My Bomb AF Weekend in La La Land
Wassup blogosphere! Your resident Cali girl just had the most epic weekend ever exploring my hometown of Los Angeles. Even though I’ve lived in LA like my whole life, it still managed to blow me away. Get ready for me to spill all the piping hot tea!
Rolling into the City of Angels
My besties Samantha, Tessa and I were so hyped for a girls weekend in sunny LA. We all met freshman year at UCLA and try to reunite in our hometown every few months. I was extra excited to play tour guide for the girls since they’re from little towns up north.
We drove into LA together Friday afternoon, singing and gossiping the entire drive about boys of course. Traffic was a beast like always, but we finally pulled up to our swanky modern pad rental in West Hollywood. Admiring the insane views of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory from our deck, I knew this weekend would be lit AF!
After claiming rooms that we`ve booked with Karta, and freshening up, we couldn’t wait to hit the streets and dive into everything LA had to offer. It was time to crush our packed itinerary!
Hiking Urban Trails
On our last day, we worked off the nonstop food fest exploring Runyon Canyon. It was perfectly sunny for hitting the trails and soaking up those views of the LA basin and Hollywood sign from the top. We also drove up to the Griffith Observatory afterwards to nerd out on space stuff inside and snap pics outside with the sign.
I can’t think of a better way to finish off an epic LA weekend than hiking urban trails on a smoggy day! Well, maybe heading back to our sweet vacation rental in LA to nap and soak in the hot tub. Those plush robes and pool where everything after all that running around the city!
Wandering the Iconic Hollywood Boulevards
First stop on my LA bucket list for the girls was seeing the must-do touristy icons: Hollywood Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theater, Sunset Strip clubs. Basically all the hotspots I usually avoid but wanted to experience.
We started by hunting down celeb names engraved into the stars on the Walk of Fame. Snapped obligatory photos “touching” the top of the Chinese Theater columns and pretending to get crushed by the huge Oscar statue out front.
Next, we laughed our way through a TMZ tour bus catching glimpses of mega mansions owned by Leo, Katy Perry, Meghan Markle and other celebs. As cheesy as it was being a total tourist, Hollywood Boulevard still gave me butterflies!
Dancing Into the LA Nightlife
That first night we got our dance on at some of the hottest clubs in West Hollywood: Bootsy Bellows, Hyde, Nightingale Plaza. We waited in the massive lines, but it was worth it once we got inside the bumpin’ venues playing hip hop and EDM.
I was secretly scanning for celebs at Bootsy’s, but was too busy tearing up the dance floor with my besties to notice if any were around. We hit up Hyde next and relaxed on the balcony drinking skinny margaritas and overlooking the iconic Sunset Strip.
To preserve our buzz for more dancing, we walked between clubs, people watching and pointing out our dream celebrity homes. We ended the night devouring cheesy late night In-N-Out burgers topped with grilled onions. *Chef’s kiss* Perfection!
Beach Day and Shopping in Santa Monica
After sleeping in and grabbing vegan doughnuts from Fonuts downtown, we were Santa Monica bound! It was the perfect sunny beach day. I loved watching Sam and Tessa experience the carnival games and rides on the pier for the first time like giddy kids. We imagined how romantic it would be to stroll here at sunset with a cute boy. Major goals!
To soak up more vitamin sea, we rented cruisers and biked south along the ocean from Santa Monica to Venice, waving to rollerbladers and surfers whizzing by. In Venice, we browsed the funky shops along the boardwalk and gawked at the bodybuilders pumping iron at Muscle Beach.
On our ride back up through the mega mansions of Malibu, I had to pinch myself to remember this was just an average day in LA! We capped it off with a sunset picnic complete with charcuterie, bread, cheese and rosé right on the beach.
Melting Pot of Cultures
No trip to Los Angeles is complete without stuffing your face with all the diverse culinary options! On day two, we got Korean barbecue for lunch in Ktown and browsed the cute shops peddling K-beauty products and anime merch.
That night, we waited in line for the best tacos and margs at hole-in-the-wall spots in East LA. My favorite was King Taco, where I got my go-to carne asada, but the shrimp tacos and carnitas were bomb too. Gotta experience legit Mexican in LA!
We also made time to grab pastries in Little Tokyo and ate our way through the gourmet food stalls at Grand Central Market downtown. My Angeleno foodie pride was overflowing after eating all that good stuff!
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Loving LA
When I eventually dropped off my besties at LAX, I was genuinely so sad our amazing LA girl’s trip was coming to an end. But it also left me feeling super grateful for this beautiful chaos of a city I’m lucky enough to call home.
Even though I’ve grown up and lived in Los Angeles my entire life, it still manages to wow me with its endless personalities – glamorous yet artsy, diverse yet united, posh yet gritty, lush yet urban. LA certainly ain’t perfect but it’s got so much character. I honestly can’t picture being an Angeleno anywhere else!
So there’s all the piping hot tea on my most recent LA weekend getaway. Let me know if you ever need tips for planning your own vacay here and I’ll hook you up with the best restaurants, shops, hikes, nightlife etc. La La Land dreams forever, babes!
