Day 1 –
We arrived in Los Angeles on 14th July 2018 at 12:00. This was the first time I, Sonia, had been on USA turf. 90% of me was excited however 10% of me felt nervous as I had yet to face the interrogation of immigration. To my surprise they were pleasant! 
We exited the airport to collect our hired car from Turo. It was a Mustang 5.0L GT, Suresh did well. Finally, we were ready to go! We drove to our apartment which we booked through Airbnb, located in Beverley Hills. The journey time was approximately 1 hour. The apartment was clean, spacious and had all the facilities we required except a washing machine! So, we hit ‘The Washing Machine Laundromat’ which was approximately 7minutes away. Chores done, we tapped Santa Monica into the navigation. To give you a heads up, this area is busssssy so we parked in Santa Monica Place Mall which is multistorey carpark and then walked towards Santa Monica Pier – Pacific Park. The journey time was around 50minutes which was worth it as this place has a great atmosphere!
We had been food free for a while so we queued outside the ‘Pacific Wheel Pizza Company’ which was reasonably priced and went down like a treat. Anyway, as some of you may know, I’m not a rides person. I’ve had one too many bad experiences but Suresh loves them. Plot twist, we brought two tickets for the Ferris Wheel and as we reached the top… Suresh starts panicking. I managed to calm him down so that we could enjoy the sun setting behind the pier. It was spectacular! But the night did not end there, we popped into the arcades. They have an impressive retro collection of machines so be sure to check them out. 
We also invested a small fortune into Zoltar who gave us a reading in Spanish! Awkward. We still need to translate this!
The night was ended by getting a slice of Birthday Cake – Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory located in ‘Santa Monica Place’.  Yum!

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Day 2- 
After a good night’s sleep, we were ready to go again! Venice Beach was the next stop which was approximately 35minutes away. We only spent a short amount of time on the actual beach as it was uncomfortably hot, even the frozen yoghurt we brought melted before we sat down! But worry not… There is plenty more to see such as the Muscle Gym and the Basketball Court if fitness is your thing! As we continued, we got talking to a man and turns out he was actually from Birmingham! We were skeptical until he showed us his Albion tattoo for confirmation, ha. What are the actual chances? He told us his migrating story and that he thought that Los Angeles had no culture. Okay… swiftly moving on, we strapped up and drove to Griffiths Observatory which is approximately 1 hour away. Parking here costs a couple of dollars but entry is free. I would highly recommend visiting here for the breathtaking views of the city and famous Hollywood sign/hills. Obligatory photos taken; we drove down from the Hollywood hills to the Walk of Fame which is approximately 25minutes away. This was not what I expected! It wasn’t as glamour as I had always thought. Word of warning, be mindful of your valuables. You’ll also find people trying to sell you unnecessary items… Suresh’s motto is KIM (Keep it moving)! We spent around 45minutes here before we decided to go Panda Express to get dinner. Suresh had been raving about the orange chicken here but I wasn’t brave enough to try it.

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Day 3 – 
This day was dedicated solely to DISNEYLAND! We started the day early to avoid LA traffic as the travel time was approximately 1 hour. We made it before the gates opened only to have my selfie stick removed at security. Don’t be a numpty like me and read the rules stipulated online before you visit. I did eventually get over this! But unfortunately, I experienced another trauma when my Incredibles Cookie fell to the floor. I remember Suresh giving me the look of disgust, sigh. Disneyland California has two parks which are; Disneyland Park and Disneyland California Aventure Park, that we covered all in one day. We thought it was smart that the ticket included fast-pass which you use via linking your ticket to the Disneyland app. It allows you to pre-book allocated time slots for rides and attractions which essentially lessens your wait time! We made full use of this and we were able to conquer both parks in one day! If you’re a Disney fan, I would recommend booking ‘Goofy’s Kitchen’. I’m not going to lie, it is pricey but you get to see the Disney characters up close giving you the perfect opportunity to get the photos and autographs! Before we left, we watched the Disney light and firework display which is one of the main events that shouldn’t be missed! 

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Day 4 –
You can’t go to the States without spending a day in the outlets! We chose to go to Citadel outlet which was approximately 45minutes away from the apartment. It had various shops that appealed to us such as; Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Kate Spade etc. If you don’t have a vehicle, I would advise taking a suitcase if you’re going to splash your cash! Also, not to be a joy-kill but consider the weight allowances of your airline as you may be charged for going over! 

Day 5 –
If you’re not interested in the outlets, take a trip down Rodeo Drive! It was approximately 7minutes away from the apartment. Here at Rodeo Drive you will find the high-end fashion! I didn’t at any point feel uncomfortable walking in to these shops as the staff were all welcoming. Suresh and I did treat ourselves to the Chanel fragrances! We also popped into Sugarfina which is a luxury candy store and purchased treats for home. We not long after headed towards ‘Two Rodeo Drive’ where I could see the Beverley Wilshire and obviously began fangirling as it starred in my favorite movie… Pretty Woman! I was so fascinated! It is entirely dependent on your interest as to how much time you spend here. I think we spent 3 hours or so. As this was our last full day in Los Angeles, we chose to dine at ‘Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong’ which was 37 minutes from Rodeo Drive. We parked in a multistorey car park costing us $5-10s. The restaurant we chose specialises in your own Korean BBQ! But if you’re not keen on cooking your own dinner, the staff are happy to take the lead. The food was divine and until this day we haven’t found a match, sadly.
On our drive back to the apartment, we stopped at ‘Urban Light’ to capture the perfectly synced sculpture.

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Day 6 – 
This was sadly our last day in Los Angeles!  Our flight was due to depart at 19:35 so we planned to go Taco Bell and eat it parked up by Malibu beach (It was approximately 45minutes away from the apartment). We enjoyed the short amount of time we spent here and took photos with the Mustang. We not long after filled the Mustang with fuel. If you don’t already know, you have to pay before filling in the States. We ensured the tank was full as this was part of the returning conditions. We drove to the meeting point to drop the car off. Turo arranged a free taxi to the airport. We were both impressed with the service we received and would most recommend Turo!

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