This #TeamCoco writer just got back from a crazy old time away in Los Angeles. A chronic over-researcher with a huge fear of missing out (HUGE!) I did too much and came back a shattered but very happy person. Originally this trip was all about the Girl Boss Rally (see this post) and a few nice foodie things to tell you all about but it seemed to organically turn into so much more…

Incredible people were met, Native American rituals attended, many taco salads wolfed down and lots of embracing jet lag and seeing the dawn happened. Maybe some of this list will be helpful, maybe you’ll just think I’m totally loco and go and have a sit down. Your choice!

Whatever you take away, please know that it is completely possible to travel solo in Los Angeles and without a car. We’re big fans of solo trips here at House of Coco and would love to hear your stories too!

This is Weekend 1 of my adventure, keep your eyes peeled for more of the journey later this week….

FRIDAY

2pm: Landed at LAX, grabbed a ‘Pool’ Uber (you’ll usually save 30% on the price of a cab to yourself but your journey will take much longer!) to Sunset Boulevard to set up for a networking event at an incredible Breather.com meeting space

10pm: After an incredible evening of networking it was time to grab a Lyft (another Uber type app) back to Venice Beach to a friend’s for the night.

SATURDAY

7am: Cab to DTLA (Downtown LA) to attend the Girl Boss Rally at Hudson Loft, 1200 S Hope St (see full write up here)

8pm: Cocktails on the roof of the Hudson Loft followed by a quick drink at Lotus Hookah Bar (3742 S Flower St)

SUNDAY

7am: Yay for jet lag! Up, showered and scratching at the door of motorbike shop / cafe Deus Ex Machina (1001 Venice Boulevard) for cold brew and avocado on toast

9am: After walking down to Abbot Kinney Boulevard (a fantastic shopping street) I got the greenest juice I could possibly find from Pressed Juicery (1653 Abbot Kinney Blvd) and warded off aeroplane germs with it, in between snapping the famous ‘colour walls’ of the street.

10:00am: Following the vague direction of the sea, I spied the ocean and sat amongst ladies in athleisurewear meditating in front of the surf.

10:30am: Even in March, the sun is beating down so I wandered off in the direction of the architecturally stunning Venice Canals, then jumped in a cab to Sephora (Waterside, Marina del Rey). When will they open Sephora in the UK?!

12:00pm: After purchasing sun screen at Sephora our outside brunch at Sunny Spot (822 Washington Blvd) is well, not very sunny and we end up in the cosy Venice Alehouse (2 Rose Avenue) with mimosas, tacos and a view of the beach.

2:00pm: Back on Abbot Kinney Boulevard we pop into fantastic stores and sample a Blueberry and Bourbon donut from infamous fried treat providers Blue Star (1142 Abbot Kinney).

4:00pm: We leave Venice and head up to hipster hangout Los Feliz. We fight the urge to buy all the #GirlBoss vibed items at feminist store OtherWild (1768 N Vermont Ave) but do give into incense at beautifully curated BellJar (1764 N Vermont Ave).

8:00pm: Post a very long ‘Pool’ journey back to Venice Beach we order TenderGreens salad takeaway and crash out.

MONDAY

6am: Yay jet lag again! The only coffee shop open at this hour is Stumptown Coffee in the Arts District (806 S Santa Fe Ave) so off we went to soak up the industrial vibes and try to mainline Cold Brew coffee with chocolate milk…

10am: You can’t visit Los Angeles without checking out Bottega Louie (700 S Grand Ave) It’s an astonishing grand cafe style restaurant that makes you feel like you are in the Hotel Budapest. The macarons are legend.

11:30am: We geeked out a crazy amount at the incredible California Science Centre (700 Exposition Park Drive) with the Science Behind Pixar exhibit and epic IMAX feature ‘Dream Big’. Told you we were massive geeks.

1:00pm: Accidental vegan lunch at Wild Living (760 S Main St) Foods gives us enough energy to check out The Original Farmer’s Market (6333 W 3rd St, more on this in another post soon!)

7:00pm: Back to Venice Beach for truffle fries and local craft beers at quirky Hotel Erwin (1697 Pacific Ave)

Want more mad adventures? Come back later this week for more from this kooky trip to La La Land. In our next instalment, we’ll share more about spiritual home, Ojai in Ventura County. And yes, you can get there on public transport!

Author

Living on the sunny Kent coast you'll find Anna tracking down the best new coffee shops and craft beer dens. With a penchant for vintage, she's more likely to be exploring thrift stores than Bond Street but she'll never say no to a little touch of creative luxury.

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