Destination L.A. : Shenanigans on the Hollywood Boulevard - Day 1 Travel Blog

Location: Somewhere on Sunset Blvd.

After almost five years, I was finally able to go back to one of my favorite cities - Los Angeles. The very first time I landed in the city of Angels, every aspect of this vibrant town took my breath away. The warm Californian sun, five minutes walk to the ever-so-famous LA beaches, the chill and laid back attitude of the people and of course - all the movies and celebrity culture references. So much so I've officially decided to document my trip to this fascinating city. Hopefully I'm able to help some you guys that are also planing a trip to La La land in the future.

snapchatting in Hong Kong before catching my connecting flight to LA.

Up in the air

First thing I gotta say is that a trip to the United States is never cheap. Especially for young people like us that are no longer supported by our parents lol. We need to try and find cheaper planes tickets, safe accommodations at a reasonable price and such. Luckily I did ended up getting a cheap plane ticket and booked two fairly nice motels. I will get into our choice of accommodations later because I do want to recommend the motel we stayed in during our time in LA if you're traveling on a budget but still want to stay close to all the big and famous local attractions!

• Day 1 : Arrived in Hollywood, CA

So we stayed in this two star motel called HOLLYWOOD LA BREA INN. We booked it off of Booking.com. The motel is super close to the Walk of Fame, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood / Highland, Universal Studios and the metro red line. If you are like me who doesn't have a driver's license (yea, I literally traveled on foot or rely on public transport whilst in LA. Insane! I know.) The motel manager is Chinese and he was super nice to us during our stay. If you got any questions about how to get around in the city or which metro bus to take, just ask! Some of the motel facilities are a little bit dated but I was okay with it. The motel manager was also kind enough to offer simple breakfast even though on our reservation it said it didn't include breakfast.  I will have some basic information on the motel listed down so you guys can check it out!                                                                
Motel info:7110 Hollywood Boulevard, CA 90046 Hollywood La Brea Inn                                                                             

I will say for a two star motel the place has everything you need and it's SUPER close to most of the major attractions yet it is very likely to see homeless and drunk people on Hollywood Blvd at night. Now it is totally normal, LA is a big city so it is to be expected especially if you decide to travel via public transportation, but it is also quite dangerous for young girls traveling by themselves. I will say to be very aware of your surroundings when you are out and about after 8pm. Never go out alone at night and it's best to carry like a pepper spray on you, you can never to careful girl! For first time traveler to LA, you will likely to be kind of intimidated by what you see, particularly at night, without a car, on public transport lol. Believe me, I've been there. But remember, just be aware of your surroundings, never go out alone late at night and if you can, let your hotel manager know where you are going to visit on that day because if anything were to happen, it's always better to have someone know your current location. you should be just fine.

Location: Hollywood Boulevard. 

• First Stop - The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatres and The Hollywood Museum 

Ah, what can say. If you are a fan of the old movies and the glitz and glamour of the golden age of Hollywood. Take a trip down the Hollywood walk of fame, find your favorite stars then head to the TCL Chinese Theatres where many celebrities' hand and footprints are made permanent. 

I was once again captured by all the exaggerated shop signs, colorful buildings, and all the loud music. Actors and actresses dressed up as superheroes and Marilyn Monroe; people selling sight-seeing tours and such. Hollywood Blvd is a place you either love it or hate it, and I love it.

Some tips if you're taking a trip down Hollywood Blvd is that don't easily stop and look at the actors and actresses dressed up as movie figures. As cool and realistic their outfit and makeup are, remember they are actually working so if you do decide to take a photo of them, you gotta pay. This ain't Disneyland where you already paid a ton of money to enjoy everything in the theme park. So if you see Superman or Spiderman approaching you on the Blvd, they are usually hoping you would get a photo with them so they get tipped! If you don't wanna be bothered, just smile and quickly walk away, there are plenty more to see anyway!  

•  The TCL Chinese Theatres
• Address: Hollywood & Highland, 6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

The Chinese Theatres does get a bit crowded if you go there on a nice day, which is legit every day in LA. It does make it a bit difficult to find the handprints and footprints of your favorite actors. But fear not, with a little bit of time, you will get it done!

Now if you are a movie addict or very interested in the Hollywood movie history. You gotta visit The Hollywood museum. It is hands down the most fascinating museum on Hollywood Boulevard. Their current exhibitions include "Marilyn :Hollywood Icon" where they show a ton of rare photos of Marilyn Monroe. "Max Factor: World famous makeup room" which is honestly one of my favorites. "Dungeon of Doom" exhibition which is located at the basement of the museum showcase literally the history of Hollywood horror movies; you can find classic horror movie character from Michael Myers, Jason, and Freddy. There are many more exhibits ㄙㄛ the museum such as "Harry Potter", "Child Stars: Then & Now", "Best of Science Fictions" , "TV Lengends" and much more.

I will have information on the museum listed right here in case any of you want to check it out!

The Hollywood Museum 

Address: 1660 N. Highland Ave. (at Hollywood Blvd), Hollywood, CA 90028  

Tel: (323) 464-7776 

Open: Wednesday – Sunday: 10am – 5pm

Ticket price: varies from 5USD to 15USD depending if you are a child, student or adult.

 Last but not least is the Madame Tussauds wax museum!the wax figures of signers like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna or famous late night show hosts such as Conan O'brien and Jimmy Fallon are all here. They also have an entire section dedicated to the Marvel Superheroes as well as famous movie scenes from The Graduate, Forrest Gump and Hannibal Lecter.  It's all very exciting because the wax figures are so realistic and you get to take pictures whenever you feel like it!

They also have these photo booths in different areas at the museum where they have workers there that will take pictures of you and your friends. Once the photo is taken you will get a "photo pass" to get the photo at the end of your visit. Now keep in mind you do have to pay for the photo, it is definitely worth it but here is a little tip for those who want the photos but don't really wan to spend money on it. Just ask the nice people that work there to take one on your phone --- most of the time they will say yes!

One of the photobooth at Madame Tussauds

Here are some info on Madame Tussauds Hollywood:

Address: Hollywood & Highland, 6933 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

The Californian palms

Now that pretty much sums up my first day in Hollywood. I hope this blog post is somewhat entertaining to read if not helpful! Please look forward to my next post which will be focused on my trip to Melrose Avenue!