Photo credit/Larry Dale Gordon
It’s been 11 years since my feet have walked down Sunset Boulevard, or my hands held bags from Rodeo Drive. The last time I was in California I walked the pier in Santa Monica, got stuck in rush hour traffic in my Dodge Stratus rental and snapped a photo with Jeff Goldblum at Lucky Seven’s nightclub. Last time I was in Cali I was a novice traveler with not one stamp in my passport. How times have changed.
Next week I’m going to back Cali… Los Angeles to be exact. I wasn’t a fan of the City of Angels last time I was there, but I’m looking forward to giving this another try. I’ll be shacking up at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, touring some new properties at LA Live, and visiting some friends at ABC. I’ll be having dinner with editors and literary agents, interviewing some of the top promotional booking coordinators in the city, and if I’m lucky, spending a little time poolside before getting on a flight to Sydney, Australia.
There might be some shopping, some cocktails, some pampering and some dreaming. Simply put, this pretty woman is going back to Cali…
Welcome back to California! I live in San Diego, but was just in Los Angeles this weekend for fun (and to check out the LA Times Travel & Adventure Show). Spectacular weather as well! Tons of great eats everywhere, but my absolute favorite Beverly Hills brunch place is Le Pain Quotidien (on Little Santa Monica, I think… but not far from Rodeo). There’s also a little cheese shop around the corner, so I highly recommend grabbing some cheese and a bottle of wine for a beach picnic. Sounds like you’re living it up at the Four Seasons. Enjoy it for everyone who can’t be there!
Thanks, Katie! I’m looking forward to the trip, and will definitely try out the brunch place and cheese shop. Wonderful suggestions.
-Melanie
Have a blast. Hollywood is a cool place to hang out for a few days. It may be plastic and hollow, but it’s pop culture mecca.
Thanks, Dan. I’ll embrace the elasticity of the city and pay homage to a few pop-culture icons while I’m there.
You’re welcome! Have a great time. Let me know if you discover any extra fun places. I’m on Twitter as well (@travelpluswine) so I’ll look forward to your updates.