For my first trip to the USA I chose LA as my destination. Having seen so many films and TV shows based around the city I’d always wanted to go from an early age. Finally I got around to booking and actually going.
Staying on Vine Street in Hollywood, I wanted to be close to the studio’s such as Paramount, Universal, etc as well as the famous Hollywood sign and the ‘Walk of Fame’. I also intended to visit the beach at Santa Monica, Malibu Beach and ‘Gorn Rock’ which is a rock formation where many TV shows & films have been filmed including Star Trek, Big Bang Theory, and many more.
Unfortunately the first night I was there a shooting occurred which resulted in the deaths of several young people in a night club, as well as a police officer first on scene. The following morning a wild fire started around the same area which destroyed a large number of homes, killed many people who were trying to escape or defend their property.
As not to wonder into the danger area I decided it would be best to re-arrange travelling to certain places or not visit them at all. Malibu and Gorn Rock was dropped, whilst Griffiths Park and the observatory were postponed by a few days till the small fire there had been put out. If I didn’t see them this time round on the grand scale of things it was no loss, I could always come back another time.
Overall I really enjoyed the trip to LA, I completed most of the things I’ve always wanted to do: Stay in Hollywood, see the Hollywood sign, visit Paramount, find “my” star on the walk of fame, Universal Studios, visit Santa Monica and generally explore the city and experience the cultural differences between the UK and US. I now know in the US ground floor is floor 1 where as in the UK its called ‘Ground’ and a 5c (Nickel) coin is bigger than a 10c (Dime) coin, not to mention all the bank notes (bills) are the same size.
The whole point of travelling to other countries is to experience the differences and learn about them. It gives us better understanding of the world and appreciation of it.
Would I come back to LA again? Yes, definitely. Watch this space…