Packing my bags to explore Los Angeles was a dream-come-true situation for me. As soon as I was able to acquire my due leave from work and buy a two-way ticket to Los Angeles, I set off to fulfill my dream of wandering the LA streets and main attractions of this city which is known for its art, artists and entertainment.
Before getting on the plane, I researched a bit about its weather so I could pack appropriate clothes. After all, who would want to roam around the city of art and artists in an out-of-fashion state. I wanted to look like a chic and elegant tourist in the city of celebrities. Moreover, it was my dream tour so I wanted to be as much prepared as I could be. In this consideration, I bought clothes suitable for the dry summers of the city, packed my bags and set off to explore the global capital of entertainment industry.
Splendid Arrival
LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) itself is a state-of-art airport. It is in fact, one of the most luxurious airports in the world. Now in the pandemic era, even the COVID testing booths scattered around the premises are not able to weaken its aura. The airport is very near to the beach communities of the city. Approximately 20 minutes in the taxi from LAX will take you to the Pacific Palisades, the hub of classy houses that accommodates the rich and elites of LA and even celebrities given its proximity to the great Hollywood. Some of the names that reside here are Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Chasman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Dennis Quaid, Lauren Conrad and Shane Smith. I craned my neck to see if I could catch a glimpse of one of them in their back yards or front lawns but the massive houses and mansions were too sheltered to provide a view of my favorite celebs.
the Pacific Palisades
Booking into suitable hotel
It wasn’t that I was short on cash, I wanted to burn my pocket in the exploration of the city and not on accommodation as I was not planning to spend my days in a hotel room. However, I was all set to invest my time in exploring the city but I did want a comfortable place to sleep as well. As per my research, if you want the cheapest prices of hotel rooms in LA then you should opt to visit the city in off seasons. The rates are at their peak in the tourism season and are at their lowest in September and January when the wet winter is setting foot in the city. Another unique thing about LA hotels is that the most reasonable deals are provided to the dwellers on Saturdays and the completely opposite happens on Fridays. For some reason, hotel accommodation in LA gets very expensive on Fridays. I looked for the best hotel prices in the areas such as Koreatown, Studio City and Fairfax District in light of my internet research and settled down on one in Studio City. These areas are close to LA’s major attractions including Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the same time, the hotels in these areas will not burn a hole in your pocket like renting a room in Beverly Hills and Hollywood will. I also knew from my online research that LA doesn’t possess a subway across the city as we see in London and New York so only those who find accommodation between Long beach and Hollywood can utilize the metro system by getting a TAP card.
Eating and Shopping
Although the 24 hours travel plus the cab drive to my hotel was making me lethargic and I wanted nothing else but to crash on the comfortable bed of my hotel room. But hey there! I was not in the entertainment capital of the world to rest. I could do that back at home. After a long hot bath, I set out to explore the city in one of my summer dresses from the travel custom bag that I unpacked in very less time. The custom bag made my life easier due to its design which enabled me to pack things in orderly and easy way and I could unpack it with equal convenience.
After bathing and unpacking, I set my destination to Abbot Kinney Boulevard. After all, I had to eat too and I have heard a lot about its latest trends of art, food and fashion stretched on the mile-long boulevard. There were many options from Mediterranean cuisine to Italian delicacies but I selected a place offering vegan food which although was not much delight for my taste buds but I wanted something light on my system as I didn’t want to get filled up with all the food and fall asleep on my way to Venice Beach which was my next destination of the day. Venice beach is just minutes away from the boulevard. I wanted to pack my days with as many plans as I could because I had very few days to cater to my craving for the delights of LA.
Abbot Kinney Boulevard
City of Entertainment
After a light lunch of vegan food on Abbot Kinney Boulevard and a charming yet serene walk on Venice beach, I went back to my room and had another long bath, had cold sandwiches for dinner and finally crashed down to a long and sound sleep. The next day was the usual, bright and sunny Los Angeles day. I pulled out another light summer dress along with a headwear to avoid direct sunrays on my face and called the cab to visit the places for which the city is sought by many art lovers. Disneyland and Universal Studio were the next on my destination list. The cab driver told me that both are located at a distance of approx. 35 miles from each other but both are close to the freeway exit so it would take only about 35 minutes to go from one place to another. On this note, I directed the cab driver to take me to Disneyland. The theme park is situated with all its glory in Anaheim which is about 30 minutes to the southeast of the city. Even after my intense research on the internet about the city, I came to know that actually, there is not one but two parks built in the premises. One was the customary Disneyland with the castle and frills and fantasies, while the other, California Adventure Park that falls under the category of amusement park offering rides built on the theme of So Cal (Southern California). The rides in the park are thrilling and more suited for adventurous souls. The iconic castle, Mickey’s town and other fantasies of Disneyland reminded me of my little sister. I resolved to bring her here before the start of her teenage.
Disney land
After exploring both the parks to their fullest, I set out to seek the Universal Studios which was as per the cab driver, 35 minutes away from the Disney compound. I reached Universal Studios and was immediately enthralled by the iconic 3D Universal logo sitting there with all its glory. Universal, however, is one of the biggest operating movie studios but I recommend you to not go to the park with the slightest hope of meeting a Hollywood star or catching even a glimpse of some movie in action because you will not get one. Harry Potter’s wizarding world, Psycho’s Bates Motel and Fast and Furious cars are stimulating attractions of the site. It could be truly called a day packed with thrills and fun of high end amusement parks. However, at the end of the day, when I reached my hotel, I was unable to keep my eyes open even to have my dinner properly. It is an advice that although, both the parks are must visit sites but it’s not clever to visit them in a single day. The 35 to 40 minutes’ travel between the two locations and the thrilling rides and walks of the park will surely take a toll on you, making the next day not energetic enough for you to explore the city to its fullest extent.
Universal studio park
Feeling melody in the air
The thrill and fast pace of the last day was fun but it drained the energy out of me. So the next day, I went for the air conditioned interior of Grammy Museum over the sunny roads, parks and streets of the city. Located in LA’s downtown, the Grammy Museum has everything related to music. The four exciting floors of the museum provide a variety of musical activities. I was all ready to quench my thirst for quality music. On 1st floor, the museum provides a Crossroads table adorned with the technology of touch screen where you can explore more than 160 music genres. The wide variety of genres boggled even my mind as well whose taste of music is usually all over the place. The 3rd floor provides you with Roland Live side where you get a chance to become a rock star which was another dream-come-true for me. The 2nd floor presented Clive Davis Theater which is a historic piece for history and music lovers as it is a place where Ringo Starr and Taylor Swift along with many other music legends have given memorable performances.
The Grammy Museum
Historic side of the city
My time in Los Angeles was about to end so after spending a bit less hectic day in Grammy museum and a quiet night in my hotel room, I set out to explore the historic side of this city. The old Pasadena, 10 miles from the city’s downtown was the best setting to provide a historic corporate overview of the city. The fusion of cobblestone streets and modern roads gives a unique look and aura to the site. The sculptures, wide roads and rustic buildings beautify old Pasadena but it is the City Hall which I consider as the main attraction of the district. Another attraction is the Rose Bowl. This old business district of LA is ideal for walks and car travel both as the area provides convenient parking facilities and swift access to public transportation in terms of Metro Gold Lines along with other major bus lines as well. 
The last laugh
After an explorative day on the streets of Old Pasadena, I decided to spend my last night at the famous laugh factory of LA. It is a place that provides a fun-filled evening with a menu of quality cocktails and drinks. It was one of the best experiences of stand-up comedy I have ever had. Laugh Factory is known to provide a chance to all genres and categories of standup comedians whether they are known or novice in the field. I was glad to come here as my last taste of this beautiful city. It gave me a chance to leave the city with good memories and a good laugh.
Farewell to LA
After spending three blissful days in LA, it was time to say farewell to the fusion of glitz, glamour, serenity and culture which makes it one of the most sought-after destinations of the world. I packed my custom travel bag, and hailed a cab to return to the LAX via beach communities of the city. Although, I didn’t see a single Hollywood celebrity on my three-day trip but there was a bag full of memories and experiences that I collected on the streets of Los Angeles. I put my camera in its case in one of my custom travel bag and started planning that how I will adorn my travel blog with all the pictures that I captured of LA. However, I am a person who prefers enjoying real-time experiences and doesn’t believe in spoiling the fun by getting involved in photography but there are indeed some memories that are worth saving. With all these thoughts, I reached LAX to board my plane so I could head back to home sweet home.
Author Bio:
Angela George is a community manager by profession and a blogger by passion. Her love for creating video content makes her try new things.
She also loves to travel and likes to share her experiences with audiences through her blogs.
