“I love LA (we love it)” - randy newman

If all the amazing songs about Hollywood and Los Angeles don’t get you amped to visit, you and I definitely wouldn't get along. Just listening to Randy Newman’s “I Love LA”, Albert Hammond’s “It never rains in Southern California” and almost any song from Petty (think free fallin’, into the great wide open…) gets me dreaming of spending another night along the sunset strip. Ahhh Hollywood, Los Angeles, City of Angeles, La La Land…Los Angeles isn’t just a city its a vibe, a feeling. I know.. that sounds so cliche but it is true. Something about getting off a plane at LAX, cruising through the city, passing palm trees, and of course seeing the “Hollywood Sign” just makes me ecstatic. Kevin and I have been to Los Angeles four times in the last 5 years and it has NEVER disappointed. I can’t wait to visit again soon and visit for the first time with our little dude, that will for sure make for a new great experience! So I’ve compiled some of my favorite things to do in LA… here they are!

I should begin this by saying something a little controversial… dare I say it…? Kevin and I are NOT Disney people. I know… crazy right?! It just isn’t for us. We just don’t really have an interest in it. We won a trip to Florida and went to Disneyworld and everything… and honestly, there’s a lot of things we would prefer to do with our time and travel. Now that Linden is a part of our lives, I am sure we will make a trip to Disney when he’s old enough and I’m certain when we see how much he enjoys it we will fully believe in the magic of Disney, but for now… Disney is not on our list of favorite places in LA. I just wanted you to read this before continuing with reading this blog and wondering.. where’s Disney?

The Sunset strip

I start with The Strip because this is our favorite place to stay in Los Angeles. The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood between Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. It’s not as crowded as downtown Los Angeles and not as dirty as Hollywood Boulevard. The Sunset Strip is great for walking around. In my opinion, it feels very safe and there are a lot of restaurants and bars along the strip to stop into. There’s a ton of history along the Sunset Strip including the location of the Sunset Strip Curfew Riots, The Whiskey A-Go-Go (famous for helping to launch Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Buffalo Springfield and many more), The Roxy (where the stage play of Rocky Horror Picture Show first happened (before the film of the same name), and of course The Troubadour. When we go to Los Angeles we like to stay at a little hotel called The Grafton! The Grafton is located right on Sunset Boulevard and we’ve stayed at this hotel three times. It isn’t the most luxurious hotel ever, but it has a TON of personality. The rooms have a fun “rock” theme with crowd murals on the walls who cheer you on while you…sleep? The saltwater pool is fantastic with comfortable lounge chairs. The Bar (Bar 20) always has great musical performances and you can order from the bar and eat poolside! So, there are a ton of reasons to love LA and Sunset Boulevard… but my favorite is next… my most FAVOURITE place in the world…. The COMEDY STORE!

The Comedy store 

If you could see the smile on my face from ear to ear when I write about The Comedy Store you would think I was talking about an old friend or family member I miss. I love The Store so much and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is my favorite place in the world… THE WHOLE WORLD! We’ve been fortunate enough to travel and see and do a lot of wonderful things in our lives, but for me, nothing beats The Comedy Store. The Store totes itself as “the greatest stand-up comedy club in the world”, but I would go further and say it is the best entertainment venue in the world (at least for me in terms of quality of performances and experience). I encourage you to read all about the history of this incredible venue but I guess the short story is it is a place where comedians go to “work out” new sets and a place where the greats perfect their work. There is a special energy at The Comedy Store where it feels like you are among friends. Where you can see some of the greatest comedians in the world like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, and Anthony Jeselnik. It’s also a big hangout of Hollywood celebrities and comedians and a second home for some of my podcast favorites Tony Hinchcliffe, Marc Maron, and of course Joe Rogan. Another cool thing about the store is that you will rub shoulders with some of the greatest around. You might cheers a beer with Chris D’Elia or say a quick hi to Marc Maron on your way to the washroom… and if you’re a fan like I am… it’s a surreal experience. It’s important to note that the store can get very busy so its best to buy your tickets online (very reasonable too from free to I think $25 at most). There’s also a two-drink minimum, but you don’t have to purchase alcohol. There are three rooms and multiple shows per night; The Main Room (where the bigger shows are held), The Original Room, and the Belly Room. They post the lineups on their website but there are often drop-in “special guests” that they don’t announce online like Chappelle or Chris Rock. One experience we had at the store was getting to see the incomparable Brody Stevens in the closing spot. The first time we saw him it was at 1 am and he did over an hour of crowd work mixed in with material. Kevin and I both laughed so hard until we cried. It was one of the best and funniest nights of our lives and we will never forget it. Rest in peace Brody…”Enjoy It!”

Griffith park

You’ll probably recognize this location from some scenes of some pretty big movies including Sunset Boulevard, Rebel Without a Cause, WarGames, Back to the Future, and of course La La Land. Griffith Park is just another one of those reasons why I love visiting Los Angeles. The beauty of Griffith Park is stunning. There are many attractions in Griffith Park including the Greek Theatre, the site of the Hollywood Sign, plenty of hiking trails, a golf course, L.A. Equestrian Centre, Merry-Go-Round, and my favorite The Griffith Observatory. The view from where Observatory sits is OUTSTANDING with an amazing view of Los Angeles, Hollywood, and the Hollywood sign. Admission is free (which is hard to believe), but you can leave a donation (I encourage you to do so that we can have this amazing center for years to come!). There are plenty of exhibits, live shows, and the planetarium! If you are visiting the observatory it is worthwhile to check out their website and calendar of events to see what fun events and tours are happening during your visit. Even if you don’t visit the observatory, it is so worth it to walk around the grounds of Griffith Park and really just take in the city. A must-do on any visit to La La Land!

See A show/play/concert

If you read my In a New York Minute blog, you’ll know that we are not the biggest fans of musicals…but… what we didn’t learn until we were in LA was that we are big fans of good stage plays! And since Los Angeles is the city of actors/actresses, there is a good chance you will get the opportunity to see some high-quality actors up-close and personal in a stage play. In 2017 we were lucky enough to see Scarface himself Al Pacino with Judith Light in “God Looked Away”, a play about Tennessee Williams. We were lucky enough to sit front row (which was outstanding) at the Pasadena Playhouse. Although Pasadena is a bit outside of Los Angeles (about 30 minutes in good traffic), it is a really beautiful city and the playhouse is stunning with its architecture and the service and theatre attendants were top notch. When deciding what show to see we used the website Playbill to read reviews and find out schedules. Even if you are not a fan of theatre, it is worthwhile to see some of the best perform their craft. I think even the most apprehensive theatre viewers would feel pretty amazed being in the high-five distance to Tony Montana himself… it took every fiber of my being for me not to look at him and do my best Al Pacino impression saying “Say hello to my little friend”…

attend a live taping

If you really want to get a real “Hollywood Experience”, attend a live taping! Most are free and you can get an understanding of how television works! It’s very cool to see behind the scenes of what happens at your favorite T.V. shows. Just keep in mind to read how long things take and lineups. I use the website On-Camera Audiences to sign up for ticket lotteries to t.v. shows. Most show tickets are free and you can sign up for tapings of game shows, reality t.v. (like Big Brother), talk shows and series taped in front of a live studio audience. It’s best to go on this site in advance and see what is taping while you’re in town and pick a few nights to sign up for a better chance of getting to go. We happened to snipe tickets for both Tosh.O and The Price is Right. When reading further we found out that The Price Is Right takes a few hours (something we didn’t want to commit to), where Tosh.O only takes about one hour so we decided on that. It’s cool to see how t.v. shows work and the difference from what you see on T.V. vs. what really happens behind the scenes. Plus, if you are celebrity hunting… it’s a guarantee to see some of your favorite T.V. personalities!

Celebrity Homes Tour

I HATE to admit it… I am a SUCKER for celebrity sightings and all things Hollywood. I love seeing celebrity homes, historic landmarks and where some scenes from my favorite movies happened (like the apartment scene in Pretty Woman)! We did our tour with A-List Hollywood Tours and it was FANTASTIC. Our guide was informative and gave us a great overview of celebrity homes, stories of Los Angeles past and present and pointed out some key tourist attractions. The highlight of the trip for me was going through the homes in Beverly Hills and seeing the mega-mansions including the homes of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, the former home of Michael Jackson, and of course, The Playboy Mansion! We actually even got a celebrity sighting on this trip when we saw Puff Daddy (or P.Diddy, Sean Combs, etc.) leaving his home. It was brief and I was super excited… Kevin did not get the hype, ha! But we both were excited when we saw the home of The Beach Boy’s Brian Wilson and were told that often on these tours you will see Brian going for a walk and he will often wave at the tours… that, unfortunately, didn’t happen for us but the thought that it COULD happen was enough to keep smiles of anticipation on our face for that portion of the tour.

Hollywood Boulevard

No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without a visit to Hollywood Boulevard. One of the most famous attractions in this city with tons of entertainment including The TLC Chinese Theatre, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and of course the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame! It’s fun to look at the names at the walk of fame and spot your favorite celebrities handprints on the ground. It is also the location of the Dolby Theatre (home of the Academy Awards). I think this is a must-see venue once, but definitely not something I would see on a repeat visit. It’s a very busy area (of course!), and parts of it can be quite seedy and dirty.

The Tragical History Tour

Okay, so although each time I write this tour title I sing it to the melody of “The Magical Mystery Tour”… the tour is definitely not the upbeat, happy go lucky tour that goes with the song. This tour is for those interested in the “darker” sides of history. The tour is not for the faint-hearted. The tour starts at the Westwood Memorial Park where you can visit the gravesites of Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood, Truman Capote and many more. The tour guide is eccentric which adds to the uniqueness of this tour. You’ll hear truths and rumors about the deaths and horror stories of infamous crimes around the Hollywood area like Charles Manson and the family and the Black Dahlia murders. You’ll see the locations where some of the most famous deaths have occurred like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and John Belushi. The tour also includes some of Hollywood’s biggest scandals with celebrities such as Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, and Rihanna. The tour is outrageous, unexpected, and off the beaten path…only in Hollyweird.

Warner brothers studio tour

The one where Kevin & Kaylesha get coffee at Central Perk. If you are a t.v. and movie fan like I am, then you will LOVE the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour. It is so cool! This is a real working studio where you will get to tour through one of the busiest working studios in Los Angeles and you will get to go behind the scenes of some of your favorite shows (at least mine, ha)! You’ll get to tour backlots and soundstages, the DC Universe for any of you comic book (or comic movie) fans, the wizarding world of Harry Potter, The batmobile collection, and MY FAVOURITE the Central Perk set from friends. If you are a friends fanatic like I am then this is tour is a MUST. You can actually sit and get a picture on the Friend’s Central Perk Couches and see the “Central Park” set where Phoebe did her weird running and the one with all the rugby! You’ll get to walk through the exterior sets where you can see where they film outdoor locations that look like they are in New York, the Midwest or made to look like anything you can imagine. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see a set that is currently in production filming a show like Ellen! It was such a cool experience and if you are a movie or TV buff you’ll love seeing this special look behind the scenes! We even got to see a real Oscar up close which was outstanding!

Runyon Canyon

One of my absolute favorite things to do again and again in Los Angeles is hiking Runyon Canyon. It is a 130-acre dog park in Hollywood and one the BEST easier hikes we’ve done. The hike is a loop and offers fantastic views of Hollywood. There is a bit of an elevation to this hike but it isn’t too steep for those not so avid hikers. It does get hot though so make sure to bring lots of water for your trek. I haven’t yet done it with a stroller so I will have to try next time we are in LA and bring Linden so I can let you know how it goes. It is a VERY busy hike so you’re likely to see lots of people, kids, and some adorable dogs. There are a few different ways to do the hike depending on the length of time so be sure to check out this website for some different options.

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to walk around and enjoy the beachfront. There are lots of things to do around the pier including events and concerts, the Pacific Park (with a Ferris wheel and roller coaster), A Carousel, Playland Arcade, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, Trapeze School and of course the end of Route 66! There’s also a ton of restaurants and bars to grab a nibble and a drink. Santa Monica Pier is a great place to walk around, enjoy the sunset, and tickle your toes in the sand.

Catch A game

The first time we came to LA it was on a Canucks Road trip (we won the trip) and we went to see the Canucks take on the LA Kings. It was so fun! The Staples Centre is outstanding and doing a tour of the arena is well worth it. It is incredible that within 24 hours at this Centre you will have a hockey game, a basketball game, and a concert, it is insane how this venue works like a well-oiled machine. For the sports Fanatic, Los Angeles is the place for you. You’ve got professional hockey, 3 basketball teams, football, soccer, and also college teams. We’ve seen both the Lakers and The Clippers and The Kings play and each time the experience has been great! They do great in-center entertainment and when it comes to basketball, the crowd is REALLY into it which makes for a great time! I highly recommend seeing a sports game or two when you are in town. Next on the bucket list… a college game!

So next time you’re planning a vacation, why not Los Angeles? It’s fun, there are lots to do and you’re pretty much guaranteed good weather! Just writing this has me wanting to pack my bags and fly to La La Land… Kevin, my 30th birthday is coming up… wink!