Los Angeles City Guide

This is the Los Angeles City Guide I wish I had when we were planning our first trip to Los Angeles!

Last August, Curtis and I squeezed in a long weekend trip to L.A. Neither of us had ever been to the wonderland of L.A. before and, as we usually do when we travel, we had our itinerary packed full. All we heard when preparing for our short trip to L.A.was to be cautious of trying to cover too much ground– you don’t want to spend all your time riding in a car. So we spent most of our time in West Hollywood, and squeezed in a short jaunt to Santa Monica. We did as much walking as we possibly could while in the city, but it is a little difficult if you’ve never been before to see everything you want to see. We managed to have a complete blast, so hopefully this city guide and these recommendations will serve you well, too.

Wednesday-

We flew into LAX and arrived around 2pm. I read Girl on the Train while on the plane. We stayed in an Airbnb in West Hollywood so it was going to be about an hour by car to the house. We got to West Hollywood with the intention to just drop our bags and go spend the evening in Santa Monica. We wanted to have some dinner, walk along the beach and see the pier. Again, it was about a 40 minute drive, so just be prepared for those long Lyft rides when you’re planning. This drive was lovely because we got to go through the winding hills of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Our ride share driver was like a tour guide of all the houses of the rich and famous so even though it was a long car ride, it was a really cool experience to get his perspective on that part of L.A.. We got dropped off at the pier, strolled the Third Street Promenade, had some dinner and walked on the beach. The weather was 70 degrees and crisp and we had a few cold Coronas on the pier. A beautiful evening.

Thursday-

On our first full day, we set out to cover the Sunset Junction and Hollywood Walk of Fame. But of course, no morning is complete without coffee, breakfast and the paper. We visited Dialog Cafe for their amazing coffee and eggs Benedict. This was our first “wow, we’re in L.A.” moment– everyone around us was working with their agent on a script or a story! We did more people watching than news reading. The family who owns Dialog Cafe was delightful. We highly recommend this amazing little shop.

Then we strolled Sunset Boulevard. One of our favorite things to do when we go to a new place is to find the main drag and just walk up and down it and see what we see. Sunset Boulevard is perfect for this. We popped into little bookstores and record shops and the like along the way.

We visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Dolby Theatre briefly. Of course it’s touristy, but it is so FUN to watch the tourist taking in a site like this. We didn’t stay long, but we love the Oscars so it was worth the short visit.

Lunch that day was the famed In & Out, which needs no introduction. If you’ve never been to In & Out, go! Be prepared to stand and wait in a packed house, but know that the service is also extremely quick. Do a little research on the “secret menu” if that’s your thing, or just order a classic burger. I must also recommend the milkshakes!

Then we saw the Museum of Broken Relationships— I work in a museum, so I’d been reading about this place in every museum blog and publication, but I didn’t realize it was right there on the Sunset Strip, just a few steps from the Dolby Theatre. We made an impromptu visit, but could have spent hours. The items they curate are all turned in from people who tell their break up story. Some of the artifacts are funny, some sad or bittersweet. It’s one of a kind– check out their Instagram @brokenrelationshipsla to get a feel for what you’ll see before you go.

For dinner that night we had Pink Taco, another quintessential Los Angeles establishment. This mini-taco chain started as a food truck, and all of their restaurants still maintain the fresh ingredients and pizzazz of the original trucks. Or at least that’s what all the locals told us. We really liked Pink Taco, and they had good drink specials!

That night we hit two rounds of shows (how very city slicker of us), first the taping of a Doug Loves Movie podcast and then a show at the Comedy Store. Los Angeles is obviously a great place to catch a comedy show, and on any given night you’re likely to seem some level of celebrity, for an inexpensive ticket price. Do a little research before on who’s playing at the big comedy clubs, or just stop in that night. Either way, you’ll enjoy yourself. Beware the high drink prices, and the drink minimums. They can’t be avoided, but just expect it’s something you’ll face when going to the comedy clubs.

Friday– 

We spent much of Friday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This museum is HUGE (the largest in the western United States) and encompasses a whole campus, in fact. The Le Brea Tar Pits are right near by as well. The LACMA museum is famous for its strong Asian, Latin American and pre-Colombian collections, but their temporary exhibitions are expansive and varied as well. We saw a full showcase on Guillermo Del Toro  and one on the history of men’s fashion trends.

Food trucks pull up to the museum campus at lunch time, so we had our choice of a dozen places to eat for lunch. Since the theme of the trip was tacos, we didn’t stray far, but these are Korean BBQ tacos.

@LACMA is the #4 most Instagrammed museum in the world. Their outdoor sculptures are infamous online. 

Friday Night

Guisados is the must-have taco stop from our trip. This is a place you will wait in line for, and it is absolutely worth it. The owner claims these tacos are ‘just like his mom used to make them’ and you can taste that authenticity in them. These are not re-mixed tacos, or Baja-inspired tacos, these are classic tacos. Curtis says the mole is the best he’s had in his life. I highly recommend the pescados (fish). These tacos are under $3 and you order what you want when you get up to the counter. #inTacosWeTrust

One of our favorite things to do when we travel is to hit a baseball game. We’re trying to cross off all the Major League stadiums one of these days! The Los Angeles Dodgers stadium is definitely one for the books. It’s gigantic!

I hope this helps you plan your dream trip to Los Angeles! If you have any questions or want more information about any of the places I mentioned, please write to me here or on Instagram and I would be happy to talk with you more about the beautiful city of LA! Peace & love, Emily