It was an impulse trip. A glorious weekend getaway to the city of angels and the land of the sunshine. Earlier this winter, I learned a new word: raingry. In the same family as hangry, I thought it was both hilarious and uncomfortably true. In the midst of one stretch of 86 straight days rain in Olympia, I rage-purchased flights to LA and announced to my husband when he arrived home that we were going to the sunshine; it was an impulse decision that paid off. I took a page from my dad’s book and meticulously planned our trip down to the last moment, ensuring we were able to take full advantage of all LA had to offer. Los Angeles is undoubtedly a vibrant, diverse, and sprawling city but we were able to cover most neighborhoods in the five days we were there, continually surprised by the diversity of perspectives and sheer number of people.
We fought the crowds at the iconic Santa Monica pier, strolled the enchanting streets of Abbott Kinney, and fell in love with the charming walled gardens of Venice belonging to the lucky few whom can legitamely claim the beach as their backyard. From The Strand in Manhattan Beach, we watched clouds as pink as cotton candy stretch long across the sky as the sun bled into the ocean before it disappeared. We snuck into the Beverly Hills Hotel, an absolute feast the eyes and home to the legendary palm tree wallpaper, and saw rows of cars containing every luxury brand you could think of. After marveling at the mostrasties they call houses in Beverly Hills and stalking the local haunts of my favorite bloggers, we wandered Sunset and Melrose – the quintessential streets of West Hollywood. We savored our drives along the coast, littered with stops in the beach towns that weren’t too crowed and ate our fill across the diverse LA food scene. I was bewitched by the magic of the palm tree lined streets that had certainly been featured in a myriad of films and enjoyed one too many iced coffee from a hidden patio. We checked off the cliche tourist destinations: the Hollywood Sign, Ace Hotel, and the LAMAC street light installation (which was absolutely magical!!). Yet we also had time for that which sparked our own passions: world class gyms for him, the downtown LA flower market for her, and a Laugh Factory show for the both of us (a show that was hilarious and very highly recommended, by the way).
Our time in LA can only be classified as magical but it was also great to get home to our puppy and be reminded there’s no play like home – rain and all! Here are some photos and a video if you’d like to see. Plus, I’ll be back tomorrow with my LA Foodie Guide – every meal we ate in LA with ratings!
