insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 119

THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
Universal Studios Hollywood The Hollywood Sign
With a real working movie studio, thrilling theme park rides and a host of daily
shows, Universal Studios Hollywood in San Fernando Valley was our 12-year-
old’s top pick attraction! And we know why – here we picked wands at
Ollivanders™ and cast spells in the streets, flew with Harry and explored the
mysteries of Hogwarts™ Castle and roared through the skies on the Hippogriff™,
in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. No trip to LA would be complete
without taking in this American
landmark, and at 352-feet long and
spelled out in 45-foot-high white
capital letters, it is hard to miss the
iconic Hollywood sign, situated on
Mount Lee. Whilst you’ll grab
glimpses whilst travelling around the
city, if like us (especially with three
children in tow) you want to avoid a
massive hike, head instead for Griffiths
Park – not only great for those Insta-
worthy snaps, but also home to the
Griffiths Observatory.
We ate donuts as big as our face whilst getting pictures with Homer in downtown
Springfield. We joined Gru’s gang, much to my 4-year-old’s delight, as part of
Despicable Me’s Minion Mayhem. W were immersed in the thrills of
Transformers™ The Ride-3D and laughed along with Master Po in the
DreamWorks Theatre, before embarking on the amazing Studio Tour taking in
acres of studio lot, sets and special effects all narrated by Jimmy Fallon, before
coming face to face with King Kong as he battled T-Rex in a unique 360 3D
effects experience.
Finally, we joined the Fast and The Furious cast in a 120 mile-per-hour high-
speed chase for the tour’s 360 3D grand finale! We highly recommend the
Universal Express™ tickets which give early park access and one time express
access to every ride, attraction and seated show in the park.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com
The Griffith Observatory
Sitting on the south-facing slope of
Mount Hollywood, The Griffith
Observatory is not only Southern
California’s gateway to the cosmos
with its amazing telescopes, it is also
primely situated for spectacular views
14 days, car hire from LA with www.hertz.co.uk/p/car-hire/usa/california costs from
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head to the Hertz Road Trip Planner and discover iconic and off-the-beaten track routes,
downloadable maps and insider guides.
www.hertz.co.uk/p/american-road-trip-planner
not just of the Hollywood sign but
of the whole Los Angeles Basin,
including downtown Los Angeles
to the southeast, Hollywood to
the south, and the Pacific Ocean to
the southwest.
www.griffithobservatory.org
The Walk of Fame
Whilst not as picture-perfect as you’d
expect, you must make time for a
pitstop to the Walk of Fame which
runs along 15 blocks of Hollywood
Boulevard. See who you can spot
amongst the near 2,600 stars placed
in recognition of Hollywood’s greats,
and place your hands and feet in the
iconic prints outside Grauman’s
Chinese Theatre.
www.discoverlosangeles.com
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