for Hollywood. It was me and my three daughters in a little silver Hyundai Accent I rented just for the trip that morning. If you have never drove one of these, they get very good gas mileage. For me, I have an SUV that gets terrible gas mileage. When it comes to driving somewhere 7+ hours away, an economical rental is a must. We actually rented the same car for the Disneyland trip so that is why I wanted to rent one again.
Well anyhow, on the way to Hollywood I get rear-ended when I got off an exit about 3 hours from home. Luckily my rental did not get that much damage and I was able to get back on the road. Don’t get me wrong, this lady hit my car HARD. Her car was really messed up and I thought when I got out of my car, it was going to be totaled. I now am thinking of buying one of these cars just because they seem to be very economical and safe. Once I got to the Los Angeles area I got a room, got something to eat and went to find a hospital emergency room. I didn’t have any bruises or bleeding, but my back was in pain and my daughter’s were complaining of neck and shoulder pain. I was so pleased to find a Kaiser in Panorama City that had me and my daughter’s in and out within 30 minutes.
On Saturday we spent the day at Universal Studios. I LOVE this place. My mom took me years ago and I have always wanted to go back. The kids had a blast and I got lots of our journey there on video. If you have never been to Universal Studios, I highly recommend going. They have a tour that lasts over an hour and a half that is awesome. While there were a lot of things that were the same at Universal Studios, there were also things that were new that I totally enjoyed, especially the Shrek 4D show. This is one place that if you spend the whole day there, you can do everything. Just be sure that you do the tour first, because there is usually a long line and you don’t want to miss it. When I bought tickets, it was only $5 more for an annual pass. You know I bought it so I really have a reason to come back next summer.
On Sunday we got up and headed down to Hollywood. We ate breakfast at Winchell’s Donuts then headed to Hollywood & Sunset Blvd to check out all the famous stars on the ground. We went to quite a few stores and souvenir shops and ended up going on a 2 hour tour which I totally recommend going. Since I was not familiar with Hollywood, the tour I went on helped me find stuff that I wanted to come back to do. My tour bus went down Rodeo Drive too! I want to go back just to window shop. One really exciting part of the tour was seeing tons o Lamborghinis in front and around Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. They were there for the Make a Wish Foundation giving kid’s rides in their car. Way too cool! I was so excited about seeing the cars, I made a quick video clip of it below:
Before we went home we stopped at the famous Pinks hot dog stand. We stood in line for about 10 minutes and decided to eat somewhere else. We found Johnny Rockets right down the street and was able to order right away. Hannah colored a picture while we waited and got her picture posted on the wall. She was so excited and proud to have her work put up so everyone can see it!
Well, I definitely am going back to Hollywood. I want to go shopping on Melrose (especially to the Ed Hardy store). What is your favorite part of Hollywood?
I love Southern California! I grew up there. My Mom would take us to places like Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and many other attractions every year growing up. Now living up in Sacramento, we don’t really get to go as often. I am looking forward to taking my kids! AHHH Winchells Donuts! There was on next to the bank my Aunt worked at and we would go visit her and grab our donuts! How cool for the kids! I bet the Lamborghini rides were the neatest thing for them! THANK YOU for sharing your trip! Very nostalgic for me!
I do want to take the kids to Knotts Berry Farm. We drove past it last month when we were down there. My mom took me as a kid and I remember enjoying it. I have never ate at the restaurant though.
Looks like y’all had a good time!
Yes, the kids and me had a blast (except for getting in the car accident)