Friday was Cinco de Mayo which I found out is a day that flight attendants prefer to have off. On top of that, some nasty weather was moving up the East Coast resulting in a number of flights to be delayed or cancelled. For a reserve flight attendant, this made my possibility of going somewhere cool very high.
When I saw Burbank was in Opentime, I knew I had to at least try to get it. I pref-bid for it the day before, expecting someone with better seniority to snag it. But when I checked after Noon and saw that I had it, I was so happy. Burbank is a super senior trip, so being so junior, let alone on reserve, the odds were ever in my favor. Not knowing when I'd get the opportunity again, I knew I had to do more on my layover than sleep and go to the gym.
I woke up Saturday morning ready to go. Truthfully, I had no idea what Burbank had to offer, so I set out to Google for some ideas. A lot of suggestions brought up places in Downtown LA, but I really wanted to stay in the Burbank area. (Also, it was Saturday and Uber prices were high. I am on reserve after all!) Searching through Pinterest, TripAdvisor and Yelp yielded some great ideas, but there was one that caught my eye immediately: the Hollywood Sign.
There are a few different vantage points to get a view of the Hollywood sign, including the highly suggested Griffith Observatory, which is much farther away. However, the best bet from Burbank seemed to be Lake Hollywood Park. Less than 10 minutes in a Lyft from my hotel and I was in full view of the iconic sign.
Before I got out of the Lyft, my driver and I realized one thing: there was no cell service. He offered to wait for me while I took a few pictures, an offer I was beyond grateful for. In addition to the views of the Hollywood Sign, the park is surrounded by lush greenery, a great spot to spend a few hours. (It's also dog friendly!)
Once I was done, my superstar Lyft driver asked if I was up for an impromptu tour as we drove back to the hotel. Um, yes! Our brief detour was an overview of who's who and where in the media capital that is Burbank. Warner Brothers, Disney, The Big Bang Theory, Conan, ELLEN! He even gave a brief history of how Burbank went from manufacturing to media. Driving past the studios was so cool and if I had more time, I definitely would have done a tour or gone to a taping.By the time I got back to the hotel, I was starting to feel hungry. It was time for lunch but a bigger part of me was in the mood for something sweet. Probably because I had bookmarked a few bakeries, including Porto's and Martino's, on Yelp before I left. The craving was growing stronger and stronger, so I had no choice but to give in. I read that the lines at Porto's, especially on a Saturday, could be long. While the menu of Cuban specialties had me drooling, I decided to leave it for next time. With that, it was off to Martino's.
By no means was my going to Martino's a consolation prize or second best. Quite the opposite. If time permitted, I would have gone to both bakeries since they offer such different menus. Being able to visit Martino's was still a win and it did not disappoint. Since the tea cakes are their specialty, I picked up a few different ones, and my favorite, a cream horn.
After Martino's, I made my way back to the hotel (for real this time) and stopped at Kopan Ramen for my actual lunch. This was my first time having ramen, so while I have nothing to compare it to, I thought it was really good.
I wanted to do (and eat) so much more during my time in Burbank. But working the redeye back that night meant getting back to the hotel with enough time to decompress and get a nap in before the flight. Even thought it was short, I had so much fun in Burbank. I can't wait till I can come back and do even more.
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