Los Angeles Weekend Travel Guide

My friend Hilda had the best idea to take a weekend girls trip to Los Angeles. I had such a fun time that I’ve decided to share all the details from my trip!

Los Angeles Weekend Travel Guide

First things first – reserve a room at a historic hotel! We had the pleasure of staying at The Roosevelt Hotel and it was unforgettable! This is a famous vacation spot where many notable people and Hollywood stars have stayed since 1927. Here I am enjoying the beautiful cabana near the hotel pool where Marilyn Monroe lived!

While exploring The Hollywood Roosevelt, you’ll discover a host of amenities to enjoy. There are two wonderful restaurants, an exquisite lobby with live music, a bar with with a bowling alley, and much more! In this photo I’m sitting in The Blossom Ballroom, where the first Academy Awards were held. There is so much history – you just can’t miss it!!

There are also a ton of attractions to enjoy within walking distance. If you stay at the Roosevelt, don’t forget to visit Madame Tussauds Hollywood and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The great thing about LA is that its an hour from Anaheim, which means – yes you guessed it- DISNEY!! There is one huge mistake that we made and if I can help just one person avoid it – I will be happy!

Our mistake: We didn’t know that there are TWO Disney parks in Anaheim!!! We made our way to Disney California Adventure Park instead of Disneyland. The crazy thing about the situation is that when you a buy a ticket – you have access to either one BUT you can only use it one time at one park. Its is merely a decision of which direction you walk – as the gates are right next to each other! We now know that you also have the option to buy a hopper pass (which allows you to visit both parks) but it is more expensive.

So the question is… What’s the difference? Well ALOT. The Adventure Park is geared more towards adults. There is a ton of shopping, rides, and liquor on occasion (Disney Food and Wine Fest). Above I am holding a yummy candy corn drink that tasted AMAZING.

DisneyLAND is geared more towards children. There are lots of shows, you can’t drink liquor, and you’ll see many more Disney characters present. Even though we accidentally went to the adventure park – Guest Relations let us leave and go to Disneyland with no problems and I got to see Mickey after all! At first, they wouldn’t budge but when they found out we had a birthday girl in our group – they made an exception. Thanks Disney!

When you visit, don’t forget to snap Instagram worthy photos near the gate, with Mickey and Minnie, with the Walt and Mickey statue, and the iconic photo near the castle.

A great fact about Los Angeles is the food! The food is so good that I was kinda shocked! I don’t know why! We were always on the lookout to see a Hollywood star and heard that one of the best places to meet one is at Perch Rooftop Bar.

Perch has an excellent brunch menu AND the views are out of this world!! It was one of my favorite places to hang out in LA! Oh, and we didn’t see any stars but we still had an AMAZING experience.

Just a short uber ride away – you also have the option stick your feet in the sand at the beach! Santa Monica Pier is a family friendly environment full of carnival rides, carnival food, and sandy beach fun.

 

More yummy food can be found at Urth Caffe in Santa Monica. The food is delectable and the atmosphere is perfect.

You can’t leave Los Angeles without seeing the Hollywood sign. Of course, if you hike to the actual sign – you won’t be able to get a good view of the HUGE letters. We decided that the perfect thing to do would be to hike up Runyon Canyon and take a photo from the distance. Before you hike – just be aware that this hike is not for the faint of heart!

The cutest little cafe that you must visit while in LA is Cafe Flora inside Mansur Gavriel. Enjoy a pot of tea and pastries after you’ve done little shopping. Its also such a beautiful spot to capture photos so you don’t want to miss this place!

Two other fantastic places to dine in Los Angeles are Tiago Coffee Bar + Kitchen, which is perfect for breakfast or brunch, and Norah Restaurant in West Hollywood, which is great for dinner or a drink.

I really enjoyed my time in Los Angeles. The two most important things to remember while traveling are: 1) make the most of your time and 2) it matters who you travel with! Couldn’t have asked for better travel partner than my buddy Hilda! 🙂

This post is dedicated to a beautiful lady from Russia that I met on Santa Monica beach. She reminded me to always ‘Stay beautiful and free‘. Well, that’s just what I plan to do.