SEATTLE —> LOS ANGELES
My boyfriend and I left our damp Seattle microcosm for a March vacation! This spring vacationer took her first trip to lala land, Los Angeles. My beau is from the Huntington Beach area originally, so we were bound to head down there. My friends always gaped at me when I confessed of never experiencing Disneyland. Well, I have had plenty of wonderful summers spent camping, splashing and biking around the Olympic Peninsula or in the Lake Chelan heat. So, what’s all the fuss about!? Better reasoning aside, it was time for me to see Disneyland (the Jungle Skipper’s eye view), gritty LA, SoCal beaches and navigate a million freeways. Que “No One Walks In LA” by Missing Persons.
MONDAY
We left our drizzly city early Monday morning to arrive in LAX at around 10 or 11 am. Ecstatic to be jet setting, a few rounds of airborne bloody mary’s were in order. I can remember flying over Hollywood and seeing the sign and all the little blue specks of backyard and roof top pools scattered everywhere. My palm felt that California heat at 30,000 feet.
“You’re face just lit up when you saw the sign.” I guess I was literally starry eyed. There’s no business like show business.
First order of business: STRIP! Half kidding… but seriously, it was 90 degrees when we arrived. So, we grabbed our rental car, rolled down the windows and sun roof and sped off to breakfast. Costume change to shorts and crop top, we’re ready for the first meal of the day.
My first In’n’Out Animal Style
Handsome right?! The mustache didn’t look so clean after we devoured that spread. All set with our meals we headed off to downtown Hollywood to get the touristy events out of the way.
Ziggy, Thin White Duke or Bowie on the Walk of Stars.
“If I see a palm tree, I’m gonna freak out.” -Me
Rows and rows forever and ever… freaking out.
After signing up for our tour of Hollywood, we posted up at Lucky Devils and Rusty Mullet for a while.
Always drinking PBR. Phone fell in a downtown Hollywood bar toilet and lived. Me, at my finest. Carry on, nothing else to see hear. After scoping out the places I wanted to return to around Hollywood, we headed out to Anaheim/Buena Park area to check in at Knotts Berry Farm Hotel. First celebrity sighting was Snoopy coming out the elevator. 😉
TUESDAY
First day at Disneyland! Woke up at 6:30 am sharp and headed out to Anaheim to find a diner around the park. Nailed a cheap breakfast and cups of coffee across the street. Comped entrance courtesy of my Skipper and off we go!
We covered most of our bases today: rides, booze, and shows. All of the lands and castles: Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Little New Orleans, Tomorrowland and Adventureland. And many many Jungle Cruise rides through the swamp of puns and mechanical floral and fauna.
Needing a break from the lines of kids and humanity in general, we headed to Downtown Disney for a much needed drink and bite. First, we made ourselves at home at Trader Sam’s, THE tiki bar inspired by the world famous Jungle Cruise.
Just tell the Skipper bartenders what kind of booze you like and they’ll whip something fancy up. Tiki umbrella included. I recommend the Ahi Poke for an appetizer and the Double Krakatoa to drink. Trader Sam’s serves an assortment of Polynesian and Hawaiian fusion food.
More rides including Indiana Jones, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, it was time for some authentic pineapple juice at Adventureland and fifty more rounds of Jungle Cruise. Fantasmic, an epic show on the waterfront by Tom Sawyer’s island closed the day for us. Did I mention tequila?
WEDNESDAY
Round 2 of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (DCA). Today was a test to how far we would go for characters. I think we did pretty well 🙂
Pro tip: Selfies with characters = better angles
Later, Skipper Adam surprised me with a cajun/creole dinner at Blue Bayou, where we watched the Pirates ride and dined from a Southern river boat terrace. Bottomless mint juleps… need I say more?
BEACHES, BOMBSHELLS AND BROS
A much needed break from parks, rides and kids. We packed our towels and bathing suits and headed down to Huntington Beach for brunch.
And onward to Laguna Beach
Later on we ventured into rush hour traffic back up the coast to Anaheim’s Packing District Packing House for drinks and dinner. Namaste.
MELROSE AVE.
With only a day left, we woke up lazily and grabbed Mexican brunch around the area before heading out to West Hollywood for a day of people watching and thrifting. Stops included many vintage and consignment designer stores like Wasteland. We braked between shops with drinks at a Bob Dylan inspired bar The Darkroom. May or may have not gotten a tattoo at Artistic Elements 2 on Melrose.
Pentacle by: Artistic Elements 2
This photo was taken at the BEST brunch place of the whole trip, The Gypsy Den at The Lab. Great coffee and healthier breakfast staples. I think I ate three burgers within the week we were here, so it was time for something green. My favorite dinner we had was on the Sunset strip at Toi Rockin’ Thai Food! Thai iced tea, spring rolls and yellow curry for two 🙂
HOW TO CHA CHA LA STYLE
One last stop had to be made no matter how far out of our way it was. Our watering hole back in Seattle is Bimbo’s Cantina/Cha Cha, where the fake chicken tacos and jalapeño margaritas are all you need. All day happy hour on Sunday and Monday isn’t so bad either. Anyway, tucked away near East Hollywood, the ‘burb of Silverlake is nothing but residential housing, a few thrift stores and two bars. One of which being Cha Cha. Our bartender immediately warmed up to us, which is pretty normal for us. He happened to have lived in Seattle working in the industry. Soon after talking to us: “SO! You guys doing shots!?” Thanks for the tequila and the $4 tab, man.
Every Cha Cha photo comes with seedy red tiki filters.
Until next time, LA…
