As I mentioned earlier, I just got back from a 2-week trip from California. I traveled all over SoCal from Los Angeles to Irvine and all that’s in between. The last time I was in California was about 5 years ago, but I was with family. This time, I was able to do a lot more since I was on my own, which allowed me to see more than just Chinatown. It was an amazing trip and I saw (and ate) a lot. My brother told me that I did more in California in just 2 weeks than he had while living there for 2 years.
So with my journey, I present to you…my TravelGuide: The best of California.
LOS ANGELES
BEST HOT DOG
Pink’s
709 N. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90038
The first time I heard of this hot dog stand was on the food network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay. This is the best hot dog stand in Hollywood! We got there around 5pm and there was already an hour-long line. But the wait is definitely worth it. They have some obscene combinations (i.e. the THREE DOG NIGHT: 3 hot dogs, 3 slices of cheese, 2 slices of bacon, chilli & onions) but their original chilli cheese dogs are delish.
BEST BOBA
Go Go Asian Bistro
1610 West Redondo Beach Boulevard
Gardena, CA 90247
BEST MEXICAN FOOD
El Burrito Jr
919 S Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277-4753
This little burrito stand serves up authentic Mexican food that’s worth every penny. Very cheap and very yummy! Everything is under $10 and with each meal, you get a ton of food. I ordered the lunch special which included 1 taco, rice, beans, chips, and a drink.
BEST VIEW
My friend lives in Palos Verdes and took us to a spot that has a gorgeous view of the ocean and LA. There’s even a little inlet for parking. Locals call it the cliffs, but I deemed it “make-out point”. It’s one of those spots where you take a date. Sure enough, as we pulled in, we saw a couple canoodling and admiring the view. We went during the day, but the view at night is supposedly even better.
BEST MUSEUM
The Getty
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, California 90049
The architecture here is amazing. Even the journey itself to get into the museum is gorgeous. The Getty is located on top of a mountain, so you have to ride a tram to get up. Highlights include a maze garden, outdoor sculptures, fountains, paintings (van Gogh & Monet) and several balconies that offer views of LA. Best part of all: Admission is FREE!
BEST SHOPPING MALL
The Grove
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
West coast shopping malls are so different than East coast malls. The Grove is probably the nicest outdoor mall I’ve been to. Although there aren’t that many stores, this is a mall you shop at just for the atmosphere. There’s beautiful decor, bridges, fountains, and more. It feels like a shopping mall within a theme park…complete with its own tram!
**That’s it for now. Time to do some work! I’ll have another travel guide for Irvine and Vegas up later.
