Finally, we arrived at our hotel in Ventura, California, about one hour up the coast from Los Angeles. Our hotel was about a 2-minute walk from the beach. It was beautiful there, and I think our only regret was not being able to spend more time exploring Ventura and its fantastic beaches.
The following day, we were off to Universal Studios in Los Angeles. We made a must-do agreement as a family months before the trip. It was hot and crowded, but we spent the extra money and bought the fast passes, and I’m telling you, it is 100% worth the extra cash!! Skipping the hour-plus long line wait times was excellent. I think the longest we ever waited in a line was for 10 mins tops! Leah is a huge Harry Potter fan, so naturally, we spent the first 2 hours in that area, riding the rides and shopping. She bought an interactive wand, so we got to go around casting spells and making magic. It was a great way to have some fun as a family.
The day’s highlight was the guided tour that showed us all around the studios and where movies were filmed. Unfortunately, a couple of interactive 3D parts on the tour had the bus tossing, turning, and shaking, which Kay was not a fan of, but it was a good laugh.
Next was lunch and a tip for anyone who has not been to Universal before, make sure you head just outside the central park to the Universal CityWalk, where there are so many restaurants and shops to check out. We didn’t realize that there were restaurants out there, and we spent almost $100 USD at a small café on sandwiches, chips, and drinks. I nearly fainted when they told me the cost! We didn’t go to the shops until later when we were done in the park, and that’s when we realized our mistake. So now you know in advance if you’re in the area.
We spent about 6 to 7 hours at the park, and by the end, the girls were exhausted, overstimulated and ready to leave. While in LA, we had to stop at Griffith Observatory and see the Hollywood sign, which is a must. It is located on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Be aware that parking there costs about $10, and there are not a lot of spots available, so you might need to do a few loops.
Once we were done hanging out at the observatory for about half an hour, we headed to downtown LA. Leah loves Funko Pops, so we headed to the Funko store to check it out. It worked out well, and it was right along the Hollywood star’s path, so we killed two birds with one stone. The Funko pop store was incredible. It was huge and nothing like we were expecting. They had so many massive characters around the store, the displays were so neat, and you could find anything you wanted. They had so many options. Highly recommend this place if you’re in LA and love Funko Pops. We will definitely be back!
Now that we were all tired and ready to relax, we had to make one more stop while in the area. It wouldn’t be a trip to California if we didn’t stop by the famous Santa Monica Pier. We found some parking a few blocks away and walked to the pier. Although it was nice to say we’ve been there, I’m unsure if we would return. It was crowded and had many people trying to sell you things. We just walked to the end of the pier and left. We grabbed some food and decided to take the scenic route back to Ventura. Too bad it was dark out, so we couldn’t see much.
Back in Ventura, we went for an evening swim in the outdoor pool and then straight to sleep. We were looking forward to sleeping in and spending the day exploring Ventura and all it has to offer.
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