48 Hours in Los Angeles: Part One

Some people like being spontaneous when they travel, but I on the other hand am a total planner. I researched blogs, Instagrams and websites to make a list of everything I wanted to see while we were in Los Angeles. Then I printed a map and plotted the different spots to plan what neighborhoods we’d be going to and when. If you can’t tell, I’m very type A. I just don’t want to waste any time or miss anything, especially when we only have two days! Our first stop was lunch at Connie & Ted’s. It has a modern, casual atmosphere and we sat at the bar, which has a view of the fresh seafood. We ordered the crab cake and battered cod sandwich, which were both really good. We later found out that the lobster roll is amazing though, so we will have to keep that in mind for next time! They also have a great selection of oysters, which Rob tried and loved. The look/texture kind of grosses me out, so I sat that one out.

Target T-shirt (similar) | Shorts: Urban Outfitters | Sandals: Steve Madden
Camera Bag: Lo & Sons | Sunglasses: Express (similar) | Watch: Michael Kors

Next up was probably the most “basic blogger” stop of the trip: Alfred Tea Room. We stopped at Alfred Coffee last time we were in town, which was delicious and Instagram-worthy so I had high hopes for this sister shop. The tea room itself is adorable—the pink and gold color scheme is right up my alley! After that we walked around Melrose Place, which has beautiful storefronts. Another highly Instagrammed place is the pink wall on the Paul Smith building, so of course I had to check it out. There were quite a few people in front of it and the security guard seem pretty annoyed by that, but if you have a bright pink wall what do you expect?!

Our next stop was Venice! We started on Abbot Kinney Blvd where I had to take the typical photo in front of The Piece Collective (couldn’t resist the white and yellow geometric paint job!). All of the storefronts are so cute, I especially loved the colorful planters in front of Happy Socks. From there we walked to the canals, which were really pretty. The houses along them are really cool and must cost a fortune even though they are pretty small. Our final stop was Venice Beach and the boardwalk. I wanted to arrive around sunset because I love watching the sun dip below the horizon, but unfortunately we were a little early and too impatient to wait. The sky was really smokey that day though because of a forest fire, so the sun already looked red.

Top: H&M (similar) | Shorts: Express | Sandals: Old Navy (similar) | Watch: Michael Kors
Camera Bag: Lo & Sons | Sunglasses: Express (similar) | Hat: LOFT (similar)

For dinner we went to Father’s Office, which some locals we met at Connie and Ted’s suggested. They seemed to know the food scene in LA and said we had to try the burger there, so we did and it was AMAZING! I ordered the spicy stout short ribs, which were pretty good, but my other favorite item was the sweet potato fries! I’m a sweet potato fry aficionado and these were probably the best I’ve ever had in my life—and that’s saying something! The seasoning and dipping sauce were on point! Our last stop of the night was a rooftop bar downtown called Perch. When we arrived we saw a line out the door, but decided it would be worth the wait. After about 30 minutes we were let in and took the elevator up to the 15th floor only to find another line to get into the actual bar, which was one story up. This is where I drew the line. We stepped outside on the restaurant patio, saw the view and went home. I guess that’s LA for ya!

What are your favorite places in LA? I’ll be sharing part two on Wednesday!