Becoming an LA Tourist
Since I've spent quite some time in LA I wouldn't consider myself a tourist anymore. I mean I am capable of driving from the beach cities all the way to West Hollywood without using a map and I would consider that a big win and definitely could categorize me as more of a local. Since my sister was visiting I wanted to outline some of my favorite things we did this week as LA tourists! Maybe you guys could get a couple of ideas!
First thing is first you have to find a street with lots of tall palm trees lining the road. I know there are streets all around with palms that are sporadically placed but this epic look can be found in the streets of Beverly Hills. More specifically those neighborhoods behind the infamous Beverly Hills signs are perfect for stopping and standing in the middle of the street for a Instagram worthy shot. Plus as an extra bonus these roads are super busy, and that always help when you are standing in the middle of the street trying to get the perfect shot.
After we got our iconic palm tree grams we had to stop by the iconic window shopping street. For those of us who are not millionaires Rodeo Drive is such a fun place to window shop and people watch and just observe the sights. I've been to Rodeo many times but I've never seen one of these little photo booths in the middle of the street. So in fashion of the LA tourist we waited in line to have our photo taken in the little booth.
Next stop on our LA tourist list was to go to Alfred Coffee Kitchen on Melrose Place. This coffee spot probably is one of the most instagrammable and instagrammed spots in LA because of their aesthetic, cute cup designs, location and of course the good coffee.
We then went back to our welcoming room at the LAX Renaissance for a little mid day pit stop. One of the hardest things I think about when traveling and being a quote on quote tourist is finding a hotel that feels like home and is in the perfect location considering what you want to be doing during your visit. Hotel pit stops make sure you are looking fresh and revive you so you can continue adventuring all day and night!
Next stop on the docket was a sunset frolic at the beach. No LA vacation would be complete without getting a little sandy. We chose to hit up Hermosa Beach one of our favorite and most visited beaches. If I had to recommend any beach to a first timer I would either go to Hermosa or Manhattan they both have different vibes but since they are so close to each other its easy to go to both in the same day!
After getting sandy on the beach it was time to relax for a bit at the Renaissance hotel bar. The atmosphere in there was great super modern and cultured. Not to mention they had a great selection of wines, which is my drink of choice!
We then headed back to Beverly Hills to see the iconic Urban Lights exhibit at LACMA. It is always super crowded here, I've never once been here and not had at least one person in the back of my photos, but hey thats what photoshop is for right?! To end the perfect LA day we got a quick dessert and headed back to the Renaissance to get some well need sleep and recovery so we could do it all over again the next day!
Many thanks to Renaissance LAX for partnering with us on this post.
