Our lodging was in Los Angeles at the Hilton DoubleTree hotel downtown. Double Tree is known for giving their guest a delicious warm cookie at check-in. Our son enjoyed the cookie and so do we. We initially had a one-bedroom suite but the first night there was a wedding at the location and the music was blasting all night. I called the front desk and complained and was advised that there was nothing they could do. That same day I emailed Hilton headquarters directly and was able to get our room moved to the presidential suite the next day. After that, we didn’t have any issues with noise.

I had plenty of activities lined up during our stay. Our first stop was at the LA Zoo https://www.lazoo.org/ The zoo is located near Griffith Park. There was plenty to see and do there. You will need the entire day to explore the zoo. I recommend bringing a stroller if you have small kids because they will definitely get tired.

The next stop was the Hollywood Walk of Fame (HWF). I wind up parking inside a parking garage of one of the side streets because it was hard to find a parking spot on the street. The HWF is usually busy and there are so many things to see in addition to the stars on the ground. While you are there, make sure you get a good picture of the Hollywood sign. I find that it’s easier to get a picture of the sign on one of the side streets. If you are looking for something to eat there are plenty of restaurants and street food vendors available. You will not go hungry! Our highlight from this visit was having a star made just for our son! That was so awesome! There was a guy on the strip making your own star with your name for only $10! He also took plenty of pictures to capture the special moment. It looked just like a real Hollywood star!

Disneyland is not far from LA so we decided to take a trip there. This was our son’s first visit to this Disneyland in California. Our son enjoyed the rides and adventure. Plan to be there all day to really enjoy everything. Our son enjoyed the parades throughout the park and the various characters walking around the park. Disneyland California is located in Anaheim, CA. Since we were there we decided to check out Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles for dinner. The food was so good. There are several locations throughout California. We also visited the Rose Bowl stadium located in Pasadena, CA for a quick photo op!

Our next adventure was to Santa Monica beach. There are so many restaurants and sites on the pier. We enjoyed standing on the pier listening to the sounds of the waves. The Pacific Ocean is a little rough for my liking so we did not get in the water. There was good music playing throughout the pier and rides for the kids.

After leaving Santa Monica Beach we decided to take a ride up the coast. Riding the coast of California is an adventure in itself. The views of the mountains and beaches are breathtaking. If you are ever in the area I would suggest taking a ride just for the view.

Another spot I like to visit in different cities is children’s museums. There are several in LA. While there we visited the Southern California Children’s Museums. Our son loves children’s museums because it’s so much for him to do. I love it because it’s indoors and kids learn so much while there! If you haven’t taken your child to a children’s museum I suggest checking one out.

After exploring the Los Angeles area, we decided to head south of LA to San Diego and Tijuana Mexico. San Diego is approximately 2 hours away from LA. On our way there we stopped at Legoland California located in Carlsbad, CA. I highly recommend visiting if you have a child 8 and under. I felt this was more suitable for younger kids and our son enjoyed the visit. After leaving there we arrived in San Diego and stayed at the Residence Inn located downtown near the Bay Area. The hotel was fairly new and clean. There is plenty to do in the area within walking distance.

We decided to go to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World while we were there. Both places are full of fun-packed adventures for families. We visited both places on the same day but I would highly recommend visiting both places on separate days so you don’t overwhelm yourself.

We wanted to experience walking across the border from the United States to Mexico and since San Diego is next to the border we took full advantage. There is a shopping area next to the border so we parked there and walked over the border into Tijuana, Mexico. It was a pretty cool experience. To go into town there are plenty of taxis to take you where you need to go. Just make sure you know the price before taking off. We didn’t explore too much, it was more so the thrill of walking over the border. You can also opt to drive over the border.

Overall, this trip was awesome! There was so much to see and do. I should also mention that we visited Beverly Hills while there. It was midday and our son was getting his Prince rest so he missed the entire experience. I would recommend taking a trip to Southern California and exploring as much as you can explore. We were there for two weeks and still didn’t get to see everything. Southern California gets the Around the World Kid seal of approval.