How to enjoy LA. Rain or Shine.

Traveling to the second largest city in the U.S.A can be overwhelming! I surprised my husband with this trip for his 30th birthday, and let me tell you, so much planning was involved. Where to stay, what to do, to rent a car or not. Hopefully our itinerary can help ease the stress when you plan your visit to LA! (& yes it’s possible to enjoy LA when it rains!)

Where to stay:

West Hollywood a.k.a WEHO at this airbnb.  But if you prefer a hotel on the main strip, the Palihotel on Melrose Ave or the Farmer’s Daughter next to the Grove were trendy and gorgeous! If you’re in town longer than a couple nights and looking for more of a place to unwind, I would suggest staying in Santa Monica because it is very walkable to shops, restaurants, bars, the pier, and the BEACH!

Should You Rent a Car?:

If you plan on staying longer than a couple nights, it could be worthwhile. Ubers can add up, but keep in mind the cost of parking and the stress of traffic. We did NOT rent a car because we would have only used it for 2 full days and nothing we had planned was more than 25 minutes away from our airbnb. If you plan to stay in Santa Monica and drive to Malibu or Laguna Beach I would suggest renting one while exploring the pacific coast highway. (Maybe even a jeep or convertible if the weather is nice!)

What to Do: 

  1. Iconic Hike to the Hollywood Sign. directions from The Hiking Guy
  2. Lake Hollywood Park for a great view of the sign. You’ll also see a few puppies at this dog park if you’re lucky!
  3. Enjoy Santa Monica Pier. Rent bikes at Santa Monica Bike Rentals or Sea mist rentals (cash only) and ride to Venice Beach or all the way to Manhattan Beach. Explore Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica then head over to Venice and explore Abbot Kinney Blvd. and the Venice Canals, (no bikes allowed on the canals.)
  4. Shop Rodeo Drive. Have “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (literally, there is a small outdoor area to serve you right outside of Tiffany & co.), Visit the Beverly Hills Sign/Garden, and walk by the Beverly Wilshire Hotel pictured in the movie ‘Pretty Woman’.
  5. Hollywood Blvd for the infamous Hollywood Stars. Not much time is needed here. If you have a specific star you would like to see, look up the address beforehand, because the stars go on for miles! It poured rain while we were on Hollywood Blvd. so to take shelter we visited the Madam Tussauds Celebrity Wax Musem. It was creepy how real some celebrities looked, but if it’s a beautiful day, I wouldn’t waste anytime here.
  6. Night out in WEHO. We visited all the Lisa Vanderpump bars from the T.V Series ‘Vanderpump Rules’ on Bravo.
  7. Explore Melrose Ave. there are so many shops and photo ops with the pink wall & made in LA sign.
  8. Explore The Grove. It is an outdoor shopping mall with the cutest fountain area. Live music was also being played while we were there. If it rains head indoors to the movie theater!
  9. Urban lights display at LACMA. We went in the evening and it was beautiful to see the lights lit! Consider going inside the museum if you have time. The Grove is a 15 minute walk from here.
  10. Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Each tour can differ depending on what is being filmed that day. My favorite part of our tour was visiting the Ellen Stage! Plan to go on the weekend if it’s an option because less filming takes place, allowing you to visit and see more while touring!
  11. Try a new fitness class like SoulCycle or CruBox (so you can eat those In-N-Out burgers guilt free).
  12. Hollywood Bowl for a concert if the weather is nice.
  13. Disney or Universal Studios.
  14. Malibu Safari Wine Tour, yes that’s exactly what it sounds like.

WHAT TO DO ON A RAINY DAY IN LA:

  1. Catch a Game. (Lakers, Clippers, Kings)
  2. Visit a Museum. The Broad has free admission, but reserve tickets in advance.
  3. Take a Tour. Celebrity Home Tours, Historical Tours, Studio Tours.

Where to Eat:

  1. Beachwood Cafe is near the Hollywood Sign hike if you’re needing to refuel.
  2. Blue Plate Taco for Mexican in Santa Monica.  Bungalow Bar was a great spot for drinks beforehand!
  3. Alfred Coffee in Beverly Hills for an avocado bagel or breakfast burrito. It is directly across from the Beverly Hills Sign and is a great starting point to explore Rodeo Drive.
  4. Shake Shack, In-N-Out, Bob’s Big Boy, Pink’s Hot Dogs.
  5. Salt & Straw for ice cream.
  6. Joe & Juice, Caerra Café on Melrose Ave.
  7. Sprinkles Cupcakes, Halo Top Ice Cream, Umani Burger, or Blue Ribbon Sushi at The Grove.
  8. Obica Mozzarella Bar for Italian food – they said they import their ingredients from Italy twice a week!
  9. Laurel Hardware for Dinner. It looks like a hardware store on the outside, but when you walk in, it’s a gorgeous upscale restaurant.
  10. S.U.R, PUMP, & TomTom. Vanderpump Row for drinks. I recommend trying “The Nut Case” at TomTom – we did not dine at any of these places.

3 nights was not enough to explore everything LA has to offer, especially when it rained all day Saturday (yes you heard me, rain all day!) But we made the most of our trip and packed it with as many activities as we could to celebrate Chase’s 30th. Until next time, Cali.

Stay Fearless,

Michelle Foster