Happy Wednesday Babes!
I’m so excited to share all of the details of our last LA Trip with you all today. We absolutely love it there and I would be lying if I said we weren’t itching to move there.
One thing I love is that each trip is totally different. A few years ago, we went with my whole family for Thanksgiving to see my Aunt and since then, one of my best friends has moved there, so it makes our trips to the city much more frequent. I try to make it at least once a year if not more.
This last trip was one of my favorites though. It was so good to see me sweet friend, her life and have Colton there with us as well.
Most of the trips are all girls trips, so it was really special having him there this time around.
THURSDAY
OUTFIT DETAILS
Thursday was my first day in town! I landed bright and early that morning, then went straight to my friend’s office to see her space, tell her hi and grab her keys to the apartment.
I wanted to get into LA a day earlier than Colton so that I could work and shoot with a photographer! Since Colton takes most all of the photos for the blog, vacations can start to feel a lot like work and I just really didn’t want to have to worry about it this trip! So I got everything done before he arrived.
When I got to Haley’s place in West Hollywood, I went for a run (it’s my favorite place in the world to run) grabbed a smoothie, met with the photographer, then worked at Alfred’s Tea Room off Melrose Place until dinner!
If you’re ever in LA, you have to go to at least one of the Alfred’s locations. Whether it be their tea house or coffee shop, they are all so cute and completely Instagram worthy.
FRIDAY
Friday, I woke up bright and early with Haley, got my post out and then headed to the gym before having to pick Colton up from the airport.
It absolutely poured down rain, all day Friday and I couldn’t believe it. We came all the way to LA for sunshine and it was raining. Colton and I joke that Mother Nature just hates us – lol.
None-the-less, he got in and we went to a late lunch at Taste on Melrose. We originally went to another spot but weren’t feeling the vibes, so after a glass of wine, we found Taste and made our way!
It was adorable, the food was great and there were good vibes all around. Even with the rain, it was packed!!
Afterward, we shopped a little bit on Melrose (Colton really wanted to go to the Supreme store), stopped at a coffee shop for an afternoon pick-me-up and went to Haley’s office to grab her before dinner.
She works in E-Sports, which is technically professional video-gaming and Colton was literally in heaven. He was able to play in the practice rooms with the players and he was seriously in his happy place. I mean, it was my biggest nightmare (hahaha) but he loved it, so that’s all that counts! Haley did pop a bottle of champagne for us to have while he played and it made it a little better – lol ;).
SHOP THE LOOK
That night we went to Catch LA for dinner and it completely blew away my expectations! Haley and my other girlfriends have mentioned it before, but I don’t think I realized just how cool the spot was.
If you’re wanting to spot a celebrity while in LA, then Catch is the place to be. DJ Khaled actually sat right by us and it was pretty cool!
I definitely recommend the Spicy Margarita and getting all items to share with the table! I really loved how we just shared dishes all weekend as opposed to everyone spending a lot of money on their own meal.
After dinner, we ended up meeting with a few people at the bar and were having so much fun we actually closed the place down.
If you’re in LA – put Catch at the top of your list but I recommend booking really far in advance. There is definitely no just “walking – in”.
SHOP THE LOOKS
SATURDAY
Despite the night before, we all woke up early and feeling pretty good. We went for a walk around West Hollywood (that’s where we were staying), grabbed a coffee from a few blocks down and just enjoyed the morning. The weather app had forecasted rain all weekend but it was as sunny as could be and we were stoked about it!
SHOP THE LOOK
After our walk, we went back, showered – changed and made our way to Malibu for the day.
For lunch, we went to Nobu Malibu which is another favorite and honestly hung out there for hours! The weather was just so gorgeous, the beach was amazing, the sushi was good and so was the rosé.
Afterwards, we went to Santa Monica for a little bit then made our way back to West Hollywood.
SHOP THE LOOKS
For dinner, we went to Laurel Hardware and it was honestly my favorite meal of the trip. We sat outside in the most gorgeous lit courtyard. We had lots of wine and shared a bunch of meals again. It was just so relaxed and the best way to end our trip. The restaurant turns into quite the bar scene later in the night, but we just stayed outside where we could have a conversation and actually hear one another.
SUNDAY
Sunday we woke up early and went to hike at Runyon Trail. It was less than a mile away from Haley’s apartment so we couldn’t not! If you’re ever in LA, I highly recommend going hiking at least once! Last time, we did the Hollywood Sign Trail and it was just as fun.
The views of the city for both hikes are just incredible. Plus – it’s a great workout!
Colton and I are still sore – lol.
SHOP THE LOOK
SHOP THE LOOK
Then last but not least, a trip to LA wouldn’t be the same without a lunch at The Ivy! Colton and I first went in 2014 and had the best time, so we made sure to make it back for this trip as well.
The Ivy in Beverly Hills is absolutely GORGEOUS. When you make your reservation, make sure to sit outside. Upon arrival, they give you a complimentary glass of champagne, which just really puts you in a good mood! The people watching is amazing and if you add a bottle of Rosé to the mix, it will make it that much better.
We were honestly not ready to leave and enjoyed our lunch so much that we ended up missing our flight!
#sorrynotsorry
It was totally worth it and United just put us on the next flight super easily!
xo,
Lauren
Los Angeles Guide
Restaurants
- Taste on Melrose -WestHollywood
- Catch – West Hollywood
- The Ivy in Beverly Hills
- Laurel Hardware – West Hollywood
- Ceconni’s – West Hollywood (best happy hour)
- Perch La – Downtown
- Urth Cafe -Beverly Hills & West Hollywood
- Sugar Fish Sushi – Multiple Locations
- Nobu Malibu -Malibu
- Malibu Cafe – Malibu
Coffee
Hiking Trails
- Runyon Trail
- Hollywood Sign Trail
Bars / Clubs
- Tao
- Bootsy Bellows
- 1Oak
CHECK OUT MY PAST LA GUIDES: LtoL Takes Los Angeles; LA Tidbits 2016