An Inside Look at L.A.

Personal experience

Over 6 years ago, I took a trip to the City of Angels, or more widely known as, Los Angeles, California. My AirBnB was in a prime location of West Hollywood, just steps to the Walk of Fame. Within the week that I was there, some of the major attractions that I hit were the Griffith Observatory, with a view of the infamous “Hollywood” sign to my left, the Santa Monica Pier, Koreatown, and the Grove. And yes, of course, I had to try In N’ Out Burger. Besides West Hollywood, I took transportation to and from North Hollywood and Anaheim. In Anaheim, I attended the annual Vidcon event, as I was in two YouTube Collab groups at the time. While at the event, I met popular YouTube stars including Christian Collins, Maggie Lindemann, Arden Rose, Lauren Giraldo, and Zachary Piona. I had an overall great vacation in Los Angeles and am looking forward to eventually going back again.

About L.A.

Located in Southern California, Los Angeles has the most amazing weather, especially when I visited in July. During that time, it was, on average, 75 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, every day. The coldest month there is January, and even then, the weather only drops down to roughly 55 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you want to avoid larger crowds, you may want to try to go between March and May or between September and November. For specifically going to the beaches, July or August would be recommended.

L.A. is the biggest city in the state, consisting of over 500 square miles. There are a total of 88 smaller cities just within that metropolitan area.

Favorite Tourist Attractions

  • Runyon Canyon – This is where you may have a chance to spot a celebrity on a hike. Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum, and Natalie Portman have been seen here before.
  • Griffith Park – Being 5x larger than Central Park in New York City, it contains a planetarium/observatory, golf courses, zoo, train rides, tennis courts, trails, and the Bronson Caves, where the Batman series took place. This park, and Lake Hollywood Park, are likely the greatest places to observe the Hollywood sign.
  • Universal Studios – Found in the San Fernando Valley region is this 425 acre theme park and film studio. There are tours with attractions there, based on movies, including Jaws and the Fast and Furious franchise. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you need to check out the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” area within the park. Get tickets here.
  • Disneyland – Based off of Disney-themed movies, it is nearly impossible to not have fun spending the day at the Disneyland park in Anaheim.
  • Santa Monica – This coastal city, beach, and pier, home to the end of Route 66, overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
  • Sunset Boulevard – This iconic strip is 22 miles long. You will probably want to explore the stretch between North Crescent Heights Blvd and Doheny Drive, where the stores and nightlife are. Along the boulevard are tourist stops, like the Roxy Theater, where Bob Marley recorded live albums, and The Comedy Store, where Jerry Seinfeld has performed.
  • Rodeo Drive – This Beverly Hills road is known for its designer boutiques, Armani, Cartier, and Coco Chanel, to name a few. Britney Spears, P. Diddy, Paris Hilton, and Jack Black are some of many public figures who shop here.
  • Warner Bros. StudioHere, you can purchase tickets to take a tour of the studio where the hit TV shows Friends and The Big Bang Theory were shot.
  • Beaches – Huntington, Venice, Laguna, and Malibu are among the highest-rated beaches on the Southern California coastline.
  • Hollywood Blvd – Along this lively street, you can find the Walk of Fame, with approximately 2500 Hollywood star’s names on it. Plus, the Kodak Theater is where the Academy Awards are held annually. And let’s not forget about the TCL Chinese Theater, the location at which the Stars Wars franchise premiered back in 1977.
  • Capital Records – Intended to look like a stack of vinyl records set on a turntable, this building is the studio in which Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole have recorded songs.
  • Guided Tour – Ride in a vehicle and take pictures of celebrity homes in Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills.

Most Luxurious Hotels in Los Angeles

The Peninsula

The Hollywood Roosevelt

Beverly Hills Hotel

Hotel Bel-Air

The Maybourne Beverly Hills

The Viceroy Santa Monica

The London West Hollywood

Waldorf Astoria

The W Hollywood

Where would you visit if you traveled to L.A.? Let me know in the comments below!

-xo,

Nicole

The Beauties of South Africa

The country of South Africa is filled with landscapes that are just beautiful. Let’s take a look at them!

  • Durban

This South African city lies in the east, right off the coast of the Indian Ocean. Not only is it the perfect temperature all year long, rarely dropping below 64 degrees Fahrenheit, it also has gorgeous beaches. On the North Beach, you will find what is called the Golden Mile. It is a large area of white sand, a boardwalk, casino, and piers. Right along the Golden Mile is the luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel, where you can catch amazing sunsets on the coastline. 

  • Garden Route

The Garden Route is a stretch along the bottom tip of South Africa. It goes on for 190 miles. On it, you can view rivers, towns, mountains, forests, beaches, and lagoons. You may even have the chance to go on a whale/dolphin-watching tour in Knysna.

You may also be interested in exploring at Tsitsikamma National Park. The Suspension Bridge & Lookout Trail is an easy walk, passing by the Strandloper Cave. The Waterfall Trail is tougher, yet shorter. As for hotels, the Plettenberg, Simola Country Club, and The Mount Knysna are rated as some of the best value hotels along this route.

  • Panorama Route

This is a scenic route in the north-eastern part of the country. Along are notable sights, including Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Lisbon Falls, God’s Window, and Sudwala Caves. Ukuthula Bush Lodge, Sheppard Boutique Guest House, and Safari Moon Luxury Bush Hotel make for excellent accommodations on the way.

  • Cape Town

Cape Town, found on the south-western shore, is home to pristine beaches and marvelous landmarks. Around this town, you will see Table Mountain, Clifton Beach, and Signal Hill. Popular places to stay are Lagoon Beach, Ellerman House, and POD Camps Bay.

  • Kruger National Park

Located at the very top of South Africa is this giant game reserve. All of the big five game animals, the lion, cheetah, leopard, rhinoceros, and elephant can all be found at the park. So, be sure to go on a safari there when you visit!

If you’re ready to book your vacation to South Africa, please reach out to me.

Thanks for reading my post!

-xo, Nicole