Arriving in LA
After arriving at LAX airport we took the shuttle to Avis car hire centre where we picked up our car for the week! The process was really straight forward and our car was ready as soon as we got there which was earlier than we had booked for. Our accommodation wasn’t ready until 4pm (another air bnb) so we took a road trip to the beach. Oh and the whole other side of the road and left side driving is scarier than I thought, so I decided to be a passenger for the week 😬.
Activities!
You definitely need a car when visiting LA as everything is so spread out. On our first day we went straight to Manhattan Beach. It was only about a 15 minute drive from the airport and was so beautiful. There is pier on the beach which you can walk along and grab a drink at the cafe at the end. There are lots of volleyball nets along the beach as apparently Manhattan beach is the home of the sport. My favourite part of the beach was walking along the sidewalk and having a nose at all of the beautiful beach houses. Every single one was unique.
Another beach we went to was Venice . Venice is quite different to Manhattan. It seems to be a tourist hot spot with lots of food stalls and shops around the beach. There is also the famous ‘muscle beach’ where they have an out door gym and the bodybuilders cash in on a few selfies by lifting ladies up in the air. Something I chose to pass on. They also have a sand pit gym which is free to use. Venice beach also has some really nice beach houses the further up the beach you walk out of the mayhem.
We also took a drive to Beverly Hills which was about 30 minutes away. Can I just say WOW. Next time I visit I will be staying in the Beverley Hills hotel for sure. We took a walk down Rodeo Drive where they have all the designer shops and posh restaurants. We also drove around the area and had a nose at the mansions with their Lamborghini’s outside. It was amazing!
We also took a drive up to the Griffith Observatory which has panoramic views of LA, it in particular has great views of the Hollywood sign and downtown LA. The observatory was full of visitors. I would probably recommend visiting early as there can be quite a queue for parking. There are also lots of walking trails in the area where you can actually get a lot closer to the Hollywood sign.
Sports and Events
During our stay we went to a home baseball match. It was the Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Pedros. I couldn’t believe how big the stadium was. The atmosphere at the game was fun, there was a inflatable ball that the crowd kept throwing around and a kiss cam which was funny to watch. However, the game went on a little too long for my linking. And I was only there one day and apparently it lasts for three!
We also went to a soccer (football to us brits) match. It was LA Galaxy vs New York Yankees. Before the game they let off fireworks and had a professional singer sing the national anthem. They I’m not too sure who won as we left early still feeling very jet lagged!
On our first night in LA we went to the Fonda theatre in Hollywood to watch Rag n boneman. The theatre was a small venue which was beautifuuly decorated inside. And as for Rag n Boneman, he was amazing. He definitely has one of the best voices I’ve heard live.
Eating out
I honestly found it quite difficult to find nice places to eat. I know it sounds stupid being in LA I had hundreds of choices but I just don’t like American food. We found a nice Italian in Hollywood which made stone baked pizzas and a nice restaurant along the front of Venice beach where I had some oats for breakfast and Shawn had tacos?! They also took a picture of us and printed it on to a complimentary postcard which was a nice touch. We went to a place called Sizzlers aswell which i think is a chain in the USA. They have grilled food and a salad bar which you can help yourselves to which really good.