We’ll start this journey off in Los Angeles, well the LA Basin.  When folks speak of LA, that can cover a lot of ground because LA is huge and I’m not simply referencing downtown.  And visitors either LOVE LA or they hate it.  I have yet to meet someone who is meh.  I’m a native Angelena.  Born and raised. I’ve left and come back many times.  There is a vibe and there’s nowhere like it.  Everywhere I’ve lived gets compared to it fairly or not.

Los Angeles Planning

If you’re looking to visit, have an idea of what you want to see and what you want to do.  A general idea is fine when you first start to think about your visit.  It’ll get narrowed down once the reality of distance, traffic and time come into focus.  Time is going to determine how much you’ll be able to tackle.  Please, PLEASE know that traffic is really as bad as everyone says it is.  Yes, the 405 is often a parking lot for no reason.  The 10 is not much better and the 5…ugh.  But you know what?  Talk to a native and you learn that we’ve learned to work around and just deal.

The Neighborhoods

So the quick and simple…Westside, think beaches and some museums.  Midtown, think museum row and you could include Beverly Hills and Hollywood.  DTLA (that would be downtown LA) has a wild mix of everything: museums, touristy sites, sports venues, concert and theatre venues and any restaurant genre you could think of.  South Bay, I’m including Long Beach here, think more beaches, some touristy spots (Queen Mary, Long Beach Aquarium).  Then there’s the Valleys…San Gabriel and San Fernando…where you’ll find a few of the California Missions (historical sites) amusement parks, more museums and some beautiful gardens (Descanso, Huntington and Los Angeles Arboretum).

The Far ‘Hoods

I’m not even going to touch the more far flung cities here because this would be a long post.  But think Palm Springs, Ventura County, Big Bear and spots like that.  This just gives you a taste of what to consider when you start to think about your visit and what Los Angeles and its surroundings has to offer.

What’s Next

In upcoming posts, I’ll dive into more of the individual sites and things to do, but we’re starting off with a general overview.  I think next we’ll head up to the Bay Area, there’ll definitely be a pit stop along the Central Coast and we can’t forget San Diego.

If you’re thinking about visiting and need to brainstorm or are a blank slate and just want to hit up Cali and need a reality check, get in touch and let’s talk. Until next time…

May the road rise to meet you and the wind be at your back,

Jae