This past weekend, my friend Tiffany came to town to visit. We ran all over LA, finding the best spots for photo ops, and visiting the hottest tourist stops in the area. Since y’all are always asking about my best recommendations for things to do in LA when visiting, I figured this little diary would allow me to share some of my favorite spots! I’m still working on pulling together an LA travel guide, too. However, since 90% of my weeks are spent at work, I’m taking my time to pull together an all-encompassing, comprehensive guide for you all. It’ll be worth the wait, I promise!
I basically had 2 full days to take Tiffany to all my favorite stops in LA, so now I have a good idea of how long each activity/stop takes! Hopefully this is helpful at least a little. If you’re stopping by LA for a quick weekend trip, this will also hopefully help you plan logistically and geographically.
On Saturday, our first stop was to a cute little French place called Le Petit Four in Sunset Plaza, super close to my place. The inside gives off strong New Orleans/French vibes. A little on the pricy side, but pretty average for LA prices. Good spot for brunch, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best for photo ops. If you’re in the area though, there’s some fun shops nearby and other restaurants too.
Then, we swung by the Grove to do a little shopping. Walking around in the heat can get hot fast, so we stopped for a quick treat at Pressed Juicery. Could we be more basic? Unlikely. The Grove is a super hot tourist location, but it tends to get crowded. It’s cute and worth seeing, but prepare yourself for the crowds! There’s a TopShop, movie theatre, Nordstrom, Gap, Zara, etc. If you’re looking for a quick snack or bite to eat, stop by the Farmer’s market by the Grove!
After the Grove, we headed over to Beverly Hills, to the Beverly Hills Hotel. This is one of my favorite spots to snap photos! We stopped here for a mid-afternoon snack (we eat a lot, I know.) Fair warning: the food here is obscenely expensive. Tiffany ordered this tiny flatbread for $40 excluding tax and tip. For an average meal, you can expect to spend $50-$100 per person. Definitely not a casual place! Also, I highly recommend calling ahead and making a reservation at the Cabana Cafe. Otherwise, they’ll most likely turn you away.
After the BHH, we went over to Malibu, to see the Getty Villa. It’s gorgeous, but smaller than you might expect. Make sure you snag a ticket online! We got in on a lucky break, because there happened to be a ton of people leaving at the time. If you’re wanting to swing by, I’d print out your ticket beforehand, since there’s no service once you get up to the stretch that Getty Villa sits on.
From Getty Villa, we attempted to go over to Santa Monica Pier, but there were way to many people. It took forever just to attempt to park! I’d recommend skipping this one, if you’re in town on a weekend. On a weekday, though, definitely stop by when it’s not as crowded! Since we were only 10 minutes away, I took Tiffany over to Abbot Kinney in Venice, where we attempted to go Bird-ing. Since it was around 6/7pm, most of them were out of battery (lol fail.) We did a little shopping at Show Me Your Mumu, and at some of the boutiques and vintage shops on the street. I’d recommend stopping by Abbot Kinney for brunch earlier in the day, or even stopping by during the afternoon.
To end the day, we headed back to West Hollywood for dinner at Daikokuya Ramen off of Sunset. Yummy ramen for a great price!
Sunday was crazy busy! We kicked off the morning at the Melrose Farmer’s Market, the one in my neighborhood. I try to stop by as often as I could, and Tiffany had never been to a farmer’s market, so we thought it’d be fun to stop by. Melrose has a ton to do! We started at Alfred Tea for yummy matcha lattes, then walked down the Farmer’s Market. Our farmer’s market adventure finished over at Glossier. If you haven’t been to the store yet, you have to stop by! It’s the cutest. She stocked up on gifts, and I snagged a body lotion. However, the wait was pretty long. If you want to stop by, I’d recommend coming on a week day, if possible.
From Melrose, we ran over to one of my FAVORITE brunch spots in LA, The Butcher, The Baker, & The Cappuccino Maker. So delicious! If you’re coming for brunch/lunch, make reservations!! I’ve warned you! The wait can get to 2-3 hours on weekends, because it’s such a popular brunch spot. Super Insta friendly, plus the food is amazing.
From BBCM, we stopped by Westfield Century City for some more shopping. #Can’tStopWon’tStop
No photos, though, unfortunately- there wasn’t much to share here!
Around 6pm, we headed over to Runyon Canyon for an end of day hike. It was my first time, too, but it was so fun! The view from the top is gorgeous. So many pups too! I’ve seen most people do Runyon during the day, but my suggestion is to do Runyon at sunset. It’s absolutely beautiful, and the weather feels so much better. There’s a slight wind, and there’s also a lot less people. Love!
Love your skin tone, so pretty!