Over the weekend, I flew out to LA to visit my friend from high school, Katie. Even though the past couple times I have visited LA have been in college, Katie has always been great at giving me an LA experience outside of just the USC college campus and this time was no exception. There are so many parts I have yet to see and I was excited to discover a new side to the city. Here is our weekend in a nutshell.
Topanga Canyon
We started off our weekend with a drive through Topanga Canyon. The winding roads and the warm breeze was the perfect start to a fun weekend. The canyon felt isolated and at times, it didn't even feel like we were in LA.
The Neighborhood in Silver Lake
There is nothing I love more than mindlessly wandering through pretty neighborhoods and the eclectic bunch of houses grouped together in this area were ones I could explore for hours - and we did. Silverlake is a neighborhood in California I loved the flower coated walls and the tall greenery, the steep, curving roads, and the tall greenery that encompassed the whole area.
Pine & Crane
Katie also took me to a funky little ramen house called Pine & Crane. It was so delicious and within walking distance of the fun neighborhoods. We both ordered the Dan Dan noodles which are a noodle dish with sesame peanut sauce - YUM!
City Sunset
Our Saturday ended with a beautiful sunset overlook above downtown. Katie drove us up to one of her favorite spots and the view was breathtaking! Not pictured: free roaming peacocks on top of a house roof who (as I have just learned) make very unpleasant noises and act like guard dogs... I can't make this stuff up.
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes was our time to walk around and explore the coast. I told Katie I really wanted some tall palm trees and an oceanside cliff view and she delivered. The views in Palos Verdes are beautiful. Also a now known fact: my yellow sunglasses step up everybody's photo game.
The Hillside Chapel
We explored a chapel on the hillside in Palos Verdes as well called Wayfarer's Chapel. It felt like something straight out of a movie. The entire area was so serene and secluded. We met a couple that was celebrating their wedding anniversary and decided to come back to the place they were married. They showed us wedding photos and the chapel was just as beautiful then as it is today.
Urban Lights at LACMA
The lights outside of LACMA, called Urban Lights (as I have just learned), have always been that tourist destination in LA that I have wanted to see. I am pretty shocked we were able to get these photos at the lights - it was pretty crowded even for a Sunday night. I can only imagine how crowded they are during peak tourist season. Regardless, I am happy I was able to see them and there is a pretty neat story behind them as well.
The Stuff In Between
In between our activities, Katie and I were either relaxing or eating. It's just what we do. She showed me placed to get delicious breakfast bowls (like Sao Açai) and yummy ramen (like Jinya Ramen Bar - a place I have visited before and can continue to enjoy back in Utah). I realize all we ate on this trip were bowls and noodles (not complaining). It's been a long-time overdue visit and I am happy. Additionally, I obviously had to take advantage of the ocean and I told Katie that I had to go visit the ocean before I left. We went to Manhattan Beach and laid in the sun til dinner time.
In Conclusion...
I had such a fun time over the weekend. I finally made it happen. I saw amazing places, I ate yummy food, and I caught up with a friend. Thank you for taking me around your beautiful city, Katie! I feel like every time I visit LA I always leave with a new part of it to love. Sometimes I wish I could take a little slice of this unique city home with me.
