Family Travels: 2 Days in LA with Kids

After conquering Disneyland on our recent family trip to California, we headed up to LA to see a few things. We only had 2, ok, 2.5 days before we headed back to Oahu, so we needed to strategize a bit. There are so many things to do in the area that the combination of activities are endless. Here’s the run-down of what we did for 2 days in LA starting with the AirBnB we stayed at.

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Adorable AirBnB, Centrally Located

We headed up to LA from Anaheim on Friday evening after our last day at the parks and checked-in to our AirBnB. If you are looking for an adorable place to stay that is conveniently located, I highly recommend this LA River Casita. Super cute place, great hosts and affordable! I went back and forth on staying at a hotel or an AirBnB and finding this particular property really made the choice for me. Check out the cuteness!

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Saturday in LA – Hollywood Blvd.

After a good nights rest in the adorable Casita, we started the day off right at a Yelp recommended breakfast joint. We chose to check out Modern Eats. Great breakfast at a decent price. Friendy people and giant cups of coffee. I ordered the french toast (again) so good!

Next stop was Hollywood Boulevard. We made our drive over from breakfast and it was surprisingly easy. I looked up a place to park before hand and found that the parking garage connected to the Hollywood and Highland shopping center would be the most convenient because it is right on the strip. We parked and headed through the mall and right out onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was fun walking around and looking at the stars and the handprints in front of TCL’s Chinese Theatre.

We then decided to check out Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium. It was fun wandering around the different rooms and checking out all the strange items. I recommend it if you are looking for a break from the Blvd.

We headed back to Hollywood and Highland to grab some lunch at Cho Oishi, a Japanese restaurant on the 4th floor. It was ok, good in a pinch but I would probably chose another option next time we visit.

Saturday in LA – Santa Monica Pier

After lunch we headed out to our next destination, the famous Santa Monica Pier. It was about a 30 minute drive to the coast with traffic building as we neared the pier. It was a Saturday after all but man was it crowded! Crowded like Waikiki kinda crowded. The pier was what I expected, there was a nostalgic charm to it all. We wandered around and got an ice cream. Definitely great for people-watching and arcade type games. Oh, and the beach 🙂

After a couple hours we decided to head back to the Casita and figure out dinner. We tossed around the idea of going out to eat but decided instead to make a stop at Whole Foods right down the street to grab some pre-prepared food to-go. A bit cheaper than eating at a restaurant but low effort as far as making anything ourselves. It ended up being a great idea to save a few bucks.

Sunday in LA – Universal Studios

We woke up bright and early with the intention of getting a head start on the crowds for our day at Universal Studios. We ate breakfast at the AirBnB and then made the short drive to the theme park. After making our way through the usual security theme park checks and we grabbed a coffee at Starbucks on the way in.

Once the gates opened we headed straight to The Wizardly World of Harry Potter. As this is one of the most popular areas of Universal Studios, we figured the main attractions would grow huge lines before you knew it. After marveling at the movie set quality environment, we got in line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This attraction makes you feel like you are riding on a broom along with Harry and his friends. It was really quite impressive! Even waiting in-line feels like an experience as you make your way through the different rooms of the castle.

We wandered around for a bit then made our way to other areas of Universal Studios including The Simpsons’s Springfield, Super Silly Fun Land (Despicable Me) and numerous other rides and attractions. I would say the rides at Universal Studios were heavily 3D and effects-based, which makes sense for its theme. We also did the studio tour as well as watched the WaterWorld live action show.

Towards the end of the day we got in line for the Special Effects Show. As we were standing waiting a man approached us and asked if we wanted to volunteer for the next show. In exchange we would get front row seats! Of course we said yes! (although my oldest daughter was mortified) We ended up helping to demonstrate how sound effects are used in movie production and it was super fun. The front row seats were awesome so if you do get approached be sure to take them up on the offer!

The sun started to go down and man was it getting chilly! As it got dark we decided to call it a day and headed over to Universal CityWalk, which is a 3 block area directly outside of the park with restaurants and shops. We grabbed dinner at Camacho’s Cantina where we had some tasty Mexican food. A great end to a very busy (and tiring) day at Universal Studios.

Monday (Morning) in LA – Griffith Park Observatory

Our flight was set to leave around 2pm on Monday so we had very limited time to do anything. In order to make the most of our time in LA we decided to head over to Griffith Park. This was another very short drive from the AirBnB we were staying at so it made perfect sense to hang out there before we headed to the airport.

Little did we know, the Observatory happens to be closed on Mondays! (I try to do as much planning as possible, but we all miss things sometimes, lol) No matter though, because we were still able to walk around the property and take in some great views of the city and of the classic LA icon, the Hollywood Sign!

We wandered around the grounds and then headed down to another area in the park where there are pony & horse rides. My youngest was all about it. We finished up at the park and started our short drive to LAX.

All-in-all a great little trip! Next time we will be sure to spend more time in LA as there is so much to do. Have you ever been? If so, what did you do? Let me know in the comments and check out the rest of our California trip below. Aloha!

How to Spend 3 Days at Disneyland & California Adventure

Where to Stay Near Disneyland: Hotel Indigo Anaheim