I was lucky enough to travel to Los Angeles, California for a week. I’ve always wanted to visit California; so many places to go and things to see. We split the week up between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, a mix of city and beach. We rented two Airbnb’s: one in the heart of Downtown LA and our second would be a block away from Santa Monica beach.
We started in Downtown LA and enjoyed a night at a Dodgers game. The next day we visited the Griffith Observatory to see the Hollywood Sign and then had some amazing tacos (I wish I remembered the restaurant’s name!) Another pit stop on the LA trip was Hollywood. After seeing the tourist sites, the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre, I wanted to do some shopping on the famous Melrose Ave. I found a beautiful vintage dress from a store called Wasteland. You definitely have to do some digging, but there are some great pieces to be found in there.
Last, but certainly not least, was Santa Monica Beach. Between the boardwalk, the infamous Venice sign, the art vendors, skateparks and the beach, it was all so beautiful and relaxing. If you stop at one place for a drink on Venice boardwalk, you must go here. It’s a restaurant in a hotel, so you have to really look to find it. Not only are their mango jalapeño margaritas to die for, the view from the rooftop bar is unbelievable. You can see the whole beach from the top of that. Shopping in Santa Monica? I especially loved Abbot Kinney Blvd., it’s the ultimate beachy-shopping strip and had so many cute boutiques. My favorite part was how each boutique had it’s own backyard, beautifully decorated in their own ways with all different plants and colors. A definite must see and it was the perfect end to the trip. Visiting LA reminded me a little of the east coast, the beach and the city just a half hour from each other. However, it’s definitely not as fast-paced and I wouldn’t mind some of that warm weather all year around either 🙂
Some food/shopping recommendations:
- Venice: Main St. for some shopping and food spots.
- Venice: The Library for a good beer.
- Venice: Here and here for some unique shopping.
- Shopping on Melrose Ave: Wasteland, Wild Style LA & Seven 7.
- Eating on Melrose Ave: The Village Idiot & Ajisai
