Starting in Christchurch we flew to Auckland then on to Los Angeles, with a short flight from LAX to Portland our three days of car racing and USA trip properly began. For me, our time here was the best part of the trip as we were watching a very good friend of mine Hunter McElrea race. I have known Hunter since we were both young so to watch him race in the Indycar division was amazing. The atmosphere of an Indycar weekend was electric. The fact that you have free access to the pits where you can get up close to the trucks, cars and maybe even the drivers, it is unlike any other motorsport in the world. The funniest moment for me was when I was doing a job for Hunter where I was taking his helmet to be adjusted by the Bell technician who worked out of one of the Indycar trucks. As I walked into the trailer to get his helmet worked on, in walked Indycar driver Spencer Pigot and one of his crew members offering me snacks and a photo (of course I couldn’t say no). As the helmet was adjusted I left the truck opening the doors to a crowd of people shifting their attention from the hustle of the pits to the excitement of someone appearing from a trailer with the chance of being a driver. The whole way back there were constant stares and whispers of people wondering if I was a driver or someone else of importance, it was hilarious.
Portland is a very relaxing place, although we didn’t manage to go into the city centre itself what we did see was cool. There were lots of different options for accommodation and dining experiences with sports bars, restaurants and other typical American takeaways such as Taco Bell. The people in Portland were nothing but polite and happy to help us if needed. We did have a rental car but we found it easier to get from place to place using an Uber, which was cheaper than a taxi, and meant we really got to meet the locals of Portland. I would happily go back to explore more of what Portland has to offer and being just across the river from Vancouver, Washington (yes there is one in the USA and Canada which we didn’t learn until we were in a Uber) there are so many more amazing views and sights to see in both locations.
After our time in Portland it was back to LA for three days starting with Universal Studios.
Universal Studios - What can I say, Universal Studios is an amazing experience and you would be disappointed if you missed out on this. It’s an hour Uber or Taxi ride from the Airport area, which is much quicker and easier than taking the local train and it also gives you the chance to take in the views of LA on the way. We were lucky enough to experience the VIP tour which involved breakfast before a guided tour of the theme park and for the extra price compared to the general admission ticket it is well worth it. With the VIP tour we were able to experience every ride in the park all in one morning thanks to the express lane which gave us front of the line access as well as seats in the reserved section for the Waterworld show instead of waiting in line to be seated in the intense LA heat. After our VIP buffet lunch it was off to the Film City walk and production tour. Starting in the props warehouse we learnt about what is required of a producer to be able to create a set for a movie or TV programme as well as all sorts of props from different eras to be able to create the perfect scene. The warehouse is 3 stories high and even included the throne from popular movie ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ which no one was allowed to use. After the tour of the warehouse it was back on to the VIP bus to head to the temporary city sets that have been used in some of the most iconic movies like the town hall used in ‘Back to the Future’ and sets like Whoville from ‘The Grinch who stole Christmas’. Along the tour you also see iconic movie cars like Kitt from ‘Knight Rider’ and the cars used in‘ Fast and Furious’ series as well as experiencing what it is like to be in an earthquake scene on film. From the ground shaking to lights flickering and pipes bursting with water it all felt scarily real. In my opinion, this VIP experience is definitely value for money being able to see all the park has to offer in one short day and still being able to go for more rides if we wanted too.
The day after our time at Universal Studios we were off on a bus tour recommended by one of our hotel staff. On the tour we saw Venice beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and some Celebrity houses. We then had lunch at the farmers market, walked along the Hollywood star walk of fame, viewed the Chinese Theatre and the famous Hollywood sign. This was a great way to see all of the famous and well known sights of LA and as we had a short amount of time at Venice beach and drove passed Santa Monica on the tour we chose to visit again the next day.
We were up early the following morning and caught an Uber to Santa Monica where we had breakfast. After breakfast, we walked to the end of the pier and then decided to walk to Santa Monica beach and onto Venice beach. Once there, we walked down the boardwalk taking in all the sights the beach had to offer us. By then it was lunch time so we took another Uber to Culver City Mall for something to eat and a look through the shops. After a little shopping it was time to head back to the hotel, grab our bags and head to the airport to begin our journey home.
Some handy tips I learnt were, you don’t necessarily need to hire a rental car as there are other alternatives such as Uber to get around and if you are spending more than one night in LA I would recommend staying in Santa Monica.
Overall, my time in the US was an exciting and enjoyable experience. I found the people to be polite and treated us like one of the locals and I can’t wait to go back and visit again.
If you are thinking about taking a trip to the US or have one currently booked I am happy to talk to you about my experiences in further detail. Feel free to book an appointment to talk to me today.
