Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to post about our amazing holiday in the US. We had such an incredible time and did so much in just 4 weeks. I'm thinking I will do a post for each state we visited and break things up that way.
We flew out of Melbourne Airport on Friday 15th March. We had to connect to our international flight in Sydney and when we arrived in Sydney Pete and I realised we'd already forgotten something - the stroller. We'd left it at security at Melbourne airport. I was so preoccupied with just getting to our gate and managing Will that I forgot we were taking our stroller on the flight. Doh! It was a bit annoying that the ground staff couldn't get the stroller on another flight to Sydney in time for our flight so we just had to think Oh Well, we'll just have to buy a stroller in LA.
Heck, it could have been worse. The stroller was the only thing we forgot on the way over so we did ok all in all :-)
Our flight to LA was awesome. Will was an absolute champ. He is a seasoned traveler after all. He'd already been on over 15 flights and one international before he was 18 months old. He would play with the sticker books I got him and watch episodes of Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig on our tablet. He probably only watched one movie that was part of the in-flight entertainment. He had a nap in the afternoon when he usually would at home and when it got to about 10pm our time he went to sleep and stayed asleep for 6 hours. He woke up with 2 hours to go until we arrived in LA at 9am US time. I couldn't believe how easy it was. It was truly a blessing that we had a spare seat next to us so he could lay down over 2 seats. He ended up next to Simeon for most of the flight and Sim was great at giving Pete and I breaks during the flight.
We did have a moment of panic when Will spewed up his pasta dinner. But he cracked us up when all he did was say "oh dear." He seemed ok and we figured he'd just eaten a bit too quickly.
We were so excited to arrive but had a 2 hour wait in the airport just to clear immigration. Again, Will was so well behaved. He chatted away to us and played his own little games while we stood/sat in line. After a long time of waiting we were eventually told that families with young toddlers could skip to the front of the line. We got our luggage and were soon on our way to pick up the car.
We used a company called Alamo and they were pretty good. Will and I were squashed in the back with a massive suitcase between us but we managed to fit all our luggage in. We were a bit too early to check in to our hotel so went hunting for a stroller. After a bit of running around Pete and Sim ended up at Target and got a stroller. We all had a bit of a nap in the afternoon then went out for dinner to sizzler of all places. Our motel room was really quite nice but was in downtown LA which is a pretty ghetto kind of area. We knew we would need a car in LA as the public transport system is awful. Pete did a fantastic job of driving. He drove in the wrong lane only a couple of times but I'm so glad he did the driving.
Day 1 (Friday): Was a bit of a right off due to having to look for a stroller and then just having a nap in the motel room. We must have been really hungry because we all loved our dinner at sizzler. When we went back again at the end of our trip it was pretty ordinary. We also got some breakfast food so we didn't have to worry about that in the mornings. I spent a fair while trying to find semi-healthy food and managed to get a good amount of things. I'd brought over a bag of instant porridge from Australia to keep us going though!
Highlights: Our super comfy motel room bed and watching 'Pitch Perfect' on the plane. Ha ha
Lowlights: The condition of the roads in LA and just how dirty and ghetto the place is. Definitely not a pretty city in the slightest.
Day 2 (Saturday): We woke up and had breaky, which Will promptly threw up. Again saying, "Oh dear." He was also running a temperature and was quite red and splotchy in places. He wasn't too unsettled but definitely wasn't well and not up to doing much. We actually rang Pete's sister Karyn who is a nurse and she was great to talk to. We didn't feel like he needed a doctor and I had brought a big bottle of kid's panadol so we were ok. With that, day 2 ended up being a bit of a right off.
We did go out in the afternoon for a hour drive to the factory outlets in Camarillo. Will slept in the car and his temp had gone and he was in good spirits. I had a wonderful time and was very excited to get a few items I had been wanting, included a pair of converse shoes with velcro and fake laces - soooo convenient! I could have spent way more time there but Pete ended up going with Will to a different section across the freeway to switch the stroller we had bought. He was supposed to meet me at 5:30pm and by 6:20pm I was in full panic mode. I didn't have a mobile on me and Sim was in a different section. My mind was racing thinking that Pete and Will had been in an accident and I was actually starting to cry. I was about to go to the centre security desk for help when Pete suddenly came up behind me. The first thing I did was thump him really hard and then just hung on to him and had a little cry. The relief I felt was incredible. I really thought something terrible had happened and was praying my heart out for almost an hour before they got to me! Anyway, I don't know if I can blame it on pregnancy hormones or what but of course I had been worried for no reason. They'd simply been running really late.
Highlights: Eating a very late lunch at a place called Panera Bread. Very yummy and relatively healthy food options.
Shopping - with basically no concern for how much I was spending. I was pretty tame though really. I was saving a bit for shopping in New York ;-)
Pete and I went out for dinner at a great Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo for Shabu Shabu. It was the most expensive meal of the trip but so so good.
Lowlights: Will being sick and then thinking I had lost Will and Pete :-(
Day 3 (Sunday): We all had a great sleep in and Will still wasn't 100% but we ventured out after lunch and went to church in Hollywood. We didn't stay long though and drove up to have a look at the Hollywood sign and check out some of the stunning houses in the hills. I always thought the sign was massive but when you're at the lookout it's actually not as big as you think it will be. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed our little drive.
I have to mention something funny that happened to Pete and I while we were walking down the street in little Tokyo. We were walking back from a restaurant to our car when 2 young Hispanic guys rode past us on their push bikes and said "hello white people." Pete and I just cracked up laughing and commented that we must really stick out in downtown LA.
We went back to the hotel to pick up Simeon and headed off to the Chinese Theatre and the star walk right in the heart of Hollywood. Will got a kick out of putting his hands and feet in the prints and he looked very cute in the process.
We enjoyed strolling along and looking at the stars in the pavement but I didn't really take any photos. There are just names really.
Simeon had been there before on a previous trip to LA and warned us that LA was full of crazy and eccentric people. He wasn't wrong. There were heaps of people dressed up in amazing costumes that were after tips if you had photos with them. The pic below is Simeon listening to some guy's Rap album. Simeon is way too nice and bought the guy's CD and he always gave really generous tips to the various street performers.
Highlights: Simply being with our family and enjoying the stroll around Hollywood. Pete and Will were also having a blast hiding behind trees and trying to scare Sim and I when we were walking back to the car at the end of our night! It was very cute. I have some of it on video but can't be bothered uploading it at this stage.
Lowlights: The food at the Hard Rock Cafe
Day 4 (Monday): Before we decided we were taking Will with us to the US Pete and I organised a day at Universal Studios. We decided to really splurge and do the VIP experience package. We were so grateful to have Sim with us as it meant we didn't have to cancel our plans and lose a lot of money!
We dropped Sim and Will off at a park relatively close to Universal Studios. They planned to spend a bit of time there and then make their way to a train museum we had researched that sounded great and was free.
The VIP tour starts off with a breaky of croissants and other assorted goodies. You have a bit of time to get acquainted with your guide and then you head off in a trolly car.
The only way to go to the sets and really get behind the scenes is to do the VIP experience. It was pretty cool. We went to "Amity Island" and met Jaws, visited some other famous movie sets you may recognise and played with some cool props etc. The tour guide tells you a bunch of interesting facts about various productions and the small group allowed us to ask heaps of questions and have some really interesting conversations. We went to Wisteria Lane (home of the Desperate Housewives) and on the set of Parenthood. I wasn't that fussed with those as I'm a not a fan of either show.
Peter being super strong and holding an anvil :-)
Highlights: The whole day was amazing and hard to say what the best thing about Universal Studios was.
Lowlights: Not being able to completely enjoy myself on the rides
Overall LA was pretty fun purely because of Universal Studios and some of the typical touristy things to do. I probably wouldn't visit again unless I was taking my kids to Disneyland. It's a pretty dingy city and I didn't feel overly safe at times. I'd definitely try to fly via San Francisco next time, even to just avoid LAX. Pete, Sim and I were just itching to get to our next stop - New York!!
We flew out of Melbourne Airport on Friday 15th March. We had to connect to our international flight in Sydney and when we arrived in Sydney Pete and I realised we'd already forgotten something - the stroller. We'd left it at security at Melbourne airport. I was so preoccupied with just getting to our gate and managing Will that I forgot we were taking our stroller on the flight. Doh! It was a bit annoying that the ground staff couldn't get the stroller on another flight to Sydney in time for our flight so we just had to think Oh Well, we'll just have to buy a stroller in LA.
Heck, it could have been worse. The stroller was the only thing we forgot on the way over so we did ok all in all :-)
Our flight to LA was awesome. Will was an absolute champ. He is a seasoned traveler after all. He'd already been on over 15 flights and one international before he was 18 months old. He would play with the sticker books I got him and watch episodes of Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig on our tablet. He probably only watched one movie that was part of the in-flight entertainment. He had a nap in the afternoon when he usually would at home and when it got to about 10pm our time he went to sleep and stayed asleep for 6 hours. He woke up with 2 hours to go until we arrived in LA at 9am US time. I couldn't believe how easy it was. It was truly a blessing that we had a spare seat next to us so he could lay down over 2 seats. He ended up next to Simeon for most of the flight and Sim was great at giving Pete and I breaks during the flight.
We did have a moment of panic when Will spewed up his pasta dinner. But he cracked us up when all he did was say "oh dear." He seemed ok and we figured he'd just eaten a bit too quickly.
Check out my carry-on baggage. 14 kilos of Cadbury goodness and about 18 packets of Arnotts Timtams!
We used a company called Alamo and they were pretty good. Will and I were squashed in the back with a massive suitcase between us but we managed to fit all our luggage in. We were a bit too early to check in to our hotel so went hunting for a stroller. After a bit of running around Pete and Sim ended up at Target and got a stroller. We all had a bit of a nap in the afternoon then went out for dinner to sizzler of all places. Our motel room was really quite nice but was in downtown LA which is a pretty ghetto kind of area. We knew we would need a car in LA as the public transport system is awful. Pete did a fantastic job of driving. He drove in the wrong lane only a couple of times but I'm so glad he did the driving.
Day 1 (Friday): Was a bit of a right off due to having to look for a stroller and then just having a nap in the motel room. We must have been really hungry because we all loved our dinner at sizzler. When we went back again at the end of our trip it was pretty ordinary. We also got some breakfast food so we didn't have to worry about that in the mornings. I spent a fair while trying to find semi-healthy food and managed to get a good amount of things. I'd brought over a bag of instant porridge from Australia to keep us going though!
Highlights: Our super comfy motel room bed and watching 'Pitch Perfect' on the plane. Ha ha
Lowlights: The condition of the roads in LA and just how dirty and ghetto the place is. Definitely not a pretty city in the slightest.
Day 2 (Saturday): We woke up and had breaky, which Will promptly threw up. Again saying, "Oh dear." He was also running a temperature and was quite red and splotchy in places. He wasn't too unsettled but definitely wasn't well and not up to doing much. We actually rang Pete's sister Karyn who is a nurse and she was great to talk to. We didn't feel like he needed a doctor and I had brought a big bottle of kid's panadol so we were ok. With that, day 2 ended up being a bit of a right off.
Our sick little man watching cartoons
We did go out in the afternoon for a hour drive to the factory outlets in Camarillo. Will slept in the car and his temp had gone and he was in good spirits. I had a wonderful time and was very excited to get a few items I had been wanting, included a pair of converse shoes with velcro and fake laces - soooo convenient! I could have spent way more time there but Pete ended up going with Will to a different section across the freeway to switch the stroller we had bought. He was supposed to meet me at 5:30pm and by 6:20pm I was in full panic mode. I didn't have a mobile on me and Sim was in a different section. My mind was racing thinking that Pete and Will had been in an accident and I was actually starting to cry. I was about to go to the centre security desk for help when Pete suddenly came up behind me. The first thing I did was thump him really hard and then just hung on to him and had a little cry. The relief I felt was incredible. I really thought something terrible had happened and was praying my heart out for almost an hour before they got to me! Anyway, I don't know if I can blame it on pregnancy hormones or what but of course I had been worried for no reason. They'd simply been running really late.
Highlights: Eating a very late lunch at a place called Panera Bread. Very yummy and relatively healthy food options.
Shopping - with basically no concern for how much I was spending. I was pretty tame though really. I was saving a bit for shopping in New York ;-)
Pete and I went out for dinner at a great Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo for Shabu Shabu. It was the most expensive meal of the trip but so so good.
Lowlights: Will being sick and then thinking I had lost Will and Pete :-(
Day 3 (Sunday): We all had a great sleep in and Will still wasn't 100% but we ventured out after lunch and went to church in Hollywood. We didn't stay long though and drove up to have a look at the Hollywood sign and check out some of the stunning houses in the hills. I always thought the sign was massive but when you're at the lookout it's actually not as big as you think it will be. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed our little drive.
I have to mention something funny that happened to Pete and I while we were walking down the street in little Tokyo. We were walking back from a restaurant to our car when 2 young Hispanic guys rode past us on their push bikes and said "hello white people." Pete and I just cracked up laughing and commented that we must really stick out in downtown LA.
We went back to the hotel to pick up Simeon and headed off to the Chinese Theatre and the star walk right in the heart of Hollywood. Will got a kick out of putting his hands and feet in the prints and he looked very cute in the process.
We enjoyed strolling along and looking at the stars in the pavement but I didn't really take any photos. There are just names really.
Some guy dressed as Bumblebee. We loved the costume!
We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I'd never been there before so we thought we had to go to one in the US to try it out. It was pretty bad though! None of us enjoyed our meal and Will barely ate anything. He was still not back to full health though so I'm sure that didn't help. The atmosphere was about the only thing going for the restaurant but we can now say we've been there!
We also got to meet up with a friend from our Mission. I was in the same district as Matt Biggs in the Missionary Training Centre (MTC) and then he went to serve in Pete's mission in Tokyo. He's a champ and we were so glad to meet his gorgeous wife Christine too. She was very excited that we brought them Tim Tams :-) We had a nice time hanging out in our motel catching up. It'd been 7 years since I'd seen him!
Highlights: Simply being with our family and enjoying the stroll around Hollywood. Pete and Will were also having a blast hiding behind trees and trying to scare Sim and I when we were walking back to the car at the end of our night! It was very cute. I have some of it on video but can't be bothered uploading it at this stage.
Lowlights: The food at the Hard Rock Cafe
Day 4 (Monday): Before we decided we were taking Will with us to the US Pete and I organised a day at Universal Studios. We decided to really splurge and do the VIP experience package. We were so grateful to have Sim with us as it meant we didn't have to cancel our plans and lose a lot of money!
We dropped Sim and Will off at a park relatively close to Universal Studios. They planned to spend a bit of time there and then make their way to a train museum we had researched that sounded great and was free.
The VIP tour starts off with a breaky of croissants and other assorted goodies. You have a bit of time to get acquainted with your guide and then you head off in a trolly car.
The only way to go to the sets and really get behind the scenes is to do the VIP experience. It was pretty cool. We went to "Amity Island" and met Jaws, visited some other famous movie sets you may recognise and played with some cool props etc. The tour guide tells you a bunch of interesting facts about various productions and the small group allowed us to ask heaps of questions and have some really interesting conversations. We went to Wisteria Lane (home of the Desperate Housewives) and on the set of Parenthood. I wasn't that fussed with those as I'm a not a fan of either show.
Peter being super strong and holding an anvil :-)
Trust the pregnant woman to get stuck into the food!
Beetlejuice got a little bit "friendly" with me. We were warned that most of the characters around the lot had a thing for blondes ;-)
This guy was cool. We really thought he was a statue at first. Loved how he randomly poked his finger in Pete's ear for the photo!
Vin Diesel is a shorty!
where most of the rides were
The rides were awesome. Being a VIP meant we didn't queue for anything. When the tour was finished we could go back as much as we liked to the rides. I'm a little ashamed to say that I tried out almost all the rides, even though I really shouldn't have. The warnings on the rides did have pictures of pregnant ladies and I was continually debating with myself about going on the rides... I did all of the rides once only and skipped the Mummy ride as that was the most violent. It was a roller-coaster of sorts. The other rides were mostly 3D so you didn't get jerked around as much as other rides even though it felt like you were in these crazy and quite violent scenarios. I'm not a big ride person but really liked the Transformers ride. The Simpsons ride was the most violent of the 3D rides which was quite surprising. We didn't like the Jurassic Park ride as we got wet and it wasn't an ideal time of year to get wet :-( Plus it was boring until the end when you get dumped down a waterfall.
I let Pete have a bit longer doing some of the rides again while I sat and enjoyed a thick-shake. His favourite ride was the Mummy.
Hopefully when we're done having kids we'll be able to afford to bring them to the US when they're old enough and we can do all this again. I'd probably just get the front of line pass next time. You don't get the behind the scenes stuff but you can do a more general ride around the lot.
We watched a couple of shows. A really cool show looked at special effects and was really funny as they picked on people from the audience. The other show was a water-skiing presentation based on the movie Waterworld. It was so corny but the stunts were really entertaining. I was glad we sat right at the back ( in great reserved seats though I might add :) because lots of people in the front got really wet!
Sim posted a photo while we were at Universal Studios. It was really nice to see him and Will enjoying their day together. The train museum was excellent and Will had a ball. They did have a few dramas finding the place and walked well over an hour, taking several wrong turns thanks to people giving them wrong directions. Will was nodding off in the pram by the time they made it but he was awesome for his Uncle Sim! They caught a taxi back to the motel and we met them a bit after dinner once we were done. Sim had to change his first poopy nappy but he is a super Uncle and handled everything beautifully. I didn't once feel uneasy about him and Will so that made mine and Pete's day even better!
Cuties on the train
Lowlights: Not being able to completely enjoy myself on the rides
Overall LA was pretty fun purely because of Universal Studios and some of the typical touristy things to do. I probably wouldn't visit again unless I was taking my kids to Disneyland. It's a pretty dingy city and I didn't feel overly safe at times. I'd definitely try to fly via San Francisco next time, even to just avoid LAX. Pete, Sim and I were just itching to get to our next stop - New York!!
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing! Sounds wonderful, other than Will being sick and you being pregnant and the rides! Karen
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