A Getaway to Los Angeles

In late April, Brett and I were fortunate enough to spend 4 days in Los Angeles. It was a whirlwind trip that we won by entering a raffle through Theatre Exile: As walkers, the first thing that was jarring to us is that everywhere in LA seemed to be a 30 minute car ride away. After getting over this, we took in the endless amount of sunlight, rode in Teslas, and ventured along our way.

For both of us these were the highlights of the trip:

We stayed at the Hotel Biltmore in LA. This hotel hosted the first Academy Awards when it was just a dinner. They had a great swimming pool and is frequently used for filming.

The photo shows just one of the many beautiful archways that you'll discover at the Hotel Biltmore.

Dinner and Magic at the Magic Castle: This is an exclusive club for magicians, and we were lucky enough to receive an invitation. Throughout the castle, we witnessed mesmerizing magic performances. One magician amazed us by unlocking a cell phone and accurately guessing the serial number of a dollar bill. The bartenders dazzled us with their card tricks, and we were awe-struck as we watched a woman escape unharmed from a box while swords were thrust towards her. It was a truly enchanting experience.

Before entering the secret door behind the bookcase of the Magic Castle, we managed to capture this single photo, as it was the only one allowed.

Grant Central Market: We ate at this Market everyday for Breakfast and Lunch. The food was affordable and tasty, and there was great customer service. Egg Slut was the breakfast winner for us, with really satisfying breakfast sandwiches. We enjoyed getting homemade pies from Fat + Flour and delectable donuts from The Donut Man We frequently ate mouthwatering fried chicken sandwiches from Lucky Bid

This is a picture of the cool neon advertising Bulleit Whiskey at the bar at the Grand Central Market

We also were able to go to The Broad Museum The Broad is a contemporary Modern Art Museum that is free with reservations. When we were there, we saw impressive artwork by Basquiat, Jeff Koons, and Roy Lichtenstein. The Museum was not crowded and we did not feel rushed when we were there. It was a delight to go and spend as much time as we wanted to in order to appreciate the art work.

Here is a picture a Jeff Koons sculptures of a bunny in front of a blue dog.

We had an exceptional soul food dinner at Fixins- Soul Kitchen in LA. The food served there is authentic soul food, rivaling or even surpassing the quality you would find in NOLA.

The restaurant had an added touch of charm with its captivating wall decor, featuring witty sayings that caught our attention. It was a delightful experience to not only savor the mouthwatering soul food but also enjoy the playful atmosphere created by the clever messages displayed throughout the restaurant.

This is one of the really great sayings on the wall, such as for Blue Koolaid:

"Blue - Imitation Flavor" Kool-Aid Instant Soft Drink Mix - Add Sugar: Baby How Many Cups of Sugar Did You Use...Five or Ten? 'Cause if it Ain't Sweet, It Ain't Sweet Enough!! Amen"

We went to the Santa Monica Pier where we went to the amusement park. We played skee ball and video games. We rode the Ferris Wheel. We dipped our toes in the really cold ocean.

This is a selfie of us on the really cool Ferris Wheel

As East Coasters, we are not lucky enough to eat at In-N-Out Burger. After our thrilling Ferris-Wheel Adventure, we took a 30 minute car ride to seek out their burgers. The menu is simple. The bun is hearty and natural. The burger is a high quality fast-food meat where not much else is needed on it. The fries were perfectly seasoned.

Attached is a picture of Brett, captured as we savored our delightful spread of cheeseburgers and fries from In-N-Out Burger.

We visited Hollywood and had a wonderful time exploring the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. We took plenty of pictures as we strolled along, admiring the stars embedded in the sidewalk honoring various celebrities. This is a photo of some of the stars from the Star Wars.

And a plaque to Carrie Fisher. (Her star would come after we came to Hollywood.)

We also went to the Funko Store in LA. We had soo much fun taking pictures of us with life-size Funkos.

This is a picture of Brett being chased by a dinosaur in Jurassic Park.

Overall, our Los Angeles Adventure was Nine Hollywood Stars out of Ten. If we were to go again, we would plan better for the 30 minute car rides. Please feel free to leave us your LA Adventure Stories and Your LA Recommendations.