Before visiting LA, I was convinced that one day I’d find myself living in New York. You can read my post about my latest trip to New York here to find out why I love it so much. But after spending some time in California, I am 99.9% certain that I should have been born somewhere along the West Coast.
The weather, the food, the shopping and the sports. California has what I enjoy the most in life in abundance and I cannot wait to head back to this side of the world to explore more of what the West Coast has to offer.
We went just as summer was coming to an end but luckily, we arrived during a heatwave and was greeted with 33 degree heat. YAS! I knew that California was warm but I didn’t think it was going to be that warm. It’s no wonder the California’s are known for being active and in seriously good shape. Wearing short shorts in the middle of October is something that I could easily get used to, is what I thought as we walked up and down the streets of LA.
My husband and I are huge sports fans and managed to see two basketball games during our stay. We actually managed to see both of the home teams in action, the LA Lakers and the Clippers. We were also in LA during the Baseball World Series finals which meant that every bar and restaurant was pouring with sports fans, trying to catch the game. I don’t follow Baseball but after seeing the joy it brought to their faces, it made me want to become a part of the World Series hype. So I did and I followed it until I got home.
We briefly drove through Beverly Hills but sadly we didn’t have time to tick off all of the LA pit stops that were on the list. Beverly Hills was one of them and Malibu was another. I think next time I come here I am going to spend a few days in each location. I also want to visit San Francisco and Vegas but then that’s a completely different trip all together!
One of the things that I did get to tick off my LA bucket list was hiking the Hollywood Hills. We got there around 10am to beat the sun and the hike reminded me how much I love exploring a new place on foot. The climb itself isn’t too strenuous. But if you’re climbing in the heat I’d recommend taking your time and carrying some water with you.
I think what I enjoyed the about California and the thing that I crave the most is the lifestyle. As a sun worshipper, theres nothing I enjoy more than exploring the greater outdoors. I love that there is a Barry’s Bootcamp, gorgeous restaurants and lets not forget the beach! I used to always watch those “Visit California” adverts and think “yeah right”. But life in California is kinda like the one they show on TV. I say kinda because we all know that life isn’t all unicorns and rainbows.
Top things to do in LA
If you’ve only got a few days to spend in LA, here are my top things to do:
-Hike the Hollywood Hills.
-Head to West Hollywood to sample all of the famous restaurants and night clubs
-Visit Santa Monica Pier for the day by the beach if weather permits, and shopping.
-Check out a live NBA game. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned basketballer or barely a sports fan. An evening at the NBA in LA isn’t one to be missed.
-Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s uber touristy but I loved seeing the names of icons from then and now!
-Take a class at Barry’s Bootcamp. Barry’s Bootcamp was born in Hollywood, and the treadmills go up to 15 miles per hour here too!
-Visit the Farmers Market for food stalls, more shops and celebrity spotting.
I now understand why so many people have fallen in love with the City of Angels. It’s brilliant and you’ll find very few places like it.
Have you been to California before? What do you enjoy about it the most?
