Los Angeles
a weekend just for me.

I went on a girls trip to Los Angeles to celebrate a friend's birthday who lives out there. One thing I've learnt since travelling: if you have any family or friends who live in a different city or country, make a trip out of it, you might get lucky and get free accommodation. I don't know about you, but give me some blankets and pillows and I will gladly sleep on the floor.

This trip was much needed. Working full-time and being a full-time mom with kids who fight 90% of the time can take a toll on anyone's mental health. That weekend I got to just exist as myself, no roles, no responsibilities, no one needing anything from me. My girlfriends did all the planning and I just showed up, which was honestly a blessing.

Venice Beach Boardwalk. Stunning views, aggressive CD sellers. You've been warned.

Our first stop of the weekend was the Venice Beach LA Food Tour with Sidewalk Food Tours, which cost $99 USD ($135 CAD) for about 2.5 hours. We started with the Acai Green Bowl, which was refreshing and light. The World Famous Hinano Cheeseburger was a little dry and heavy on the red onion for me personally, but it's one of the oldest restaurants at Venice Beach so worth trying. The Mole Poblano Taco at Guisados had great braised meat, though I personally wanted more crunch.

Venice Fish Tacos. I don't care how full I was, I would eat these again in a heartbeat.

Honestly, the Venice Fish Tacos were the highlight for me, with the crispy fish, tomatoes, lettuce, sauce, and the lemon. AMAZING. I was so full at this point, so I only ate the fish, and I had zero regrets with that decision.

Brian's Shaved Ice because there is always room for dessert.

We finished the tour with Brian's Shaved Ice. They put Dole Whip ice cream at the bottom which I loved, a perfect way to end the whole thing.

Would I do the food tour again? Probably not, but hear me out. The price is worth it because you try things you'd never order on your own, but I have a small appetite and I was done after the burger. The girls I went with loved it and would go again, so it really depends on you.

The next day was my friend's birthday, and the plan was Griffith Observatory during the day and the Dodgers game that evening.

The hike almost broke me. The Dodgers game made up for it.

I am not a hiking person at all, and we accidentally took the pure incline path to the Griffith Observatory, which was hard. Bring water, that one is non-negotiable, but the view at the top is worth it. The Observatory is free and open at 10, and I didn't fully explore it because I want to bring my kids back one day, since it's a great place for them to learn about space.

Quick tip if you're going: wear proper shoes. Coming down on that dusty incline in the wrong footwear is not fun. I am clumsy, and I may have slid down a time or two.

That evening we watched the Dodgers vs Cubs. Tickets were $90 USD ($122 CAD) bought the day of, and we got there early enough for the bobblehead giveaway, which was for the first 40,000 fans. The Dodgers scored 6 runs at the bottom of the 4th inning and the whole stadium lost it. If you enjoy baseball, watch a game here, the atmosphere is something else.

After the game we headed back and called it a night, and that was pretty much my weekend in LA, a short and easy trip.

A quick note on money before I wrap up. Just so you know, I round up when I share prices on the blog so you have a bit of a buffer to work with, better to overestimate than underestimate. For the whole weekend, I spent around $213 USD ($290 CAD), not counting flights. Accommodation was free since I stayed with my friend. The Venice Beach Food Tour was $99 USD ($135 CAD), and the Dodgers ticket was $90 USD ($122 CAD). A splurge weekend on paper, but with the rest of the trip being free, it felt like the right trade off.

Honestly, I do wish we had more time because there is so much more to explore, but for a weekend trip, it was exactly what I needed.