Venice | Los Angeles, CA

I had no idea what to expect from Venice. Honestly, I'd never heard much about it, other than it's a unique spot that's worth a visit.

The busy beachfront is lined with street vendors, shops, and restaurants, and it's quite the scene: restaurant patios filled to the brim with groups of friends enjoying some cold beer; hipsters, rockers, surfers, hippies, and homeless people all intertwined together on the sidewalk; and the ever-present smell of weed wafting through the air (and no shortage of signs advertising the doctor is in to write a prescription for the medicinal use of marijuana). And, on the sandy beach, we discovered the largest music circle I've ever seen. To say the vibe was diverse and eclectic would be an understatement.

Next, we enjoyed an evening walk through the Venice Canals. And, really, what a great date night idea! The area is beautiful, and I particularly enjoyed the unique plants in each yard, the stunning architecture of the homes, and seeing canoes tied up all throughout the waterways. Can you just imagine walking out your door in the evening to go on a little canoe ride through the canal?

We wrapped up our tour of Venice by walking past the boutiques and restaurants of Abbot Kinney; while it was too late to visit any of the shops (they all looked amazing from what I could see through the windows), the restaurants were packed and the whole area seemed completely lovely.

-Amanda

You can find more LA posts here and more California posts here.

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Los Angeles, CA

We spent a solid couple of days exploring Los Angeles and the surrounding area, so this week's posts will be all things LA.

As we were driving into the city, I became so giddy to see Los Angeles! It's a city I've seen portrayed in movies and on TV for my entire life, so being able to actually explore the city was pretty exciting. My first and overlying impression was that most things were similar to how I expected them to be, especially the weather, palm tress, and traffic. Different parts of the city each had their own vibe, all unique, fun, and.... very LA. I'd never before passed so many people with their own strong personal style, and I've maybe never seen so many tattoos.

Below is a list of some things we ate, drank, and saw while in LA. Photos from most of the food spots are in this post, but pictures from a lot of the shops and other areas we explored will come up in later posts.

Where we ate and drank: lunch at foodlab, coffee stop at Intelligentsia Coffee, a cupcake treat at Lark, dinner at True Food Kitchen, lunch at Take A Boa, snack at Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada, coffee at Kings Road Cafe.

Where we browsed: Mohawk General, Reform School, Bar Keeper, and Broome Street General Store, among others.We also spent a little bit of time in the local malls, which, I'll admit, are impressive - a lot of outdoor space, a lot of cool outdoor lounge areas, and some impressive food court and restaurant selections.

Where we explored: Barnsdall Park (pictured below) for great views of the city and a look at a Frank Lloyd Wright building (though the building seemed to be under renovations while we were there), Silver Lake, Santa Monica Pier and Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Venice (pictures from these areas will be included in upcoming posts).

-Amanda

PS - A special thanks to Kate, Joy, and Megan for letting us know about some of your favorite LA spots!

UPDATE - Here are links to all the posts about LA: Silver Lake, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Venice Beach.

Find all the LA posts here and more California posts here.

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