As a kid in Brazil, I loved watching movies and TV shows. And for some reason, I found myself drawn to American shows — especially those that take place in California. The endless blue ocean, the architecture, the palm trees…all of those elements just gave me great vibes that I knew I wanted to experience one day.
Visiting the Golden State was a big dream of mine, but getting there from Brazil isn’t easy. It’s a 12.5-hour nonstop flight, so I knew I would need at least eight days to experience everything I wanted while there. And this year, I finally got to do just that! Here’s everything I did on my unforgettable trip to California and Universal Studios Hollywood.
San Francisco
My partner and I landed in San Francisco on a Saturday afternoon. We checked into the hotel, then immediately hit the ground running and started exploring the city. We walked from Union Square to the Ferry Building and the Pier right next to it. It was a beautiful day, so we just kept going and going!
We then went to the Coit Tower and finished the day at Fisherman’s Wharf, which is super vibrant and has several shops and seafood restaurants. The following day, we explored the Castro and Mission districts and Haight-Ashbury, where we saw the Painted Ladies, which are cute, well-preserved Victorian houses. We had so much fun walking around and appreciating the great architecture of this amazing city. I loved everything about San Francisco, but the highlight of the day was the majestic Golden Gate Bridge!
On our last day in the Bay Area, we woke up and headed straight to Napa Valley for a wine tasting. There are so many wineries with different styles — I totally recommend making the trek, as it’s only a one-hour drive from San Francisco.
When we got back to the city, we made sure to ride the cable car. We took the most tourist-y route, which went from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf. The views were simply incredible! We even stopped on the famous Lombard Street for some pictures and hopped back on.
We spent a total of three days in San Francisco, and I could’ve stayed more for sure! But it was time to hit the road and start exploring the California coast.
Trip Down the California Coast
On Day Four, we started the drive south. Our original plan was to drive down Route 1 to Big Sur. However, when we got there, we encountered construction work, meaning we wouldn’t be able to take the coastal highway all the way down to LA. But it didn’t stop us from driving close enough to see the famous Bixby Bridge!
After that, we stopped in Carmel-by-the-Sea for lunch and finished the day in San Luis Obispo, where we stayed overnight. Both cities seem like they came right out of a movie! Each one has its particularities: Carmel has great shops and a really nice beach very close to the city center. San Luis Obispo is a college town with a cute city center, several restaurants and bars, and some wineries and beaches nearby.
The next day was our final day of the trip. We first stopped in Santa Barbara, which is a beautiful city north of LA, had lunch, and went shopping in an outlet center in Camarillo (Brazilians and Latin Americans will know that this is a must-go place when visiting the USA). At night, we finally arrived in LA, the City of Angels.
Los Angeles
Being a fan of the movie industry and the entertainment world, of course I chose to first head to Universal Studios Hollywood, a place that combines thrilling rides with movie magic. Check out Discover Universal’s one-day itinerary to Universal Studios Hollywood to get an overview of the theme park.
We started our day on The World-Famous Studio Tour, where we traveled by tram through the Universal backlot — where movies are actually filmed! There are more than 30 soundstages on the lot, as well as several outdoor sets that we passed through during the tour. It’s crazy to imagine that some of my favorite movies were filmed right there! There’s also one attraction within the Studio Tour — King Kong 360 3-D — which was so immersive, I felt like I was a part of the movies!
After the tour, which lasted about an hour, we headed straight to Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest land: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD!
I felt like I was a kid all over again! We got ourselves Power-Up Bands so we could experience all the interactive activities inside the area, collect digital coins and complete fun challenges spread out through the land. Also, we rode Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, one of the coolest and most interactive rides I’ve ever been on.
Check out Discover Universal’s guide to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Hollywood right here.
We had lunch at Toadstool Cafe, then we explored the rest of the lower lot, including one of my favorite attractions, Jurassic World — The Ride.
In the afternoon, we headed back to the Upper Lot to watch WaterWorld, a live stunt show that is simply incredible! Be sure to download theUniversal Studios Hollywood App to check show times and wait times for all park attractions. After the show, we went to the Upper Lot attractions, including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a must-do for all Harry Potter fans (such as myself), and The Secret Life of Pets – Off the Leash, which is super cute!
We stayed in the park until the last minute. Trust me: you cannot miss Universal Studios Hollywood while you are in LA.
My other days in LA
I also spent a whole afternoon on the west side of town, right along the ocean! First, I visited the famous Santa Monica Pier and saw the end (or beginning?) of Route 66. After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Venice, where I checked out some cool shops, watched skaters at the famous skate park and dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time (only the toes, because the water was very cold).
No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without seeing the Hollywood Sign, to do that I went to Lake Hollywood park and could see it pretty well!
It was the perfect ending for this amazing trip, and I can’t wait to be back and do it all over again! Hopefully next time the famous Highway One will be fully open so I can stop along the coast in other amazing beach towns (there are so many lovely ones). And once I get to LA, I’ll make sure to stay longer so I can visit the cities nearby, and, of course, visit Universal Studios Hollywood again!
Are you excited to do your own California road trip? Let me know in the comment section below.
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