This is definitely a long overdue post but I felt this trip was still worth sharing since it was so special to my freshman year travel trips. One of my best friends, Malak, lives and studies in Los Angeles and we felt Spring Break would be the perfect time for us to have a girls trip! So, without further ado, here is my 6 day travel guide to spending spring break in LA.
DAY 1
I flew into LAX at around 10AM. For this trip, I decided to thoroughly plan out my outfits so I don't overpack (like I normally do....haha I'm working on this!). Therefore, I only used my pink carry on Benetton suitcase and my black Fjallraven backpack. Malak picked me up at the airport and we legit were standing at the departure zone for over an hour just chatting! Traveling can always be fun, but there's nothing better than traveling with someone who you just can't stop talking with and who's always down to try new things.
After grabbing a quick little snack at the airport's Dunkin' Donuts, we called an Uber to our Airbnb. It was about 1pm by the time we arrived to Fairfax (the neighborhood where our Airbnb was located) and, after settling in, we took a quick little nap because your girl was completely exhausted (I left my apartment in NYC at around 4AM that day and barely got any sleep on the plane).
Later in the afternoon, we walked over to a nearby Trader Joe's for a quick grocery run and then we headed back home to freshen up a bit before walking along Melrose. Seriously speaking, Malak found us such a great Airbnb because the neighborhood did not have a touristy vibe, yet it had very easy access to popular streets and landmarks (such as Melrose Ave and The Grove). We walked straight towards The Grove that afternoon and had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Cheesecake Factory does not exist in Manhattan, and I used to love going to this restaurant back home in Florida, so it was actually really nice eating there! Malak ordered some pasta, while I had a veggie burger. It was almost midnight by the time we finished exploring, by then, we were feeling tired and lazy so we just took an Uber back home and went straight to bed!
Day 2
The next morning, we chilled at our Airbnb for a little because it was just so cozy! Around noontime, we took an Uber to what probably is my favorite cafe/restaurant/bakery in LA.......Bottega Louie. I have many memories there because it is basically a tradition of mine to go every time I am in LA. This time, we ordered coffee and some of unique pastries. We then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Downtown LA. We stopped by The Last Bookstore, an inexpensive goods store, Grand Central Market, and the Bradbury Building.
From there, we took an Uber to Venice Beach and walked north along the shore to Santa Monica Pier. Finally, we ended the night with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory near Third Street Promenade.
Day 3
Since our Airbnb was so close to Melrose Place, we figured we may as well explore our neighborhood! So, we walked along Melrose and stopped by a few stores including Reformation, Glossier, and Linda Farrow. Malak then took me to Urth Caffe and we spent the rest of the day there because we both wanted to get some work done on our laptops. I absolutely loved Urth and will definitely go back because the food and vibe was so good.
Day 4
Disneyland day!!!!! We woke up mad early and took an Uber over to Anaheim. We basically stayed at Disneyland from 10am to 9pm. This was my first time at Disneyland because i had always gone to Disney World back home in Florida. Of course Fantasyland and Adventure Land were my favorite sections of the park!
Day 5
After a long day at Disney, your girl needed a good night's sleep! So we slept in all morning and then ended up heading over to NORMS Diner for a late breakfast......gotta love a good ole 24 hour American diner. I ordered a French vanilla coffee and a mixed platter while Malak had cold brew and blueberry pancakes. We were there for quite some time as we got into one of our long convos....(best part about traveling with your best friend)! From NORMS, we walked to Beverly Center and then we headed over to Blush LA (I got an amazing man/pedi deal for only $35)!!
Afterwards, we went to The Grove to take a vinyasa class at ALO and eat a quick snack at Dominique Ansel. We then went home to relax a bit before heading back out for a special dinner at CATCH.
Day 6
To end the trip on a bang, we woke up at 5:30am and took an Uber to El Matador State Beach Park. By the time we got there it was 7am, the sun was just rising and the beach was practically empty. Though it was quite chilly, the sun helped to warm us up as we explored the area and took pics.
Later that day, we met up with my good friend Lenny at Griffith Observatory and we hiked the hills. Total NY-LA reunion; much love for the crew and such a special memory for our first Spring Break in college.
My flight left at 12:15am and I seriously had trouble stepping onto the plane cuz I didn't want to leave Malak hahah.
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Well, that's my 6 day breakdown to spring in LA. So many great locations, so hopefully you can stop by someday!
Love always and forever,
Vale