This blog post is way way overdue. Like 5 months overdue. Last October, Nisheet and I took a trip to Los Angeles for a dear friend’s wedding. And, of course, we took several side trips to check out the surrounding area. Due to work and other variables, Nisheet and I flew in separately. He flew in from Vegas, and I flew in from Tampa. We both arrived around 10am (meaning I had a ridiculously early flight). Since LA is sprawling and has horrendous public transportation, we opted to rent a car. It took no time at all to get the car, and we were off to our first destination, Venice Beach.
But first, coffee. And a sandwich. And chips. I had done a little (ok, a lot) of research prior to the trip, and had already picked out a cute little deli called Gjusta. It did not disappoint!! It is a little overwhelming when you enter, but we quickly figured out to grab a number. The line moved really quickly, we snagged a seat at the counter, and we were soon serviced some scrumptious food. Our sandwiches came expertly crafted, the chips super crispy, and the coffee extra smooth.
With our bellies full and having already claimed a free parking spot, we walked the few blocks over to Venice beach. It was a Wednesday morning in Autumn, so Venice Beach wasn’t as crowded as I had expected which was wonderful. The sun was shining, there were the stereotypical Californians on their skateboards, and tons of retro looking shops on the boardwalk begging you to stop by and browse.
After heading north on the Venice Beach sidewalk, we eventually passed the tourist stores and started seeing more surfers and people working out…soooo Californian and so unlike the beaches on Florida’s Gulf coast. There were huge areas with gym equipment right on the beach, and tons of people had slack lines set up. And of course, surfboards, scooters, and e-bikes were being rented all over.
And walking beyond all the surfers and beach body builders, we reached the Santa Monica Pier. I have to be honest. I was a little disappointed. Perhaps it was because it was the middle of a school day. Perhaps it was because it was October. But, it was practically empty! And all the amusement park rides were closed! Bummer. But the ocean air was fresh and the views overlooking the Pacific ocean were still fantastic. We opted to try and come back on one of the nights to see the pier all lit up.
After spending too long at the pier and beach, we had to high tail it out of the area and over to the first wedding event. And this is when I got my first taste of LA traffic. Always give yourself 2x (maybe 3x) more time than you think it will take to get to your destination!
(Shout out to my sister-in-law for loaning me some Indian attire! You rock!)
