Our time in Los Angeles was incredible! It started off with non-stop laughter at the famous Improv comedy club and the group was absolutely star-struck when we realized our host for the evening was Gustavo from the show Big Time Rush. After a hilarious evening, we took some pictures with our celebrity host and made our way to the UCLA dorms, our home for four nights.
Our next morning started bright and early and we spent the entire day at Disneyland. As we drove through L.A., the group played their favorite Disney songs on the bus, and we all sang along to the Toy Story and the Lion King soundtracks. The group explored Disney and went on as many rides as possible! That evening, we had a special ice cream treat at the famous Diddy Riese, where we got creative in making our own ice cream sandwiches.
The next morning, the group took advantage of all that UCLA has to offer. We enjoyed eating in a college dining hall and all that comes with that – including unlimited food options! Make-your-own omelet, tater tots, and chocolate chip pancakes were all on the menu. The group used the famous Bruins Athletic Complex to workout, play basketball, and swim. Our resident Frisbee experts even showed the group how to really play the game! To get into the fourth of July spirit, we enjoyed some friendly competition! The group split into Red, White, and Blue teams, captains were chosen as the teams competed in different activities! Winning by only 1 point, the Blue team won during the pyramid activity, breaking the tie!
That afternoon, we enjoyed a few iconic L.A. sites, including the Chinese Theater, Hollywood and the Highlands, and Venice Beach. The group particularly liked the street performers in Venice. Some of us took pictures on the beach as others lay in the grass, trying to see who could blow the biggest bubble into the air! To top off our perfect July the fourth day, we went to a Baseball game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers had a great game, bringing home the win and the group cheered them on every step of the way. We have a few singers among us, and we enjoyed singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’. Before heading back to the dorms, we saw spectacular fireworks that were complete with a soundtrack of many All-American songs.
The next morning, many of the trip members learned how to do laundry for the first time, and we are happy to report that none of the white shirts turned out pink, and everyone’s laundry is nicely folded.
We had a great day at Universal Studios and Harry Potter World and the Mummy rides were clear favorites, and our trip members enjoyed the Studio Tour. The tour which allowed us to learn about all of the movies filmed here! As a result of winning a few games, we welcomed our new trip mascot named Alpha. He sits happily on the bus, though sometimes he joins in on activities as well (mostly for the photos!). As our night came to an end, we had a dance party. This group has some serious moves, and we even managed to get on the big screen!
The next morning, we spent time working with volunteers to sort through food at the L.A. Food Bank. Our trip members were committed and a big help to the volunteers.
As it was our last day in L.A., the group saw a few more sites, including the Farmer’s Market and Rodeo Drive. We were able to convince tourists that one of our trip members, Anthony L, was a big shot celebrity. We all took pictures with him to sell the joke and after only a minute or two, our master plan worked, and we had a crowd of people who stopped and wanted photos! We headed to the Santa Monica Pier and our trip members enjoyed the Ferris Wheel as we overlooked L.A. and the Pacific Ocean one last time!
We are having the most incredible time and are so excited to see what Lake Tahoe has in store for us. Everyone has grown so close and we can’t wait to continue sharing some amazing experiences together!
Until next time,
The Westcoast Blogger
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