This past February, work sent me to Anaheim. Since I hadn’t been to Los Angeles since I was a baby, I jumped at the chance to tack on a few extra days to explore the City of Angels. If you’re used to reading about my solo adventures, though, this trip looked a little different. My uncle Kevin recently moved back to the L.A. area after a few years in the Arizona mountains. Having spent most of his adult life in Southern California, he was the ultimate local host. Not only did he give me a place to crash, but he also curated the perfect, jam-packed four-day itinerary, blending my must-sees with his personal favorites, and played tour guide and chauffeur the entire time.
Day 1: Venice Beach and Hollywood
Since I was driving down to Anaheim for work after my stay with Uncle Kevin, I got a rental car for this leg of the trip that I picked up on arrival into LAX. My flight landed around 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday, and upon picking up the rental car, I headed for Venice Beach, something I would do on my own since it was en route from the airport out to Chatsworth where my uncle lives. I parked the car in one of the paid lots near the beach and stepped out into the sun. The first thing that I did coming from a brutally chilly and snowy Philadelphia winter was walk on the beach and put my feet in the Pacific, wandering past the Muscle Beach gym and the Venice Skatepark on the beach. I next took a stroll on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a high energy walk with lots of shops, restaurants, and artists along the way. I had eaten a sandwich on the plane so I wasn’t hungry, but stopped off at Groundwork Coffee Co. for a little afternoon pick-me-up as I strolled. From there I wandered back a few blocks off the boardwalk to the Venice Canals Historic District, a residential area of man-made canals inspired by the Italian namesake for the neighborhood. This was such a scenic and peaceful little stroll that could only make a girl dream about living in one of the cute residences along the canals.
After my afternoon in Venice I scooted on up the 405 towards Chatsworth where Uncle Kevin lives in the San Fernando Valley. Knowing I’m interested in all things spooky and morbid, he made sure to point out that his apartment is about five minutes from the infamous Spahn Ranch where the Manson family lived, and that he’s heard there’s still a dune buggy from the cult out off the desert trails behind his apartment complex – maybe an adventure for a future visit! I settled in and then we headed out for dinner and more sightseeing. Mexican food is a must in SoCal, and we hit Los Toros in Chatsworth for some delicious enchiladas. From there, we did a night drive of the twists and turns of Mulholland Drive, pulling off at a few overlooks of the city and the valley all lit up at night.
Next we ventured into Hollywood, parking in a garage connected to the Dolby Theater where the Oscars are hosted. We wandered the Boulevard for a bit, taking in the stars along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and stopping so I could stomp on Trump’s star. The next stop was Grauman’s Chinese Theater, where we wandered the sidewalk in front of the pagoda facade of the theater where celebrities have left their footprints in the cement. To conclude my tour of Hollywood Boulevard, we stopped off into Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, with a swanky dark wood paneled interior. Sipping a strong martini at the bar, I asked my uncle how often he sighted celebrities around town, and told him I probably wouldn’t even register a celebrity sighting because they always look so different in person. However, I had noted someone across the room that looked a lot like the character Greg from the show CSI, but wasn’t sure if it was just my mind playing tricks on me since I was in Hollywood and on the lookout for celebs. I pulled up a picture on my phone and Uncle Kevin agreed it resembled him. We wrapped up our drinks and I hit the bathroom on the way out, meeting Uncle Kevin out on the sidewalk. Imagine my shock when I walked outside to find my uncle standing out there striking up conversation with none other than Eric Szmanda, a.k.a. Greg from CSI! I may have fangirled a little. What a first night in L.A.!
Day 2: The Hollywood Sign, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica
We started off Day 2 by heading to Griffith Observatory on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood above the Los Feliz neighborhood. The observatory is free to visit and offers free exhibits on astronomy and the universe, but perhaps its biggest draw is its panoramic viewing platform looking over the city of Los Angeles and its unparalleled views of the Hollywood Sign. There are also trailheads in the park – it was a hot day for hiking when I visited, but I would love to do some on my next trip out! The parking closest to the observatory is paid, but there is also free parking available further down in the park.
Our next stop was one of my personal additions to the itinerary, and something Uncle Kevin was also visiting for the first time: the Museum of Death in Hollywood. This one is not for the faint of heart – in fact, while we were there, one of the employees was talking about how they had someone pass out in the collections the previous day. The museum features photos and memorabilia from high-profile local murders, like the Manson Family and Black Dahlia murders, as well as photos of gory crime scene and car accidents, serial killer letters, old mortician devices, skulls, and more. As someone intrigued by all things spooky and morbid, I found the museum fascinating!
Somehow, Uncle Kevin and I both left the museum having developed an appetite and were ravenous for some lunch. I don’t know what that says about us, but we made our way over to Pink’s Hot Dogs, a legendary hot dog spot with dogs named after celebrities and walls lined with photos of all the celebrities who have visited over the years. I scarfed a pastrami reuben dog, topped with pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and mustard, and we split a heaping order of chili cheese fries.
After lunch, we headed over to the La Brea Tar Pits, the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site in an urban environment in the world. For over 50,000 years, animals, plants, and insects have been trapped and preserved in asphalt at the site. There’s a museum onsite that features the fossils, but we opted to just wander the grounds to see the tar pit locations and Lake Pit with its recreation of a mammoth becoming trapped in the asphalt.
Next we took a drive through Beverly Hills, stopping off for a bit to wander the luxury fashion stores along Rodeo Drive, one of the most expensive streets in the world. Good window shopping! Down the end of Rodeo is Two Rodeo Drive, a small cobblestoned street reminiscent of a small European shopping alley. Across Wilshire Boulevard, we checked out the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, which has seen many famous guests over the years and was the setting of the movie Pretty Woman. A short drive from Rodeo, we stopped off in a Beverly Hills neighborhood to see the Spadena House, also known as “The Witch’s House” for its resemblance to a dilapidated little fairytale cottage.
It was Super Bowl Sunday, so we next headed to the Santa Monica condo of Uncle Kevin’s friends who were hosting a little Super Bowl gathering and caught the second half of the game. After the game, we parked down at the Santa Monica Pier and wandered the pier’s amusements, picking up some souvenirs and splitting a delicious funnel cake.
Day 3: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Yamashiro’s
My Uncle Kevin and I are both huge history buffs – he was a history teacher early on in his career, and was thrilled when I chose history as my major going into my first year at Temple University. Of course I would end up shifting majors down the road, but my love of history and historic places has always been an underlying motivator of my career in the tourism industry. So our Day 3 itinerary took us a 20-minute drive out to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, located atop a hill overlooking the sprawling green valley. In addition to exhibits on his life and presidency, the Library & Museum includes a replica Oval Office, the Air Force One plane used by the presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and the final resting place of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
After the museum, we hit another of my requests for lunch: In-N-Out Burger, California’s beloved fast food chain for burgers with fresh, high quality ingredients. We also picked up a pizza to have for dinner back at the house, and decided to just chill for a little bit to take an afternoon nap and prep my bags for the next day.
After dinner, we headed out for the evening. Our first stop was Yamashiro Hollywood – an upscale Japanese restaurant located in the Hollywood Hills with stunning views of Los Angeles at night. We enjoyed a couple of delicious cocktails at the bar, with my choice being a Japanese gin and tonic. On the way back, we stopped for a nightcap at one from my list, 818 Brewing in Chatsworth. Uncle Kevin is more of a spirits drinker, but found a hefeweizen he liked on the list, taking amusement at the funky flavored beers I was trying.
Day 4: Downtown Los Angeles
The next morning, I loaded up my rental car and said goodbye to my host, heading into Downtown Los Angeles for some solo exploring en route to Anaheim. I parked the car at Grand Central Market, where I would circle back to for lunch, but spent the morning checking out a few things in the downtown area. I first headed across the street to take the Angels Flight, a historic funicular traversing a steep incline to connect Hill Street and Olive Street. I wandered through Pershing Square and headed to The Last Bookstore, a new and used bookstore that is any bibliophile’s dream. I perused walls and walls of books and walked through the store’s iconic book tunnel, and purchased a book about Charles Manson. On my way back to Grand Central Market for lunch, I stopped off into the Bradbury Building, an architectural landmark with an atrium featuring ornate ironwork that has been featured in Blade Runner and other films and TV series.
The next stop was lunch, and Grand Central Market features a variety of merchants all under one roof. After wandering the rows of vendors aimlessly for a bit trying to figure out what I was craving, I landed on a hefty burrito from Ana Maria in the center of the market.
Next, I moved the car over to Union Station to explore that part of downtown. L.A.’s Union Station is the largest rail station in the western U.S., and is an architectural landmark, featuring a blend of Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival and Art Deco styles. From there, I headed to City Hall, where you can get a visitor pass and take the elevator up to an observation deck for 360-degree views of the city. Walking back to the car, I browsed Calle Olvera, the oldest part of downtown L.A. featuring a pedestrian Mexican marketplace. My last stop before hitting the road to Anaheim was an afternoon brew at Arts District Brewery, a fun brewery featuring skeeball and other games in an the eclectic Arts District neighborhood.
As I pulled out of the Arts District Brewery and merged onto the freeway toward Anaheim, I couldn’t help but smile reflecting on the whirlwind of the last four days. Leaving behind a brutal Philadelphia winter for the California sunshine was already a win, but getting to spend quality time with my uncle made it even better. I got to see the best of L.A. through his favorite places, and at the same time introduce him to new experiences in L.A. through my unique (and sometimes morbid) interests. With celebrity run-ins, tasty food and sips, history and architecture, views for days, and the dark side of L.A., I got a good taste of the City of Angels, and yet feel like I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg in this sprawling metropolis. You can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be back to hunt down that Manson family dune buggy next time!
C to Shining C 
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