Vacation Ideas – TORsAdventures

Warner Brothers Studio Lot Tour

March 8, 2025

The Warner Brothers Studio Lot Tour was our Sunday activity in Los Angeles and the best part was going on the active sound stage of the TV series All American! WOW! I still can’t get over how much fun that really was.

It starts out when you are in the parking garage and they tell you to follow the elevator to the Looney Tunes! Bugs Bunny and Tweedy were always my favorites and guess who was waiting for me? After we checked in we were told we could make our way over to the entrance at our own pace even though our tickets were timed when we bought them. They have their own Starbucks and encourage you to bring drinks on the tour itself. First you are led into a room with various pieces of memorabilia that you can read at your own pace. Then they ask you your group size and you are brought into different areas for a short film and to meet your tour guide for the day. You are then led outside to a waiting extended safari type golf cart. This is the part where I was so happy to see how clean they keep the lot and all of the areas we saw. It was very much like being in a Disney Park or inside of a working television show filming. Everything everywhere you looked, it was perfect.

They took us to the first set of buildings and then told us to look at all of the buildings exteriors. None of them have the traditional address numbers or even a company name on the outside. There was only 1 building that had anything on the outside. A very no muss no fuss, Warner Brothers Television. We were driven around on these electric carts and it seems like most of the carts driven around the lot are electric as well. Some areas look like you just walked into that town. Stars Hollow looks just like they left yesterday. I know Gilmore Girls is a very famous show, but I think the most famous show to film on that lot is Friends. You can even take a photo with the original fountain from the opening scenes.

They have an inside area that you can take photos with Friends and Big Bang Theory memorabilia as well as a cafe set up like Central Perk. None of these activities are timed and you can stay there as long as you like, once you are done you are able to move onto the next set up. The only thing that is timed is your actual tour with the guide. When you book your tickets, you have lots of options to choose from. Just in case you were wondering, we did the standard studio tour for $73 each.

Christmas in New York City!

January 3, 2025February 7, 2025

This year was extra special because I bought myself my own set of skates for the first time in 20 years! A couple of years ago, I woke up Christmas morning in NYC and went skating at the Rockefeller rink under the iconic tree! Well that was fun for about 5 minutes until my feet hurt in the rentals. I didn’t feel steady, and couldn’t do anything I wanted to do. So fast forward a few years later, and I am presented with the opportunity to go to NYC again for another Christmas trip. I got the idea to go skating again, but didn’t have my own skates. This is where the ultimate Christmas gift I always wanted under the tree, a brand new pair of figure skates, that were actually big enough for my big feet. A 10 wide … yes … not exactly common. I know I was forced to shove my feet into skates that were too small just because that’s the only thing my parents would buy for me.

When it came to finding my skates, I chose a brand that was around when I was a kid and is still thriving today. Riedell was a sure bet to me and it paid off. I LOVE my skates, they were an awesome price at around $200, and came with some professional parts, like the flex notch for added comfort in bending my knees. Mine are not available anymore but here are ones that are comparable in price.

The Sky Club and flight there were great as usual with my favorite airline Delta. I have totally become a Delta girl since 2013 when I started flying them almost exclusively. I have the American Express Delta Reserve card and it comes in handy when I want to visit any Sky Club. I know the rules are changing in 2025, but I still find a lot of value from the card. With the $650 annual fee, its not for everyone, but for someone who travels alone a lot it has been nice. Also, it was Christmas Eve when I flew in and I wanted to spread a little joy while I traveled to meet my friend who was flying in on a different flight that was also booked with Delta Skymiles.

We were staying at the Hilton Midtown booked with points …. Obviously! 87,900 to be exact, to some this might be a lot of points, but for me its a great way to spend some points and quality time in New York City. We used the $35.00 per person credit for a few drinks at the bar, then took a bottle on champagne to go see the Rockefeller tree at midnight. Did you know that people gather and count down just like New Years Eve?

But before any of that, I had 1 thing on my to do list … Visit the new Louis Vuitton store that was built while they complete construction on the permanent location across the street! I was super excited to see all the displays and the previous designs along side their modern day counterparts.

Paris Olympics 2024

July 31, 2024September 13, 2024

Well I went off and booked an international trip to Paris in no less than 17 days for the Olympics!

Lets talk about how I got there and whats in store for me coming home! I booked 2 – 1 way tickets. The first ticket was ORD to CDG nonstop on Air France. I have Platinum status with Delta and I had a $100 credit so I booked it via the Delta website. I booked this flight for $383.30! A steal in my opinion for the Olympics. Getting home was even easier. I was able to book via Delta and pay 52,000 Skymiles and $260.46 in taxes and fees. After booking there was an offer to upgrade to Delta One and I decided to splurge and did it! $876.42 in my book is one heck of a deal! At the $100 a hour rate it was a no brainier.

The first thing after dropping my bags at the hotel was to go and see the Eiffel Tower with the rings and for the first time there was NO WAIT to get to the top! I bought my ticket and proceeded to the elevator that takes you to the 2nd floor. You have to then go in a separate line and ride another elevator all the way to the top but oh my its worth it! Paris is a magical place!

I was able to see Team USA in Women’s Rugby and Badminton. I also went to a Soccer – Football game too but it didn’t have the same Olympic feeling as the other 2 events. I have already signed up for Milan 2026. Fingers crossed I can get tickets to see the women’s and men’s figure skating.

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