Departing from Phoenix, Sam and I noticed Willard’s desperate need for an oil change. He was barely able to function, so we stopped at a jiffy lube before leaving the city. After we were told there would be a 45 minute wait, we decided to just wing it and find another place on the way. Willard was not happy with this decision, showing his displeasure with odd clicks and his refusal to accelerate like a normal, happily oil filled vehicle. Oh well.
We did not realize that finding another place on the way would be the greatest task known to man. In fact, after leaving Phoenix, we basically left all of civilization entirely.
Once we entered California, I was expecting to see palm trees and sun toasted people, all gladly surfing the pacific. I had the wrong impression. The land was just as flat and boring as it was in the areas of New Mexico and Arizona that we had dreaded driving through. After having to drive through this weird security check, Sam reminded me that we were right next to the Mexican border. It was a rather strange atmosphere, to say the least.
On the highway there were these two huge vehicles carrying houses. Yes, they were transporting houses. Trucks were even following the houses just with signs and flags that said “Oversized Load.” As if the houses attached to wheels could be easily overlooked.
After passing these houses is when Sam and I pulled off the highway where google maps was bringing us to a local auto place to get the oil changed. Let’s just say the place was as jucket as all hell, and not at all trustworthy. Instead, we turned back on the highway, only to have to pass the driving houses yet again.
We pulled off the highway a few more times to try and get the oil changed. We would exit at a town thinking “oh, this town must have an auto place.” Only to find that the whole “town” consisted of one dirt road in the middle of the desert with a Subway and a gas station (if they’re lucky). One time we pulled into a place and the truck in front of just stopped without warning, not letting us by. After a minutes of confusion, two men got out of the car. Sam and I were (and still are) convinced we were about to be kidnapped. I backed out of there so fast, getting back onto the highway. It honestly was insane. After that, we gave up on getting an oil change, to Willard’s despair.
We encountered some other fun moments on the drive, like the rest stop where no one could function. Literally, Sam and I walked in this little mini mart just to use the restroom, and had to turn around and leave because, like stated a moment ago, no one could function. Everyone was just crashing into things and walking into us. It was so painful, we couldn’t even relieve our bladders. That’s what we get for stopping at a place across the street from a tank memorial museum. (or something like that). Pulling back on the highway, we passed the houses on wheels again. For a third time.
You could say the drive from Phoenix to LA was considered the drive from hell. Willard never got his oil changed, and Sam and I didn’t eat for hours. Of course, until we stopped at an In-N-Out Burger for the first time ever. In-N-Out is a fast food burger place only in California, Arizona, and Nevada. It was really neat inside, almost like a 50’s joint, with a diner style. The menu was real simple, just burgers and fries. It was also incredibly packed with tons of people, making it hard to find a seat. At first, I thought it was timing, but apparantly they are always packed no matter the hour. After waiting for our orders for a while, we stuffed our faces with some greasy, yummy food. Sam fell in love instantly. (She soon became obsessed.) I really enjoyed my fries, too. (I would soon come to hate In-N-Out with a passion, but more on that later.)
Once we were in the outskirts of LA, where Sam’s Mom’s cousin, Renita, lives, my mind’s vision of California came more to life. Everything was green and there were palm trees. We rolled down the windows, letting in the warm air, and blasted some music, cruising through Whittier. (Did I mention California drivers are probably THE WORST TO EVER EXIST? WORSE THAN TENNESSEE EVEN. MAYBE. CLOSE CALL.)
It was great to finally make it to Renita’s house, where she greeted us with pizza and grilled cheese. Sam had never met her second cousin before, so it was nice to listen to them talk about family and everything. She was extremely nice and so was her family. A bunch of people were at the house watching the King’s game, so we ended up being able to meet a lot of Sam’s relatives that she’s never been able to meet before. The King’s lost, but they ended up winning the second game later on.
We were staying the night (and what came to be the week) at Renita’s mom’s house, Sam’s great aunt Mickey. Mickey was a character, to say the least. She was the sassiest, funniest, sweetest 86 year old woman that has ever existed. She honestly was the best host and the kindest woman.
The following morning (after sleeping in, which was greatly needed) we spent the day with Mickey. She brought us donuts from her coffee shop which were delicious, and she even made us coffee. Actually this was a tradition that would continue for the whole week we were there. It was a great start to each day; we would all sit around the table and have chit chat, enjoying our breakfast. After we ate, Mickey nicely brought us to get Willard’s oil changed at Walmart. (FINALLY). The guy who checked the car’s oil was really concerned at how completely empty it was. I guess that’s what happens when you try to drive from Phoenix to LA without oil. Whoops.
After dropping off Willard, we got Subway sandwiches and went back to the house where we sat and talked. It was really great conversation, and time always flew by while talking with Mickey. She’s fantastic. After eating, it was about time to pick up the car, so we headed back to Walmart. Afterwards, we got ice cream at Baskin Robins. It was a very relaxing day, and Sam and I could still not believe we were in California.
That night we went with Sam’s family to Medieval Times to celebrate Sam’s cousin’s stepdaughter, Lux’s, birthday. She was turning 8. Medieval Times is this dinner show where it’s like you’re at a knight’s joust, where you cheer for the knight your section is assigned to. We were supporting the yellow knight, and Sam and I joked that we were betting on him, and putting his daughter through college. Our knight ended up losing to the green knight, which was lame. The show, though, was completely entertaining, keeping Sam and I laughing the whole time. Like at one point, there was just this guy on a horse galloping around and side stepping for ten minutes for no reason. It was hysterical. Oh man, the acting was just.. Oh man. It was a great time, and Sam and I had a good time wearing our paper crowns and cheering in the crowd.
The next day Sam and I headed to the beach, where we saw the Pacific Ocean for the very first time. It was crazy to think we drove from one side of the country to other- truly coast to coast. It was a hot day, and we had to park a distance away from the water, but that was okay. We were excited to walk to the pier on Hunington Beach. Once we got there, it was great. My vision of california finally came to life- surfers and all. We ended up eating lunch at a cute little place on the pier called Ruby’s. This really reminded me of the book Five People You Meet in Heaven if you’ve ever read it. Anywho, the restaurant was very cute, a 50’s themed diner. (a lot classier, though, than in-n-out). The chocolate milk shakes we got there were actually to die for.
Sam and I spent the majority of the day relaxing by the shore, enjoying the sun. We were also very stupid because we didn’t put on much sunblock, which we would sincerely regret later. However, at the time, lounging about in the heat was incredibly nice and comforting. At one point I went swimming by myself (because Sam has a fear of the ocean) and had a blast. The waves were so strong, but the water was so beautiful and the perfect temperature. I can finally say I’ve been swimming in both oceans. After I was all dried off, Sam and I explored the surrounding area, looking at all the shops and restaurants. We sat and enjoyed some music played by street performers, and then ended up getting some strawberry shaved ice from a little place by the beach. It was the perfect beach day.
It was around dinner time when we decided to head out and start the long walk back to car. Except, well, we couldn’t actually find the car. There were several parking lots alongside the (very long) beach. We ended up thinking each lot was ours, until not spotting Willard, and moving on. This went on for at least 45 minutes. With the sun still beating above us, we were slowly going insane. Eventually we realized we had walked too far, and must have missed the correct parking lot. Low and behold, we had walked by the car at a lot 15 minutes back. You could say it was a struggle. I was never so happy to see Willard in my life.
We stopped at Jack in the Box for dinner, which is another place you can’t find in Massachusetts. I just got some curly fries, but MAN, were they delicious. Once we were back at Mickey’s we noticed how burned we really were. This sunburn was the worst, most painful burn I have ever gotten, and it covered every inch of my body that was not hidden by my bathing suit. You could say Sam and I looked like sad lobsters for the remainder of our time in LA.
After our uncomfortable sleep (trying to relax was hard with a sunburn), we woke up early to start our day. We were going to Disneyland, and we were incredibly excited. After stopping at CVS for some aloe, we were off to the happiest place on earth. I’m not even joking when I say that. Disneyland probably is the happiest place ever. Sam and I had a blast going on all the rides (even the ones for little kids), admiring the castle and main street, as well as devouring Mickey ear ice cream bars. We even bought our own Minnie ears to wear while were at the park. You could say Sam and I did Disneyland right. We caught the fireworks accidentally at an amazing spot and then watched the Fantasmic show. The park didn’t close until midnight, and we headed out just a half hour before it closed. We spent a solid 12 hours at the park, and still didn’t do everything. It was a perfect day.
After another uncomfortable sleep, we woke up the next morning ready to be tourists in LA. We were meeting up with my friend Kai from Emerson. I met her while we were both camera operators for a school run TV show, EIV’s The Dish. Kai lives in LA and offered to be our tour guide. We met her at around noon, and Sam chauffeured us around for the day. Sam wouldn’t let me drive at all during our time in LA because she needs control over the car when driving through cities and congested areas. I mean, I didn’t mind. Less work for me! Also during our time in LA, we only listened to the Today’s Hits station on Pandora. You could say we heard Iggy more times than necessary.
So, Kai first showed us Beverly Hills. It was a strip of lots of fancy, expensive stores and huge houses. You know everyone who lived in the area didn’t even know what to do with all the money they had. There was also an ATM for CUPCAKES. Literally. Sam and I bought cupcakes through a touchscreen, and then they popped out from a little door on the ATM. Yeah, I know, CRAZY. The cupcakes were delicious, too.
After blaring Weezer’s Beverly Hills on exiting the community, we made our way toward Hollywood. We drove down Sunset Boulevard and then toward Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The great thing about having our very own LA resident with us, is that Kai could tell us where to park for FREE. This is something Sam and I were unfortunately not used to doing. After walking through the intense heat, we made it to the Walk of Fame, where I took lots of photos of celebrities stars. You could say I kept lagging behind, reading the names. We also saw the Chinese Theater which was very cool. We saw all the celebrity hand prints and names which was neat. My favorite was Robin Williams’s “carpe diem” written next to his signature. (Dead Poet’s Society, anyone?)
After dying from the heat and the many tour guides trying to haggle us to hitch a ride in their minivan tours, we decided to get something to eat. Kai brought us to a place called Roscoe’s, which was this Chicken and Waffles joint. It is apparently real popular in the area. Sam and Kai enjoyed their odd chicken and waffle combination, while I had had the best mac and cheese ever. Roscoe’s was also actually right next to the Emerson LA campus! Of course, we had to check it out. Originally, the Emerson LA campus was just for (mostly film) students who took a semester from the Boston campus to get internships and experience in LA. However, they just opened it to be a full time campus, so students can actually go there for real.
We couldn’t visit the actual campus, but we got to take selfies in front of it and visit their cafe. Their cafe was much, much nicer and classier than the ones we have in Boston. I mean, I work at Emerson’s Paramount Cafe. I am so jealous.
Next, we went to a park, where Kai always wanted to find an abounded zoo. After lots of looking around this huge park, we finally found the empty cages and graffitied area. It was really cool, but creepy to see. We explored for a while, going into some of the cages. It was clear to see why the zoo was closed, the kennels were so small- definitely not an appropriate, healthy environment for animals. It got cooler as the day got on, which was nice. It’s odd how significantly difference the weather is at night than during the day. It actually would get chilly at night.
Once it finally got dark, we headed to the last stop on Kai’s list- the observatory. This was the best spot to see a view of the city. We parked a distance away, and walked to the building that was basically on the edge of a cliff. Once we made it, we had a great view of the Hollywood sign. It was crazy to see something that you’re used to seeing on TV and in photos. We went inside the observatory next, making our way to the outside deck, where there was an amazing view of the city. It was just something you can’t explain. Seeing all the city lights from such a distance would make anyone feel small. We spent a good amount of time just taking in this incredible view. I can’t believe how many beautiful things Sam and I have seen on this trip.
After we made our way back to the car, we were all pretty hungry again. Of course, Sam wanted to go to In-N-Out. Kai also told me they had grilled cheeses on their “secret menu” which I was excited about. So, off we went.
Even though it was late at night, maybe 10 or 11, In-N-Out was just as busy as when Sam and I went a few days prior during dinner time. It was crazy. I started to not feel well while we were eating, and the food around me was just making me nauseous. This is what set off my silly hatred of the burger place.
After we ate, we went back to where Kai had parked her car earlier that day. It was great having our very own tour guide for the day!
This is when I started getting sick. Once we made it back to Aunt Mickey’s house, I felt horrible. Not only was I feeling gross, but my sunburn was still killing me. That night I probably had the worst night’s sleep I’ve ever had.
The next day I felt no better. It was clear that we weren’t going to be able to do much that day. Instead, Sam played mom, taking care of me and driving me all around to take me to clinic after clinic. The first place we went to wouldn’t take my insurance. The second place told me to go to the ER, which we felt was a little too crazy. The third place we went to finally took a look at my throat. I was prescribed some antibiotics, and we went to target to pick them up and also get some other painkillers. I was glad that, although I was sick, we were staying at Sam’s relative’s so we could stay as long as we needed. It would be horrible to be sick at somewhere we were paying to stay. I also had Sam to take care of me, which was pretty great. Like seriously, friend of the year award.
She did, however, end up getting In-N-Out once again, which further grossed me out. At this point, I had really grown a hatred of the place. After 5 or 6 hours of struggling around the outskirts of LA, we finally made it back to Aunt Mickey’s. I rested the rest of the day, trying to recover.
The following day, although I still wasn’t feeling too great, we decided to still take advantage of our time in the area. We decided on going to the Santa Monica Pier, which Kai had suggested we do. We parked on the street, and made our way to the beachside. The pier was HUGE and apparently many movies have used it for filming. There were rides on the pier, as well as many restaurants and shops. We both agreed that the one thing we had to do was go on the ferris wheel, which ended up being just as amazing as expected. The view from the top was gorgeous- the pier, the beach, the sky. It was beautiful and a lot of fun. Of course, I was scared of falling the whole time, but what else is new?
After getting some food, and maneuvering around all these gross little kids, we decided to head back. We stopped at McDonald’s for some cheap ice cream and then were on our way. Of course, this is LA we’re talking about, so we got stuck in traffic for like 2 hours. If you haven’t noticed, driving in LA has to be the most painful driving ever. I used to want to move to LA to pursue a film career, but I honestly don’t think I could deal with it.
Sam and I did get to see some awesome film memorabilia, though, the next day, when we went on the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour. It was extremely exciting. Our tour guide, Noah, was probably the most enthusiastic man we’ve ever met. He was all about TV, and really gave us the best tour imaginable. We toured the back lot, seeing where many shows had been filmed, and even great movies, like a segment in Argo- which won best picture last year. Then we got to tour their museum which was filled with Harry Potter props. It’s safe to say Sam and I were the two most excited people in the museum, admiring each prop like it was truly magic.
We went into some studio sets next, like the school set from Pretty Little Liar’s. Even though I don’t watch the show, it sure was cool to see. We saw the sets from Big Bang Theory, too, which was cool because it’s my mom’s favorite show. However, the highlight for the tour for me was seeing the Central Perk set from Friends. Friends has to be one of my favorite shows ever, judge me all you want. Sitting on the couch in Central Perk has be one of my favorite moments from our time in LA. Ah, it was fantastic.
After our amazing tour, we decided to get something to eat. Sam was feeling Chipotle, and I was feeling Subway, and it turns out they were right next to each other. Perfect.
After we ate, we headed back to Aunt Mickey’s and decided we would leave LA in two days. The next day we spent relaxing. I was trying to make a full recovery by the time we made our way to San Fran. We hung out at the house, made a quick last run to Walgreens, and got some pizza from a place not too far away. Sam and I drew each other later on, finally using our sketchbooks. It was a nice, relaxing day.
The next morning we went to breakfast with Renita and Aunt Mickey, at a cute cafe famous for their pastries. Then, Sam and I bid everyone farewell. We were about to pull out of Mickey’s house, when - of course- the car wouldn’t start. Luckily, her neighbor was a retired repair man, and could easily jump start us. Then we were on our way!
We are so thankful to have stayed with Sam’s family! We had a wonderful time in LA. What was meant to be one day, turned into a whole week. We could not have been happier.
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