CALIFORNIA HANG 10


With California being one of the largest states in the country, it's hard to pick where you want to go.


We decided to tackle a part of the southern region of the state.  First up was Los Angeles.

Los Angeles

Dave is a museum nerd so the first thing we hit up was The Getty Museum which overlooks LA.  It's one of the largest museums in the world.  From art to ancient sculptures dating back to BC, this museum is overwhelmingly awesome.


There is so much to see, you can spend a whole day here.  We suggest making a reservation at The Restaurant to give yourself a relaxing break.  The food and the view are both awesome.


1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(213) 473-0800

If you're in LA, you must go see where the movies are made, right?  We have a buddy that works for Fox Sports One so we took full advantage and headed on over for a tour.
Having friends with cool jobs is always a bonus!


Hollywood


7000 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 798-1670

This untouched piece of history tells its own tail.  One can only imagine the stars that stayed here and the stories the walls could tell.  The location is fantastic as it sits right in the middle of the entertainment.  The Dolby Theater sits across from the hotel.


Check out this metal bathtub in our room... one of a kind!

The staff really made our stay feel special and unique.

A great spot for dinner in Hollywood is BESO. This restaurant, owned by Eva Longoria has a high end feel but surprised us with their reasonably priced dishes.  The restaurant was absolutely stunning and provided a unique dining atmosphere.  Dave ordered the roasted rack of lamb and swears that it is the best that he's ever had. We recommend that you make reservations.

6350 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 467-7991

Hollywood's Walk of Fame is something that needs to be on your list. You can't really escape the stars, as there are more than 2,500 that line the streets. It is fun to read them and appreciate the history that each holds. We made sure to find Jess's favorite... Mickey Mouse!


We aren't huge fans of doing the "tourist" things, but sometimes it just kind of happens.  For example, managing to end up at the Hollywood Wax Museum... fun and definitely a little strange.


When in LA, you must horseback ride up to the Hollywood sign.  Not only do you get a fantastic view of the sign, but you also get to see downtown Los Angeles along the way.


3400 North Beechwood Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 469-5450

After horseback riding, we made a brief stop in Santa Monica so Dave could live out his childhood dream of becoming a Baywatch lifeguard.  It's one of the widest beaches we've ever seen...
SO much sand!


San Diego

Our favorite part of the trip was our visit to San Diego.  Dave has an uncle who is a real estate agent in the area so we got the local tour.  Local tours are always the best tours!  People who live in the places that you travel and are familiar with the culture always have the greatest tips.


Here we had the most authentic Mexican food ever, even thought the bars on the windows threw us off.  Only the locals know about this place... and locals always lead you to the best food.


We also made a stop in La Jolla.  It's one of the wealthiest areas in the city, and one of the prettiest.  Who wouldn't want a view like this at their fingertips?


If you're into the whole microbrewery thing, check out Ballast Point.  Great beers and a great menu.  This seems to be a go-to brand in southern California. We've been lucky that our local liquor store has started carrying some of their selection, but it just isn't the same as having it on tap.

9045 Carroll Way
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 790-6900


One of the surprises on the trip was iDessert - known as the most innovative dessert in San Diego.  It is one of the craziest sweet fixes we've ever had.  It's a sensory overload dessert with several layers of flavors, and even provides entertainment. The kids would love this sweet experience!


Another stop that you need to make while visiting San Diego is Hotel del Coronado. If you are lucky enough to have an extra night, stay here!  If not, at least allow enough time to stroll along the beach, enjoy sipping on a mimosa and take in all that this charming community has to offer. 
 

When in San Diego, you've got to check out Balboa Park.  It is the nation's largest urban cultural park.  Balboa Park is home to fifteen major museums, renowned performing arts venues, beautiful gardens and the San Diego Zoo.  Disclaimer: it can be a bit overwhelming... there's so much.  

We settled on the Natural History Museum, Dave's favorite.


California has so much to offer that you've got to split it up into different trips.  We've still got more on our list that we want to see.  We hope that our next California trip includes Napa! 

We both visited San Francisco as kids, but want to experience it as adults. 
Might as well put down Monterey too!


A must stop for a quick meal while in California is In-N-Out Burger - there are several.  This is their local chain spot to grab a burger and fries and definitely a (chocolate) milkshake!
 

Also, take advantage of being near the water.  The access that you'll have in San Diego to fresh seafood is unbelievable.  We love Sushi so we took advice from the locals that any dive we stopped in to get sushi would be much better than the quality we get at home.


We always take tons (like hundreds) of photos while we travel.  We not only love photos, but we both really enjoy taking them.  There are usually a few that make our favorite list from each trip. 

 

We believe that living a great story means traveling to great places and meeting great people - and we love getting to live our stories together.
 If you rent a car and already have full insurance coverage, then deny insurance when you go to pick up your car.  We learned this $360 lesson the hard way.

There's nothing walk-able about LA so either save up those UBER or LYFT points or rent a car.

San Diego has so much military history.  Don't forget to check out the city's memorials and naval base if you're into that.

Prepare and plan for traffic, you can't escape the 405.

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