Sometimes I feel like my soul has a muscle-memory for Los Angeles. As if, by failing to pay close attention and keep defenses up, I could get lured into the rat race that birthed my parents and thereby lose my way back home to the cool, rolling hills of Northern California. It is precisely because LA has its charms that I have hardened my heart against her wiles, insisting I felt more at home just about anywhere else, including Delhi, half a world away. Going to school at Berkeley has put me in close proximity to several die-hard Angelenos, and after a lot of kibitzing and regional trash talking, one of them finally called my bluff and offered to put the city's money where her mouth is. Armed with an "I'll never live south of Monterey" chip on my shoulder, I headed out to La La Land for the Labor Day weekend.
After a quick SJC to BUR flight, I found myself quickly ensconced in a lovely, loaned Hollywood studio, right in the shadow of the Capitol Records building. For dinner, we headed to Yamashiro's for sushi and sake. We sat in a lovely garden courtyard, but the restaurant itself has commanding views over Hollywood and Downtown LA that are to die for - well worth a return visit. I've learned that life in LA doesn't wind down early, so after dinner, we headed out to a late showing of The Help at a very posh theater in Hollywood (supposedly the highest-grossing in the country - likely due to the $16 tickets) and then wound down our evening listening to music and shooting the breeze until 3am. Not a bad start to the weekend.
On Saturday we headed to Runyon Canyon to hike with the fit and fit-to-be-seen. The views over the city were beautiful. I'll never get used to not being able to see blue ocean nor completely clear sky, but you can't deny that the weather and sites are pretty spectacular. Brunch is, as always, the best meal ever, so we headed to Bottega Louie for an amazing meal of clam pizza, eggs scrambled with burrata, salad and mimosas, topped off by truly spectacular french macaroons - the salted caramel and Earl Grey are to die for. Replete with brunchy-goodness, we rounded Saturday afternoon out with a little homework and a nap, before heading out to dinner and drinks at The Federal Bar in Noho. Another great day - score two for the LA team.
Sunday dawned as beautifully as her predecessor, so we drove along the beach to Malibu and wound our way up to the Getty Villa to take in the sights. After a yummy lunch on the deck, we meandered through the museum, taking in the Roman artefacts and the lovely garden, and then topped it off with iced coffees and a tete-a-tete in the outdoor amphitheater. In the evening, we headed to the heart of Hollywood and the Kodak theater to see Cirque du Soleil's newest production, Iris. It was hands down my favorite Cirque show, maybe my favorite theater production, to-date. Phenomenal.
The best part of Labor Day weekend is the bonus Monday and we put it to good use. What would a trip to LA be without a visit to the Magic Kingdom? I hadn't been in years, but with Park Hopper passes in our hot little hands and a Starbuck's breakfast under our belts, we hit Main Street with a vengeance. What's a winning recipe for a a great day at Disneyland? Read it and weep, my friends...
After a quick SJC to BUR flight, I found myself quickly ensconced in a lovely, loaned Hollywood studio, right in the shadow of the Capitol Records building. For dinner, we headed to Yamashiro's for sushi and sake. We sat in a lovely garden courtyard, but the restaurant itself has commanding views over Hollywood and Downtown LA that are to die for - well worth a return visit. I've learned that life in LA doesn't wind down early, so after dinner, we headed out to a late showing of The Help at a very posh theater in Hollywood (supposedly the highest-grossing in the country - likely due to the $16 tickets) and then wound down our evening listening to music and shooting the breeze until 3am. Not a bad start to the weekend.
On Saturday we headed to Runyon Canyon to hike with the fit and fit-to-be-seen. The views over the city were beautiful. I'll never get used to not being able to see blue ocean nor completely clear sky, but you can't deny that the weather and sites are pretty spectacular. Brunch is, as always, the best meal ever, so we headed to Bottega Louie for an amazing meal of clam pizza, eggs scrambled with burrata, salad and mimosas, topped off by truly spectacular french macaroons - the salted caramel and Earl Grey are to die for. Replete with brunchy-goodness, we rounded Saturday afternoon out with a little homework and a nap, before heading out to dinner and drinks at The Federal Bar in Noho. Another great day - score two for the LA team.
The best part of Labor Day weekend is the bonus Monday and we put it to good use. What would a trip to LA be without a visit to the Magic Kingdom? I hadn't been in years, but with Park Hopper passes in our hot little hands and a Starbuck's breakfast under our belts, we hit Main Street with a vengeance. What's a winning recipe for a a great day at Disneyland? Read it and weep, my friends...
- Fast Pass Indiana Jones
- Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
- Ride Indiana Jones
- Ride the Jungle Cruise
- Fast Pass Splash Mountain
- Fast Pass Big Thunder Mountain Railway
- Make lunch reservations at the BBQ place behind Big Thunder Mountain
- Ride the Tea Cups (and deflect your partner's attempts to make you puke)
- Have an amazing BBQ lunch (so, so good and with live Country music to boot - shoot y'all...)
- Ride Big Thunder Mountain
- Ride Splash Mountain
- Fast Pass Space Mountain
- (Jazz hands down Main St. and across the plaza to California Adventure - you cannot walk through Disneyland without wanting to treat it like a stage!)
- Fast Pass Soaring Over California
- Re-fuel with a slushy and ride California Screamin'
- Ride the swing carousel
- Ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (and try not to crush your seat mate's hand in a panic)
- (Head back to Disneyland to cash in the Space Mountain Fast Pass)
- Kill the time until Space Mountain riding Buzz Light Year's Astro Blasters. Have so much fun you run around to the front of the line and go again, trying to beat your score.
- Ride Space Mountain
- Ride the Matterhorn
- Ride It's a Small World
- (Jazz hands back to CA Adventure)
- Ride Soaring Over California (A-mazing!)
- Realize you could make one more run on California Screamin' and make a dash for it - last ride of the day.
- Get dinner, drinks, and rest those tired feet in Downtown Disney before heading home. Oh, and don't forget where you parked....Perfect, perfect day.
Tuesday morning came around more quickly than I wanted it to, but I have no right to complain. What a great weekend! I will always be a NorCal girl at heart, but LA staked out a claim on my loyalty and affection that I won't readily disavow in the future. I will have to work hard to top my LA friends' superb suggestions and program of activities, but I'll do my best to represent my part of the state as admirably when they come up North.
