Early in the year of 2015, while sitting on the couch watching the LA Clippers play against a healthy Kobe and the LA Lakers, we thought: “How cool would it be to experience a real-life NBA game?!” A month later, our dreams began to come to fruition. We purchased tickets for an NBA Game and thus, began our adventure to California. It would be the first time Reid and I saw a professional league game of any sport. Our first, but not our last, NBA game!

DAY ONE

Arrived in Los Angeles, California around the late afternoon. As for day one, we only had a few things planned. We checked-out our rental car (2015 KIA Soul), checked-in the hotel (The Radisson Hotel – across University of Southern California) and of course, hit up one of our favorite fast food restaurants in California: In-N-Out Burger! (Eye spy: The ‘Hollywood’ sign)

Hint: Find the engine’s silver front and follow it straight up. From this distance, the sign will appear as a faint, white, horizontal line.

DAY TWO

We left early (skipping breakfast) and headed out on a two-hour drive to the beautiful and scenic, ‘Chino Hills Spectrum Marketplace’ and ‘The Shoppes at Chino Hills’. One word: SHOPPING! The places we stopped by were: H&M, PacSun, XXI Forever, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Michaels, and Target. Oh, and breakfast of course! Reid ate at ‘Bruxie’ – Gourmet Waffle Sandwiches and I ate at ‘Panera Bread’.

Chino Hills Spectrum 4036 Grand Ave. Chino, CA 91710
The Shoppes at Chino Hills 13920 City Center Dr #200 Ontario, CA 91709

DAY THREE

Another early wake-up, no breakfast, and two-hour drive! It was well worth it. We decided to stop at a cute little breakfast place in Santa Clarita, ‘Egg Plantation‘, where they have 101 omelets to choose from! This little breakfast pit stop was truly a gem! After satisfying our taste buds, we headed off to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. After spending the majority of the day on the road and at the amusement park, we ended it at the Griffith Observatory to witness a beautiful sunset over the City of Angels.

Egg Plantation: 24415 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Six Flags Magic Mountain: 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91355
Griffith Observatory: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Make sure to go early! We arrived there about an hour and a half early and the lines were already 10 meters/33 feet long. Upon entering, we purchased the ‘flash pass’ which GREATLY reduced wait times for the rides. The longest we had to wait was approximately 15 minutes. Consequently, this allowed us to leave a couple hours early after enjoying all the rides! Highly recommend purchasing those fast passes when visiting!

A non-edited photograph of the amazing sunset over Los Angeles! On top of the amazing scenery and hiking possibilities in the surrounding area, this tourist attraction is free and wonderful for all ages! It has a plethora of information about Space, Earth’s elements, technologies humans have invented and much more. One of the best places to visit in Los Angles without question. Did I mention it’s free?! (make sure to bring cash for a short bus ride to the top – at the time of our visit it was $1.00 per person)

DAY FOUR

We Spent the majority of the day and night at a relatives house for Easter dinner. In honor of Paul Walker’s final role, we watched ‘Furious 7’ at ‘iPic Theater’ in Downtown Los Angeles. It was such an awesome experience! The cinema had electric reclining seats, along with a fleece blanket, pillow, and a complimentary small popcorn – all for $25 per person.

iPic Theater: 10840 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

iPic Theater! The iPad you see in the middle is where you can place an order for beer and food. Attendants were at the ready in the rear to assist at the push of a button (located on the table in front of the iPad). The menu was vast with as many items as a regular class A restaurant!

DAY FIVE

We took a mini road trip up North to Santa Barbara; we arrived around 12 PM, walked down State Street, visited some retail stores, the pier – our primary goal, and finally came back home around 10 PM. It was an extensive but gratifying day!

Pit stop, breakfast, and scenic route in Topanga Canyon – just North of Santa Monica and a few miles South of Santa Barbara.

DAY SIX

At last, the main reason we planned this trip so many months ago. One of our dreams we etched out together. We watched our first NBA game live: A bitter rivalry of the LA Lakers vs. the LA Clippers at Staples Center in Downtown LA. To say it was an “amazing experience” would be an understatement. The ambience, the atmosphere, the vibe, everything was perfect! We also had great seats – Row 14.

Staples Center: 1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015