California. Part 2. San Diego and Los Angeles. Aug, 2022

After Santa Barbara, our journey continued south. Ahead of us were two very different, yet equally famous California cities — San Diego and Los Angeles.

San Diego is a southern California city on the Pacific coast, not far from the Mexican border. Both locals and many visitors call it the most beautiful city in America. Endless beaches, mountains, Spanish-style architecture, wonderful parks, great food, and on top of all that, a near-perfect summer climate all year round. What more could you ask for?

Then came Los Angeles — the city of the rich and famous, known around the world as the home of Hollywood and the film industry. It is a city that attracts entertainment lovers and one that is impossible to miss when traveling through California

You can read Part 1 of our trip, covering San Francisco, California Highway 1, and Santa Barbara, here.

To get to San Diego, we first had to drive through Los Angeles and then return there later to spend a few days before flying back to Toronto. The reason was simple: flights from San Diego to Toronto were much more expensive than flights from Los Angeles to Toronto, and the flight schedules were less convenient as well.

The drive from Santa Barbara was supposed to take about four hours. But that was not to be! As we approached Los Angeles, we ran into traffic. And not just traffic—endless traffic jams on the freeways. Later, we realized that normal traffic conditions in Los Angeles can usually be expected only early in the morning or late in the evening. During rush hour, getting stuck in traffic is almost guaranteed. The freeways are numerous and incredibly wide, sometimes with six lanes in each direction...

At last, we arrived in San Diego

Day 6

Just a five-minute walk from the hotel, we reach the waterfront, where the historic ship Star of India stands before us. This vessel completed a voyage around the world and is the oldest sailing ship in the world that is still in active service

We continue walking and soon come face to face with the might of the U.S. Navy — the enormous aircraft carrier Midway 

It is the longest aircraft carrier of the 20th century. It served in the Atlantic Fleet and was used as a floating base for large military helicopters. Today, the carrier operates as a museum. On its flight deck, visitors can see 29 aircraft and try various flight simulators. Inside, you can explore the crew quarters and many of the ship’s operational areas. The tours are led by veterans who once served aboard the vessel.

Nearby stands the enormous Unconditional Surrender monument—a sailor kissing his sweetheart. Around it, we see sailors, or perhaps other military personnel—I’m not really an expert on their uniforms.

A little farther along, we witness an interesting scene. As I mentioned earlier, we were surprised by how few homeless people we encountered during our trip. Here was one of them, apparently receiving a serious talk from the authorities. I suspect he was being asked to move on from that particular spot...

We continue walking along the waterfront and arrive at Seaport Village — a scenic promenade by the water, designed like a small village. It’s a very pleasant place to stroll around, sit in cafés, and browse the little shops

We walk along the waterfront — and we are not alone 

By the way, in all the places we visited in California, we saw a lot of people with dogs — mostly small ones. Unlike Toronto, where pets are not allowed in many public places, in California we even saw dogs in shops and restaurants.

We return to the hotel, get into the car, and head to Old Town. This area is the oldest part of the city. It is where the first Spanish colonial settlement in present-day California was established. The city has worked to preserve its character, so everything here feels bright, colorful, and full of history

It’s a very nice place to sit in a café or browse through one of the many souvenir shops 

It’s a lovely place to relax on the steps, sit in the shade of a courtyard, or take photos in front of a 19th-century hotel

Nearby is another interesting place — Heritage Country Park. It is a small park and street where beautiful Victorian-style homes have been preserved, along with the city’s very first synagogue, which is still in use today 

We were pleasantly surprised to find that in Old Town, as in many other interesting places in San Diego, parking is free.

We get back into the car and head to one of the city’s suburbs — La Jolla. It is the greenest, most beautiful, and most upscale area of San Diego. We drive past beautiful homes along the way

We head toward the beaches again — and once more, there are free parking spots everywhere. Honestly, at times it feels easier to just pay and park without stress in a convenient place. But after a few rounds, we finally find a spot and go for a walk.

We went to the part of the beaches where you can see pelicans and sea lions

And then we even go for a swim right next to them. This beach is called the Children’s Pool.

Deciding to swim so close to the sea lions was, of course, a slightly reckless choice… but the “herring smell” washed out of our swimsuits perfectly after laundry:)

The beaches here are great both for wave lovers and for those who enjoy a more romantic atmosphere — we even saw a couple getting ready for a wedding.

It’s time to head back to the car. On the way, we notice a very interesting museum design

It’s time for a snack — tacos in San Diego are amazing! We continue walking along the waterfront with the aircraft carrier, and the sister buys cute little souvenir keychains for her brothers

We rest and recharge so that in the evening we can head out into the city with full energy.

As it gets dark, we go for a walk in the Gaslamp Quarter. It is one long street closed to traffic, lined with numerous restaurants, many of which place their tables right on the roadway. It is always lively and full of energy. Those who want a drink can even use a moving bar

And here is a place for those with a sweet tooth and a love for chocolate 

There is also a place here where you can watch a movie. And for those who don’t feel like walking, electric scooters are scattered all over the city. You can rent them through an app and leave them in a designated spot anywhere in town

Day 7

Today, in the evening, we move on to Los Angeles. But before that, we still have a full day ahead of us.

It will be just enough time to begin exploring the famous Balboa Park, and then spend a few more hours at the beach.

Balboa Park is a true jewel of the city. It covers a vast area and is home to beautiful gardens, interesting museums, and wide promenades. One of the largest and most famous zoos in the world is also located within the park. Delicate Spanish-style architecture and a reflective pond complete the scenery

Beautiful flower-filled lawns and elegant fountains 

Shaded walkways and free museums, such as the Museum of Photographic Arts 

The “museums” are somewhat relative—they felt more like exhibitions than traditional museums. Still, there was plenty to see, especially for children. There are also larger paid attractions, such as the Natural History Museum and the Science Center.

We also took a walk through the Desert Garden

As well as the beautiful Rose Garden 

We then continue our walk through the charming Spanish Village 

Just visiting Balboa Park alone was worth the trip to San Diego!

And now it’s time to cool off in the ocean. We drive across a huge bridge and arrive on Coronado Island. It is famous for the historic Hotel del Coronado, where Marilyn Monroe filmed Some Like It Hot. It is also said that The Wizard of the Emerald City was written here. In 1931, Edward, Prince of Wales, met a divorced American woman at this hotel — an encounter that led him to renounce the throne and ultimately changed the course of British history

We were just curious and checked the prices. They start at around $1000 per night. You don’t actually need to stay at the hotel — you can also take a guided tour inside.

Right behind the hotel there is a public beach, where we decided to stop. We relaxed in the sun, went for a swim, and built a sand monster

It was time for us to hit the road again. We left San Diego in the evening and barely encountered any traffic.

So, we had two full days to explore Los Angeles and also visit the famous Universal Studios Hollywood—and we managed to do both.

Los Angeles is enormous and expensive. Unlike the other cities we stayed in during our California trip, it was difficult to decide which area or suburb to choose for accommodation. The thing is, Los Angeles doesn’t really have a single downtown. Each neighborhood has its own center, and all the main tourist attractions are spread far apart. A car is absolutely essential here.

We stayed at the Safari Inn, not far from Universal Studios, since we planned to spend a full day there. The hotel was a motel-style property, but with excellent reviews. In reality, it was a great place in the quiet suburb of Burbank—clean, with spacious rooms and a heated pool, as well as a good restaurant and a free shuttle to Universal Studios

Day 8

We have breakfast, and just 20 minutes later we park on the streets of Hollywood to see the famous Hollywood Sign.

The sign can be seen from several viewpoints, but it’s not so easy to reach them. A kind stranger shared the location of the best viewing spot. It’s here. After a five-minute uphill walk, we reach the long-awaited viewpoint

And now it’s time to go after the stars. We are already approaching the most famous red carpet in the world, leading to the Dolby Theatre. This is where the Oscar ceremony takes place

We park on Hollywood Boulevard and head toward the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (TCL Chinese Theatre). Many Hollywood premieres take place here.

On both sides of the boulevard is the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where more than 2,500 celebrity stars are embedded in the pavement

On both sides of the boulevard there are numerous souvenir shops, and the whole area very much resembles Clifton Hill in Niagara (Canadians will understand) 

We continue our walk and decide — why not head to Beverly Hills?

This is the place where millionaires, movie stars, and music industry icons live. Here you will also find the famous Rodeo Drive, a street lined with luxury boutiques from the world’s top fashion houses

The street is just a street. We move on. And then we arrive at Urban Light. Now this is actually something interesting

While in Los Angeles, it’s a must to visit its famous coastal suburb — Santa Monica.

In the center is the Ferris wheel, with endless sandy beaches stretching to the right and left. Nearby is the well-known pedestrian area, 3rd Street Promenade, a lively walking zone with shops, cafés, and street performers. It is said there’s a good chance of spotting celebrities here.

We didn’t see any celebrities — unless you count the man offering paid photos with his golden bicycle

We really enjoyed our walk 

After that, we headed to Griffith Park.

The park is huge, and somehow a bit hard to describe — less cozy, a bit unclear in its layout. At the top of the hill is the Griffith Observatory, and from there you get a stunning view over the city. They say the sunset view is especially impressive.

On the way up to the parking lot, we saw a long line of cars waiting for someone to leave so they could take a spot. Looking up at the hill, we realized we weren’t too eager to make the whole climb on foot.

Meanwhile, some of our friends were also in Los Angeles at the same time. Unlike us, they actually made it up to the top and shared their sunset photos from the observatory

We needed to go to bed early, because tomorrow we were heading out for a full day of fun…

Day 9

Today we spent the entire day at Universal Studios Hollywood.

We had been to similar parks in Orlando, Florida, 8 years ago. Back then we had an amazing time and memories that stayed with us for years— but we still wanted to experience one of these parks again. And now that wish finally came true!

The park is large and built on two levels. The ticket is valid for two days, but we only had one, so we managed to go on almost all the attractions, though not all the shows.

I’ll briefly show and describe each attraction. I know some people are not very excited about theme parks, assuming there are only scary roller coasters and long lines. But here the attractions work on a completely different principle. The adrenaline doesn’t come from speed, but from incredible, immersive experiences made possible by modern technology. Everything is just “wow” everywhere — you can’t really describe it, you have to see it.

There are queues, but they are not boring. Even the waiting lines are part of the entertainment.

The first place we visited was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We step into a magical Hogwarts

We walked past the small shops and stalls. In one of them there was a short performance where a wand “chose” its owner, and the other visitors could then buy their own wand in the shop 

The wands are actually quite magical, because when you point them at certain spots in the park, all kinds of little “miracles” happen. Even without them, the whole place already feels like a real fairy tale 

We went on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. I won’t even try to describe what happened there — it’s something you just have to see for yourself, including the walk leading up to the attraction.

And here is the ride that I had especially loved in Orlando before — The Simpsons Ride. It was still incredibly fun.

Although this time, there was another attraction that I liked just as much…

A huge donut you can actually eat

We move on and arrive at the Minions area and the Despicable Me ride. Also very fun 

This is the new attraction, The Secret Life of Pets.

We enter a shelter for homeless animals and walk through different rooms of the shelter, not really knowing whether there will be anything more than just exploring all these fun and unusual spaces

Something did happen! We got into little ride vehicles and were taken into a magical world of animals 

We head to the Kung Fu Panda show. It’s a short film with amazing special effects. Then we go on Revenge of the Mummy. It’s a bit scary and quite fast

The attraction with the longest line was Jurassic World—about 70 minutes of waiting. We rushed through a boat ride into a world of dinosaurs. Some of us got a little wet.

Next, we went on Transformers, which impressed us just as much as our favourite Simpsons ride. At the entrance, a joking robot moved around, made comments, and even knocked my husband’s cap off

And now we head out on a 90-minute journey through the real Hollywood studio — the world-famous Studio Tour.

What we expected to be a rather dull sightseeing ride turned into complete shock and a flood of emotions. We drive past real filming sets!

At one moment, we even witness King Kong battling a dinosaur

Unexpectedly, we find ourselves in a flood, then become witnesses to an earthquake, and even a subway flooding scene 

We see the crashed airplane set from Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, along with many other unexpected special effects and famous filming locations 

We pass by a collection of the most famous cars in American cinema 

The impressions and emotions will stay with us for a long time.

And now it’s time to head back to the hotel, as tomorrow we fly home…

Day 10

We left the hotel very early, expecting heavy Los Angeles traffic. There were some jams, but we still managed to return the rental car quickly and go through all airport checks in just about 20 minutes.

Now it’s finally time to relax