California Trip! (Las Angeles)

We flew to California for my husbands birthday in January of 2020. We didn't know this would be our last trip for so long! I am grateful we planned it and was able to have a fun outing for the year that was about to hit us. It was our first time flying and being in California together. Greg had gone when he was younger and I didn't go until I was in High school for a cheer competition. We stayed in Las Angeles which was a good center point from everywhere we went. Here is a list of everything we did! 

For our car rental we lucked out and got a convertible! It was a bit chilly with the top down so we just blasted the heater and made the best of it! You could see the palm trees so good and it made you get the whole experience of being in a beach town. 

The Griddle: We went straight to The Griddle after arriving in Cali. There was a line but we said we would sit at the bar so we got right in. I got the banana pancakes which were bigger than the plate. I couldn’t even eat half of it but it was yummy. My husband got the French toast with bacon and potatoes.  

Groves Market Shopping Center: We walked around for a bit here. They have Nike, Madewell, APL shoes, a few food options and a super nice movie theater. It is a very nice outdoor mall and was really fun to walk around. 

Sprinkles Cupcakes: We hit Sprinkles Cupcakes on the way back to the car at Groves Shopping center. It is just a little window shop there but still super cute and they had quite a few options. I tried the vanilla with the sprinkles and Greg got the strawberry. They aren’t the best cupcakes I’ve ever had but it was definitely worth the try!  

Rodeo Drive shops: Fancy is all I can say! There is a whole street lined with super nice expensive shops. There was Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versaci, and so many more! We did walk through a few of the stores and played the how much is that game and was shocked every time because those stores had some pricey stuff!  

Beverly Hills Pond Sign: Across the street from Rodeo drive is the Beverly Hills sign. There were quite a few people around but everyone seemed to get their pictures and move along so we could all get a turn. There is a park area to walk around along with the pond. A fun stop for sure!  

Planet smoothie: My husband said this is where he fell in love with smoothies at!  We had to stop when we saw one. Their smoothies were good! I can't remember what ones we got but they were good so I'm guessing any kind will be great! 

The L.A. Grand Hotel: We checked into our hotel which was downtown Las Angeles. We didn’t realize the location until we got there so we probably would have found something in the outskirts of town but it was a fun experience. Just know that they only have valet parking and it is a bit pricey but they were quick getting our car every time we were ready to go. There wasn't anything super special about this hotel but that is where we stayed! 

Santa Monica Pier: A must see! We got there right at sunset and it was beautiful. We sat at the beach as the sun continued to go down until it started getting pretty dark. The pier had rides and shops and some food options. We loved the lights and the feel of the coast and the people just over all a really neat vibe. Just be prepared this is a popular pier so lots of people. 

Bubba Gump shrimp Restaurant: We loved Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant! The food was so good and we totally will go here every time we are near one.  I got the fried shrimp and fries and Greg got their Tilapia with the best spinach and potatoes.  

Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade Mall: We walked for quite a while through the outdoor mall. It goes on forever! They have lots of stores and some fun things going on like a dance off in the street and people everywhere. We ended up coming back to this mall another day as well. They have quite a few food options!  

Staples Center: Since we were staying so close to the Staples Center we had to stop for some pictures and to look at the statues. My husband loves basketball so it was neat to go see!  

Venice Beach: We grabbed a Starbucks and headed out to the beach for a bit. We were on the south end of Venice beach which was really clean and the sand was even combed through. We watched people surf and just enjoyed the feel of the beach.  

Venice sign: We headed over to the Venice sign which was so cute! We drove right under it in our convertible which was perfect for a pic!  

California Donuts: This was just a walk up window shop, but you are able to see all the donuts perfectly. We tried the cronuts and a few other donuts as well. I really enjoyed the cronut one but the other donuts weren’t our favorite.  

Universal studios: This was a last-minute decision and I am so glad we went! We of course got the famous picture of us in front of the Universal Studios globe at the entrance. Then we walked the red carpet and headed straight to Hogsmeade. We got a butterbeer and then we got another one on our way out of the park for the day. We tried the regular cold one and the frosted but the regular was my favorite. We saw a few shows and took the Hollywood tour which was so neat and I highly recommend doing. The escalators to the lower part are a bit crazy but neat how they have that set up. We should have researched food options more but we ended up just getting a pretzel and pizza but it does look like they have a lot of fun food options. We aren’t big on rides so we didn’t do any but that is my one regret! We would have ended up enjoying them if we would have. 

Hollywood sign: After Universal Studios we tried to hit the Griffith Observatory to go and hike and look around but there must have been an event because we were stuck in a line for a while and all the parking lots were full so we flipped around and found a street where you could see the Hollywood sign and that’s as good as that got. It was really neat to actually see the Hollywood sign in person. The movies make it look cool but it is way better in person!  

Cheesecake Factory at 3rd Street Promenade Mall: We found ourselves back at Santa Monica Pier for the evening and then headed back to the shops on 3rd Promenade. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory for my husband's birthday dinner! It got really chilly that night so we went and bought matching jackets at the shops after dinner! We did sit next to a heater while we waited for our table to be ready at The Cheesecake Factory which kept us warm!  

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles: My husband is from the south which has these restaurants and he always talked about it so when we found that Cali had one, we had to go! It did not disappoint! We went for breakfast and both got the chicken and waffles with a lemonade. The waffle had cinnamon in it and was thin and crisp with a big piece of fried chicken on the side! Yum! 

Hollywood Walk of Fame:  We walked from Roscoe's up the street to the Hollywood Walk of Fame Street. It is stars on the sidewalk with famous people's names on them. It was fun to look for people we knew and it went on forever. We probably only walked half of it before we crossed the street and turned back but both sides of the street have stars so lots to look at.  

Walked along the shops at Venice Beach: We went back to Venice Beach and put our feet in the ocean! We sat there for a bit and walked the shops before we headed out.   

Steak N' Shake: We were headed towards the airport and found a Steak N" Shake close by so that was our lunch! This is one of our favorite fast-food restaurants which sadly isn’t in Utah anymore. Their burgers are so good and I love their fries and shakes too!  

Aldi: My husband worked at an Aldi and we don’t have them in Utah so we had to stop before heading to the airport. We have a few favorite chocolate bars we get from there so we stocked up on those and Greg walked me around the store showing me what he used to have to do. It was the perfect ending to our trip!  

We learned a lot on this trip but I'm so glad we went and got the experience. Just sitting on the beach brought life back to us. California is definitely a fun place to visit and we will for sure be going back! 

What are your favorite places to go in California?