We love a trip to Disneyland, obviously. While being immersed at the Happiest Place on Earth is its own magical vacation, we also love the proximity to a great number of SoCal vacation spots! The Marines took our family to southern California by way of Camp Pendleton, so many of our family members lived there at some point, and it’s always nice to go back and revisit favorite places and discover new ones!
This past summer we made our way back out to Disneyland with our newbie cousins along for the ride. As it happens, one of my cousins (by marriage) also lived in SoCal, so we decided to make a dedicate the second half of our trip to non-Disney destinations. Of course, everyone wanted to visit Hollywood, but Hollywood with kids was a different beast. The crew was made up of five adults (18, 25, 27, 39 and 63) and five littles (1, 5, 6, 6, 7) plus one stroller, so we had to make sure all of our adventures would be engaging and accessible for a pretty wide range of people.
So, if you’ve got a day for L.A. (or, technically for us, two half days) with littles in tow, consider a few of these options.
Big Bus Los Angeles
Call us tourists, but we love a double decker bus tour. While we like to hit those local favorites and hidden gems, we also like to see the heavy hitters while on vacation, and these tours are an easy way do that. Car rental in a big city isn’t my favorite thing. While I don’t mind driving, parking can be a nightmare. Additionally, when traveling with littles, we have the added issue of car seats. The buses take away both issues. Plus, we rarely use public transportation, so the bus itself is a huge novelty for the kids.
In addition to the transportation bonus, the tours come with a recorded guided tour, which is more than I’d have in the car. Plus, you get to keep the headphones, so that’s like a 25 cent gift right there!
These hop-on, hop-off tours provide a lot of flexibility. You can ride the whole tour circle or opt to get off and explore different areas of the city. Just make sure you know the schedule and when the last bus comes. A diaper blow-out almost had half the crew stranded at the Farmer’s Market.
@magicmemoriesmayhem Hollywood from the second floor 🎥 #FamilyVacation #HollywoodWithKids #HollywoodTripTips #LosAngeles, #Hollywood ♬ Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album) – Dua Lipa
And speaking of…
The Farmer’s Market
A Los Angeles staple since 1934, the Farmer’s Market is one of my personal favorites! of course you can find fresh produce, but the market is also home to lots of unique shops and fantastic restaurants! This is definitely worth a lunch stop, and if you’ve opted for the bus tour, it’s a stop!
Dining Area
Trejo’s Tacos
Bennett’s Ice Cream
Bennett’s Ice Cream
Little Tokyo
Make your way to the northern edge of Downtown L.A., and you can find yourself wandering the bricked walkways of Little Tokyo. Located inside Los Angeles Street, Alameda Street, 3rd Street and 1st Street, including the block north of 1st and west of Alameda, the Japanese district is home to shops, restaurants and more.
If you have littles (and even teens), chances are they are part of some type of fandom originating in Japan. Pokemon, anime, Kawaii…it’s all in Little Tokyo, and the kids were in heaven!
Mokuyobi Gift Shop
Yamazaki Bakery
Yamazaki Bakery
Street Art
@magicmemoriesmayhem Our afternoon in Little Tokyo 🗼 #familyvacationtips #littletokyo #losangeles #travelagentmom ♬ Little Smile – eas Ratta
Chinchikurin (Little Tokyo)
We toured Little Tokyo just before lunch, so we decided to stick around and grab a bite. Always ready to try something new, we opted to visit Okonomiyaki restaurant Chinchikurin. The kids took a minute to warm up to it, but we all really enjoyed our lunch!
According to the restaurant:
It generally contains about 11 layers which consist of various types of vegetables, moderate portions of protein, a decent layer of carbs, and a few layers of extra flavor.
And although each layer brings their own flavor and texture to the table, it’s the famous Otafuku sauce that brings them all together.
Outdoor seating
White Peach soda
Soupless Spicy Tan Tan Men (Soupless Spicy noodles)
Chinchikurin is bringing a whole new bowl of noodles to the table with this dish. Not to be confused with the spicy tantan ramen, the Hiroshima style TanTanMen is a soupless noodle dish that is slightly spicy and contains sansho. This dish contains a hearty portion of noodles topped with ground pork, negi, and a sprinkle of togarashi. The special Chinchikurin mixing broth contains a variety of oil and spices, including sansho.
Broc’n Shrimp
As one of the most favorite toppings (We even have a separate appetizer dish!) all of Japan, this dish is The Classic topped with sautéed shrimp and broccoli, then drizzled with Japanese mayo.
Deep Fried Chicken
Chinchikurinyaki
The signature dish of the Chinchikurin chain in Hiroshima. A local favorite, it does not have pork or bean sprouts. Instead, it has a ground beef mix known as “shioburiyaki,” which adds a deeper depth of flavor and texture.If you’re not sure which okonomiyaki dish to choose, order this one!
Hollywood Boulevard & the Walk of Fame
Of course, no trip to Hollywood would be complete without a stroll around the Walk of Fame and the sights of Hollywood Boulevard!
Outside the Dolby Theatre
Outside the Dolby Theatre
Outside the Dolby Theatre
Miniso
Hollywood Boulevard
There is obviously so much more to explre in Los Angeles, so we’ll be back with the littles for sure.
Have you been? Give us your best tips and must-dos in the comments!