When 2017 began, I definitely did not think that I would be taking two trips to LA before the year was even halfway over, but that's how things worked out and both visits were so enjoyable.
Trip #2 was taken with Liz. We drove down on Friday, spent two full days exploring, and drove home on Monday. We spent all 3 nights on Sunset Boulevard in a cute "urban inn" near Echo Park and Silverlake. Scoring a room on the 3rd floor was a treat, and we made good use of the balcony during our stay. (We also probably took WAY too many photos of the same palm tree, haha.)
During our time in LA we rode the bus multiple times because we are adventurous like that (and we didn't want to give up our parking spot on the street) and we also walked quite a bit. Both were preferable to driving, though if (or rather, when) you do have to sit in traffic, all you need is a good friend and a good playlist. ✌
We did as many things as we reasonably could, balancing all of our running from here to there with plenty of sitting in coffee shops. I was pretty tired from my whirlwind trip to Oregon and Liz had a mild cold, so we wanted to make sure we didn't need vacations when we both returned home from this vacation.
I've compiled the photos from the trip below, all crammed into one post. This does not presume to be a guide by any means. It's just a recap of where we went and what we did.
noon on sunset hill
Someone I follow on social media stayed here and I remember making a mental note of how it looked like a pretty cool place to stay... and it was! As mentioned above, we scored a room on the top floor. It was clean and comfortable, with great light, minimal decor, and access to a terrific balcony overlooking Sunset Boulevard. My only complaint would be the coffee situation- a Keurig- but that was easily remedied by the accessibility of Eightfold Coffee (more on that below) down the street.
eightfold coffee
a.k.a my favorite coffee shop in LA. Even if this place hadn't been a five-minute walk from where we stayed, it would still be my favorite, but I am so so so thankful that it was close by. From day one it became a ritual- wake up around 7am, pull on jeans and a wrinkly t-shirt, walk to coffee. Sometimes I sipped it there, sometimes I enjoyed it on our balcony with a book. Most days we returned for afternoon coffee as well. It didn't take long for the baristas to begin recognizing us. We just really loved the atmosphere here.
gjusta
I honestly can't remember if we called our super-light meal here a late afternoon snack or an early dinner, but regardless, it was enjoyable. Our orders were nothing special. I was desperate for a plate of lettuce, so the caesar salad made me quite happy. Liz had pizza (and I ate the crust).
sqirl
We had brunch at Sqirl after church on Sunday. Both of us ordered the famous ricotta toast (how could you not?! 😍), and we also got the sorrel pesto rice for something savory, rhubarb lemonade, and tea with milk & honey. Of course we brought a jar of jam home as well.
I loved the little details here... specifically the table markers made from lotería cards 👌.
zinc cafe & market
One unexpected pleasure of our time in LA was getting to have brunch with some dear friends on Saturday morning in the Arts District. Zinc is a really cute cafe, with a small market inside with small kitchen goods, cookbooks, and food items. We ate outside on the patio, under string lights and olive trees. The setting was lovely and the food delicious, but of course the highlight of this meal was the company 💛.
miscellaneous
Incredible ramen at Silverlake Ramen. Vegan donuts at Donut Friend. Vegan ice cream from a truck on Abbott Kinney Blvd. A final LA breakfast at Winsome. ...And much more to explore on future visits.
out & about
You don't have to know me for very long at all to know that I'm perfectly content to just walk a lot in any given place, not necessarily doing anything in particular except taking in all the sights, stopping often to snap photos, and preferably sipping coffee simultaneously. There was a lot of all of that as we explored Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice and Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake and Echo Park, Poketo, Grand Central Market... there's no shortage of bright colors and interesting things to see in LA.
