Our decision to visit the USA came rather spontaneously. At first, we had thought about going on a cruise, but the idea of being confined to a ship for several days with only limited time at each destination didn’t really appeal to us. We wanted more adventure—the freedom to take detours whenever we felt like it and the flexibility to explore at our own pace.
Originally, our plan was to hit San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon, but that itinerary felt too hectic. We also had to consider the French school holidays, which last two weeks, and allow the children a couple of days to recover from jet lag before returning to school. Skipping school for travel is strongly discouraged at my children’s school, so we decided to simplify our trip: we dropped San Francisco and booked return flights to Los Angeles with Air France/KLM.
We also needed an ESTA for entry into the United States. I applied for ours in November, expecting the process might take some time—but to my surprise, we received approval in just ten days, and the ESTAs are valid for two years.
Los Angeles
Our flight from Nice to Amsterdam was slightly delayed, which cut our layover from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just 45. That meant a serious sprint through Amsterdam Schiphol, and we ended up being the very last passengers to board our 11-hour flight to Los Angeles.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, we faced a long line at passport control. While it could have taken hours, we were able to skip part of the queue. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t entirely on our side—Johnny’s luggage had been left behind in Amsterdam and wouldn’t arrive until the next day.
We decided to rent a car for our entire stay, taking a shuttle bus just outside the airport to Hertz. Renting a car in the U.S. was surprisingly affordable, and we secured a Ford Escape SUV with full insurance for around €300.
For the first three nights, we had booked an apartment just off the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The owner sent instructions via email, including a code to a locker box at a nearby bar where we could pick up the keys. The apartment was spacious, with an open-plan kitchen and living area, a bedroom with two double beds, and an underground parking spot—a blessing in LA.
Although we were exhausted and battling jet lag, the excitement of being in Los Angeles was too strong to resist. We went for a stroll around the neighborhood, eager to get our first glimpse of this iconic city.
Dolby Theatre, the Oscars venue
Oscars for everyone
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The next morning, we were up bright and early—around 4 a.m.—thanks to the eight-hour time difference with France. By 5 a.m., we decided to take a walk and search for some coffee. In those early hours, the Hollywood Walk of Fame had a very different vibe: a few people who looked like they might be under the influence, and quite a few homeless sleeping on the streets. It didn’t feel dangerous, though. The nearest Starbucks opened at 6, so we grabbed our coffees and started planning the day ahead. As the sun rose, it promised to be a beautiful day.
Our first stop was the Hollywood Sign in Griffith Park. Starting early also helped us avoid the notorious LA rush hour traffic. The sign sits high in the Hollywood Hills, surrounded by hiking trails. We picked a trail, walked partway up, and took in the breathtaking view of the city skyline in the crisp morning air.
Next, we headed to Beverly Hills for a stroll and a late breakfast that felt more like brunch. It was surreal to recognize so many places we had only seen on screen before.
The day continued with a visit to Santa Monica Beach and Pier. The weather had warmed up, so we left our jackets in the car. In the parking lot, the kids spotted hummingbirds for the first time—a small but magical moment. At the end of the pier, a young man played country music on his guitar. We sat in the sunshine, enjoying the fresh ocean air—a perfect day. We also drove a short distance toward Malibu to see the beaches and the incredible hillside villas, each more extravagant than the last.
Even though it wasn’t late, jet lag caught up with us. We decided to take it easy for the rest of the day and make use of the full kitchen in our apartment. Our visit to a Target supermarket gave us some insight into why fast food is so popular in the U.S.—buying fresh and organic groceries was expensive. Our haul for dinner and the next few breakfasts—including organic ravioli with tomato sauce, sandwich ingredients, fruit, juice, and snacks—came close to $90, while our takeaway from Panda Express the night before had been only $20.
The following day was devoted entirely to Universal Studios Hollywood, both a working film studio and the oldest Universal theme park still in operation. The park was just a couple of subway stops from our apartment, which helped us avoid expensive parking. Choosing to visit midweek, on a Wednesday, meant the park was pleasantly quiet, with maximum wait times of only 15–20 minutes.
A highlight was the hour-long tram tour through the studio backlots, where we saw sets from War of the Worlds, Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane, Jurassic Park, and learned how special effects like floods and earthquakes are created. Of course, the rides and characters were a huge hit with the kids, especially the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But what really impressed us was the level of detail throughout the park: from the themed shops and costumes to the interactive characters and immersive “worlds” like Simpsons, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and Transformers. The shows were full of incredible stunts and special effects, making it a day packed with fun, excitement, and a real sense of Hollywood magic.
The next morning, we set off from Los Angeles for Las Vegas, embarking on a four-hour drive through the Mojave Desert.
Las Vegas
We left the city early, around 7 a.m., and as we drove away from the urban sprawl, the houses gradually gave way to vast open spaces. After about an hour, it felt like we were the only people in the world—endless stretches of desert surrounded us, and sometimes we didn’t see another car for kilometers.
About an hour outside Las Vegas, we decided to take a smaller side road to explore a bit of the Mojave Desert. The landscape was striking, dotted with iconic Joshua trees, and the sense of wide-open space was exhilarating—a perfect introduction to the stark beauty of the American Southwest.
We arrived in Las Vegas a bit too early to check into our hotel, so we decided to make a quick stop at the famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, featured on the show Pawn Stars. The kids had watched it a lot, and it was fun for them to see the real place. As a bonus, we even ran into Chumlee, one of the show’s main personalities—a lucky coincidence that made the stop even more memorable.
We wanted to stay right on the Las Vegas Strip, in the heart of the action, so we booked the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort after finding a great deal on Priceline. The Palazzo is one of Las Vegas’s grandest hotels, and staying there truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our suite had two queen beds, a spacious bedroom, and a separate sunken living room. The beds were incredibly comfortable, and the bathroom was large and modern—a perfect home base for our Vegas adventures.
The resort itself is designed to resemble Venice, complete with canals, gondolas, bridges, and cobblestone streets. The entire Venetian/Palazzo complex is immense—the second largest hotel complex in the world—and it’s easy to spend hours wandering indoors without ever stepping outside. We even got lost a few times!
Las Vegas has a unique charm: much of the action happens indoors, likely because of the summer heat. Beyond the casinos, each resort contains vast indoor spaces filled with shops, restaurants, and squares with ceilings painted to mimic the sky. Many hotels take inspiration from famous cities and landmarks—Venice, ancient Rome, Paris, New York, Egypt—and walking through them feels like stepping into miniature worlds.
The public can explore most areas of the resorts, even without a hotel room. Only the guest-only sections, like the rooms, require a keycard. At the Palazzo, reaching our lifts to the suite meant walking through the casino. The kids could use a wider walkway that bypassed the tables and slot machines, keeping them away from all the action while we made our way to the rooms.
Our room at the Palazzo and the corridor leading to it
Lobby at the Palazzo
Inside the Cesar's Palace
Of course, no trip to Las Vegas would be complete without trying your luck at the casinos. The kids stayed behind in the hotel room watching TV while we gave it a go. It was fun, but in the end, we were left with only memories and lighter wallets. What really struck us was seeing people at the slot machines at 7 a.m.—some likely there all night, still pressing buttons with unwavering focus. One lesson became clear: in Las Vegas, money always stays in Las Vegas.
Sedona, the Grand Canyon and around
The drive from Las Vegas to Sedona takes roughly four and a half hours. We had chosen Sedona as our next stop because of its stunning landscapes and its convenient location—just under two hours from the Grand Canyon.
Our first stop, about an hour out of Las Vegas, was the Hoover Dam. This impressive concrete arch-gravity dam spans the Black Canyon of the Colorado River on the Nevada-Arizona border. The views from the dam were breathtaking, with the river, canyon, and surrounding nature stretching out in every direction. Crossing into Arizona also meant entering a new time zone—we gained an hour, much to our surprise.
Feeling adventurous, we decided to take a detour along a stretch of the historic Route 66 instead of sticking to the highway. It added about an hour to our journey, but it was well worth it. The road was mostly empty, and we stopped at a small petrol station for a quick bite to eat. Along the way, we passed through Peach Springs, which is said to have inspired Radiator Springs in the Cars movie—a fun little touch of America.
As we neared Flagstaff, not far from the Grand Canyon, snow began appearing along the sides of the road, creating a striking contrast with the desert landscapes we’d seen earlier. Turning south from Flagstaff toward Sedona, our route took us through the Oak Creek Canyon, a winding road with dramatic scenery. By the time we approached Sedona, the snow had disappeared, replaced by the warm, red-rock vistas the town is famous for.
The Oak Creek Canyon at the top part
Sedona’s landscape is nothing short of mesmerizing. Multi-hued stone formations rise dramatically from the high desert floor, creating a vivid setting that seems to change with every passing hour of light. According to USA Weekend, Sedona even earned the top spot on their “Most Beautiful Places in America” list. Surrounded by nearly two million acres of national forest, the area offers instant access to hiking and biking trails, rugged jeep tracks, and a forest of pinnacles, spires, buttes, and domes. At the same time, the town itself offers plenty of indulgences—making Sedona both rugged and resort-like. Regarded by Native Americans as sacred, it is also known for its healing and spiritual energy, attracting visitors drawn to its famous vortex energy centers.
Learning all this before our visit heightened our anticipation—and seeing it in person was truly incredible. Our only regret was that we didn’t have more time to soak it all in. We stayed at the Poco Diablo Resort, conveniently located near the town center and offering breathtaking views of the surrounding red rocks. Our room was spacious, with two comfortable double beds, providing the perfect base to relax after a day of exploring this unforgettable landscape.
Open air fireplace at the Poco Diablo resort
In Sedona, we picked an Italian restaurant recommended on TripAdvisor, hoping for a comforting meal. For us, accustomed to the authentic flavors of Italy, the experience was… interesting. Chicken parmigiana, Caesar salad, spaghetti with meatballs, and Alfredo sauce—definitely not what you’d find in a typical Italian trattoria. My Caesar salad was fine, but the kids found their spaghetti overcooked, and Johnny wasn’t impressed with his chicken parmigiana. On the bright side, the portions were enormous!
The next morning, we were up early to visit the Grand Canyon. It was a crisp, frosty morning, but the sun was shining, promising a beautiful day. Driving through Oak Creek Canyon, we saw the scenery dusted with snow from the night before—a magical start to the day. We decided to take the route through Williams on the way there and return via Cameron.
Arriving at Grand Canyon National Park, we were greeted by a landscape partially covered in snow. After paying the $35 car fee, we headed toward Mather Point, one of the main viewpoints near the Grand Canyon Village. We only visited the South Rim—the North Rim is usually closed in winter and too far to drive from Sedona anyway. The Grand Canyon was absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky to have sunny weather, but temperatures hovered around -1°C, adding a crisp, invigorating edge to the experience.
We started driving west through the village, stopping at various viewpoints—each offering a unique perspective—until we reached Hopi Point. We also hiked about a kilometer along the rim before heading back east, making several more stops along the way. The drive back to Sedona took us through Kaibab National Forest, where we spotted deer multiple times.
The following morning, when we checked out of our hotel in Sedona, the receptionist warned us that heading north that day would have been a bad idea—snowstorms were coming, and several roads, including the one to the Grand Canyon, would have been closed. We were so glad we had visited the day before!
Rather than drive all the way back to Los Angeles, we decided to stop for a night in Palm Springs, still nearly six hours from Sedona. The route took us through hills, forests, and, of course, desert, highlighting the vastness of the American landscape. We drove for tens of kilometers at a time without seeing another car. Crossing the border from Arizona to California, we returned to the Pacific Time Zone, ready for the next leg of our adventure.
Desert landscapes
My veggie breakfast burrito
Venice beach
We absolutely fell in love with the USA—the ease of getting around, the endless choices of things to see and do, the incredible sense of space, and the friendliness of the people all made traveling there a joy. Even though this trip was brief, it was so packed with experiences that it left us wanting more. We already have several other road trips in mind, and there’s no doubt we’ll be back to explore even more of this vast and fascinating country.
Anche questo รจ molto bello.
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