dodger stadium

Oh, the nostalgia! It was thick today for me and B.

When we were married for just one year, B was transferred to Redondo Beach. We moved out to California and lived one year on the beach, battling traffic, enjoying being 22 and 23 years old, and soaking up the sun. We were no joke broke and California was expensive. Our apartment was tiny, just one little bedroom and bathroom, with shag carpeting and wood paneling. That tiny, junky little apartment was right across the street from the ocean. We fell asleep with the windows open, listening to the waves crash in and we watched the dolphins play in those same waves each morning. It was such a wild and crazy year and oh man we have some good, good memories.

We’ve always been baseball fans so that year we lived there we took a few trips to Dodger stadium. We bought cheap tickets and ate Dodgers dogs and we wanted to share that experience with our girls.

We made it to Dodgers Stadium and we all soaked in the sunshine and those gorgeous views of the city, mountains, and palm trees.

The Dodgers played the Rockies today and although we were all rooting for our home town Colorado team, Gwyneth sported some LA bling. Our baseball visor collection is growing at an alarming rate….although I kinda like it.

We grabbed some Dodger dogs and climbed up to the top of the stadium to take in the game. Yes, we sat in the very last row of the ballpark and I couldn’t have felt more nostalgic and happy (the happiness was mostly inspired by the fact that those weren’t really our seats, but they were fabulously in the shade!).

Annabelle enjoyed nachos in a Dodgers helmet because that’s what she does.

It was a gorgeous day at the ballpark. The Rockies stunk it up and lost, but we didn’t sit in traffic after the game, so WIN!

The stadium looks empty because it was early on in the game. LA fans arrive late and leave early. Around the 4th inning the stadium was pretty full.

After the game the girls requested a little more time on the Universal Citywalk. We checked out Sugar, the candy store, which had tons and tons of different gummy bears to chose from.

The girls picked up a few Harry Pottery trinkets and we called it an early night. Our flight wasn’t until 8:30 am the next day but we had to leave by 5:30 am due to traffic. Stupid LA traffic.

What a weekend! I loved every minute of it and I was so grateful it all came together and we had these amazing experiences together. They will not soon be forgotten!

universal studios

Prepare for picture overload….

Our day at Universal Studios started off bright and early. Our entrance to the park was scheduled for 8:30 am which was a half hour before the park opened for general admission. It was fabulous having it to ourselves even just for a bit.

We checked in for the VIP tour knowing we only had one day to get through the entire park. If you have limited time, don’t want to bother with lines, want special backstage tours and seating, then the VIP package is definitely for you. (Check it out here.) Our tour group was small (only 14 people) and our guide showed us all the tips and tricks to get around the park quickly. Our passes got us to the front of the line for every single ride, which was unbelievable benefit with all the ride waiting times over an hour. We also received the added benefit of a Continental breakfast so we could sleep in and a private buffet lunch. That lunch ended up being perfection as we were treated to AC, good food, and there was no fighting for a table in the park which was very full that day. That VIP experience was our greatest investment of the trip.

A little breakfast in the park before our adventures

View of the entrance to the park from the VIP lounge before the gates opened

We set off on our tour and were amazed at how empty the park was in the morning. We were able to snap a few pictures and really take in the sites before the park filled up.

Our first glimpse of Hogsmeade. We explored that area last on our tour, but couldn’t help stopping for a picture along the way.

Ok, maybe we are all Harry Potter obsessed.

Our first adventure was through Springfield. A huge family favorite! We are all Simpsons fans and I love that Annabelle rocked her Simpson shirt for the day.

Springfield was a hoot! The attention to detail was fantastic. It felt like you were stepping right into the cartoon.

Springfield brought back the best college memories for us. We use to gather with friends in my dorm room nearly every night after dinner and watch a few episodes. That was before DVRs and so much texting so we really had to plan it out. We managed to find that hour to all just chill and be silly together. Simpsons = college life for me.

Later in the day we headed in to Moe’s tavern and had a Duff Beer. It was fun, but oh boy, it was gross. I couldn’t even finish it. Now, I haven’t poured out many beers in my life, but I couldn’t stomach it. B agreed and the girls found the whole thing absolutely hilarious.

Everything about this picture makes my heart happy

Another sneak peak of Hogwarts with our Harry Potter lovin’ girl.

We hopped on our tour for the back lot of Universal. This was one of my favorite parts! We walked the set of Superstore, jumped out of our seats during the Jaws special effects, screamed through some dinosaur/King Kong battles, and so much more. I love, love, love action movies and can’t get enough of all these special effects.

We walked through the set of War of the Worlds (the Tom Cruise movie version). It was super creepy! That’s a real retired plane with pieces scattered all over to resemble a plane crash. It was pretty unbelievable to walk around in all that. I’m not sure I loved it, but the scale of the mess was spectacular.

This definitely makes me want to re-watch the movie…for this scene alone!

We made a stop in the props department. This throne was made for an evil witch in Snow White and the Huntsman. I think it suites me splendidly.

An oldie but goodie!

Another stop included many of the locations from Back to the Future…

…including the infamous clock tower!

Gwyneth watched Back to the Future while she was in the hospital recovering from her leg surgery. She thought this was pretty cool.

The extended studio tour was about 2 1/2 hours long. We were definitely ready for lunch and a little down time after that tour.

We all shared a good laugh about the mishap of chocolate covered strawberries and braces. The two make a messy combination!

First stop after lunch was the Kung Fu Panda ride.

Then it was a quick hop over to the Water World Show. There was water, there was fire, there were explosions, that was an airplane crash. This show had it all and was a nice reprieve from the hottest part of the day.

After a quick stop for the Minion ride, we finally made our way to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We rode the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster which was only about 40 seconds. We got to hop right on but the line was about an hour long. (I would have been pretty irritated to wait an hour for a 40 second ride. Believe me, the people around us were!). Annabelle and Gwyneth both really loved that ride though so we went a few more times.

Next stop was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We made our way through Hogwarts which was magnificent. All the details from the books come alive right before your eyes. For the book and/or movie lovers it’s a site to behold. The ride was magical although a bit scary with all those dementors.

I didn’t get many pictures as we were whisked around on the rides, but I managed to get a few while at Ollivanders, Makers of Fine Wands. There were wands for everyone. I thought our girls would want one as a souvenir but they took in the experience and that was enough for us all.

At this point our guided tour came to an end. It was around 3:00 which was the perfect time to settle in for butter beers at The Three Broomsticks.

I think B had probably had his fill at this point, but he’s such a good sport. The girls had some plans of their own and they whisked us back over to Springfield for another jaunt on the Simpsons ride. This was definitely the family favorite ride and we went at least 3 times.

A trip to Moe’s Tavern for some skunky Duff beer. The beer wasn’t a hit but the tavern was.

And then of course another visit to Harry Pottery Wizarding World to see Hogwart’s Express.

At this point it was dinner time and we needed a break from the park and the crowds. We decided to head out to the Citywalk for dinner and for a little rest for our weary feet. I thought we might be done for the day but the meal and rest reinvigorated the girls and they were ready to head back to the park for round two.

We revisited the lower lot for Jurassic World. Unfortunately the ride was not scheduled to open until later in the summer.

Our night ended with the Dark Arts laser show on Hogwarts. We shut the park down! Our visit last ed from 8:30 am until 10 pm. Wowsa!

Our day was action packed from start to finish. It was the perfect park for our girls’ ages and interests. We created amazing memories that will never, ever be forgotten.

If you made it through this entire post you must be as worn out as we were!

universal citywalk

Vacation time! I have had this plan in the works for ages. We’ve been to California many, many times but there are just so many things to do. Each time it is an adventure. This trip we focused on the Universal Studios area of Los Angeles.

We have all made our way through the Harry Potter books (some further than others…) and a few of us may be a bit obsessed. I won’t name any names (but you know who you are….Gwyneth! ha!). We couldn’t wait to visit Universal and see the new Hogwarts themed section of the park. It was an early birthday celebration for Annabelle and me but there was definitely something on this trip for everyone.

And off we go….

We got to the airport quite early for our TSA Pre appointment. They got us through quite quickly and that left us some time to hang out at the Silver Bullet bar before our flight. That’s right up my alley!

We have arrived!

We stayed at the Universal Studio Hilton which was walking distance to the City Walk and the park. It was walking distance for us – it took less than 10 minutes. When we suggested we would just walk, the employees looked flabbergasted. They said the free shuttle runs every 20 minutes and advised that we take that instead. It was a delightful walk and we walked it several times over the weekend. People are funny….or maybe kind of weird about walking.

Our first night we made it in time for a late dinner and to explore the Universal City walk. It was very touristy, which was fun because we are tourists. It was vibrant and loud and fun. We explored the shops, had dinner, and enjoyed some sweet treats. We were definitely starting our trip off with a hit. We were all energized for the busy days ahead.

Before heading back to the hotel we explored the Harry Potter store. O.M.G.! These girls were in heaven. So much HP gear everywhere. They really make the books come alive. It’s an impressive sight.

With a replica of Hermoine’s dress in Goblet of Fire