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My, my, my. I had no idea so many of you would want this topic covered, especially during a pandemic; however, I’m more than happy to give you what you want! I took a poll on Instagram a couple weeks ago and a LA weekend travel guide was one of the most requested topics. It beat out my favorite LA restaurants and coffee shops post! What was also surprising is that the second request was what it was like to rent an apartment here. Who knew?! More on that soon.

Anyway, if you’re new here or just found this post due to the topic I’m covering, welcome! I’m originally from Dallas, Texas, but I moved to Los Angeles California in September of 2019. That being said, the bulk of my time in LA has been under lockdown. Even so, I think I can still give good recommendations and do it from more of a tourist’s eyes at that!

Before I get started, I wanted to mention that as of right now (January 2021), we are still mostly shut down. We have no dining - indoor and outdoor are closed, so only take-out. Beaches and trails remain open. Other than that, there’s not much else to do. Also our hospitals are all full, so maybe not the best time to visit. Perhaps bookmark this post for later ;)

ideal weekend in la, los angeles in a weekend, a travel guide, what to do in la by neighborhood, venice, beverly hills, santa monica, silverlake, la blogger, best restaurants, lments of style

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Before I go into details, I just wanted to mention that Los Angeles is huge. I mean realllly big. There’s also quite a bit of traffic. It could take you 45 minutes to go 8 miles. I think coming from Texas I thought I knew big and I thought I knew traffic, but it is actually quite different.

Okay let’s get into my ideal weekend in Los Angeles. Obviously I say my ideal weekend, because I have no way of knowing what you’d like to do. There are seriously so many options and so little time. For the sake of this post, let’s just say you’re arriving on Friday afternoon and leaving Sunday afternoon. That being said, I’m not going to suggest Disneyland. If you’re coming to LA for Disneyland, you already know that you’re planning on doing that and don’t need me to tell you about it . It isn’t cheap, it will take up the bulk of your time, and you will need a car. If you are going straight to Disneyland, it will take you about an hour to get to Anaheim (where Disneyland is) straight from LAX. If you are really set on doing a park while you’re here, maybe try doing Universal Studios - it is still super fun and about half the price and half the drive time comparatively speaking. Oh and there’s the Wizarding World of Harry Potter there too!

Before we get going on this “choose your own adventure” type of travel guide, let me ask where you are staying. So where are you staying? I live on the West side, so I’m pro-west side; however, it all depends on what you are planning on doing / where you are planning on going. Maybe figure out what you want to do, then go from there. Book a place to stay either centrally located or closer to the bulk of the places you are planning to go.

Friday:

Check into your hotel and freshen up. I suggest going to Venice for the evening. Some of our favorite restaurants are over here, there are cute shops, you can walk around, and it is by the beach! It’s not my favorite beach because it is often crowded and dirty, but it is worth seeing at least once. You can walk through or even take a gondola on the Venice Canals - book this ahead if you want to do so. You can also see the original Gold’s Gym and “Muscle Beach”, all while catching the sunset. Our favorite restaurants are Felix, Gjelina, and Gjusta. I love Cafe Gratitude and it along with The Butcher’s Daughter are good vegan options that omnivores will actually enjoy. Tocaya Organica is a fast casual Mexican restaurant that is yummy. We love picking up prepared food at Erewhon (a fancy grocery store). The sushi is wonderful and I also love their chicken tenders, taquitos, and salads. Smoothies too! If you want a budget friendly option, I’d grab burgers from The Win-dow. They have a restaurant and a beach-side location. Their fries are great and their salads are good too. Vegan options here as well. Grab a milkshake and walk the beach while you’re at it! If you don’t get ice cream there, 100% go to Salt and Straw and get some of their AMAZING ice cream. They are based in Portland, but I’m so glad we have some in LA. Also all of these places are offering take-out, so you can grab these and have a beach picnic if you’d like!

Saturday:

This is where the “choose your own adventure” comes into play. One of the reasons you come to LA is the weather, so I suggest you get outside! Sooo what do you want to do? Feel free to mix and match these, though you probably can’t do it all. Here are some options!

Malibu - Malibu is one of our favorite places! If you decide to go this route, you can also check the historic Pacific Coast Highway off your list, because you will take it to get out there. I’d start my day with a hike. One on the way to Malibu is Los Liones. It is fairly easy and has great views. Next I’d grab a breakfast burrito from Lily’s Malibu. Just make sure you order ahead online, because it will probably take at least 30 minutes for yours to be ready. You could always switch this order with the hike and do one in Malibu instead if you like! Take your burrito to the beach and enjoy it ocean-side. Zuma beach is fairly close. Lechuza is also, but is more private and harder to get to if you don’t know how. El Matador Beach is stunning, but a little further of a drive. It has amazing cliffs and rocks, but the only way down are steep stairs. If you are staying out here all day, perhaps take a nap in your car, then get back out there! Neptune’s Net is a good casual place for lunch or dinner. So is John’s Garden - I love their wraps! Malibu Farm is good for sunset drinks, but I prefer it for brunch over dinner. At the very least, you can grab a to-go drink (their frozen rosé is amazing) and walk it over to the adjacent beach. Beware of the waves though - they can get pretty gnarly / have high tide, so pay attention. Of course Nobu Malibu is amazing, but you’ll probably need to change and make sure you have a reservation. You may get a walk-in bar seat post-pandemic though. Read more about visiting Nobu Malibu here. The Getty Villa is on your way back into town if you’d like to stop and tour somewhere historic.

OR

Hollywood - Just going to be honest… Hollywood proper is not my favorite place. It is dirty and not as glamorous as people think it is. It’s where my church is and that is really the only time I go. It is worth it to do the Runyon Canyon / Hollywood Sign hike though! I gave details / tips about that hike here. If you don’t want to hike it, you could have a picnic at the base as an alternative. Griffith Observatory is here too and it is FREE. This is also time you can check off seeing the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you have someone in mind, look up where their star is before and go straight there. Otherwise, you can get out , see some stars, and be done with it. (Hah - sounds mean, but I think you’ll understand when you see it.) If you have kids or are into Funko dolls, the Funko Hollywood store is AMAZING and I don’t even collect the pop figurines. It is huge and interactive. Barnsdall Art Park has a view and is great too. The Hollyhock House is nearby as well. The LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is in La Brea which is near Hollywood and it is awesome. The La Brea Tarpits are over there too, which is another historic site to see. Our favorite restaurant in La Brea is Republique. Breakfast, brunch, and dinner are all great! It is in Charlie Chaplin’s old house if there is dine-in service. Our other favorite restaurants in the area are all in West Hollywood, which has a lot of places to eat and tons of bars. Son of a Gun, Catch LA, Bacari W. 3rd, Joan’s on 3rd, and Daughter’s Deli are some to name a few. Petite Trois and Mama Shelter are probably our favorite restaurants in Hollywood proper. If you want authentic Mexican food, go to El Coyote. Don’t forget to drive down the Sunset strip in West Hollywood (WeHo)! It’s obviously iconic and actually pretty. You can walk it too if you’d like, though if you want to stroll, I’d go to Melrose place. Alfred Coffee (responsible for the “but first coffee” phrase) has their original location on Melrose. I love their looseleaf tea!) The Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory are also close by and offer something fun to do. Something that is budget friendly if you have a car is to drive in the Hollywood Hills! The houses are so pretty and the views are breathtaking. Just be careful of the turns / other cars. Bring peppermint oil if you get carsick ;) If you want to do Universal Studios, this is the area it is near to. Warner Brother’s Studios are close as well and you can do lot tours. There’s also the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the Hollywood Bowl for other fun events.

OR

Santa Monica - If you just want to have a beach day, I recommend this option! You can explore the Santa Monica Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade (outdoor mall), and the beach all in one! We typically hang out at Will Roger’s Beach which is to the right of the pier. Do the “Santa Monica Stairs” if you want to get in some exercise! Our favorite restaurants are Fia, Ashland Hill, Elephante, Uovo, GoodBoyBob, and Belcampo. Brentwood is nearby and we love Sugarfish, Pizzana, and Jon and Vinny’s (the original is in Fairfax / Hollywood). We love to get the Sugarfish bento box to-go and enjoy the sushi on the beach. Nothing beats a beach sunset!! The Getty Center is just up the street and it is a wonderful (and free!) museum. Pitfire Pizza is technically in Westwood, but is a more budget friendly artisanal pizza place as well. Don Antonio’s is also on the west side and serves authentic Mexican food. You could always choose one of the other locations for the morning and end the day with dinner on the beach and watch the sun set. Do a beach day in the morning and get ready for a dinner reservation / sunset in Malibu would be fun too. A beach day / sunrise morning could also make for a laid back Sunday before you leave too.

OR

Silverlake: If you’ve been to LA before and want to think outside the “normal” places, I’d go to east LA. You can walk up and down Silverlake boulevard, taking in the sights, smells, and quirkiness. LAMILL coffee is great and Botanica and Night + Market are nearby. One our favorite burger spots EVER is Burgers Never Say Die. It is divine. Hop on over to Echo Park and do the swan pedal boats while you’re at it. Dodger Stadium is also close by if you are a baseball fan.

Sunday:

You’ll want to take it easy this day // you don’t want to cram a lot in this day since you are leaving. If you’ve never been, it’s a great day to go to Beverly Hills and see Rodeo Drive. Window shop or grab a souvenir while you’re there. It’s honestly really pretty and fun even if you don’t plan to drop any dough. Sometimes we drive to BH to just walk around the pretty neighborhoods and homes! There are quite a few walking paths along the street as well. The Spadena House // The Witch’s house is a fun landmark to see and is located at 516 Walden Dr. The Beverly Hills Hotel is of course a beautiful landmark and fun to visit, but the best time I’ve had at a hotel is the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. One of my favorite memories is having after-dinner drinks at “The Rooftop by JG” (make a reservation). It is STUNNING after dark, as you see all the glittering lights from the Hollywood Hills. Maybe make a res here or Saturday evening? Our other favorite restaurants in the area are Wally’s, South Beverly Grill, and 208 Rodeo. The Polo Lounge is in The Beverly Hills Hotel - it is good, but $$$. Like $30 for a salad. The Hollywood Bowls is v good. Really yummy, but you are paying for the ambience.

Whew. Are you tired yet? I am exhausted and that is just from typing all that info! There’s honestly so much to do in LA, you will have no problem filling your time. I suggest lightly planning at the very least though, because there are so many options and some need to be reserved in advance. It will also help your travel time and you will get the most out of your trip. If you’re looking for something else to do, we love “hiking” the secret stairs of LA. It is “urban hiking” and is divided up by area and difficulty level.

Pro tip: If you rent a car, read and re-read parking signs! Some of them are very confusing and I literally read them out-loud to make sure I understand it. Also be aware of street sweeping signs in residential areas. If you think the parking spot is too good to be true, it just might be a street sweeping day, so double check the signs and times.

Have a favorite that I left off? Let me know!! I’m always looking to try new things in my city. Enjoy your time here!!

Side note - Let me know if I should make a 2.0 version of this post, with some more “advanced” options that going beyond the basics. I think that would be fun, but only worth it if you have been to the city before.