LA and Universal Studios | 2 days in Los Angelas
We packed up from Palm Springs and headed to Los Angeles. It is a 2-hour drive. Make sure to travel in the morning or before the rush hour or this 2-hour drive can turn into a VERY long 3 hour drive.
The Garland hotel. Our favourite family hotel in LA
When staying in LA our family enjoys
The Garland Hotel. Bright stylish suites, family rooms, outdoor heated pool and onsite restaurants are a few of our family features of this hotel. Named of the iconic actress Beverly Garland, this Boutique hotel only gets better with each visit.
Once we checked in we quickly hopped on the free shuttle to Universal Studios to have supper and check out the site. The food options are endless. We decided to check out the Hard Rock Cafe. The Hard Rock is Rock ’n’ roll-themed chain with a high-energy vibe serving burgers & American classics. A fun vibe for those of all ages.
But after a long travel day, the kids wanted to head back to the Hotel for there was a movie playing at the pool. The Garland hotels pool is simply stunning. So while the kids went swimming we watched a movie under the stars with a cocktail and popcorn, the perfect ending to our day!
The next morning we were up early to for we had early access passes to Harry Potter World. We pre-bought our tickets on Tripster which saved us almost $100 for the 7 of us travelling together (3 adults and 4 children).
Since the kids are HUGE Harry Potter fans, we didn’t want to miss an opportunity to explore before there was long lines. Up first a visit to Ollivanders Shop. There are Magic stops all over Wizarding World, so make sure you request a want with MAGIC. They are a bit pricy but adds to the magic of the day!
The first ride we lined up for was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the walk to the ride was as exciting as the ride itself, which is a forgettably thrilling adventure, coming face-to-face with an array of magical creatures. A trip to the MAgical Wizarding world would not be complete without Butterbeer. There are many vendors that sell Butterbeer, it is a sweet and refreshing treat on a hot day. For lunch, we checked out The Three Broomsticks which is a rustic tavern. Three Broomsticks has tasty British fare including the 'Great Feast', Fish & Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Cornish Pasties, Turkey Legs, and Fresh Vegetables. The portion is generous so you could share a few meals.
After lunch, we did the studio tour, which in my opinion was the best part of the day! This is about an hour-long ride to see the back lot of universal studios, we didn’t see any celebs, but our eyes were peeled.
We did as many rides as the kids wanted, took about 20,000 steps. We only did 1 1/2 days at Universal but felt we covered everything that was a MUST. We had thrills, saw some buddies, had lots of laughs.
Till next time
Happy Travels from our Suitcase to yours!
