The Truth about Travelling To Los Angeles

I think I’ve been planning to cross the ocean towards the land of dreams since the year 2014 or something. Every year I would find an event happening in sunny California, circle it in the calendar and try to plan for it. Fail. 3 years in a row of failure to achieve this plan turned it into a dream, and even though I never intended for it to be a solo trip, this is what eventually happened, I ended it up on the most epic trip of my life.

Let’s rewind a little, the initial circle on this year’s calendar was on October 4^th, the day that Coldplay were going to perform in a city called San Jose, in Santa Clara, one hour away from San Francisco. But, I didn’t want to spend all of my 10 days in Silicon Valley, so it made sense to include a visit to LA since it was my landing spot. Eventually though, that plan deviated a little and I slowly started hating the idea of LA, there is a truth behind the myth of visiting LA and I’ll tell you about it.

When I first started asking fellow travelers what I should have on my to-do list for a 10 days trip to LA, there were a few things in common, Disneyland apparently was “a must” and there was the “don’t miss out on universal studios” of course, others suggested that if I won’t give Disneyland a go then I might as well try out the famous roller coasters at Six Flags. I get it, LA is all fun and games, but no thank you that’s not what I was looking for. The reason why LA as a city is so hyped up maybe comes from the fact that it’s a hot spot for celebrities in and around Hollywood and Beverly hills, it also helps that it’s the city with the most “touristic” attractions in the state, in addition to Vegas of course. But then there is also the fact that LA is hyped up, because people who live in LA are all about the hype; the city is home to all the famous bloggers, YouTubers and social media influences, it has to be cool right?

Wrong. LA as a city is fine, but I don’t think you should spend anymore than a day in the city if you’re visiting the state. Instead, you can go on one of many road trip options, because USA’s biggest state is home to some of the best national parks in the world, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite park are two of which.

My 10 days already included a road trip to the concert, which was definitely the highlight of the 10 days. Coldplay put on an amazing show that takes you from jumping to tears to an entire array of emotions. The road between LA and the quiet little city of San Jose is one of the most breathtaking stretches of travel I’ve ever taken in my life. The scene changes from mountains to greenery to vineyards along the road that cuts a straight line into the desert. My advice if you’re going to attempt the 7 hours drive is to get yourself some company though.

There is nothing much to see and do in San Jose, but San Francisco definitely left me with some lovely memories, with its hill roads that opens up to bay views, and the gigantic sight of the Golden Gate bridge rising between clouds. I spent only one day in SF and it was enough for me.

LA on the other hand had nothing to offer me more than the Hollywood sign hike, which was also very challenging but extremely satisfying, and a stroll along the Hollywood walk of fame proved to me that this city was extremely overrated. Instead, I resorted to staying in Orange County, and that meant I really made the most out of my trip.

Orange county, although a lot less crowed, and much more residential, offers much more of an experience than LA. To start with the beaches are a lot nicer, the Piers and the islands offer stunning open views of the ocean, the beaches are clean and a lot less crowded. The food is nicer, and they still have in and out burgers as well, so you’re not really missing out on anything. Add to all of this that the streets are a lot safer.

Here are a few tips on things to do if you decide to switch up your LA trip to Orange County:

Getting there:

I have a post all about my travel experience with EtihadAirlines, go check it out.

What to do:

•          Eat at an in and out burger!
•         Newport beach, walk around the area and go to the beach.
•         Go to Balboa Island or take the ferry and cross over to Santa Catalina Island.
•         Kayaking, rowing or rent a boat in Balboa island.
•          Shopping in one of the outlets, Citadel outlet is nice, and orange outlet is also beautiful. There are a couple of TJ Max that has great deals, you can also give Target and CVS a go.
•          Rent a car and visit LA for a day -its an hour drive if you’re lucky with the traffic- go to Venice beach, Santa Monica Pier and walk down the walk of fame. You can also visit the Hollywood sign where you can either go to Griffin observatory or take the hike trails up towards the sign if you have the time, and the fitness..
•          Huntington beach Pier on the weekend for a walk down main st. and some food.

Where to stay:

•         I stayed in Costa Mesa in a couple of motels, they were both decent (Vagabond and Days Inn). If you have an option for an Airbn’b that would be better of course.
•         Newport beach.
•         Huntington beach.
•       Fountain Valley.
•    Garden Grove.

Book as early as you can, prices hike fast especially on weekends.

Don’t go for:

•          Avoid Motel 6 at all cost in all locations. They are Evil!
•         Anaheim.
•         Santa Ana.
•         Long Beach.

How to move:

If you rent a mid-size sedan with basic options, it will cost you somewhere between 30 and 50 USD daily, and if you won’t move beyond Orange County then a 40 USD worth of petrol will last you a week, just make sure your accommodation provides parking. Orange County is big, there is no chance that you’ll be going to many places on foot, but if you don’t want to drive, both Uber and Lyft operate with acceptable costs. There is a bus, sometimes, in some places, I couldn’t really work out how it works and it’s not the most reliable option.

What to eat:

•         In and Out Burger! Yes! It’s that good!
•         Panera bread.
•         Jersey mike's sandwiches.
•         Jimmy John’s sandwiches (they deliver too).
•         Starbucks coffee (try the Iced Lemon Loaf Cake too, delicious!)
•         Korean BBQ.
•         Fred’s Mexican Café in Huntington beach.
•         Ice cream at Cold Stone.
•         Ihob for breakfast and pancakes.
•         Fuddruckers.
•         Dunkin’ Doughnuts.