My recent trip to Nevada was so much fun that I was prompted to make yet another spontaneous decision. I wasn’t done living the West Coast lifestyle, just yet. I was hungry for more! Thus, leading me to share my next adventure of the summer… California! (Cue California Love by Tupac).
Chicago Girl Takes on Los Angeles
This was my first time visiting the beautiful state of California and boy does it live up to expectations. Up to this point in my life, I have only seen it on my television screen, but never in reality. Let me say that it is even more stunning in person. Although, California has so many wonderful cities to visit; on this specific trip, I decided to head to the Los Angeles area. It felt like I was living in an absolute dream. I only had the chance to visit for a few days and can easily say that even two weeks wouldn’t have been enough to see everything there, but it was definitely enough time to fall in love. (Sorry, Chicago.) For those of you who have yet to visit this paradise, let me tell you about some of the most wonderful experiences I had while in California. Hopefully, you will experience them soon enough!
Wonderfu
l Things to Experience When in “La-La Land”
Hike to The Hollywood Sign
Wow! Let me tell you, this was a hike I was definitely not prepared for. The Hollywood Sign is situated in the Hollywood Hills which is surrounded by some of the most glamorous homes and you would never know it. Although, there were many paths (based on difficulty) to choose from leading to the Hollywood Sign, my friends and I decided (unknowingly) to take a more difficult route. “The Canyon Drive Trail” is roughly 6.5 miles in one direction, which takes you through amazing views of the canyon and the city. What do you need to prepare for this extensive hike? Here are a few things I recommend from my experience:
- Extremely comfortable shoes – Trust me you do not want the blisters! I learned a valuable lesson here: Vans are not considered gym shoes.
- Gallon of water – I know it can weigh you down, but it gets hot up there. We learned this the hard way. Try a hydration pack!
- Lots of sunscreen – You will get crazy tan lines, if you don’t. My friend has some very nice backpack tan lines, if you’re interested.
For those who I have not yet scared off, this hike provided a breath of fresh air and beautiful scenery to last a life time. If you get the chance, please do this.
Fun Fact: This particular trail was used to film Batman in the 60’s!
Scootering Around Santa Monica
Santa Monica, most adorable city of them all. It is full of cafés that satisfy every craving, a beautiful pier, and best of all its’ main transportation: scooters! On every corner, there is a Bird or Lime scooter that you can easily activate with an application on your cell phone. Can you say futuristic? Santa Monica has taken pre-cautions to ensure there are safe paths for riders to enjoy. Besides scootering through town, I had the chance to visit the Santa Monica Pier, which is filled with fun games, a ferris wheel, and delicious carnival eats. The view of the Pacific is absolutely breathtaking. You will never want to go home. Although on opposite sides of the United States, I can’t wait till Chicago decides to adapt scooters into its city lifestyle.
Surf & Tan at Huntington Beach
Although Huntington Beach isn’t as known as Venice, this seaside gem has much to offer. My main focus is Huntington Beach, itself. There are so many adventurous things to do in California, but what about the “beachy” aspect of it all. This beach is located in the perfect spot! With so much space for everyone to tan comfortably and huge waves to surf on, it is the place be. I had the opportunity to learn how to surf for the first time and it is definitely an activity that requires balance and endurance. I don’t know how the pros do it, but I give them mad props. Needless to say, it was extremely fun and worth every fall.
Strolling through the Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame in Hollywood is one of the most visited attractions in California and we had to see what the fuss was about. I imagined that the walk would be very straight forward and placed in one generalized area. But, no! The stars commemorating famously known individuals were placed on the sidewalks throughout the whole city! Everywhere you went there was one. I can’t even begin to imagine how much work and effort must have been dedicated to create this walkway. A recognizable landmark we had to absolutely see is TCL Chinese Theater which is placed right on the path of the historic Walk of Fame.
Fun Fact: This theater seats 932 people and features one of the largest movie screens in North America!
Dancing the Night Away at AMF Music Festival in DTLA
Last but not least, on our trip to California we decided to take on All My Friends Music Festival at ROW in Downtown Los Angeles. As active music festival go-ers, we thought it would be exciting to see how things are done in LA in comparison to Chi-Town. Featured at the festival were major artists such as: Jhené Aiko, Gucci Mane, R.L. Grime, MIA, and more. ROW is a historic district within the heart of Los Angeles, California. It was built between 1917-1923 as a hub for distribution of produce right against the Southern Pacific Railroad and later was revitalized into an urban space. The area was covered in local art and surrounded by industrial warehouses, which made the AMF even more awesome. The artists put on life changing performances and we couldn’t have been more satisfied with the outcome. All My Friends Music Festival is definitely worth attending, if you like to listen to great music, being immersed in an urban environment, and being surrounded by warm souls!
California was one for the books. My expectations traveling to “La-La Land” were always very high, but even then it exceeded. I “la-la” loved it! 💜 If you haven’t gone yet, then take a weekend (although it may not be enough time) and make the trip out to the West Coast. It’s a sight to see!
Stay tuned for my next adventure! Where am I off to next? ✈️
Xoxo, Klauds 💋
life with klauds 