Well-Traveled Wife: guide to los angeles

• the well-traveled wife's

guide to los angeles •

we loved living in LA

and we were so sad to leave...

so to document our experience

here, we made a little

L.A. guide!

includes eats, treats, beaches, & outings.

{eats}
LA farmer's market

one of our favorite farmer markets we've been to...

and we've been to a lot! it's on third & fairfax and we

highly recommend it. it is so unique because not only

does it have the regular market with fruit, veggies, etc,

it also has an indoor section with all different little stands

of every kind of food you can think of! go hungry!

*the grove is right next store.. so shop after!

natalee thai

there are great thai places all over LA, but this is one

good place that you can find all over the city.

we also loved trying thai places all over

venice beach! we are constantly on the

search for the best pad thai, so we tried

out a few in LA... thai places are everywhere!

food trucks

the food trucks that line abbot kinney blvd. have

some of the best food in town. go there for

literally ANY TYPE of food...you'll find it!

just be ready to wait in line :)

the griddle cafe

if you are breakfast fans like we are,

you'll be a fan of this place.

lemonade

the cutest place. so fresh, and you

can build a salad or grab something quick.

huckleberry

perfect brunch spot, and make sure

to try a salted caramel cookie to go!

{everything here is local}

cafe rio

obviously this is a hometown favorite, but we love that it's

now in LA and we have to include our favorite place!

joan's on 3rd

yummiest sandwiches. go for lunch!
really good sweets + treats too.

jack & jill's

go to the beverly hills location for a crepe, and then take a
stroll down robertson boulevard..fun shopping area!

{treats}

toppings

we went to lots & lots of yogurt places, but this was

the first one we tried and it was probably our very favorite!

amazing flavors, toppings, and the nicest owner in the world.

diddy riese

picture this: all different kinds of homemade cookies, all different

kinds of homemade ice cream...pick one of each, get it in a

sandwich, pay only $1.75 for it. heaven!!

{tip: be ready to wait in line!}

{beaches}

santa monica beach

we love SM!

park right down on near the beach for

2 hours free parking! shopping at the 3rd

street promenade is great, and the street

performers are unusually good.

on friday's in the summer they play outdoor

movies here, so spend a friday at the

beach, shop, and end it with a movie.

the pier is touristy but fun, and

the little ferris wheel over the ocean is a must.

there are also always guys selling fresh mangoes right on the

beach, and we recommend that you don't pass them up.

venice beach
we already did a post on venice beach here, but we lived right by it and so we spent a lot of time here. you can get such a range of experiences
at venice, from meeting some unique people on the boardwalk, shopping
for sunglasses, or going up a few streets to stroll the amazing
abbot kinney blvd with the best shops and restaurants.
our very favorite thing in venice is the venice canal walk,
which is so charming and relaxing. do this for sure.

venice canals...so pretty & fun to stroll through!

playa del rey

this beach is a hidden gem. no one is ever there, but they're missing out!
we lived literally right next to this beach and loved jogging down to it at sunset.

it's right next to LAX, so you can lay on the beach and watch the planes
take off above you. we loved our nights at this beach!

marina del rey

the fisherman's village here has fun shops & restaurants...

and marina del rey has nice houses to walk along and see.

manhattan beach

this is the cutest little beach that we loved...it might have had to

do with the fact that cafe rio was right nearby it! :)

this is definitely the place to go for some beach volleyball, and it

has a cool little aquarium out on the pier that we loved exploring.

{outings}
hollywood hike

we loved this little outing! it was one of our favorite things we did in LA.

it is a little bit of a hike, but well worth it. make sure to park by the

griffith observatory and then follow the road up to the trail. people

will help you get there, but it is so fun to look up at the sign now

and know we stood right next to it!

baldwin hills overlook

if you're looking for a good stair workout this is a good one!

there are tons of people working out, and one side up the

mountain has stairs while the other side up is a trail...

so you have options!

griffith observatory

as long as you're hiking to the sign, stop at the observatory!

inside is a free planetarium with all different things to see,

and you can go up on the deck/roof for some {smoggy} views.

chase loved the pendulum & all the telescope rooms.

the best part is, it's free to visit!

abbot kinney boulevard

named "the coolest block in america,"

this street was one of our favorites!

the most unique & modern restaurants,

amazing shops, and you can always

find the food trucks lined up here.

a few favorite shops are urbanic paper

boutique, heist, and steven alan.

dodgers/angels games

always a good time to go to the ball park

and experience america's favorite pastime...

just try to go on a weeknight to avoid traffic!

LA temple

the most beautiful place.

we loved our visits here!

3rd street promenade

this is the fun outdoor mall right off

santa monica beach. it has great shopping

and also the best street performers!

hollywood

it's crowded & touristy, but it's a must.

find your favorite stars on the walk of fame or at

grauman's chinese theater. for some good photos

and laughs you can always stop in the wax museum

and then tell people you met all the stars in hollywood!

movie sets

speaking of hollywood, always keep your eyes open

for stars! we stumbled upon ashton kutcher filming

on the set of the new movie about steve jobs. starstruck!

beverly hills

always a must see...even just to

window shop on rodeo drive!

los angeles county museum of art

this isn't just one building-- it's a huge complex of all

different museums. i love the display in front, and you

can find any kind of art you like.

watts towers

a little piece of LA history people don't usually venture to...
these towers were built in the 20s with nothing but scrap metal.
they are made of all consumer objects like green glass
from 7-Up bottles, pottery tiles, jewelry, marble and seashells.
they are a little bit bizzarre, but worth the visit to see the site
where the watts riots took place...so interesting to realize that
something like that happened so close to all the fancy neighborhoods
of LA. i taught with teach for america right in watts, so
this area became important to me.

getty center

any museum with monet has my heart, but this one is even more
amazing because it's so unique and beautiful up in the hills.
completely worth it to go once!

disneyland