I left Gran Canaria on a two-week stopover in Burbank, California. There was a work event that I needed to attend in New Orleans, and I wanted to give myself time to deal with any travel delays or jetlag and just enjoy a different location for a bit.
The main highlights of this trip were: some beautiful hikes, lots of food from Trader Joe’s, and touring Warner Bros. Studios!
Visiting Warner Bros. Studios
I’d actually debated on visiting Warner Bros. Studios at all. Tours range from about $70 to upwards of $300, so even the lower end is steep. And I wasn’t sure I’d be into any of the shows and films covered during the tour. But my Airbnb was literally blocks from it and I figured I might as well try. I ended up glad that I went!
The studios are active, so even though the tours walk you through a history of different shows and films, you will also see television crews at work. Who knows, you might even see a celebrity (I didn’t, but you might lol)!
The Sets
I realized my error in thinking that I wouldn’t hear about any of my favorite films at the exact moment that we started to view sets from the movie Annie, one of my favorite films as a kid! This fire escape depicts the scene where the girls in the orphanage have a song and dance act.
I believe next image this was meant to be the exterior of the Full House home, even though the real home it was based off of is in San Francisco. As you can see from the photo below, my vehicle neighbors brought their dog with them, so service dogs are allowed.
They were in the process of filming Abbott Elementary episodes and we got to see the exterior sets of the school:
Friends
Now here’s the place where I really spent a lot of time: the sets for Friends. Yes, I’m one of those people that loved and still loves Friends! It’s a go-to move for me to watch marathons of it whenever I’m in a hotel.
I tend to avoid photo ops, but the opportunity to sit in the Central Perk set and the famous couch-in-front-of-the-fountain had to be seized! And you can see I was genuinely happy to be there.
My love for Japan and Japanese is well-documented, so you can imagine my joy at seeing a Japanese poster for the show:
I also saw more iconic things, like Monica’s kitchen, the Holiday Armadillo suit, and merchandise for the ever-quotable “Pivot” episode. That last part is actually how I learned the vocabulary word ‘pivot’ as a child and it’s a scene that I quote to this day.
Fun Bits
At the end of the tour and before entering the gift shop, you’re handed an Academy Award Oscar. The staff member placed it in my hands and I instinctively said, “Wow, it’s heavy.” He responded with the kind of dull, uninterested face that told me he hears the same sentence a thousand times a day.
(By the way, I looked online and an Oscar weighs about 9lbs or 4kg, so not terribly heavy but I guess more than I anticipated.)
Once I wrapped up the tour, it was super easy to cross the street from Warner Bros. Studios and grab a bite to-go at Dog Haus. I sure do love a dog with ‘taters!
Hikes to do in Burbank and Los Angeles
Wisdom Tree Hike
Although I’d been to California a few years prior, I’d never had the chance to view the Hollywood sign. I more than made up for this on my second trip. I chose most of my hikes simply because they each had varying view of the Hollywood sign.
If you keep hiking past the tree, you will get more views of the Hollywood sign.
Hollywood Reservoir Trailhead
I took so many different shots of the Hollywood sign that I won’t bore you with them all. I did, however, think the view of the sign through the fencing around the reservoir was cool.
This was my favorite hike for the varying environment and the chance to see the reservoir and Hollywood sign from different angles.
Runyon Canyon Hike
Hiking Runyon Canyon is fun because you get a mixture of views: the Hollywood sign, snow-capped mountains in the distance (if it’s clear enough), and views of downtown Los Angeles. I did see quite a few dogs off leash on this trail though.
Griffith Observatory
I never got to visit Griffith Observatory on my first trip, so I was happy to this time around. I would recommend it, but it’s best that you don’t drive there. Parking is a nightmare and expensive. Instead, you can take a bus, a rideshare, or go on one of the many tours I saw dropping people off by the busload. And as a bonus to all of the activities provided by the observatory, you can also see the Hollywood sign in the distance!
Walking Around Burbank
Halloween in Burbank
I also happened to be visiting Burbank a few weeks after Halloween. A few houses still had up their decorations and it was so fun to walk around and see the funny lawn decorations.
Downtown Burbank and
Burbank Winter Wine Walk
In Summary
Burbank was a great place for a US stopover whilst nomading. The November nights were colder than I anticipated (in the 40s while the days were in the 70s), but there were plenty of hiking opportunities and none of the stressors that can come with big cities. It appeared to me that friends in LA felt like Burbank was a completely different world, but I grew to be very partial to it. If you have the disposable cash, Burbank is a lovely place to spend some time as a digital nomad looking for a place to park in the United States.
A home for my words. 
Share your thoughts and/or questions.