Santa Monica: During A Flood Watch
Venice Beach, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
This past winter, I was very chaotically busy working as an unpaid intern, while still doing school full time, and working my part time job as a waitress. By the time the quarter ended, I was so intensely burnt out from the frantic running around, that I needed an escape from reality for a few days. So, I decided to last minute book a three day trip to Santa Monica with a friend, where I could explore, create content for this lovely blog, and like I said, push away all the responsibilities I put onto myself the past few months.
What I hadn't predicted, was that there were floodwatches all along the coast of California, with intense winds and rains from sea storms. The weather was extremely unpredictable. The trip which I thought was going to be me in a bikini lounging on the beach for three days, turned out to be an adventurous spontaneous exploration of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and a short excursion to Venice Beach.
I walked Hollywood Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, and visited famous estates like the Presley estate, Michael Jackson's estate, and the PlayBoy Mansion. I swung on the bars and rings at the Santa Monica Beach and Pier, observed how Hollywood Influencers flirt, and fought high winds to visit Venice Beach in all its glory. Continue reading to get a full account of everything I did on this whacky trip, and what I thought of LA county. This was my trip to Santa Monica, during a Flood Watch…
Day 1
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
We landed sleep deprived at LAX around 11 am on a monday, with no food in our stomachs, and the high of a new city to explore finally hitting us. The only thing on our minds once we landed, was where we were going to eat before the LA tour we reserved for 1 pm. We decided to take an Uber to downtown near Hollywood Blvd, where our tour's meet up spot was, right next to the infamous Hard Rock Café. With our luggage tied to our backs we arrived on Hollywood Blvd, where the road was closed off for an event later that day. The street was filled with all kinds of people; either tourists staring in awe at the stars speckling the street, vendors attempting to sell unnecessary touristy accessories, and entertainers dressed up as famous movie characters, like Spiderman or Mickey Mouse.
We wanted to eat at the Hard Rock Café, but when we arrived, we were bummed to see that it was closed for the same event that the boulevard was closed for. We would later discover through our tour guide, that the event was actually the premiere of the new John Wick movie (chapter 4). So, last minute we chose to eat some sandwiches at a cool 50's themed diner called Mel's Drive-in Diner. This was not the Mel's near Beverly Hills but another lesser known location.
After our quick meal, we made our way to our tour meet up spot and along the way took pictures of the stars of celebrities we both were familiar with. Although we didn't walk the entire stretch of Hollywood Blvd, I found the atmosphere and energy of the street to be very spunky, bustling, and slightly weird (in a good way). I would recommend visiting this street to anyone who hasn't been to Hollywood before because I think it introduces you to all the craziness and creativity that is Hollywood along just one street. It would be truly an entertaining way to become familiar with the city.
Hollywood Sign
Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Hills, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
Once we met up with our tour guide and our group, we hopped into his white van, which definitely seemed a bit sketchy at first, and drove through the winding neighborhoods of Hollywood to reach our first destination, the Hollywood Sign. Our tour guide took us through a private neighborhood that tourists don't typically have access to, where we were able to avoid the typical sign view point and get a closer, more personal view of the sign without having to hike or fight the crowds for a picture. Although it was cloudy and slightly chilly, the experience was amazing and the Hollywood sign looked fabulous.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Sign, Beverly Hills, California ; picture taken by friend
After our visit to the sign, our tour guide drove us through various famous neighborhoods of Los Angeles, like Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, and Holmby Hills. We had the pleasure of seeing the mansion of various high profile celebrities, like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Michael Jackson, P Diddy, and even Elvis Presley. Being the huge fan of MJ that I am, I went completely crazy over seeing Michael Jackson's estate, even if I only had a clear view of his front entrance. Our tour guide did however have birds eye view images of the estates we visited, and would show us what was hiding behind the gates of each entry way. This was especially cool when we visited Hugh Heffner's PlayBoy Mansion, where our tour guide showed us the birds eye of his main house, party house, guest house, three pools, and his personal golf course. Seeing these estates in person really opened my eyes to how ridiculously wealthy these people in Hollywood really are. It was hard for me to believe that this seemingly unattainable amount of wealth is actually a true reality for the people living there.
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
We ended the tour with Rodeo Drive. We had the opportunity of going with the tour bus back to Hollywood Blvd, but Rodeo was closer to our hotel in Santa Monica. So, we thanked and tipped our tour guide, then continued on our own to explore the streets through and around Rodeo. We made the decision to not step foot into any of the stores there, because we looked way too homeless to show our faces in them. We still had all our luggage strapped to our backs, dressed in the most unflattering clothes, and still looking very hungry / sleep deprived. Knowing the employees of these stores would most likely kick us out with the concern that we would smuggle something out of the store in our luggage, we stuck to the streets and admired the stores from a distance.
I definitely do want to go back to Rodeo Drive in the future, when I'm more cleaned up and dressed in something that will make me feel confident walking through those stores. Until then, however, the experience I had walking around Rodeo was a dream.
My Thoughts on LA
I want to thank the tour company we went through (their information is linked at the end) for showing us and explaining to us the life and history of Hollywood. I really felt like I emerged into this crazy reality that is celebrity life. Our tour guide was a local from LA county, and gave us some insight on what it's like living as an average person amongst all of this crazy fantastical wealth. I was able to envision what it was like living in Los Angeles through him. I will say that because we commuted mostly by car, I didn't really discover how safe a city Los Angeles is. We also stuck to more of the touristy wealthy parts of the city, so I also can't make a comment on the city as a whole, because I did not see everything. With that being said, what I did see was absolutely mind blowing and wild. If you haven't been to Los Angeles before and want a quick tour of all its hot spots, you should definitely check out this tour company.
Day 2
Breakfast at Dogtown Café
The next day we woke up in our Hilton hotel room with the weather looking very unfortunate. I had seen the weather forecast and knew that a sea storm was rolling in, so I was prepared to weather anything that nature threw at us to make this trip worthwhile. Not knowing in the slightest what we were going to do next we decided to take a brisk walk over to this cute quaint café called the Dogtown Café. By then it was definitely raining and the wind was intensifying but after ordering a breakfast burrito and drinks, joking with the barista about bringing the weather from Seattle, and finding our seats, we enjoyed our time away from the rain, while sipping on our hot coffees.
Santa Monica Beach & Pier
Santa Monica Beach & Pier, Santa Monica, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
Our coffees were much needed for our next adventure. We decided that we were going to be strong and fight the rain by still walking to the Santa Monica Beach and walking along the boardwalk towards the Pier. At first, the weather was so miserable we were really regretting our decision, but right after we reached the beach, I noticed the clouds were parting and the warm rays of the sun were beating lovingly down on us again. Although the wind stayed, the sun surprised us with a visit for a few hours where we took the opportunity of lounging around at the beach, playing at the swings and bars at the Santa Monica Aerial bars and Swings Park, and basking in the sun at a bench on the Pier while a talented musician played some background music on his electric guitar. This was one of my favorite moments from the trip, when the day took a turn for the best and ended up being a sweet memory I will always cherish.
3rd Street Promenade
3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
As the day continued, the sun kept peaking out of the clouds and it was surprisingly warm. So, we continued our stroll around the small city into the afternoon. Our next stop was a famous street of Santa Monica known for its cute boutiques, vibey bars, and tasty eats, called 3rd Street Promenade. The Promenade starts at the intersection of Broadway and 3rd street, then continues all the way along 3rd Street until Wilshire Blvd. We walked along the entire stretch of the Promenade, and explored some of the small shops. I didn't shop too much, because I had limited luggage space. However, I ended up purchasing a gorgeous backless turquoise dress from a boutique called Tazga. As I was trying on the dress I discovered it had pockets, which for me, was a cause for celebration.
MisFits Bar
MisFits Bar, Santa Monica, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
By the time we finished walking along the Promenade, it was late afternoon and we were starved. We stumbled into MisFits Bar and Lounge, located just a block closer to the water than 3rd Street Promenade. We ate mac 'n cheese that tasted like heaven in a bowl, and drank cocktails for 50% off the original price. We were lucky that we chose to eat there during their happy hour because all cocktails and wines were 50% off except for beers and ciders. Our server explained to us that MisFits is the place everyone in Santa Monica goes to for cheap drinks to pre drink, before they go to a more expensive lounge or club. I would highly recommend going there, either for the cheap tasty cocktails or for the atmosphere. The vibe of the bar gave me early 19th century speakeasy vibes with the warm lighting, the dark wooden pillars and booths, and the renaissance art covering the walls. The next time I am in Santa Monica, I will be paying this bar another visit.
LouLou's & the Influencers
Lou Lou's Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge, Santa Monica, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
For dinner we made reservations for a high class French rooftop restaurant called Lou Lou's. After our trip to the Promenade the weather did take a turn for the worse and the rain rolled into the city. Due to this unfortunate occurrence, they had limited seating because all their outdoor spots were unavailable and they had a very quaint indoor space. When we arrived they didn't have a table for us even though we had made a reservation. We were offered the choice of taking a seat at the bar until a table opened up and since we hadn't thought of a plan B, we took the offer.
I'll be honest and say that the atmosphere wasn't what I expected. The indoor eating space was too flashy and bright for my liking and the tables were positioned weirdly to where multiple parties would be sitting at one table. However, I absolutely loved the rosé that I ordered at the bar and the pesto spaghetti I ordered at our table was absolutely scrumptious. The pine nuts sprinkled on top added so much flavor and it left me feeling stuffed and lazy.
The guys sitting across from us were comical. They were all definitely some type of influencer, who I had once seen on Instagram or Youtube, but I couldn't put a name to any of their faces. Two of them kept staring at me very intently throughout the dinner which made me think there was something in my hair or on my face. At one point during the meal one of the men stood up, left his seat at the table, and then proceeded to strip off his sweater in front of our table, before sitting back down. He then proceeded to keep staring at us until we paid and left.
My friend and I thought it was a bit weird, slightly pathetic, and probably his sad attempt at getting women to notice him. We got the vibe that these influencers expected us to know who they were and to come up to them at some point raving about them. So instead, we proceeded to ignore them the rest of our dinner, which hopefully humbled them a few levels. This was my first introduction to hyper-egotistic social media influencers and all I can say is they're definitely a different breed haha.
My Thoughts on Santa Monica
After spending Monday evening and the whole day on Tuesday in Santa Monica, I concluded that I absolutely loved the city and would 100% return in a few years, preferably when the weather is warmer. There were still so many things I wanted to do in the area that I didn't get to do. This was either due to the lack of time, or the gross weather. I also thought the city was extremely safe. Homelessness is still very much present in this area of California, but this was the first city where I felt comfortable walking around with one other female friend at night. We were never harassed in any way and all the locals were extremely nice and welcoming to us, including all of our Uber drivers. Everyone was happy to show us directions to local spots or give us recommendations which I really enjoyed since I'm from Seattle and so used to experiencing the "Seattle Freeze". I would 100% recommend this city as a destination when you're visiting the Californian coast. The weather in this region isn't predictable during the spring, fall, or winter. Instead, I would suggest going in early summer like June to mid July would be the best time frame to visit.
Day 3
Blue Daisy Café
Blue Daisy Café, Santa Monica, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
With it being our final day in the Santa Monica area, we packed up our belongings and checked out of our hotel. The weather was continuing to switch up on us, even as we walked from the hotel to a quaint breakfast café some blocks away from us. As the sun shone through the clouds, we were caught in some light rain. After a brisk walk with our luggage in tow, we arrived at the Blue Daisy Café and had a delicious breakfast there. I loved the food, but most of all I loved the interior decor of the café. There were plants everywhere, and bright pink hanging ceiling lamps that emitted a beautiful warm light. We observed the weather from there, and when we noticed that it was indeed worsening, we decided to call an uber to take us to Venice Beach. The uber driver was very friendly and talkative with us, even giving us advice on what we should and shouldn't do when in Venice. The number one advice was not to buy anything on the main street. He said it was all overpriced, and you can get it better somewhere else. This was a piece of advice that we followed for the short time that we were actually at the beach.
Venice Beach
Venice Beach, California ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
Our last day was when the weather decided to be at its worst. As we drove to Venice, the wind picked up speed, dark clouds loomed over us from the sea, and it had rained heavily, the streets now flooded with rain water. Our uber driver let us out and wished us luck, as we stepped into what I definitely would call a mild hurricane. We spent, at most, 45 minutes at the beach checking out the skate park, the boardwalk, the shops, and taking pictures with the large crashing waves. At a point, however, we decided to take an early uber to the airport and hang out there, because the wind was becoming too strong, it had begun to rain again, and with hardly any people there, the mood was downright miserable.
My Thoughts on Venice Beach
Although I thought the beach was cool and beautiful with the dark blue clouds and the angry waves, I didn't want the wind and rain to make me feel sour about Venice Beach. As we walked around and watched people skating at the park, prancing around the beach, and jumping over icy waves, I could see the fun that people share there when the weather is warm and sunny. I could picture the roller skaters showing off their moves with a jukebox pinned to their shoulders, and the gymnasts flexing their strength at the ring and bar park. I could imagine vendors yelling out into crowds of people, desperately trying to get people into their touristy shops. I could most of all imagine the positive energy that emanates from all those groups of people enjoying the California sun and waves together. Even though my first experience of Venice beach wasn't the one I had in mind, I know I will be back to see the scene I had imagined and experience that same energy. I would definitely recommend coming here, but I would suggest being better at researching the weather forecast than I was 😉.
Trip Reflection
Me swinging on the bars at Santa Monica Beach, California ; picture taken by a friend
I wrote most of this blog right after I got back from the trip, but unfortunately once my classes started back up again and I got busy with creating my website, I stopped writing and didn't get a chance to finish until recently. Reflecting back on this trip after so long, I felt fondly about it, even though nothing in the slightest went how I wanted it to. My friend and I imagined a completely different trip from what we got, but the memories warm my heart. During this trip, we could not plan anything and had to solely go off of what the weather allowed us to do. Due to this, we definitely were taught a lot about losing control when traveling, being more open to trying new things, and being accepting of not everything working out the way you want them to. I think because we kept this mindset throughout the whole three days, our trip was much more fun than if we got upset over everything that went wrong. This is some advice that I would give to you when you go out on your own adventures. Not everything is going to go the way you wanted it to, which is completely fine, and very normal when traveling. The only thing you can change is your mindset, and how you react in these moments. Stay spontaneous, stay positive, and allow your trip to take control, because it will.
Thank you for reading! I hope this post gave you some insight on Los Angeles county, maybe even for a future trip of yours. The tour details are listed below, so feel free to check them out, and take a tour with them. I would highly recommend it.
As always, follow me on instagram, @aniekasarmer for updates about new blog posts and future destinations.
Now go out and explore the world!
Love,
Anieka ♡
