Jasmien & Brandon
Things To Do
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Want to see the coffee shop set of FRIENDS? โ๏ธ (Or the fountain? โฒ๏ธ) Curious about behind the scenes facts of how movies are made? Want to see a bunch of props, costumes, batmobiles and so forth? This guided tour is for you (and very fun)! ๐ฅณ
The Strand Bike Tour ๐ฒ
The ABSOLUTE BEST way to see LA is by biking along the strand ๐ We recommend finding a bike rental wherever your hotel is and pedaling as far as you can go! You can bike along the water all the way from Redondo Beach in the south to Malibu up north! The only detour is around the marina (in Marina Del Rey) - so make sure to follow the signs ๐ชง there! (But MDR is also BEAUTIFUL and you end up biking along a canal with water on both sides ๐) This way you can see Redondo, Hermosa (fun!), Manhattan (fancy!), El Segundo (airport!), Dockweiler (fire pits!), Playa Del Rey (up-and-coming!), Marina Del Rey (vacation rentals!), Venice (crazy!), Santa Monica (lively!), Palisades (posh!), Malibu (exclusive!) and have fun exploring ๐
Venice Canals
So you've probably heard of Venice Beach (with its outdoor gym where people like to show off, skate park, and crazy locals who might scare you), but did you know that just a few blocks in, there is a tranquil oasis? โบ๏ธ Walk along these canals and look at gorgeous houses to recollect your inner zen. Afterwards, walk over to James' Beach (restaurant from 'I Love You, Man') for some delicious tacos ๐ฎ and drinks! ๐ฆ
Inspiration Point
This hike is AWESOME for a multitude of reasons! ๐ฅพ If you are an avid hiker, GREAT, start your adventure here and go forth and explore where you can go (and tell us about it later)! If you are a lazy bum like me, PERFECT, it literally takes ten minutes to leisurely walk to the top for some of the best views of LA! It's a wonderful spot for a picnic or just to sit and ponder life's most existential dilemmas. ๐งบ๐ค
Runyon Canyon Hike
If you would like to do a fun, half hour hike with the MOST chance of seeing a celebrity (we cannot guarantee this, but... people who want to be seen tend to hike here), here's your spot! Up top is a cool view of Hollywood and downtown ๐
Griffith Observatory
A free museum ๐ญ at the top of the Hollywood Hills with an epic view of the Hollywood sign and downtown? Yes please! Also... randomly... hummingbirds love it here?
Santa Monica Pier
Out of all the tourist traps in LA, this one is the most worth it ๐ก We recommend not going during peak weekend hours, but it has an arcade, restaurants, and a mini amusement park! The street perpendicular also hugs some pretty beautiful cliffs that you can meander. A couple blocks in is 3rd Street Promenade! A fun strip to shop at with dinosaur ๐ฆ water fountains!
The Grove
This is an outdoor shopping center walking distance from our apartment! It has fancy stores, the best Italian restaurant (get Rigatoni al Fumรฉ at La Piazza! ๐คค๐), a free trolley (that goes like 2 feet ๐), a water fountain set to music, and an outdoor farmers market with every genre of food imaginable! (Crรชpes, shawarma, Brazilian, fried chicken, oh my! ๐)
Hollywood Sign
While you cannot sit ON the sign (thanks for the LIES movies ๐) you can get pretty darn close to it! Apparently there are VARIOUS trails to hike up there! Just note that when driving up, the locals hate it, so the more signs you see that say 'no sign access,' the closer you know you are to it ๐
Santa Catalina Island
An island just off the coast of LA, Catalina is PERFECT for a day trip to make you feel like you are in Monaco! After a short one hour ferry, you enter a peaceful paradise with wild bison ๐ฆฌ, zip-lining, or just your regular old golf-carting exploration ๐ Seriously, you won't feel like you are in LA anymore.
Point Dume
Okay. Here's the deal, Malibu is pretty cool, but SO FRIGGING EXCLUSIVE that I've lived here a decade and I am still not sure where I'm 'allowed.' ๐ฌ A place where I KNOW, is here! It's a beautiful park right on the cliffs of the beach, and the drive to it is fabulously picturesque too! Just watch out! โ ๏ธ I think this stretch is where you are the most likely to get a speeding ticket in all of LA. ๐๐จ If you don't want to bring a sandwich from Mendocino Farms here (seriously, their sandwiches are so good! ๐ฅช) you can always stop at Paradise Cove! It's a wonderful restaurant RIGHT ON THE BEACH where you can get some delicious noms ๐
Universal Studios
HOGWARTS! ๐ช Universal is a great place to visit to ride awesome rides (Harry Potter, Simpsons, Jurassic Park, Transformers, etc...) There is food in the park, but there are also a bunch of restaurants and bars on "City Walk" just outside the gates.
Disneyland California
It's Disney! ๐ญ Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is awesome, but if you go, you HAVE to tell the bride how the new ride is. ๐คฉ
Brussels Bistro
The best food in LA... is in Laguna Beach ๐คช (Okay. So I may be biased since it's Belgian food ๐ง๐ช) Though quite the trek out of the city, Laguna is DEFINITELY worth a visit! It's a gorgeous little beach town nestled between hills with lively art stores, a narrow and rocky, picturesque beach, and THIS restaurant ๐คค Everything on the menu is scrumptious, but we especially recommend: bitterballen, croquettes, creamy chicken (it's vol au vent!), meatballs Liegeoise, and the gruyรจre mac and cheese! When you get fries... remember, you gotta have them with mayo or you are disowned.
The Getty
A cool free museum with cool views ๐ผ
Not Seeing Anything you Like?
First of all, you're picky, but secondly, worry not! LA is close to lots of other cool cities! Depending on traffic (and I do not say this lightly... there will be traffic, and it WILL be horrible), there is Santa Barbara a couple hours to the north, San Diego a couple hours south, and Las Vegas more than a few hours east. Joshua Tree is also nearish. All of these places are awesome and worthwhile, but we hope you give LA its fair shot! ๐
Things we do NOT recommend
Most of Hollywood. (People think this is the place to go, but it is kind of disappointing. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is especially dirty and pretty sad โญ๏ธ) Downtown LA gets sort of dodgy at night and is mostly a business area/ghost town ๐ป