Los Angeles: Fun things to do in the world’s worst city

Los Angeles is a sprawling mess. Highways criss and overpasses cross, and despite 7 lanes of traffic they still manage to get possibly some of the world’s worst traffic jams. Its attractions are vastly spread and you can feel like you might waste your entire vacation in transit, especially if you try and rely on public transport.

So with that wonderful introduction done, welcome to a blog post all about Los Angeles!

Alright, so the above is what we generally know so far. If Florida is America’s dong (look at a map), LA must be America’s butthole. So when Kynie said she hasn’t seen any of LA before and wanted to do Disney’s California Adventure, I took it as a challenge to find some good in the city that has given me so little.

And I succeeded. I had 4 days in Los Angeles, and this is how I spent it.

Day 0 – arrive in Anaheim

So the first thing to know about LA if you’ve never been is that it is fricken huge – we’ve established that. My best recommendation is to stay in 2 places and segment your time there. This will save you travel time and you will be able to go at a much more relaxed pace. I didn’t do this in 2011 when I visited with a mate – it took us (an admittedly unusually slow) 2 hours to get to and from Disneyland from Hollywood. And then 2 hours back.

Anyway, for our recent trip in 2016 we arrived in Anaheim after a long day driving from Las Vegas. We arrived around 10pm and were very thankful to be checking in to the Hilton. On this trip we had hired a car but if you’re not too keen to be driving like a nutcase in LA traffic, you can also book a shuttle service from Jayride to drop you off on your first preferred destination.

Followers of this blog know that I don’t seek luxury; I search for value. I think in this instance I found both. I paid $177 for 2 nights at the Hilton. I still can’t explain why.

Maybe there was a glitch on Booking.com. Maybe it was a weekday. Maybe there’s so many hotels in the area they have to keep the price down. Regardless, I didn’t ask too many questions.

Click here to roll the dice and see if this ridiculous price is still available.

Day 1 – Disney’s California Adventure

Kynie and I opted for California Adventure because we had recently been to Magic Kingdom in Orlando, which is very much the same.

If it was your last day on earth and you could only visit one, you would visit Disneyland Park every time. However, as the smaller, younger brother, there is definitely a place for California Adventure and if you had 2 days left on earth you’d absolutely spend one at each. It is conspicuously Disney, unapologetically Californian, and (in December) just a little bit Christmassy.

We rode in a matchbox in A Bugs Land, watched Mickey do a musical number with some newspaper boys on the street, rode Paradise Pier – the single roller coaster, and did a few laps on Mickey’s Fun (Ferris) Wheel.

But the real highlight was the time spent in the recently built Radiator Springs: the town straight out of the movie Cars. From the Radiator Springs Racer ride to eating in the Route 66 themed Flo’s Diner for lunch, you truly felt like you were part of the story. True to their style, Disney went to infinity and beyond creating Cars Land.

Day 2 – Relocate to Hollywood, via Downtown LA, Griffith Park

Dirty, hazy, and full of sirens and bums, but if you overturn a few rocks you might uncover some gems in Downtown LA.

I found a couple when I visited. We only spent a few hours Downtown but since we had skipped breakfast we were on the hunt for food and coffee.

Verve Coffee Roasters

Thankfully Kynie is an absolute fiend at finding sweet coffee spots and she led us to Verve Coffee Roasters for a coffee and a decadent Nutella croissant. The thing I’ve noticed about coffee in the USA is that, like everything, they do it huge. But unlike many other things, they also generally do it poorly.

I ordered a latte and the size that I received would have been classed as a “mug” size back home. I have no doubt that this was a regular size in America. So even though we were at a swanky, hipster coffee place, the coffee was far milkier than any coffee I’ve had back home. Anyway, surely it must be the best cafe Downtown, as despite the size, it was a good coffee, and I could live on that Nutella croissant.

The Last Bookstore

The last bookstore is a huge, double story second-hand bookstore with an enormous range of both new and used books and records. Although a little difficult to find things due to the unique way the timber shelves are arranged, the store is inviting and friendly.

It also has a few creative ways of stacking books: one being a tunnel of books, another being a window made from books, and the actual serving counter top is made entirely from books as well. It was very cool. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable.

Grand central market

We next found GCM and it served to be good timing because I was getting pretty hungry. The market is stacked full of food stalls with everything from burgers, German sausage, deli meat burgers, specialty eggs, fresh fruits, and smoothies.

After a couple of hours it definitely seemed like it was time to leave DTLA. The people weren’t exactly why you’d call calming, and the homeless people were bumming me out (pun intended). So we headed for the hills! Literally, actually.

Old zoo – Griffith Park

Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Zoo that is fully functioning with live animals, the Old Zoo is an abandoned zoo in Griffith Park that is now used for picnics and hip hop film clip shoots. It is open to the public and you are free to roam the cages and pits and see what life was like as an animal. It’s very safe and is a great way to see a different side of metropolitan LA.

Griffith observatory

Not far from the Old Zoo is the Griffith Observatory, located high in the Hollywood hills – a few hills away from the famous sign.

As well as a fully functioning observatory, it also doubles as a museum and learning centre with regular shows all about the stars and the cosmos.

But best of all, it boasts one of Los Angeles’ best views and it a fantastic spot to watch the sun go down.

In’N’Out Burger

No trip to the West Coast would be complete without the artery-clogging goodness of In’N’Out Burger: pride of the West Coast. I had it last time I visited and was not disappointed this time in Hollywood.

What’s great about In’N’Out is its simplicity. You get a bun, onion, sauce, cheese, meat and a bit of the obligatory salad. Alternative menu options include more meat and cheese. (But if that’s not enough, there’s always the ironically titled “secret menu”, which is definitely worth exploring.)

The fries are notoriously bad, but making them “animal style” or “well done” does help to improve them.

Day 3 – Universal Studios

Once we decided to spend a bit of time in LA it quickly became apparent that Universal Studios should be on the itinerary. Universal would be fun as a theme park lover, but as someone who loves movies the park is exceptional at giving you a fully immersive experience in some of your favourite films.

Set in Hogsmeade, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is as good as it gets. From the frog choir performances to a real talking sorting hat. And Hogwarts in the distance is just remarkable. The accuracy at which some of the stores are presented as well will make you actually think “maybe I should have been watching more closely when running between platforms 3 and 4”.

However my favourite land was actually Springfield. As a massive Simpsons fan growing up, and now just a fan of the classics, Universal have created a cartoon land that feels authentic and gimmicky all at the same time. We ate lunch at Moes Tavern, won a Krusty doll playing Sideshow games, got a photo with Bart and almost got killed by Bob at the opening of Krustyland (which is the theme of the single ride).

The only real disappointment was that steamed hams were not on a single menu and I had to settle for fried chicken.

Honourable mention to Whoville, complete with 60 foot Christmas tree, as The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is one of our go to Christmas movies.

Stout Burgers and beer

I love any place that has a food menu and separate menu for beer, especially when burgers involved. Ergo I loved Stout Burgers and Beer. The menu is more than just standard burgers though, it takes the humble burg’ to the next level. In addition to the thick, juicy, medium rare patty, mine was a menage of brie, fig jam, and caramelised onions. Simple, yet mind blowing.

To complement this I ordered two sour beers out of the 6 that were on offer. This is more than I’ve ever seen on any menu anywhere and was suitably impressed.

10/10, would bang again. And I would visit Los Angeles once more just so I can go here again.

Day 4 – Santa Monica

Santa Monica was never front of mind for me the first time I visited LA and as such I didn’t make it out there. But this time was different. This time I was much more educated.

We started by walking down 3rd Street Promenade, the main shopping street lined with cafes and boutiques. Kynie bought a jumper because it was unbelievably windy. The street is wide and pedestrian only, and it is decorated with some creative dinosaur hedge sculptures.

Once we were clear of the shops we drove a few blocks to Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee because, well, frankly who needs a reason for doughnuts? The doughnuts were a decadent array of flavours enough to make any doughnut lover blush. The coffee was also well above the American average so make your way here if you need a good fix.

Coincidentally, it is also located right next door to Mendocino Farms, who do some wicked sandwiches and it was the perfect place for lunch.

All this build up eventually led us to the Santa Monica pier… via Malibu. We figured we had a car, let’s go for a coastal drive. It’s a lovely drive, with glimpses of the ocean through driveways on one side, and hillside mansions on the other.

The Santa Monica beach itself is pretty special. From road to water it must be a good few hundred metres, even on hot days I can imagine you’ll always be able to find a spot for your towel.

The Santa Monica pier, however was about in line with all touristy amusement parks. There was a fun arcade, some rides, a few places to eat – both for sit down meals and takeaway – and even a traditional carousel. I learnt that Kynie has the skeeball skills in our family.

More inspiration: read about Footsteps of a Dreamer’s weekend in LA.

Los Angeles gets a bad rap, and there are plenty of reasons why this is justified. But with a little digging you can find some really cool gems and uncover some great places many people would miss.

Have you been to Los Angeles? What are some other great spots to visit that most might not have heard of? Leave a comment below.

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