LA: Santa Monica Beach | Third Street Promenade

I finally got to see the famous Santa Monica Beach, the one stop I regretted not seeing during my family’s vacation to LA last year. To be honest – and I hope I am not being too offensive here – I didn't really see how it differed from any other beach except maybe the Palm Trees? I mean, the sand and water are great – during the day you have a nice sea breeze, cool water for dipping, and excellent rays for sunbathing. But… I just find the NJ beaches a little cleaner. When I found a few bandaids and ciagarette butts at the SMB, I decided to totally skip going into the water. But I understand, it is probably rife with tourists and there’s only so much you can do.

The final stop on my LA trip was the Third Street Promenade. I was beyond excited to see that there was a Tesla store here. Third Street Promenade really comes alive at night, when all sorts of street performers bring out there talents in the center of the boulevard. There were jugglers and jazzicians, barotones and breakdancers.

LA: Monterrey Park

I was fortunate to have family in the LA area with whom I could stay during my time. They were extremely kind, showed me around, and fed me very yummy food. My East Coast circadian clock made sure I was awake by 4am each and every day. Which meant, I got to watch the sunrise over the palm trees.

One thing that surprised me about LA is just how cold it becomes at night. I regret not packing a hoodie and jeans, because after 9pm, that is probably more appropriate wear than the sundresses I spent the days in, especially closer to the shore.

But I guess it is a dessert and desserts exhibit extreme temperatures due to lack of water’s temperature moderation effects. Speaking of dessert, I ascertained that I had sufficient umbrellar power on my trip to LA after being stuck in the rain a number of times during my 7 years of New England summer living. But bringing umbrellas to LA only got me laughed at. So lesson learned there! In my defense, though how was I supposed to know it hasn’t rained in years?

LA: Burbank

One of the highlights of my trip was getting to see and catch up with my dear friend L, a genuine investment-banker-turned-Mouseketeer. The last time I had seen her was in college, so I was beyond excited to be able to meet up with her in Burbank, her stomping grounds. We ate at a place called Granville Café, which was pretty good. I was so shocked by how much more affordable basically everything is in Los Angeles, including dining out. LA prices make me not miss New York very much. L admitted that she had begun buying organic since moving out west, something which would have put a dent in  even an investment banker’s savings if attempted in Manhattan.

 I am so glad she suggested meeting in Burbank rather than DTLA because I don’t think I would have known that this view existed. Wow, isn’t Burbank breathtaking?