Week Vacation in Los Angeles
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Nick and I typically take a trip around 4th of July and this year we decided to visit our friends and sister and LA! Originally we werenāt going to arrive until July 5th, but we had some other friends arriving before then, so we decided to change our flight to be the day prior, so we could celebrate July 4th with everyone! Since the 4th aligned on a Thursday this year, we had that day off, then planned to work remotely on Friday, so the only days we took off were Monday-Wednesday of the following week! We always try to make the most out of our vacation days and strongly suggest you do too! Travel is something that we love to do and the experiences and memories truly do last a lifetime.
Santa Monica Beach
Hiking Los Leones Trail
LuluLemon Shirt | Outdoor Voices TechSweat Leggings | Nike Tennis Shoes | Nike Hat
If youāre looking for an action packed LA vacation and travel guide, this isnāt it; however, we did hit some fun things you might enjoy! Our trip was more about friends and relaxation than a packed itinerary and it was just what we needed. We stayed in Brentwood and bounced back and forth between our sisterās and friendsā apartments, so I donāt have a hotel to recommend to you, but I can say that Brentwood is a great location! If you just want a list of things we did, here you go! Otherwise you can scroll down and get a play by play of each day.
EAT
Alfredās Brentwood
Bacari Los Angeles
Blue Jam Cafe Brentwood
Coral Tree Cafe Brentwood
Country Mart Food Court Brentwood
Dogtown Coffee Santa Monica
Jon and Vinnyās Brentwood
Malibu Farm Malibu
SugarFish Brentwood
Taste Pacific Palisades
**A place we didnāt go this trip but love is Tocaya Organica! I shared them over on my 24 hours in LA post! They have several locations, as do most of the restaurants I listed here! Just shared the specific location we went to.
The pier in Malibu
Everlane Jumpsuit (c/o) | Kendra Scott Diane Earrings | Sophie Slide Sandals | Ilia Lipstick (rosette)
Madewell Ruffle-Strap Wrap Dress in Orchid Bouquet (available in spaghetti strap too) | J. Crew Black Denim Jacket | Cuyana Mini Tassel Bag | Cariuma Sneakers | Always Coco Collection Necklace
DO
Country Mart
Barnsdall Art Park
Beverly Hills
Brentwood Farmerās Market
DisneyLand
Los Leones Trail
Pacific Palisades Firework Show
Santa Monica State Beach
The Getty Museum
The Grove
**Obviously Venice, Venice Beach, and Abbot Kinney Boulevard are fun areas. I spoke about them on my last LA post. Iāve never done Hollywood, the Hollywood sign hike, or Griffith Observatory, but those are supposed to be fun too!
At Barnsdall Art Park
DisneyLand isnāt just for kids!
Madewell Texture and Thread Shirt | Madewell Shorts | Cariuma Sneakers | Rose Gold Minnie Ears
HEREāS WHAT WE DID BY DAY:
Thursday
We flew in that morning and immediately headed to the beach, with a picnic in tow. For 4th of July evening, we ate in Pacific Palisades at Taste, then headed over to the high school to watch fireworks. The parking was crazy, but the show was worth it!! You can also buy tickets ahead of time to a little concert they have - it is roped off from everyone else and you have the best seats in the house.
Friday
We woke up slowly and ate breakfast at Blu Jam Cafe. Iād love to go back to try their lunch and dinner menu! That afternoon we hiked Los Leones Trail in Malibu. We did the shorter hike, but there are other options too. STUNNING. We had some time to kill, so we drove around Beverly Hills for fun. We arenāt into really touristy things, but BH is always a good time. I love the history of designer fashion houses, so itās a passion area for me. That evening we drove into Hollywood to picnic and wine taste in Barnsdall Art Park. The tickets were $35 a person and included 4 wine tastes and music. There are food trucks, but most people bring picnics and enjoy the sunset. It was great! See what the evening looked like here.
From Brentwood Farmerās Market to the Getty Museum.
Saturday
I had never been to DisneyLand and the guys wanted to go see the new Star Wars world Galaxyās Edge, so it was a win-win! DL did a great job with the ānew worldā, but there isnāt much to do in it yet. Iām excited to see how they grow it! We arrived right when the park opened and went straight for Galaxyās Edge and only had to wait 90 minutes to ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. It was a good ride and reminded me of a cooler version of Star Tours, as you actually have a ājobā to do. We also went to Ogaās Cantina in Galaxyās Edge and it was pretty neat. They did a good job of building it out! The drinks were cool, but I would not recommend the ābitesā. They donāt have actual meals, just these āappetizersā. We did eat lunch in Galaxyās Edge though at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and it was pretty good. Better than I expected! I had the Mediterranean Feast, which was basically plant based meatballs. That night we drove out to Malibu for sunset and had dinner at the iconic Malibu Farms. It was beautiful and it was a wonderful evening. The food was good, but not amazing. I think I set the bar too high. I want to go back and try the cafe / brunch time and see if I like it better. If youāve been wanting to go, do it! Just know it wasnāt my favorite meal from the entire trip. If anything maybe just go and get a drink and enjoy the sunset?!
Sunday
Nickās parents were in town, so we had breakfast at Coral Tree, a local Brentwood favorite. After breakfast, we walked the Brentwood Farmerās market, then went home and took a nap. In the afternoon we went to the Getty Museum which was just marvelous. It is free (you do have to pay for parking) and is worth giving up your afternoon for. The grounds alone are beautiful and you could spend hours outside or inside viewing artifacts. I wish we would have packed a picnic! That evening we went to SugarFish for dinner. By far the best sushi I have ever had! They donāt take reservations, so be sure to keep that in mind. We waited about an hour for a party of 6.
Dinner at SugarFish to dinner at Bacari.
White Camisole | J. Crew White Jeans | Sophie Slides
Madewell Top | Black Flares | Marc Fisher Adalla Wedges
Monday
This day we woke up and headed to Santa Monica to eat breakfast at Dogtown Coffee. Get their breakfast burritos. SO YUMMY. We walked around the beach and enjoyed the morning. That afternoon we just relaxed, then headed to the Grove for the evening. We ate dinner at Bacari and it was my favorite meal of the trip! It felt like Tulum and had the yummiest tapas style food.
Tuesday
This was (supposed to be) our last full day, so we leisurely walked to Alfredās for coffee and tea - they have good breakfast burritos too! That afternoon we explored the Brentwood Country Mart and ate lunch there as well. Can I take the entire Goop store home with me?! For dinner we had Jon and Vinnyās and it was so good! We had a 9pm reservation (they book up quickly), so we had a cheeseboard at home before going. Get the Spicy Fusilli and donāt discount the cookies for dessert. They are SO yummy!
Wednesday
We had a late afternoon flight, so we just did Alfredās again and had a relaxing date. Long story short, all Dallas flights were cancelled. We went back to Brentwood, ordered Uber Eats and watched Stranger Things Season 3. #winning
Thursday
We woke up early and headed to the airport. Shout out to American Airlines for getting us home for a late dinner!
LA is truly a magical place and not just a tourist trap destination. The weather is perfect most of the time and the food and scenery are unmatched. Everyone should go at least once! Do you have a favorite place I should go when I visit next time? I have a feeling Iāll be back soon ;)
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