Los Angeles- Day 2
From the Set to the Field
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Hello from the FRIENDS fountain- This makes my heart SO HAPPY!
Morning
We woke up to an alarm sounding at 7AM after ALL of us had a better night's sleep. We got ready for the day fairly quickly and then we made our way down the street to McDonald's for breakfast. What was I thinking? This was another $45 breakfast and was nothing more than edible. TIP- This is one of the costs of not staying at a hotel with breakfast; however, we did have a kitchen so we decided to get groceries for the remaining mornings.
We woke up to an alarm sounding at 7AM after ALL of us had a better night's sleep. We got ready for the day fairly quickly and then we made our way down the street to McDonald's for breakfast. What was I thinking? This was another $45 breakfast and was nothing more than edible. TIP- This is one of the costs of not staying at a hotel with breakfast; however, we did have a kitchen so we decided to get groceries for the remaining mornings.
Ready for Day 2- She really is not a morning person!
We ate our breakfast and then made our way to the Warner Bros Studio less than 2 miles from our Air BNB. We got there early and found a charging station for Electric Vehicles and decided we would like to try and charge the car. This turned into a 35 minute ordeal but we got the SUV charging before we went in for our 8:30AM tour.
Hello Famous WB water tower!
She's plugged in and hopefully "ready to go" when we get done!
We had signed up, or so we thought, for the 9AM tour which was the 1st tour of the day. TIP- Once we arrived and got checked in, we realized this was just an arrival time and the tours leave every 10 minutes. If you want a smaller tour and the first of the day, get there EARLY! We waited in the waiting room before they called us into the briefing room at 8:50AM. We were able to get onto the very 1st tour of the day and it only had SEVEN people on our tour. This was a HUGE blessing as most others had fun golf carts of 12-16 people.
Waiting for our Tour to start!
What is at WB Studios NOW!
It's almost tour time!
We were able to drive all around the lots and sets of Warner Bros Studio and see all kinds of things from various movies and shows. We were able to see several scene sets from Friends, Gilmore Girls, The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. There were even some shows being filmed as we were on our tour, like Abbot Elementary. Our Tour Guide, Steven, was fantastic and told us all kinds of info about the Studio and even took us close to the filming of Abbot Elementary.
One the streets used in COUNTLESS TV shows and movies, such as Annie!
Another studio area street used in MANY famous movies and shows!
The Gazebo from Gilmore Girls.
The Geller House from Friends!
(Ross comes down the stairs as "Night in Shining Armor" for Rachel to the Prom)
The Gilmore Girls house!
The House from Fuller House!
(We've seen the REAL Full House in the Painted Girls in From the Baltic to the Bay- San Francisco 2021)
They were ACTUALLY filming in this lot at this time!
The set where ROSS breaks up with Elizabeth. (Start at 2:30)
Ok... Break up still on!
This makes my heart SO HAPPY!
Once the 90 minute guided tour was complete, we were able to tour Studio 48 and 51 on our own. Studio 48 was a HUGE studio with full sets from Friends, The Big Bang Theory and so much more. It also had interactive things like reading movie lines, flying on a broom from Harry Potter on a green screen and so much more!
I loved this area and enjoyed looking around the store!
I didn't buy anything and now I wish I would have!
The Central Perk Cafe!
The set of The Big Bang Theory!
Getting ready to make some MOVEI MAGIC by reading lines!
This was SO MUCH FUN! I think Luke actually SOUNDS like Harry Potter!
There was a Central Perk café at the entrance of Studio 48 and we were able to get a morning coffee run. Albeit expensive but this was some of the BEST coffee I have ever had. We then walked all over the MASSIVE Friends store and played some foosball before going into the Studio 48 museum. Inside the museum we were able to sit in The Big Bang Theory living room, complete some interactive games and so much more. We all had some fun with the green screen and rode brooms or the Bat Mobile. TIP- This is such a neat idea and we LOVED it but the package is $38 per video or $135 for all of the videos and pictures from your group. It I had random money to just blow on anything, I would have purchased this set but it was just too much money to warrant it. I did get a family picture of us for $28.
I think Luke spent 20 minutes dancing with Dobby!
Our final part of the WB tour was the Studio 51, which was mainly a costume and special effects museum and area. This had lots of the Avengers and Superman costumes and so much more. By this point, we were running very close to being late for our next adventure at So-Fi Stadium which was close to 45 minutes away with traffic so we hurried through this part of the tour.
Superman posing in front of SUPERMAN!
Natalie thought the Sorting Hat choice was funny!
Making some potions in Potion Class!
Check out our SORTING HAT fun!
(I agree with a few and DISAGREE with at least one)
(I agree with a few and DISAGREE with at least one)
This was SO MUCH FUN!
Check out our WB Studio Morning!
We LOVED this TOUR!
Afternoon
Once we got back to our SUV, we had a 15 mile charge and it had been charging for 3+ hours. TIP- The whole ordeal only cost me $1.96 as the first 150 minutes are FREE. We used the Charging Point app and I saw SEVERAL other places throughout the week with the same company app. I can see where this would be beneficial if I lived in LA or a place where a lot of city driving is needed. We opted to just continue made our way down to So-Fi Stadium in Inglewood instead of stopping for lunch as we knew there was going to be traffic. This was a great idea as what should have taken 45 minutes took about 1:15 in traffic.
We arrived in Inglewood near the stadium and looked for a decent place to eat lunch. This was in fact in INGLEWOOD and near Crenshaw Boulevard. If you know anything about the 1990s, this was a "not nice area" of Los Angeles. We found a WingStop within a mile of So-Fi and decided this would be our best option. We dined in and there went another $100 for lunch! TIP- Seriously budget WAY more than you would typically for vacation food. This was about 30-40% higher overall than what I planned for! The wings were delicious and we made our way to check in for our tour.
Umm Hello there Inglewood!
(I actually thought this was COOL- Chris, not so much)
Here is another $100 lunch- Taste just like the $60 wings in Houston!
And yep... that's Crenshaw BLVD!
Once at So-Fi, we explored the outside of the stadium before checking in and waiting for our tour guide. We were on a 2PM tour and there was a tour departing at 1:50PM. We got a little worried when 2PM rolled around and nobody was around. Then out of nowhere our tour guide showed up. We ended up having a PRIVATE tour of So-Fi and it was nothing short of incredible.
Hello So-Fi Stadium!
All of the architecture is UNREAL at this place!
It is so state-of-the-art!
We learned so much on this tour about So-Fi Stadium. It is shared by 2 NFL teams and the Rams are the HOME TEAM. The Chargers pay Stan Kroenke $1 per month to play here. Kroenke is the owner and basically makes profit for 16 homes games instead of the typical 8 from other owners. Not to mention all of the concerts and other events at So-Fi. We also learned the canopy (NOT ROOF) above the stadium is UV protected and you CANNOT get sunburnt in So-Fi! As a family of red-heads, this was AWESOME. We toured every single level of the stadium, the penthouse suites, suite boxes, both locker rooms and SO MUCH more. Our tour guide, Amy, was the best and even took us to places the other tours did not! TIP- If you are a NFL fan or family of fans, this is an INCREDIBLE experience and well worth the money. We did this as part of our GoCity Passes and it was money well spent! If you have time and money to do this tour... DO IT!
This boy was in LOVE from the very beginning!
This was so cool to get to share this with him!
Hello from the Penthouse Suite... I may never get to experience this ever again!
On the "field" at So-Fi!
Luke loved being in the Locker Rooms!
Another view of the field!
TIP- They are working to expland the field area for World Cup 2026 so there is no field access for all of 2024 due to this!
The CHEERLEADERS locker room. This was actually the NICEST area of the Stadium!
We loved this tour!
Check out our afternoon at So-Fi:
This was a WINNER!
Rockefeller Crisis
Towards the end of the tour we got a phone call from our Dog Breeder, Ciara, who was watching Rockefeller for us while we were away. She is whom we purchased Rockefeller, our 5 month old pure bred Beagle from in December. She also watched Rockefeller in February on our Carnival Radiance Cruise. She has the mother and father beagle and a sister from the litter at her house. When she kept Rocky in February she mentioned him being a "menace" and having accidents and etc. Keep in mind he is still a PUPPY... A Very young puppy at that. He is never bad or a concern with us and honestly, he doesn't have very many potty accidents in the house since we have a doggie-door. She also had him in a crate at night during the February trip. For this trip she said that she was keeping the mom in the crate since she was pregnant again and Rocky would sleep elsewhere. She also mentioned that her beagles LOVE it when Rocky comes to play- "they get excited and run all over the place".
Towards the end of the tour we got a phone call from our Dog Breeder, Ciara, who was watching Rockefeller for us while we were away. She is whom we purchased Rockefeller, our 5 month old pure bred Beagle from in December. She also watched Rockefeller in February on our Carnival Radiance Cruise. She has the mother and father beagle and a sister from the litter at her house. When she kept Rocky in February she mentioned him being a "menace" and having accidents and etc. Keep in mind he is still a PUPPY... A Very young puppy at that. He is never bad or a concern with us and honestly, he doesn't have very many potty accidents in the house since we have a doggie-door. She also had him in a crate at night during the February trip. For this trip she said that she was keeping the mom in the crate since she was pregnant again and Rocky would sleep elsewhere. She also mentioned that her beagles LOVE it when Rocky comes to play- "they get excited and run all over the place".
She called us on day 3 of having him saying he had destroyed her bedroom, the blinds on her window and so much more. She demanded payment of the blinds right then and there (while I was talking to her) and said she didn't know what she was going to do with him since the mom had to be in a crate. Keep in mind, she never asked us to bring a crate or anything else for Rocky. I asked her to allow him in the crate to avoid concerns but she refused. She then said "I will put him in the guest bedroom but if he messes other stuff up, I will need more money". Something didn't feel right here and I wanted Rocky out of there and brought home. But NO ONE and I mean NO ONE had keys to our house. We had given some to our parents and family members but they returned them. I called a good friend in our neighborhood to get her opinion and she offered to go and get him and bring Rocky to their home for the remainder of our trip. She literally did just that and by 9PM central time, Rocky with Sarah, Lillie and Ms. Susan! Ms. Susan and family are TRULY my heroes as we were literally moments away from Chris flying home to get Rocky.
The Breeder, Ciara, called again demanding payment and then said that he had since destroyed even more in her house. I kept thinking that it could be any of the THREE dogs she has but she insisted it was Rocky. I paid her off ($125 total not including the boarding fee she was charging us of $30/ night) and wiped my hands clean of her. She text back later "Are you still needing me to keep him in June". UMM ______ NO- We're good! Chris and I both think she was looking for money and how she could get it. Then once we pulled him out she realized that this income was now gone. We could have ended up remodeling her house! Once again, I am SO GRATEFUL for Ms. Susan and family! We owe YOU BIG TIME! THANK YOU RUSSELL family!
He really IS an angel... Thank you Ms. SUSAN!
Evening
Once we all settled down from the Rocky excitement, we made the trek out to Santa Monica to visit the Santa Monica Pier. This was an attraction that I visited in 2003 with the Pride of Oklahoma fore the 2003 Rose Bowl and I was so excited to get back here with my family. It was appealing in 2003 but now as a mom, it seemed more like a tourist trap and money grab than a true attraction. Natalie and Luke played games at the Pacific Park amusement area and Luke even won a stuffed doggie. We did not ride any rides as Natalie just wasn't feeling it and since they were $15 a ride average and we were going to Universal the next day, it seemed smart. We also got to see the end of Route 66 which was a neat thing to see.
Once we all settled down from the Rocky excitement, we made the trek out to Santa Monica to visit the Santa Monica Pier. This was an attraction that I visited in 2003 with the Pride of Oklahoma fore the 2003 Rose Bowl and I was so excited to get back here with my family. It was appealing in 2003 but now as a mom, it seemed more like a tourist trap and money grab than a true attraction. Natalie and Luke played games at the Pacific Park amusement area and Luke even won a stuffed doggie. We did not ride any rides as Natalie just wasn't feeling it and since they were $15 a ride average and we were going to Universal the next day, it seemed smart. We also got to see the end of Route 66 which was a neat thing to see.
Hello SMP- It's been TWENTY PLUS YEARS!
I love this place!
The kids were excited to see what the fuss was about!
At the end of the road... This was SO COOL!
Pacific Park
Almost identical to the one in San Diego, which we enjoyed better!
I love the Pacific Coast!
Family Selfie # 4K
The beach itself was crowded with people and all kinds of vendors who were VERY PUSHY to get you to look at or buy their stuff. This almost seemed like Mexico and I did not like it. Luke and I went into the Pacific Ocean, just to say we did and it was COLD! Natalie stayed back as she was a little anxious to get near the water after losing her phone in the ocean in February. She has suffered a little but of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome I think- which is truly sad for her! I hope she overcomes this in the near future.
Here is my BEACH BABY!
This view NEVER gets old.
The beach- any beach- is my happy place!
Our 4 mile or so drive on Highway 1!
BUCKET LIST- Drive San Francisco to San Diego on Highway 1!
We saw all kinds of weirdos and odd balls during our time at Santa Monica Pier and on our way back to our car we even witnessed a pedestrian get HIT by a car! It was WILD and incredibly frightening as we were just crossing the road just SECONDS before the car hit the guy!
We got to our car and then tried to make our way to our 2nd Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives just a mile away on the beach- Patrick's Roadhouse. This place looked awesome online but it was sketchy (at best) upon arrival. We looked for parking for a while then decided to just head back to Burbank to our apartment as we were all tired from a long day.
We made a stop at Ralph's for breakfast food and then decided we would order pizza for dinner. We found a Dominoes' nearby and it turned out to be our CHEAPEST food (even snacks and drinks included) of the entire trip! We called it a night at 10PM as we knew the following 14 hour day at Universal just may kill us all!
It was a GREAT day in Los Angeles and we LOVED IT!
Up Next- Universal Studios Hollywood!
Stay Tuned for Day 3!!!!
