Guest post by thadeus_d3
Map tips: each color represents a different day. Click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
Day 1
- Walk Of Fame
- TCL Chinese Theatre
- Canter’s Restaurant
- Cahuenga Peak
- Hollywood Sign
- Venice Beach
Our first day, we went to Runyon Canyon to hike. The park was shut down due to a burst pipe, so we drove to the nearby Hollywood walk of fame. After walking the strip a bit and taking pictures of the stars and Chinese movie theater , we went to the famous Canter’s deli to try the Monte Cristo sandwich. The food and service was good and the waiter suggested a hike to Cahuenga Peak to see the wisdom tree. We drove ~30 minutes to get there but it was well worth it. The hike was fairly easy and took around 3 hours total with 2 small children.
We did see a rattlesnake along the trail, so be mindful of that if you decide to make the hike. The peak offered great views of LA, but you couldn’t see the Hollywood sign. Since it was very windy, we decided to head back down and drive to the Hollywood sign. The Hollywood sign is a 5 minute drive from Cahuenga Peak.
After snapping some pics, we headed to our apartment to change into our swimwear and hit Venice beach. We were surprised to find a lot of free parking near the beach, but that may be due to the time of year that we visited (April). The water was cold, but the beach was beautiful. It was the perfect way to end a long day.
Day 2
- STAPLES Center
- Kobe Bryant Mural
- The Standard
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Santa Monica Pier
The following day, I met with a college buddy of mine (who lives in LA) and he showed us around. We walked to the Staples Center and walked downtown a bit.
Afterwards, we walked to the Standard Hotel which has an amazing rooftop pool and bar. Sadly, we didn’t have swimwear so we took in the views and left for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We didn’t go inside the museum, but there were a few outdoor exhibits that were free. “Urban Light” was a cool exhibit that featured over two-hundred restored cast iron antique street lamps.
We grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to our apartment to change clothes. We were off to Santa Monica Beach, which was a LOT busier than Venice beach. The views were great and we spent a lot of time at the beach.
Day 3: Venice Beach
- Venice Beach Boardwalk
- Venice Skate Park
- Venice Canals Walkway
On our last day, we visited Venice beach again. We spent quite a bit of time at the beach because we brought my son’s skateboard so he could ride at the legendary Venice skate park. Afterwards, we left to see the canals. The canals were very cool and I definitely recommend it if you’re in the area.
Traveled in April 2016
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