Journey to LA:

Our flight from Mexico City was about 4 hours in total. We flew with Volaris which is one of the low cost airlines in Central America so there were no meals included or any extras but it was all on time and apart from quite a lot of turbulence was a nice easy flight!

Car hire:

From the airport we took an Uber to pick up our hire car (this was provided by the car rental company.) We used a company called Kyte which was cheaper than the other rental companies we found and was very easy as we uploaded all our details and documents via the app beforehand so all we had to do was choose our car and we could set off on our trip. We got the choice of about 4 different types of car and Thomas immediately went with the Dodge which was a much fancier car than I had imagined.

What to do:

Go surfing in Malibu

All the way along the coast in Malibu there are various surf spots depending on the swell. We went to Malibu Lagoon Beach which was also a nature area home to a lot of pelicans and other birds.

See a Dodger’s game

We went on a Friday evening to see the LA Dodger’s versus the San Diego Padres and it was so much fun. Even if you don’t know the rules it’s pretty easy to pick up. Most Friday nights they have a fireworks show after the game finishes too. One thing to note is that food and drink is very expensive there but you can pack your own food to bring with you as long as it’s in a see through bag!

Hike to the Hollywood sign

This was one of our favourite hikes. Park on Canyon Drive and follow the Brush Canyon trail up to the Hollywood sign viewpoint. You can also continue up for another 20 minutes and you will reach the back off the sign with great views over the city! It’s not an easy hike but the uphill climb is definitely worth it for the views at the top.

Walk along Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica is a nice area with lots of shops, restaurants and a beach. The pier is very much like Brighton pier with rollercoasters and games as well as stalls selling hot dogs, ice creams, burgers and the usual fun fair food.

Check out the skate boarders at Venice Beach

Whilst Venice Beach isn’t the nicest area in LA the skate park has some amazing skateboarders and just next door there are the roller skaters too!

Go shopping at Melrose Avenue

Kind of like the LA equivalent of Camden with lots of ‘rock and roll’ stores but also some other very expensive places selling designer trainers and other clothing.

Stroll along the Hollywood walk of fame

No trip to Hollywood would be complete without walking along the Hollywood walk of fame to spot the stars names on the pavement.

Go for a hike in Malibu

Another great hike in the mountains of Malibu! We went on the Solstice Canyon Hike which winds up into the hills overlooking the Pacific Coast. In spring time there were loads of wild flowers too!

Take a day trip to San Diego

We were short on time otherwise would have stayed the night in San Diego as there was so much to see but instead we did the 2 hour drive for just the day.

Torrey Pines National Reserve

We stopped at Torrey Pines National Reserve in the morning for a 2 hour walk featuring incredible views over the Pacific Coast.

Chicano Park

Known for its Mexican influence, this park has lots of amazing graffiti, plus is home to some cool shops, Mexican restaurants and you can also spot some low rider cars in the area too.

Balboa Park

Known as the cultural hub of San Diego there were lots of gardens and museums in this area, although kind of a disappointment as all the buildings looked kind of like fake ‘old’ European style and the entry fee for anything was expensive.

Pacific Beach & Mission Beach

We walked along the beach boardwalk where there’s so much to see including surfers, skateboarders as well as lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. We also spotted some dolphins just off the coast!

Where to stay:

We stayed at Super 8 by Wyndham on West Sunset Boulevard right by the Dodger Stadium. The ideal location if you’re going to a Dodgers game as it was literally a 5 minute walk away, it was pretty good value too for LA prices and breakfast was included (although in hindsight after seeing the breakfast at some other hotels we stayed at later on this one seemed pretty basic!) The wifi however was terrible, and they no longer let you park for free so probably wouldn’t stay here again.

Where to eat/drink:

Beachwood Cafe, Hollywood

Great brunch spot in West Hollywood! It’s expensive but not overly so considering the location and the cornflake french toast was incredible.

SALUD Tacos, San Diego

Amazing taco place near to Chicano Park in San Diego. The portions sizes were so big we struggled to finish it and the Horchata was as good as in Mexico!

Summary: LA exceeded all our expectations and we will definitely be coming back. The only negative was the traffic but that was forgiven considering how amazing the city was.