My Easy and Informative Guide to LA in Three Days: Day Two

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Alright, welcome to Day Two of My Easy and Informative Guide to LA in Three Days! Day One was packed, but fun right? Well, get ready for Day Two because it rocks!

But first, let’s recap in case you are just joining in on the series:

My Easy and Informative Guide to LA in Three Days: Intro: I lived in LA for 4 years and absolutely loved it there! My love for the City of Angels and my own recent 3 day LA trip inspired me to write this guide from my actual itinerary. I realize how overwhelming it is when you have so much to see in a city and very little time in which to do it!

My Easy and Informative Guide to LA in Three Days: Day One: Complete itinerary that included Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach and Disneyland.

Day Two includes fun tours, good eats, great sites and relaxing down time options! Ready? Me too!

DAY 2

We did breakfast on-the-go this morning, but if you are wanting recommendations, check out Swingers Diner. They have two locations in LA. One is in Hollywood on Beverly Boulevard (the location I go to) and the other is in Santa Monica on Broadway.

Tour Warner Brothers Studios

This is probably my favorite studio tour just because they produce so many popular TV shows and films here and because there are a variety of lots and sound stages to see! We scheduled a 10am tour and you can click here to order your tickets online. The moderately priced tickets are $62 for adults and children 13+ as well as $52 for children ages 8-12. Children under 8 are not permitted on the tour. I have done this tour several times and each time I have loved it and seen different things along with some of the same. You get to see the front lot, the backlot, the props department, a soundstage, and go on the set of a TV show not filming that day.

There’s also the new Stage 48: Script to Screen which was new for me this time too! It walks you through the complete process of how a show or film is created and includes things such as the original Central Perk set from Friends where you can sit on that famous couch and have photos made! There’s also the famous Malibu beach house set from Two And A Half Men and an interactive section where you can ride one of the bat pods from Batman or one of the brooms from Harry Potter! Definitely a fun, comprehensive tour!

TIPS: If you are staying in the Anaheim area, here is a great option to combine a WB Studios Tour along with a Movie Stars’ Homes Tour!

Parking for WB Studios is located at 3400 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91505. Click here for directions. Parking is $10 and is literally right across the street from the Studios! I recommend scheduling this tour in the morning because parking is more readily available and it is cooler in the morning (if you are going anytime from spring to fall). Arrive 15 min before your scheduled tour time. Dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes. Drinks are permitted on the tour and there are even drink holders on the tour carts! If you have the time and shows are filming, try to catch a taping of one of their many shows! The tickets are free, but they must be gotten in ADVANCE! Click here for show listings and ticket availability.

Lunch at Cafe 86 in Pasadena

After the WB Studios tour, we headed on over to Pasadena since we were already in Burbank. Our first stop was for lunch in Old Town Pasadena at Cafe 86. We feasted on grilled cheese sandwiches, mango iced tea and the Ube Leche Flan Cupcakes (aka “purple crack cupcakes”) that are pictured above! Oh my goodness, these are so yummy! Cafe 86 is known for its many different coffees, teas, and desserts! They serve different things each day and to get these yummy “purple crack cupcakes”, you must go on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday! These cupcakes are very moist and then with the flan on top, it just sends them over the top! If you don’t have time to dine in, order online that morning pay and select your pick-up time and get them to go!

TIPS: Cafe 86 is located at 36 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91105. There is parking at the Park and Walk Garage located on West Green Street between Fair Oaks and S Raymond. The first 90 minutes are free and then it’s $2 after then with a daily max of $6. There are many shops and other restaurants in the area as well! Cafe 86 is just so unique!

PASADENA

Next, we drove around Pasadena. I admit I am partial to Pasadena because I lived in there for 4 years; however, most people like Pasadena because you get out of the craziness that is “the west side” of LA where there are more trees, neighborhoods, and free parking lots! A lot of filming goes on in Pasadena because you can find streets, houses and other locations that could be “any town USA”. A list of things to see in Pasadena are the Rose Bowl, the City Hall with its beautiful dome, Pasadena Playhouse, Lake Avenue shopping, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (previously home to the People’s Choice Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards and American Idol’s Hollywood Week), Colorado Boulevard (route of the Rose Bowl Parade), and the Huntington Library and Gardens in nearby San Marino.

The Rose Bowl is just a beautiful stadium. It is home to the UCLA Bruins football team as well as “the grandaddy of them all”-the Rose Bowl! On the second Sunday of each month, it hosts one of the best flea markets in the world!

TIPS: It is pretty hard to get to and parking can be difficult so if you are just wanting to see it, it is best viewed off to the right from the 210 Freeway headed WEST towards Glendale/Burbank. If you are wanting to at the stadium, click here for further information. If you are attending a UCLA game, click here for parking information.

Free Time

From here, you have several options. We took the 110 freeway south to downtown Los Angeles (passing Dodger Stadium on the way) and continued on to the 10 freeway west. This gives you a good view of the Staples Center which is home to the Lakers, Clippers and Kings as well as lot of concerts! This would be a great time to go to The Grove and the Original Farmers Market which are located side by side at Fairfax between Beverly Blvd and 3rd Street. Here you can shop, grab authentic ethnic food at the Farmers Market and see a movie! Keep your eyes open because celebs frequent the Grove!

We actually ate at In-N-Out which is my absolute favorite hamburger place! It’s only located in 5 states so I try to get it whenever I’m in one of those states! We went to the Westwood location on Gayley Avenue which is right by UCLA and so we took a swing through campus. I love driving through anytime I’m in the area because it is absolutely gorgeous! You would never know you were in LA while you’re tucked away back there!

TIPS: In-N-Out has several locations, but the Westwood location is at 922 Gayley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Be advised that parking is limited and drive thru is the best idea. There usually is a line, but they move very quickly and you can even tell them if you are wanting your meal for the car and they arrange it in a little open box for you to eat in the car!

Relaxation

We ended the night with a Thai massage at Thai Sabai in Westwood. Thai is my most favorite type of massage and you can’t really get it where I live currently so I get one whenever I’m in LA and this was no exception! Thai massage combines massage with stretching and is done on a comfortable mat vs a table. The prices are much better than traditional massage and the ladies at Thai Sabai do the best jobs ever!

TIPS: Thai Sabai is located at 2041 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Call a few days ahead for an appointment if you have an exact day and time you are wanting like we did. They accept walk-ins but sometimes they aren’t available. There is parking behind the building and when you call they will tell you exactly where to park.

And that’s a wrap on Day Two! How was it? My favorite part of this day is Pasadena, the place I called home for 4 years!

The next post, My Easy and Informative Guide to LA in Three Days: Day Three, will be the final post in the series! If you are just joining in, click here to get started catching up! 😉

Have you been to any of these places or done any of these activities? If so, drop me a comment below and tell me about it! I love hearing from you!

Trimm Travels,