Los Angeles Adventures

Happy President’s Day! I’m sure you’re all out celebrating however one might celebrate President’s Day. I guess with a day off work? Sounds reasonable to me.

So, we went to LA for the day because my husband had to go to a trade show in Anaheim. I (forgetting what LA traffic was like….I lived there for 2 summer’s so I should know better!) had the brilliant idea to drive from Anaheim to Santa Monica to shop around. I basically had the day so even if I knew traffic was going to be killer I may have gone anyway…or maybe not actually.

The traffic in LA blows my mind. It should have taken me 45 minutes to get to the 3rd Street Promenade but it took an hour and a half. It took me 2 hours on the way back by the way (at 2:30 in the afternoon..what?!). So, I got to know my rental car pretty well.

That being said, it was SUCH a beautiful day (like most days in Southern California) so it felt great to get outside and do some exploring.

3rd Street Promenade is basically an outdoor mall-type area. It’s so pretty, has great shopping, and all the restaurants have awesome patios.

My first stop shockingly wasn’t clothing related…I had to go to Pinkberry.

This is one thing we don’t have in Eagle: frozen yogurt. I miss it so much. I know Pinkberry, Red Mango, and other’s like it are a little pricier but I love the toppings they offer. My favorite has got to be mocchi..it’s SO good! Great texture!

I went into just about every store on the street but didn’t buy anything. That’s so unlike me I don’t know what happened. I think it was the fact my husband was working. I would have felt a little bad if I was out spending tons of money while he was working. That didn’t seem too fair. It was fun nonetheless!

I used to LOVE this store. They sell handmade soaps, shampoos, and body lotions; they’re really great! I stopped buying them because they’re a little expensive but I do like their stuff. It’s a fun place to pick up a present for people too.

Another thing I miss about big cities is they all tend to have these newspaper and magazine stands. I used to kill so much time at these on my lunch breaks in LA and also walking down Michigan Avenue in Chicago. I was so excited when I saw one here!

One thing I don’t miss about LA though is this:

Yes, I took this picture while I was driving. We weren’t moving so I felt it was safe enough.

We also spent some time in San Diego visiting family. I can’t believe I haven’t been to Southern California now in like, 3 years. I used to go to San Diego every summer (like everyone else in Arizona). It was a lot of fun seeing the family and exploring San Diego. It definitely makes me miss California.

The beach!

We’re in Northern California now which is equally as nice. We drove from San Diego all the way up to Redding which took about 12 hours. The drive wasn’t too bad though since I had good company.  We’re visiting my husband’s parents here which is always fun.

Hope you’re all having a great day off (or should I say, I hope you’re having a day off?).

 

What were your plans for the long weekend? Heading anywhere special?