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my guide to los angeles

9/13/2019

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I have been fortunate enough to call Los Angeles my home for a few years now and I have been loving this opportunity to experience all that this cool city has to offer. I lived on the west side when first moving to Los Angeles and now currently live in downtown. Keep reading to find all the hidden gems I have discovered along the way and have really enjoyed about my city.

G E T T I N G  A R O U N D :

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The city of Los Angeles is huuuuuge and you will definitely need to travel by car if you are wanting to go to a lot of different neighborhoods. I highly recommend planning your days around neighborhoods so you can get there and either walk, metro, uber/lyft, etc instead of having to drive through traffic all day. Also if you want a fun and different experience, rent a metro bike or electric scooter! 

T O  D R I N K :

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BIRDS & BEES
Downtown Los Angeles
Birds & Bees is one of my favorite bars to go to because I not only love the mid century modern atmosphere, but the cocktails are really good. They make a classic Gin Martini or Spritz during Violet Hour. Oh and its a secret of how to get in, just go to the far back right of the parking lot!
PALI WINE CO.
Arts District
Pali Wine Co. has a very relaxing and hangout environment to enjoy some really good wine. They have flights you can try, and the staff is very knowledgeable. Its perfect for mid afternoon or a causal night adventure. Nothing too fancy, just an easy spot to sip wine and enjoy being in Los Angeles.
BERNADETTES
Downtown Los Angeles
This small mid century styled bar is great for a quick pop in to hangout with friends. It is super casual yet eclectic and unique vibes inside. It offers craft beer, wine, and the famous Frose O'Donnell drink which I highly recommend! You will not leave dissapointed from Bernadettes and is a great neighborhood bar with friendly bartenders. 
GOLDEN GOPHER
Downtown Los Angeles
Golden Gopher is one of the oldest bars in downtown and was originally purchased in 1905 by Teddy Roosevelt. And if that doesn't interest you yet, it's a great neighborhood spot to pop in and have a drink or spend all night with friends. The staff is friendly, and be sure to say hey to the bouncer. It's open 365 days a year so it's definitely a spot we visit often. Notice all the golden gophers inside ha!
MODERN TIMES BREWERY
Downtown Los Angeles
Modern Times Brewery located in DTLA at the Dankness Dojo is probably one of my favorite breweries in Los Angeles. They have a great choice of brews as well as wine. Plus the food is amazing! Yes it is all vegan, but trust me, you've never tasted vegan food like this before. And hey you're in LA, you have to try vegan once right?!
EIGHTYTWO
Arts District
I've never not had fun at Bar Eighty Two because it is a barcade with some really awesome games! It still has a night time bar vibe with outdoor seating if you want to take a break from my favorite game ever, the World Cup Pinball machine. They have really amazing craft cocktails as well and a good list of craft beers to choose from. You can get cash back from the bar and cash out to quarters. 
WOLF & CRANE
Little Tokyo
If you like Whisky, you will love Wolf & Crane. And if you don't like Whisky, it is still a really cool bar to hangout at and order any other drink ha. It's a late night spot to go to after having dinner in Little Tokyo with a casual DJ and craft cocktails with specialty whisky. 
SPIRE 73
Downtown Los Angeles
For the ultimate rooftop experience, I highly recommend the rooftop Spire 73 on the US Bank Tower. It is an open air bar at probably the highest point you've ever been on the West Coast. Super boujee with some delicious craft cocktails. Dress code mandatory and don't forget to check out the website for information before going. 

T O  E A T :

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HATCH YAKITORI + BAR
Downtown Los Angeles
From the night time vibes of dance club music in the background to the never ending yummy skewers, this Japanese restaurant is a must. Get a few sticks to split and go out on the edge and try something new since they are shareable and tiny. And then pair it with a plate and raw item menu with wine or sake.
LASA
Chinatown
This is definitely one of my top food experiences I have had to date. LASA is a Filipino restaurant with a seasonal menu. I highly recommend being open to try anything and ask the waiter for top picks or great recommendations. We did not go wrong. They also suggested a great wine to go with it. A great dinner experience. Make a reservation. 
NORTHERN CAFE
Multiple Locations
This super casual and authentic Chinese restaurant is a must. They serve family style dishes so there is plenty to share and go as a group. I highly recommend the wantons, crispy chicken, and Dan Dan Noodles. I honestly order way to much food here every single time but it makes perfect for leftovers and is super affordable.
PERCH
Downtown Los Angeles
Brunch, brunch, and more brunch. And at Perch it's on a rooftop. The ultimate LA experience is an amazing French style brunch on the rooftop with a live jazz band every Saturday and Sunday. It is literally "perched" atop a building with greenery everywhere. I highly recommend the truffle fries to share, crab benedict, and the pitcher of sangria. Make a reservation.
WOOD SPOON
Downtown Los Angeles
This stylish and quaint spot is why I love downtown Los Angeles. It is your neighborhood restaurant for great Brazilian food. I highly recommend the pot pie! Such a great food experience. It is a smaller restaurant so be prepared to get there or to wait, no reservations unfortunately.
TOCAYA
Multiple Locations
If you need some quick and easy food that's not "fast food" then Tocaya is it! It is a modern Mexican restaurant with healthier options and vegan as well. I always go for the 2 taco combo and get the quac with plantain chips. This place is a staple that you can catch me at multiple times a month. Super casual environment. 
SONORATOWN
Downtown Los Angeles
This authentic Northern Mexican taquería is a mouthful experience on the cheap. It is great to go for lunch and taste the mesquite-charred meats used on homemade tortillas. I highly recommend the chivichanga​ as it reminds me of chicken stew I had as a child. Super casual environment and yummy food. 
CLIFFS EDGE
Silverlake
If you need a full Los Angeles dining experience, then Cliff's Edge is your upscale restaurant for just that. It is like walking into an outdoor garden, romantic patio with string lights all around. A true masterpiece to just set the mood for the entire night. It is such a dream to eat tucked away in the trees in your own hideaway table. Make a reservation. 
DAIKOKUYA 
Little Tokyo
Daikokuya is one of the first Ramen and noodle shops in Little Tokyo and is one of the best. It has some of the richest pork broth I've ever tasted. With that being said, everyone knows that so the lines can be very long. I highly suggest getting there early to get your name down. If lines aren't your thing, I suggest going to Hachioji a few restaurants down. 
MARKET PROVISIONS
West Hollywood
Los Angeles is all about brunching. And your stay wouldn't be complete without an epic bottomless brunch at Market Provisions. One of the best deals in town on the weekend, I love the bottomless mimosas paired with the chicken sandwich and shoestring fries. Throw on a cute casual dress and you're perfect to spend most of your afternoon brunching here. Make a reservation.

T O  C A F F E I N A T E:

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VERVE
Multiple Locations
For some of the best coffee in DTLA, Verve is your place to go. They have amazing pour over coffees to choose from and even have beans to purchase in store. Great patio with greenery wall to enjoy your coffee.
STUMPTONS
Multiple Locations
Stumptons is probably my second favorite place for coffee. The DTLA location has a curated indoor modern vibe that is perfect to escape the heat with an iced americano while they play a great selection of music. They also have coffee beans to buy.
IL CAFFE
Downtown Los Angeles
Il Caffè is the perfect neighborhood spot to come and relax in the morning. The perfect way to unwind and I highly suggest getting the breakfast special which comes with a regular cup of joe, fresh squeezed OJ, and a breakfast panini. Enjoy it under the shade of an umbrella outside.
LA TROPEZIENNE
Multiple Locations
If you are all about the pastries and treats more than the coffee, omg La Tropezienne has the BEST croissant you have ever had. Their iced americanos and lattes are also very delicious as well. The DTLA location has the best customer service and upscale marble and gold vibes indoors. You will feel like you are in a Parisian bakery. 
TILT COFFEE
Downtown Los Angeles
Tilt Coffee has the iced latte of your dreams! The Cloud Latte is the creamiest and fluffiest iced latte and is 100% worth all the sweet goodness. Such a cute little coffee shop with both outdoor and indoor seating.
ALFRED'S COFFEE
Multiple Locations
Alfred's coffee is the most instagramable coffee shop in Los Angeles. They have coined the phrase "But First, Coffee!". They have yummy chai tea lattes and matcha lattes. Don't forget to notice the cute decor and take a quick photo for the gram. 

T O  S I G H T  S E E :

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HOLLYWOOD SIGN
Hollywood Hills
You cannot come to Los Angeles and not see the Hollywood Sign. If you are under a time crunch, I would suggest just viewing it by car from the road as you drive closer and closer to see it. But I really suggest to do a hike which is very LA of you to get a true view.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
North Los Feliz
Another really cool hike that is pretty quick is the hike up to the griffith observatory. This view is pretty incredible looking back to a great shot of downtown. Park your car in the neighborhoods at the bottom for free parking and start your hike at the Griffith Park sign. Dont forget to bring water
SANTA MONICA PIER
Santa Monica
If you're in Los Angeles, you probably envisioned the sunny, surfer coast. Santa Monica pier is the perfect backdrop to just post your towel in the sand and watch the sunset over the rollercoaster picturesque views. I highly recommend renting bikes or roller blades for the boardwalk. 
THE GETTY MUSEUM
Brentwood
The Getty Museum is one of the prettiest museums I have visited in Los Angeles. The vantage point for the city is spectacular! Admission is free and all you have to pay for is parking. I highly recommend going late morning and staying for lunch. Amazing food while soaking up all the art and views. 

T O  D O :

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WARNER BROS TOUR​
Burbank
You're in Hollywood the birthplace of big studios and movie behind the scenes. Touring the Warner Bros Studio was such a fun time getting to see Gilmore Girls, Friends, Hart of Dixie, and so many iconic movies!! Highly recommend!
GRIFFITH PARK HIKE
North Los Feliz
Going on a hike through the mountainous deserts is definitely an LA staple, and who knows maybe you'll see a celebrity sweating it out too! I highly suggest going to Griffith Park to also cross off the observatory and Hollywood sign in one trip. 
ACE HOTEL ROOFTOP POOL
Downtown Los Angeles
This is by far the place that you can find me at all the time. I love the Ace Hotel rooftop. They have lounge seats to hang or get in their small pool. It is the best place to relax and enjoy a cocktail on the roof in the heart of downtown. 
CINESPIA
Hollywood 
Cinespia is such a Los Angeles event. It is an outdoor movie held in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, You will need to buy tickets in advance and don't forget to bring a picnic, blanket, and some wine of your choice to sit back and enjoy a classic movie. 
LOST SPIRITS DISTILLERY 
Downtown Los Angeles
This is one of the coolest experiences I have ever been on. This tour is going to take you on a crazy adventure to taste whiskys and rums. You will also learn about the distilling process and their secret method for aging spirits. 
BOARDWALK BIKE RIDE
Santa Monica
Rent a metro bike in Santa Monica to ride along the boardwalk. Start near the Santa Monica Pier after of course grabbing a corn dog from Hot Dog on a Stick. Ride on the boardwalk and enjoy the sunny weather headed to Vince Beach. 
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essentials for a lake weekend getaway

8/6/2019

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This past weekend Patrick and I took the doggo to Big Bear Lake for a weekend getaway. It was so nice to unplug and just relax together. And man the views were incredible. I highly recommend to plan a weekend getaway to a local lake or river if you can! Here are the essentials for your lake getaway from must do activities to what to pack.

C A B I N  A D V E N T U R E

For your fun little lake getaway, find a cute lake cabin near the water on Airbnb or a local rental agency. Setting the entire trips mood starts with a cute little cabin. We rented the A Frame of Mind from Big Bear Cool Cabins and had the best time. We also loved cooking dinner on the charcoal grill and sitting on the fenced in porch with Finley. 
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R E N T  A  K A Y A K 

We had such a fun time on the lake and seeing all the view by renting a kayak. I highly recommend renting either a kayak, canoe, paddle board, etc to get out on the water to explore and soak in all the views! We rented from GetBoards in Big Bear because it was so easy to have access to the lake and they were dog friendly. We spent 2 hours kayaking on the lake, admiring all the lake houses, and wow how peaceful it was. I wore a dark bikini to not get dirty from the lake water and had a backpack to store a tank top and shorts on the kayak. In order to not get burnt and stay shaded on my face, I had a straw hat and sunglasses. I highly recommend getting out on the water to complete your lake experience! Oh and Finley swam in the lake for the first time, eek! 
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L O U N G E  &  R E L A X

One of the most important reasons to have a vacation getaway is to lounge and relax. Taking some time to just enjoy being away is priceless. We spent some time on the beach at Carol Morrison Public Launch just hanging out. Whether you find a beach type area, rock side near the water, or hanging on a dock, take some R&R time to read a book or chat. 
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E N J O Y  A  W A L K  I N  N A T U R E

Your in nature so enjoy it! Take a walk around to admire the water, trees, and area around you. We found an amazing water path, Stanfield Marsh Wildlife and Waterfowl Preserve,
that had some of the most serene views. It overlook the water and we saw geese. Put on your walking shoes and get out there. 
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What a fun little trip and can't wait to plan our next little weekend getaway!
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keeping portland weird

7/17/2019

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My family has started to adopt this mentality that we can celebrate family and each other on made up holidays that are not the typical Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. So this year, we decided to all experience a new city together as our family get-together. So we all packed up our bags from different locations and flew to Portland for a fun 4 day adventure. Here is the itinerary and all that we go to see, do, and of course yummy food that we ate. 

D A Y 1 : A R R I V E & T H R I V E

We landed in Portland early to mid afternoon after having somewhat of an early flight. I highly recommend staying in the Pearl District/ Downtown as this is the most hip and walkable part of Portland and gave us the most exploratory vibes. From the airport depending on traffic, you can either take the public transportation metro or Uber. The goal of today was just to take it easy and survive the rest of the day experiencing Portland without overwhelming ourselves. After dropping off our bags, first things first, we stopped for some coffee at Sisters Coffee Company to just relax and settle in. It was so much fun to people watch here and get a feel for the Portland community and people. 
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Next we headed to Powell Bookstore. To be completely honest, I had read many suggestions online saying to go here, but I was always doubting "How could this bookstore be so special?" and "Am I just going to walk around and look at a bunch of books???". But my parent's Uber driver from the airport insisted on a trip so we went. And man was I glad! My entire family ended up splitting up and exploring books on their own. It was great because they had so many recommended books through every type of section or "room". I bought a nice beach read, Patrick bought a book about shoe design, my brother bought a highly recommended fiction novel, my dad bought a Bonsai book, and my mom bought the cutest inspirational quotes book for a coworker. It really has everything for everyone and was just a really cool place to explore. 
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And lastly, we ended the night with one of the best meals we had in Portland at the Mediterranean Exploration Company. This Mediterranean restaurant is mostly shareable, tapas style plates and community table style eating which was I think my favorite part. We got to order so many dishes to try and honestly, everything was so tasty! Highly recommend getting the Radicchio salad, Hummus with Spring Vegetables, and the Lamb Tartare Kibbeh. So yummy!
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D A Y 2 : M U L T N O M A H  F A L L S

I highly recommend taking at least one day to do something outdoorsy while in Portland because not only is it just a beautiful and lush place, it is part of the culture. But before we left on our day trip to explore the outdoors, we stopped at Nossa Familia Coffee to charge up and start the day. This little coffee shop has a beautiful large patio to enjoy your coffee, so plan to go on a sunny and dry morning! Also if you are super into coffee, they offer cuppings on Friday afternoons. 
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After coffee we went on a day trip to Multnomah Falls. The great thing about Portland was their metro system. We could take the metro to the Columbia Gorge Express bus to get to the falls. We packed a picnic sandwich for lunch, but there is a restaurant and snack bar at the bottom of the falls. The falls has 2 viewpoints and depending on your willingness to get active, that will decide which one you choose. The first is a very short and easy hike from the base of the falls to the bridge crossing the falls. This is such a great view and is the "standard falls photo". 
Tip: Plan to arrive to the falls early (before noon) in order to miss some of the crowds. Make sure to look up the Columbia Gorge Express schedule and departure times to know exactly when you should be ready to leave.
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If you want to go a bit further, there is a hiking trail that goes all the way to the top of the waterfall. Just a warning, it is fully uphill the entire way so will seem like a workout. But the top is pretty cool to look down from.
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After hiking and visiting the falls, we headed back to Portland just in time to get ready before heading out to dinner and then to see the fireworks since today was the 4th of July for our trip. I made a reservation at Jack Rabbit for dinner which is a good American style restaurant. One of the things that I loved since I drink gin, is they had an entire list, multiple pages long, or different styles of gin. Needless to say I had a pretty damn good martini with an old world gin! Lastly, if you happen to be in Portland for the 4th of July, you can walk over to Hawthorne Bridge to view the show, or just take a nighttime stroll along the river back to the Pearl District. 
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D A Y 3 : G A R D E N S  G A L O R E

Day 3 we took it a bit easier but still managed to enjoy the outdoors in Portland. I highly recommend visiting the gardens in Portland. This day was probably everyone's favorite of the trip! We started at the Portland Japanese Garden first. There are bonsai trees that are hundreds of years old, rock gardens, and so many water features. It was honestly really cool to peacefully walk through this garden and just take it all in. 
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Next, we headed right across the street to the International Rose Test Garden. This garden is free and much smaller than the Japanese garden, but was fascinating none the less. This is where over 10,000 roses are blooming with different colors, shapes, and event scents. It was great to just walk up and down the rows and smell all the amazing roses! There are also spectacular views to downtown and Mt Hood. 
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After visiting both gardens, we were starving for lunch! So we headed over to Lardo to have some amazing sandwiches. Patrick and I split a sandwich and fries and also got the crispy pig ears for the table! The sandwiches are huge, so I highly recommend splitting with someone. Then we ended the night at 10 Barrel Brewing Company and just hung out in the Airbnb since we were all pretty exhausted ha! 
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D A Y 4 : C O F F E E  C R A W L

If you know my brother or husband, you had to see this day coming somewhere on our itinerary. We visited about 4 coffee shops on day 4 (ha how fitting) and really got to just explore the city of Portland without really going anywhere. This was such a fun day for me as well since we had been so outdoorsy and adventurous our previous days. The first stop on our coffee crawl was Water Avenue on the east side of the river. We then went to Blue Star Donuts and then to Dapper & Wise Roasters. If you are not big coffee fans, then I would suggest to head to Blue Star Donuts to begin your morning on the east side of Portland. 
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Then we slowly started using all that energy to make our way north and walk through these neighborhoods exploring the houses, landscapes, and just seeing how the Portland people live. It was a really pretty walk (and if you have watched the show Life Unexpected on Netflix, these houses look exactly whats on the show ha!). We passed Sewallcrest Park and took a left on Hawthorne Blvd and stumbled across a really cool vintage shop with furniture, knick knacks, and clothing called Vintage Pink! After exploring some of the neighborhoods we rented the orange Nike bikes and rode up the river walkway path, crossed over at Hawthorne bridge, and continued up to Pearl District to visit the famous Saturday Market. We walked around to see all the vendors and tents and then enjoyed lunch while listening to live music.
Tip: Portland is pretty flat for the most part so we ended up renting these bikes multiple times to get around to different neighborhoods. So much fun! You just have to download the app and create an account. ​
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After the market, we headed home for a quick little regroup before needing some more coffee to get through the day. On a side note, you may be thinking that a) we drank too much coffee this trip or b) why is Portland so fascinated with coffee. The answer is the weather! Portland is gloomy then sunny, cold then hot, sometimes slightly humid, and can  never make up its mind. Being from LA, the gloomy days in Portland, especially today, was hard to not get tired. Coffee was much needed!! We headed further west of the Pearl district to see a new neighborhood set up and went to Good Coffee - Slabtown. This part of Portland was completely new with brand new apartments, grocery stores, and restaurants all built to be its own little community. We then rented scooters (my dad's favorite thing to do!) and scooted around the neighborhoods for a bit before settling down for a good beer-cocktail at Breakside Brewery - NW Slabtown. 
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Lastly we went to the famous Pok Pok - NW for dinner. There are two major locations and one takes reservations while the other one does not. We didn't want to risk the chance and we were already on this side of town, so we scooter-ed to dinner and made a reservation. Man was Pok Pok amazing! It is shareable dishes as well so was great to order a few items and all share. We got the famous Fish Sauce Wings, Da Chom's Laap Meuang (spicy), Muu Kham Waan pork, and the special for the night was a fish dish. 
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    whitney marshall

    A born and raised Southern girl who's wanting to inspire every women through style and beauty while living in the big city of Los Angeles. ​

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