Hollywood Trip Report incl Universal, Santa Monica and more with Pictures

[princesssonny]

Hello All! I have decided to add a trip report to the California section to give back to all of the reports that I have read and enjoyed so much. This trip is in fact 3 years old, but I recall most details pretty well and thanks to digital pictures I have exact dates of when we went to specific places. This trip report will include Santa Monica, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Long Beach, Warner Brothers Studios, and much much more. I don't recall every place we ate, but I will include what I do remember. Let's start with the cast. Me 27 - Loves cheesy tourist stuff & star crazed (24 at the time of the trip) and hubby 37 - Rock & Roll Rebel who is dragged along kicking & screaming (34 at the time of the trip). We took this trip to celebrate our third wedding anniversary and it was well needed as we hadn't had a vacation since our honeymoon. The trip was purchased through Expedia a few months prior and I paid one price for flight, hotel, and car rental (around $1500 for both of us for 9 nights.) This also included the Hollywood CityPass which at that time included admission to Universal Studios, Starline Tours of the Movie Stars Home, Tour of the Kodak Theater, Admission to Hollywood Entertainment Museum, and Admission to the Autry National Center (a Wild West and Indian Heritage Museum). Off we go

Saturday October 11 - DAY 1 Flight and Santa Monica

We woke up to get ready for our extremely early flight out of Cincinnati to LAX. We sadly, left our 2 year old with grandma and grandpa and waved goodbye to them as they drove away from the airport. Fast forward to landing at LAX. Wow, what a busy airport. I really didn't find it all that bad compared to what I had been told. We claimed our bags and prepared to take the shuttle to the rental car office. We had a slight issue with the fact that I was only 24 and the rule for renting a car under 25 . As I said earlier the car was already prepaid, but then they wanted to charge me the underage fee which was almost $200 more dollars. All I had was cash and a debit card, which they didn't want to accept, so after some arguing a manager finally agreed to take the debit card . I was kind of upset to lose $200 out of our preplanned money budget, but oh well I was on vacation and didn't want anything to ruin it. Quick note for those of you who are asking why we didn't have my husband get the car. He has mild epilepsy and is not allowed to have a driver's liscence. So back to it, we get our car and drive the hour or so to the hotel. It was really only 25 miles from the airport, but traffic was slow. I was well prepared for the traffic situation as two of my coworker formally lived in LA. The tips they gave me, were to definitely avoid the rush hour times and leave 30 minutes before you would normally leave to get some where. I followed these rules and for the most part avoided any really long delays. Beware of the motorcycles , they really freaked me out the first time one whizzed by our car doing 70 when we were going at about 30. Anyway, we stayed at the Best Western in Lawndale. If I had it to do over again I would have researched hotels a little more, but it was ok. Although, I think it was a bit of a crime ridden area.

We unpack our things and take a quick nap. Afterwards we hop in our car for dinner and the Santa Monica Pier. Now, this was the first time I had ever been to CA so I was determined to see everything I could. My other mission was to see someone famous. I didn't care who or where it occured, but I was star crazed. So, for dinner we go to Schatzi on Main in Santa Monica. This restaurant is owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria and is a top spot for celebrity sightings according to some websites. We went, we sat on the patio, no celebrities , but overall it was a really nice place to eat. The food was great and they sell Margaritas by the pitcher. This is a photo that was in the parking structure

So now we are off to the Santa Monica Pier. Just pulling up was breathtaking seeing the ferris wheel with nothing but the ocean and sky as a backdrop . Note: I am from the midwest so oceans are a big deal to me. Anyway, we went on the pier, rode a few rides, ate some junk food, and stopped to admire one of the pier entertainers (he was dressed in gold and his skin was also painted gold.) Photos of the pier.

Then we decided we were pooped out, it was about 10 pm which was 1 am in our normal time zone, so we went back to the hotel for some sleep.

 

[princesssonny]

Sunday October 12 - DAY 2 Downtown Disney, Hollywood Wax Museum, & Wild Bill's Wild West Extravaganza

We get up early for our planned breakfast at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney (this will be as close to Disney as we get). We enter DD and head for Rainforest. Photo of Entrance and Rainforest Cafe.

This was our first visit to one and we thouroughly enjoyed it even with the $6 orange juices and overall $40 bill for breakfast . Afterward we walked around DD, picked up some souveneirs for our son, and visited many of the interesting shops. A photo of me and my hubby

I think this guy got bored waiting for his wife to finish shopping.

Next, it was off to Buena Park to the Hollywood Wax Museum. I purchased the Orange County, Long Beach Entertainment book before we left which gave us buy 1 get 1 admission to the Museum. We ended up using this book a lot as you will read later . After a few hours of browsing the many likenesses of Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, and many more we had enough. We also visited the haunted portion of the museum with recreated scenes from horror movies such as Nightmare on Elm St, Friday the 13th, the Exorcist, and Halloween. This is seperate area off of the gift shop so if you don't want to visit it you don't have to. I am thinking it was automated like a ride, but I can't remember exactly. Some photos of the wax figures.

We picked up a few things from the gift shop for my mom (she loves Lucy) and we went off to our dinner reservations at Wild Bill's Wild West Extravaganza. Again we used the Entertainment Book Coupon which was 2 for the price of 1. We really enjoyed this dinner show and am sad to report that it has closed down since our visit and been replaced by the Pirate's Dinner Adventure . The food was really good for a dinner show and was very entertaining. A very nice end to our second day.

 

[princesssonny]

Monday October 13 - DAY 3 Warner Brothers Studio & a very expensive dinner

Anniversary day. Today is our third wedding anniversary and we decided to spend it doing the Warner Brothers Deluxe tour. Now, there are two tours offered the first one is the VIP tour. It is cheaper and only lasts a few hours. The second one is the Deluxe, lasts 6 hours with lunch included, and at the time was $95 per person (it is now $150 per person, Ouch). This is another one of my evil attempts to see someone famous bwwwaaahhaaahhaaahaaa. We get there at 9 am as the tour starts at 10 am. We pay and pick up our tickets which are these really cool preprinted Tour Badges in a lanyard and protective covering (Just like a backstage pass to a concert). We also had to sign a waiver stating we would not approach, bother, or try to stalk any famous person we saw. How did they know me so well, lol. Note: when we went you only had to make reservations for the tour and use a card to hold it, I believe now you have to prepay for everything. We walk inside and meet up with our tour guide, as luck would have it we are the only 2 crazy people on the tour so it was even better as the tour guide said we could pretty much dictate things we would like to see and not worry about anyone else. We begin at the main building which houses several movie props and costumes. We saw a guitar owned by Elvis, Mimi's wedding dress from Drew Carey, costumes from Friends along with the wedding invitation to Monica and Chandler's wedding, George Clooney's dr badge from ER, and the Batmobile. To all of you that don't know the one used in the Batman movies is about 2 feet long and remote control operated. Up on the second floor it was entirely devoted to Harry Potter. I am a huge Harry Potter so imagine my delight when we get to sit down and have the actual Sorting hat placed on our heads and be sorted into houses by a prerecorded voice of course. I got Gryffindor woohoo and hubby got Slytherin (very accurate lol). We saw costumes, Hagrid's motorcycle, the chess piece Ron rode on in the 2nd movie, and much more. It was really cool. We exited the building and went to the gift shop where I purchased a few things for coworkers and we saw the Mystery Maching from the Scooby Doo movies. It was then we were told that from this point on no more photos. Pictures of Warner Brothers water tower and Friends Costumes.

We went to several different process stages and sound recording studios learning the movie biz and then it was time for lunch. Now, this is my opportunity as there is only one cafeteria on property and if the stars want to eat this is the place. We go in get our food and my eyes are busy repeatedly scanning the room, I don't even remember eating, but I am sure I did. We finish and no one, not one single celebrity. We walk out and the tour guide states now would be a good time for a restroom break, I hesitate thinking if I leave the lunch area I know someone famous will walk by. However, I decide I need to go and take the fastest potty break in history (seriously I think it's been recorded in the Guiness book). Anyway, I come back and my hubby says "You will never guess who just walked right by me?" I almost cry, I knew it; as soon as I leave they come. It was Ryan Stiles and apparently he almost stepped on my husband's foot. At first I though the tour guide and him were just playing a joke on me, but turns out they weren't. The tour guide finally realizes my insane obsession with seeing someone famous and gets special permission to go into the Drew Carey set where they are filming. So we end up getting to see Drew and Ryan, so I was happy then . After that we went to the coveted Friends set, where I am sad to report they were not filming. We did get to sit on the sofa at coffee perks and I took the Friends mug I had previously purchased for a coworker and sat it on the counter (she is a huge fan). After that we saw the Gilmore Girls, West Wing, and Two and a Half Men sets. Last we went to the backlot which included entire streets built as sets, several houses including the Seavers house from Growing Pains, the ER signs and basketball court, and theater from the end of Blazing Saddles. Then the tour was over. I think it was really worth it, but I don't think I would pay the current price. We were allowed to take photos again in the backlot. Below is the Seaver House and the Blazing Saddles Theater.

After the tour we went back to the hotel and got spruced up for our romantic anniversary dinner . My hubby, is not romantic, he unfortunately was born without that gene. So, I make him get all dressed up, which he also does not like, and drag him to a very nice French restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard called the Melisse. We sit down and a waiter in a tuxedo comes over and my husband is scowling already. Now, we are not the type of people to frequent fine dining establishments, so my husband is always concerned about getting treated poorly because of his tattoos and piercings. However, this was very untrue in this place. The waiter's could not have been friendlier and were very attentive to each detail. We both ordered the tasting menu which was fabulous. A girl could get used to a place like this . After receiving our $175 check and leaving a nice tip we decided it was back to the hotel for us. Upon arriving back my husband painfully admits (not wanting to admit I was right of course) that he really did enjoy the restaurant. So the entire day was very enjoyable for both of us.

 

[princesssonny]

Tuesday October 14 - DAY 4 Universal Studios & The Hard Rock Cafe

Today was Universal Studios day (included in our CityPass). We arrive at the park and leisurely stoll down the City Walk taking it all in. We browsed a few shops and finally made it into the park. Pictures of the City Walk Theater and park entrance.

We experienced Shrek 4-D, Backdraft, Terminator 3-D, the Studio Tour, Back to the Future, and the Animal Planet Show. We really enjoyed Shrek 4-D, this was it's debut, and my personal favorite the Studio tour. I like how it combines the three Florida attractions into one ride along with seeing several props and sets from movies. We also went into the Mummy Returns area which at the time was being built, but still had several movie items for viewing. We had our pictures taken with Fiona and Shrek before leaving and it was off to dinner. Photos of Mummy Returns, Shrek, the Backlot tour Psycho house and restaurant at Universal which I thought was pretty cool.

We always eat at a Hard Rock Cafe while on vacation if we can for two reasons. 1. There is not one available in our area. 2. My husband is a little obsessed. I like it too, we enjoy viewing all of the music propoganda and eating there as well. We also had a free appetizer coupon from the Entertainment Book (this thing is really paying off). A few things that stick out from this one are John Lennon's round glasses (they are framed behind bullet proof security glass), the saxaphone Bill Clinton played at his inaguration, and clothing from Elvis, Prince, Elton John, and Axl Rose. We always enjoy Hard Rock Cafe, but I will say that the best one I have been to is the one at Universal Studios in Orlando. After that we called it a day and went back to the hotel and just relaxed. A photo of the Hard Rock Cafe.

 

[princesssonny]

Wednesday October 15 - DAY 5 Autry National Center, Peterson Automotive Museum & The Tonight Show

It is day 5 and we are still in go go go mode. This is always me on vacation, I am to ADD to have a relaxing vacation. Anyway, our first stop today is the Autry National Center which is included on our City Pass. Had it not been included I don't think I would have known it was even there. I am not saying it was bad just not as advertised or known as others. It was actually a very nice museum with some interesting artifacts. The museum is seperated into two sections one for Native American Heritage and the other for the Wild West era. Here you can see such items as real stagecoaches, ancient firetrucks, casino tables, very old beer advertisements, an entire arsenal of guns including ones owned by Pat Garrett (Billy the Kid's alleged killer) and Jesse James. It was very interesting, but we didn't stay long because apparently it was field trip day. I love kids, but that many in a place like that is enough to drive you mad. So after about an hour or so we decided to move on. Photos of a Budweiser ad, mail stagecoach, and hubbie clowning around

Next stop, the Peterson Automotive Museum (another buy 1 admission get 1 from the book). We stayed here for a while as it was very enjoyable. The museum houses cars from the likes of Elvis, Jackie Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, and many more. It is also home to old motorcycles, movie cars, Speed Racer's Mach 5, and the Batmobile. Now I know I said earlier the Batmobile was only 2 feet long, but that was just the one used in the movies. This life size one was used for promoting purposes and it does in fact work. After spending two hours in here I finally had to drag hubby out. I had a surprise for him that I had been keeping for a while. Not wanting to blow the surprise I kept complaining to him that I was hungry so we went for lunch at In N Out. If you have never eaten at one of these fabulous burger joints you are definitely missing out. I am so sad they are not local to us. Photos of the Mach 5 and Elvis's car.

After lunch I began the drive toward Burbank. As I said before I had a surprise for hubby and it was the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I finally told him when we arrived at NBC Studios and he was very excited. I had followed their lengthy instrucitons on how to get tickets and received them (another attempt to see someone famous for me lol). If you were not aware the show is actually taped at 3 pm and it is first come first serve even if you have tickets. This means you must get there early. We arrived around 1 and the line was already pretty developed, but not so bad we didn't think we were getting in. We stood in line and chatted with some people who turned out to only live about 15 minutes from us back in Northern Kentucky. Small world, huh? After what seemed like forever we were finally inside and had our seats. Jay comes out before the show and talks to the audience, tells them what to expect, and even took a few photos with some guests. Before we left for the vacation, I had already learned who the guests were. It was Bill O'Reilly and some kind of wild animal guy (not the crocodile hunter) and a band which I don't remember. Not exactly my idea of fulfillling my star crazed obsession, but Jay Leno was there and good enough for me until I learned had I waited one more day I could have seen Julia Roberts. The show was really funny and the studio is so small in person. I expected the audience section to be so much bigger. Again, we had a great time and it was free so I would definitely recommend to anyone who has the patience to stand in a line that long. The taping only took about an hour so no big deal there. We head back to our hotel and had dinner at the hotel restaurant, not impressive, but better than fighting traffic.

 

[princesssonny]

Thursday October 16 - DAY 6 West Coast Choppers, Aquarium of the Pacific, & the Queen Mary

Up and at it again for the drive to Long Beach after a quick breakfast at Denny's. I don't recall the drive being long maybe 45 minutes or so and our first stop is at West Coast Choppers and to see if the infamous Jesse James is there. We enter into the lobby which is full of awesome bikes and cars. My husband is in heaven at this point. We browse around snapping some photos and then enter the gift shop area. Alas, we are informed the Mr James is attending Bike Week in Daytona Beach on the other side of the country, but no matter we are still having fun. We browse the gift shop and buy a couple of shirts and leave. It's really a neat shop if you get the chance to go and it is free so why not. Photos of West Coast Choppers and the lobby.

Now we are off to the Aquarium of the Pacific another 2 for 1 admission deal from the book. The aquarium is quite impressive and very big. It took about three hours to see it all. One of the highlights for us was the outside area where you can touch sharks (small ones) and manta rays swimming in a shallow exhibit. Other than that I only recall this one other thing. As the Autry Center there were several field trips that day. Being that the aquarium was really large it wasn't that bad. The cutest thing happened at one section where an excited 1st grader begins to jump up and down and scream really loud "Look everyone, I found Nemo!" We thought it was hilarious and laughed to ourselves. If you get the chance stop here it is definitely worth your time. Photos from the aquarium.

Last stop the Queen Mary and once again a 2 for 1 admission deal from the lovely Entertainment Book. Now, let me first explain that I am a huge Titanic nut and when I approached the ship I notice it looks very similar. The self guided tour was nice and gives you plenty of time to explore all areas at your pace. If you get a chance to go stop and read all the plaques that give mention of the hauntings that have taken place over the years on the ship. It is also part hotel for those who would like to brave the night sleeping there. After looking at everything and a quick stop for ice cream, we went down for the Ghost & Legends show which is a timid style haunted walk through. It was cool and you learn more about actual hauntings and you get to see the 1st class swimming pool. All in all we learned a lot about the building and history of the ship and it's importance during World War II. I highly reccommend this tour as I was really touched and amazed at the history of the ship. Photos of the Queen Mary, view from the deck, and the bridge.

 

[princesssonny]

Friday October 17 - DAY 7 Hollywood, Starline Tours, & Hollywood Entertainment Museum

Today it was finally time for the infamous Hollywood Boulevard. We arrived early and walked up and down looking at all the stars on the sidewalk. We also found a store that sells clothes from movies and for the lovely price of $6000 you could own the blue and white plaid shirt, khakis, and Bubba Gump Shrimp hat that Tom Hanks wore in Forrest Gump. As part of our city pass we stopped at the Kodak Theater and signed up for a tour. I am not sure why it works this way, but you have to go same day and reserve a time for the tour. Photo of the Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theater.

Next, we stopped in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theater and admired all of the stars footprints. Trivia: Marilyn Monroe originally dotted the "i" in her name with a diamond, but it was stolen within days. We also visited Starline Tours (another ticket off of CityPass) window which is right in front and signed up for there tour which was leaving momentarily. The Starline Tour was a blast. We were taken through Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood Blvd. We were shown the homes of Brittany Spears, Marilyn Monroe & Joe Dimaggio, Judy Garland, Jaclyn Smith, Ozzy Osbourne, the Playboy Mansion and many many more. We also stopped at the famous Japanese restaurant, Yamashiro, up the hill from the Magic Castle where you can get a great view of the Hollywood sign. This restaurant has a lot of history which was shared with us by our tour guide along with beautiful landscaping including koi ponds, waterfalls, and rock gardens. We also saw the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Roosevelt Hotel. The two and a half hour tour was awesome and cheesy just the way I like it. Photo of the Magic Castle hotel, Yamashiro, the Hollywood Sign, the Roosevelt Hotel, and the Beverly Hills sign.

So we arrive back at Grauman's and discover that we are too late for our earlier reservation for the Kodak theater. Oh well, we didn't mind. We did see the impressive lobby and staircase while we were there which houses banners recognizing Best Picture Oscar winners since its inception. After looking a bit more at the footprints and being scared half to death by a man with an extremely large snake around his neck we went off to lunch. Quick tourist tip: in front of Grauman's several people come each day as celebrity lookalikes. These people are not employed by the theater, but make their living off of tips. If you want your picture with them be sure to tip as in the past it has gotten ugly. The snake guy was one of those people out there allowing tourists to hold his snake around their neck for a photo. No, thanks! I did get my photo with the Marilyn lookalike. I believe we also saw Charlie Chaplin, Darth Vader, Spiderman, and Lucille Ball. Photo of Grauman's Theater.

After lunch at a hot dog place, we hopped in the car and my husband made it is mission to find Ozzy's house on our own. He is a huge fan and wanted his photo in front of the house. We finally found it took the photos and left. I think hubby fought his urge to ring the bell especially after seeing Jack blast people with the sprinklers on the Osbournes show. Photo of Ozzy's house. I am showing you this because all of the houses are like this with lots of shrubs and walls for privacy.

Next, we went to the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, which houses more props and set from movies and shows. We saw the Coneheads motorcycle helmets, Whoopi Goldbergs black and pink suit from Ghost, and a painting from the Addams Family. The museum houses the original set from one of the Star Trek's. I am not sure which one and I don't want to guess being afraid of all of those Trekkies out there. The end of the tour was a highlight with the original set of Cheers being retired here. The bar, indian statue, all of the pictures, everything exactly as the show. I was told you could actually rent this room out for parties if you should desire. A neat attribute was that the cast members all carved their names in the bar top when the show ended. It is now covered with a plexiglass to avoid damage. Photos from Cheers set.

After we left the museum it was getting dark so we decided to call it a day. Hollywood Boulevard is said to get bad at night and we weren't about to hang around to find out. During the day in this area you will encounter several kinds of people. A lot of people approaching you asking for change or doing things in the street to earn money or others who may seem a bit crazy staring at the sky and shouting strange things. We came across a drummer using buckets who was quite entertaining and threw a couple bucks in his hat. Other than that we did not give money to any of the panhandlers just politely said we had none to spare and they went away. If you are uncomfortable with this type of stuff you may want to stay in your car.

 

[princesssonny]

Saturday October 18 - DAY 8 Venice Beach, Sunset Strip, and KISS

We slept in today, finally lol. We went to Venice Beach to have lunch and admire the street performers. I took my shoes off and put my feet in so I could say I was in the Pacific Ocean. Even though it was in the high 80's the water was very cold, but there were plenty of surfers in the water. Photo of Venice Beach.

So we left Venice and headed back to Sunset Strip. My husband wanted to see the Whisky a Go-Go where bands like the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Van Halen, and Guns N Roses got their start. Photo of the Whisky.

We also visited Hustler of Hollywood which has it's own sets of handprints in the cement before you enter. Quite amusing. We also saw the Roxy and Rainbow Rooms. None of these places were open during the day with the exception of Hustler so we just admired from outside. After a few hours of walking it was back to the hotel for a nap. Photo of Hustler and Roxy.

After waking up refreshed we both got ready for our last night of vacation. We were driving an hour south to see KISS & Aerosmith in concert with Saliva opening. Both my husband and I are rock 'n' roll fans, but due to me being 10 years younger than him I haven't gotten to see a lot of bands live like he has. So off we go to see the concert in Chula Vista, CA at the Coors Ampitheater. We arrived and it was great. So many faces painted like KISS from 6 year olds to 60 year olds. We even saw one little boy in the full Gene Simmons get up and he couldn't have been more than 7. So anyway, the concert begins and we are waiting for KISS. It was the best show. KISS is so entertaining and energetic. Aerosmith played last and were good, but kind of boring after KISS. I enjoyed it so much that I have seen KISS twice since then when they have been in our area. The concert ends with Sweet Emotion and confetti being blasted over the entire audience. We drive home and fall into our beds. Tomorrow is pack and go home day. It has all come to an end.

All in all this was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. Even though, we missed our son like crazy we had a wonderful time. I apologize for the length, but I had to fit everything in I enjoyed writing it and being able to reminisce as it was like I said a little over 3 years ago. We are planning to visit again in May, but this time Disneyland is definitely on our itinerary as our son will be going. Any questions about any of the places we visited I will try my best to answer. Thanks for reading and bless you all.

 

[woody73]

Lovely trip report and pics!

Woody

 

[KimAshton]

Love this TR.

 

[fenila]

Fabulous pictures. Talking about santa monica because of its agreeable climate, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century.

 

[skiingfast]

This is a great photo tour of the LA area. Really good stuff!