If you haven’t read Part I of my LA travel blog, make sure you go read that first. If you’ve already read it, then let’s get right into Part II!
Day 4: West Hollywood
This was the day I was MOST excited about, because West Hollywood (or WeHo for short), is my favorite part of LA! My brother lives right off Melrose Ave, one of the main strips in WeHo, and I used to always drive up from San Diego to stay with him and wander around the area. Not only does Melrose have the BEST shops, but the vibe there is just unbeatable!
We started off the day stopping at the LACMA to see the iconic lights installation that is all over Instagram. Despite being a quintessential tourist spot (or maybe because it is), I had never been there before! We got a few good pics, and Tiff got to check it off her bucket list.
Our next mission was heading to the far end of Melrose Ave to check out the Pretty Little Things shop we drove by a few nights before. It was all pretty and pink and had UNICORNS inside! So I just had to check it out. We were heartbroken to find out that it isn’t actually a store, it was just a headquarters, and it wasn’t open to the public 😭 We got pics from the outside, but it wasn’t the same!!h
As a consolation, we went into the Nike store across the street (yes, ANOTHER one lmao), which was much smaller than the other two but had much cooler clothes! Apparently it is a concept store called Nike by Melrose. I got a t-shirt which I am obsessed with – not a bad consolation for the PLT store disappointment!
Next stop was brunch with my brother at Sweet Chick on Fairfax Ave. I got the BOMBEST chicken and waffles, which I had been craving forever and ate every last bite of! Tiff was tight because they didn’t have her usual “country breakfast”, but she ordered a couple sides to make her own and was happy in the end! It was my brother’s first time meeting Tiff (or any of my friends here in DC), so I was glad they got along, and we ended up having fun with him!
We wanted to go to the Melrose Flea Market around the corner, but my brother lives down the street and goes all the time, so he ditched us after brunch. I was fine with that, because I knew we would be in there forever and he has NO patience! The last thing I wanted was someone complaining and trying to rush us the whole time we were shopping!!
After about an hour or two of exploring the massive flea market, my legs were starting to ache and I was losing steam. Not wanting Tiff to leave when she was in the middle of getting her life – and also knowing we were going to walk ALL the way down Melrose after – I decided to sit and take a break while she shopped. I sat on the closest seat I could find, and told her to meet me back there when she was done.
I come to find out that the seat I had randomly chosen was not only a pouf imported from Morocco, but the owner of that stall was a French Moroccan Jew – like me!! After walking to a coffee shop a block away from the flea market to grab an iced coffee for me and a cappuccino for my new friend, I sat there with him chatting and playing backgammon for about half an hour while Tiff was deep in the shopping sunken place.
Tiff returned DRIPPING in all the new jewelry and accessories she had just bought in a frenzy, which absolutely CRACKED me up. Imagine her surprise when she came back expecting to see me on the edge of the pouf where she left me – scrolling through IG or something – and instead found me sitting cross-legged at the back of the stall, playing a board game with some random dude 🤣
After my little intermission, I was super refreshed and ready to go again! We made one or two last stops before finally leaving the flea market to hit up a pink basketball court at the corner of Fairfax and Melrose (duh), then walking down Melrose to do some more shopping and people watching. Melrose Ave is basically Instagram in real life: you know all the outfits you see people wearing on IG and think, “where would someone actually wear that though?” Melrose is where!
We were both pretty shopped-out by the time we left the flea market, so we didn’t stop into as many stores as I thought we would (it was still a lot lol), and I don’t think we bought anything either. There was one little street corner that had the most perfect lighting and shadows made by a tree, so of course we stopped to take some pics!
At that point we were BOTH exhausted and so ready for our daily tacos, so we stopped at Tacos Tu Madre on Larchmont Ave to get our fix. I wanted dessert after (shocker), so I got a cute little cupcake at Erin McKenna’s Bakery across the street before heading home.
The rest of the night was spent packing all of our stuff to get ready for the next day, which would consist of checking out of our AirBnB and driving down to San Diego for a 24 hour trip. I was super excited but also SUPER tired, so I just packed everything up and passed the fuck out!
Day 5: San Diego
We woke up Monday morning packed and ready to go! Since it was still too early to get on the 405, we decided to go back to the Line Hotel to get some matcha and take better pictures of the restaurant we had dinner at the first night. The restaurant was almost completely empty, and the hostess said we could take as many pics as we wanted, so we did exactly that!!
After satisfying our blogger fix, we sat on a cabana style lounge chair/bench situation by the pool, sipping our matcha lattes and enjoying the warm sun. Such a nice and relaxing morning! I almost didn’t want to leave, but I started to get anxious to get on the road, so we reluctantly headed back to the car to start the drive.
I had a lot of emotions about going to San Diego for the first time since moving back to DC from there almost two years ago. But most of all, I was SO excited to show Tiff some of my absolute favorite spots! I had been racking my brain for WEEKS for the best way to fit all my faves into a 24 hour trip, so I really wanted to make sure it all worked out!
The drive down wasn’t too bad – we didn’t hit any traffic until we were almost there, and it only took us about two hours! Luckily, the traffic started a couple exits before where I wanted to get off, so I just got off the 405 early and drove down the ocean adjacent road to our first destination – the Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens.
Aside from being absolutely gorgeous and relaxing, the Meditation Gardens were the first place I ever discovered on my own in San Diego, so it holds a sentimental value! Pro-tip: if you happen to go on a Monday (when they are closed), you just have to tell the gate keeper you are from out of town and he’ll let you in. It will also be pretty empty if you go then!
I had planned to stop at a few more viewpoints on the way down to San Diego proper, but I was ready to lay out on the beach (and I think Tiff got the point lol), so I drove straight to Pacific Beach instead. I was already starving at that point – even after the snacks I got at Whole Foods on the drive down – so I stopped at Poke Chop on the way for one of my fave poke bowls!
After my little beach picnic, we both spent a couple hours laying out and enjoying the GORGEOUS weather! It was so much warmer than our first beach day, so we were both happy to chill there for a while. I thought I would for sure want to stay for hours, but I ended up getting so anxious to hit up the rest of my fave spots, that I maxed out at around two hours!
Once we left the beach, we headed over to North Park, where three of my favorite spots are! The first stop was Holy Matcha, my absolute FAVORITEEE place on earth! These pictures don’t even do it justice 😍 I bought a tin of ceremonial grade matcha and a hoodie I have been wanting forever!
Next, we walked over to Pigment, which was so depressing for both of us. They have the most beautiful plants and home decor – which aren’t even that expensive – but impossible to bring home in a suitcase! I got a couple small things, but wish I could have bought way more.
Last stop was City Tacos, which are by far my faveee tacos ever! They are literally the reason I am so obsessed with tacos. I got my fave – the borrego taco – which has marinated pulled lamb, fried leeks, wild mushrooms, cilantro and chipotle aioli. The best part is that they have a salsa bar at the front where you can stock up on as much salsa, aioli, cilantro and lime as you want – and jicama and cucumbers to dip in it! As a self-proclaimed sauce fiend, this makes me supremely happy. Fuck, I am drooling now just thinking about those tacos! 🤤
Once we finished our feast, we raced back to the beach to meet up with my friend and catch the sunset. We went to Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach, which is my favorite place to watch the sunset – and also about a mile from where I used to live. It was FREEZING by that point, but the sunset was beautiful and it was so worth watching!
After the sun was gone, we followed my friend back to her apartment in downtown San Diego, where we would be spending the night. She had made dinner, so we ate some more, drank some wine, and chatted for a few hours before going to bed. I missed hanging out with my friend so much, and it was really nice to finally get some quality time with her!
Day 6: Venice
The next morning, my friend left for work around 9:30 and we left shortly after her. I had ONE more mission in San Diego before heading back up to LA: meet up with another friend and check out the NEW location of Holy Matcha in East Village. I have been geeking out for MONTHS about this place, so I was super excited to finally check it out!
I was BLOWN away by how gorgeous it was! I took a MILLION pics, got a latte & matcha donut (as well as a chawan and chasen, which are the bowl and whisk that matcha is traditionally made with), and spent about an hour catching up with my friend. After we left, Tiff stopped to get more tacos (the addiction is real!) before getting in the car to drive back up.
The drive back wasn’t too bad, but we hit horrible traffic getting into LA (typical!), so the by the time we got to Venice I was STARVING and had to pee SO bad! The struggle is real sis 😪
Our first stop in Venice was Abbott Kinney Street, which is just one long strip of the most jaw-droppingly amazing boutiques, cafes and restaurants which NO ONE I know can afford 😅 I beelined for the bathroom at Lemonade, then we both got poke bowls there (I got her hooked!) and ate them outside on the patio. It felt so good to be back in LA again, and the weather was AMAZING!
After lunch, we walked down the street, stopping in a few stores and crying over all the stuff we shouldn’t even be looking at! My first stop/purchase was at a vape pen store called Dosist. I went in because the store had a super cute zen lounge in the back, but I ended up buying a CBD pen because I have been wanting one for when I get anxiety!
Next, Tiff pulled me into the Adidas store, and of course I bought something and she didn’t. She also insisted on going to Cha Cha Matcha – which I OBVIOUSLY didn’t object to – and ended up buying ANOTHER jar of matcha! Hey, it’s an investment, right?? I will end up spending less than I have been on lattes at the cafes near my office!
Once I had sufficiently emptied out my wallet on Abbott Kinney, we basically ran down to the boardwalk to avoid spending any more money! I personally think the Venice Boardwalk is a bit too touristy, but it was nice to just walk around, chill, and sit on the beach for a while! I also stopped into the brand new SneakersnStuff store and got some cool pics by the basketball courts in my new Adidas shirt 😎
When it was getting close to the time we needed to return the rental car, we walked back to where we had parked to finish packing up our stuff and go. I have no idea how, but we couldn’t find the car at first and were PANICKING, thinking it was towed or stolen! After about ten minutes of freaking out and frantically running around, we finally found it – but now we were late and stressed out instead of being relaxed and early!
It took me until after returning the car to finally calm down a bit. Luckily, the rental car place let us take as long as we needed to gather our stuff and pack/repack whatever we needed, so there was no need to stress about that! Once we had it all together, we hopped on the shuttle bus to the airport.
Our flights home were at separate times in separate terminals, so we ended up having to do a quick hug goodbye on the shuttle bus. It was kinda sad, but I feel like it would have been worse if we had a long drawn out goodbye in the airport! Since we are officially travel buddies for life now, I know I will be seeing her again soon. Until the next adventure! 💕
This was such a amazing trip Alana
It was!!! I wanna go on another trip already