LA Love: Solo in Los Angeles

The third part to my adventure series: April 2021 // Falling in Love with Los Angeles

Ah, LA. A part of my dreams for years even though I’d never been. I just knew deep down in my heart I had a soul connection to LA. My solo trip in April was the reason I moved here in August of 2021 so travel carefully - she may change your life forever 💋

Solo in LA Itinerary:

✈️ Fly into LAX and Lyft (I don’t recommend Uber in LA, Lyft is more readily available) to your destination (I’ve also heard the Alto car service is highly recommended)

Day 1:
The very first thing to do when your feet hit the LA pavement - don’t pass go, don’t collect $200, just head straight to Rodeo Drive after dropping your bags at your Sunset Blvd AirBnB. Walking around the luxury stores; twirl around in a $5,500 Alexander McQueen jacket, strut your stuff in $750 Dolce & Gabbana heels, stroke the red bottoms like you’re Miss Ptaszinski (Confessions of a Shopaholic?…anyone?). Have a classic small-town girl in the big city experience: wander in awe of the exciting experiences and the wild displays of money (money truly is everywhere, always circulating, drifting from place to place in endlessly unique ways). The glitter, the shiny things, the opulence; it’s magical and exciting. You won’t forget it.

👠 Side quest: make a dream come true and buy a pair of Louboutin Heels on Rodeo Drive

Head over to the Gelato Festival and try the delicious crunchy peanut-butter oat milk gelato while waiting for a friend to meet for dinner (pic 6&7)

Dinner: Craig’s LA, delicious food and a popular place to spot celebrities. Note: we did not see any celebrities or paparazzi so that could be a wild rumor Craig’s started to get customers through the door…that buffalo wing pizza is still hella good regardless (pic 8&9)

Late night trip to DTLA to see the city lights from the top floor of one of the skyscrapers then on to exploring the DTLA InnerContinental (pic 10&11)

Day 2:
Breakfast: The Butcher The Baker The Cappuccino Maker. Parking is about as difficult as the name itself (plan accordingly if you’re driving, not taking a Lyft), but the mimosa flight of orange, wild hibiscus, and strawberry (pic 1) and the peach bourbon buttermilk pancakes is so cute, and totally worthy it.

Realize you forgot some essential beautification tools and head to Sephora - out of all the Sephoras in LA - realize you chose the one right off the Walk of Fame as you step out of the Lyft and onto the stars…it’s absolutely not worth the hype. It’s literally just a sidewalk full of tourists looking down instead of watching where they’re going while a bunch of people try to sell you crap. Sry not sry. (pic 2)

Next stop: Griffith Observatory! (It wasn’t open when I was visiting but you could explore the grounds. It has since reopened to the public.) Pro tip: get a Lyft to the top and hike down if you’re into saving time (read: not that into exercise but still want the t-shirt that says I hiked Griffith!). Don’t forget to stand in the insanely long line at the Trails Cafe to get an avocado sandwich and some lavender shortbread for a picnic on the next part of your adventure. (pic 3&4)

…and then Lyft over to explore the Abandoned LA Zoo (again, you could hike…but like why though). Want to feel like Nancy Drew and find yourself in places you shouldn’t, exploring abandoned places with broken gates and holes in the fences just large enough for you to slip through? Being a little naughty, a little adventurous, and a little dangerous... Explore the old cages of the abandoned zoo and let the spirits of the animals haunt your soul. Then, once you’ve completed your quest for exploration, unpack your Trails Cafe lunch at one of the picnic tables set up in the large animal enclosures, you might even get to see a pack of free-roaming children out in the wild. FYI - last time I was there, they were painting over the graffiti - booooo - so it probably won’t look like it does in my photos (I think they were also sealing up some of the holes I snuck through to get some of these photos so it might not be as fun as it was back in 2021) but if you hit it at the right time you still might see some brand new one-of-a-kind LA murals on display! (pic 5-16)

Finding the zoo can be tricky, consult this blog post for a treasure map.

🎉 Party time: Going to a glamorous rooftop event with media coverage and amazing women, most of them making more money than I ever dreamed possible, so very LA. It was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to the amazing possibilities that are available when you dream bigger than what’s considered “reasonable”. That is the theme of an adventure to LA: bigger and more magical than you thought reasonable or possible (pic 1-5)

After party: Cabo Cantina in Marina Del Ray (pic 6)

Day 3: First thing one must do after an after-party - cure the after-party haze with WeHo Bistro’s Hangover Bliss or Bootcamp smoothie (pic 1&2)

Once you’ve replenished your cells, you’ll realize you never want to leave. So, of course, you’ll extend your trip for a few more days. Staying on Sunset Blvd is fun but you’ll want to mix it up a bit and head downtown for a stay at The Hoxton in DTLA, a fabulous vintage-style hotel with European vibes and a rooftop pool

After a mid-day nap, head right upstairs for dinner at Cabra - the Hoxton’s rooftop poolside restaurant with delicious flavors of Peru (pic 4&5)

Day 4:
The Hoxton used to have brunch complete with perfectly adorable insta-worthy honey bear cocktails (Sibling Rival, now closed) but they still have a cafe to get your morning off to a pleasant start (pic 1-3)

Once you’ve sipped the nectar of the Gods to jump-start your day, you absolutely have to try out a sprinkles ATM while you’re in LA. I don’t love cupcakes - but the whole experience is just so fun and whimsical (pic 5)

To balance out the cupcake - grab a fresh, delicious, organic juice from Kreation Juicery (pic 6)

Dinner: At 71Above, you get to linger almost 1000 ft above the palm trees with 360-degree views of the city, it’s a special experience of delicious eats and gorgeous views of the twinkling city lights (pic 7&8)

Day 5:
Brunch: Beverly Wilshire Hotel - the BLVD. This is the perfect place to indulge and spend over $100 on one meal for one person. While to some that’s not a lot, it’s a beautiful opportunity to have the most abundant, vibrant dining experience if you’ve never had that opportunity before. The Pretty Woman cocktail made with Moet & Chandon Rose and rose petals and the brioche French toast with berries and pecan crumble - simply divine (pic 1&2)

Avec Nous: a mid-day stop for a glass of sparkling wine to journal out your dreams and plans for moving to LA, the vibe is perfect for dream journaling (pic 3)

Santa Monica Pier: The flight doesn’t take off til 10 PM and we haven’t explored the beach yet! There’s a fun, vibrant energy in Santa Monica that is more upscale than in Venice. It’s Sunday, the pier is crowded and lively. You could wait in line for 4 hours to ride the rollercoaster…or you could grab some street churros and plan a trip to Disney to ride a rollercoaster there, then go to lunch instead (pic 5-8)

Lunch: Ivy at the Shore - an adorable insta-worthy, flower-adorned, California fusion cuisine. Try the fried squash blossoms and be prepared to fall even more in love (pic 9&10)

Dinner: take your trip full circle and head to 208 Rodeo Restaurant off Rodeo Drive before your flight home. Try the warm bread with signature herb oil and truffle butter and the grilled octopus with edamame puree, radish, and mint oil (pic 11&12)

✈️ pack your neck pillow for the red-eye home