Trip Report: Los Angeles, California, USA
A week ago a few friends and I decided to go to Los Angeles, California just for fun. While we were there we had lunch with DCLondonTraveler who was visiting his hometown for a high school reunion. I love LA, there is so much to do and so much to eat, like honestly the variety of dishes cannot be beat, it’s also way cheaper than New York and London.
My friends and I did a bunch of stuff in just three days, it was honestly worth the flight and we weren’t tired at all…even though US Airways has very uncomfortable seats, just saying… but in all fairness the flight from DCA to LAX was only $252 roundtrip (each) because my friend had a $99 US Airways companion ticket for having the US Airways Dividend Mastercard from Barclays. We rented a car from Hertz and drove everywhere, you kinda need a car in LA or you’ll be pretty stuck.
Any who, below is a list of things to do, eat and stay while in Los Angeles, California and the estimated price. Images are below.
What To Do:
1. Warner Bros VIP Tour ($54 entrance + $7 for parking)
2. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library ($11-20)
3. Madame Tussauds ($21-26)
4. Hollywood Walk of Fame (Free)
5. Drive through Malibu/California Highway 1
6. Drive through Beverly Hills
7. Visit the Santa Monica Pier
Where To Eat:
1. Mels’ Drive-In (Hollywood Blvd) $10-15
2. Barney’s Beanery (3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica) $10-$20
3. Mercado (Santa Monica) – $15-20: Reservation recommended
4. Kravings World Fusion Steak House & Lounge (Tarzana/The Valley) – $15-40: Reservation recommended
We stayed in a hotel called The Garden Suites Hotel and Resort in Koreatown, it was very inexpensive and had free parking and WiFi. The hotel was clean, a bit old but otherwise definitely worth it. I would definitely stay there again if I could, cheap and good location – very safe as well.
The Warner Bros VIP tour is pretty cool, you actually get to tour some of the sets and go into workshops where they make the stages. They also take you around the houses that you see in your favorite TV shows and movies. The tour lasts around 2.5-3hrs and a guide drives you in a golf cart that sits about 13 people. For Madame Tussauds there are people on Hollywood Blvd giving out flyers, take one because it saves you $5 (so you pay $21), the voucher is good for up to 6 people if you are paying together, otherwise, to pay separate you must each have your own flyer. They give these flyers out for free, so it’s definitely worth it!
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is definitely worth seeing, it’s located in Simi Valley and it’s only $16 to enter. There’s a lot of history in it, you can also enter the old Air Force One plane, old Marine One helicopter, and a mock Oval Office, pretty neat stuff even if you are not a Republican/Conservative.
I won’t be going back to LA until next year, I’m planning a trip to San Francisco in the fall but I will definitely go back to LA soon enough… I hope this mini-guide helps when planning your next trip to LA!
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