I love receiving mail, don’t you? Not email, I’m talking about the old-fashioned paper kind that gets delivered to your postbox by a mailperson. I love to send it, and I love to receive it, but the truth is I’m sending and receiving almost no mail these days with one major exception: Holiday cards!
Merry Christmas from Venice Beach!
Every December I look forward to finding cards from friends and family near and far in my mailbox. I love to see how much everyone has changed over the past year and reading about what everyone is up to.
No matter how techy the world gets, I will still send an annual holiday card, and I plan to do so for the foreseeable future. However, I will admit to agonizing over getting it done.
For this year’s card, the boys are posing at the Venice Beach Art Walls, and in front of one of James Goldcrown’s newest #bleedinghearts Walls. There are a few of these Love Walls around town and I love how much joy they bring.
Bah Humbug
Even though Tim refuses to be on the card, and I refuse to be on it without him, that would be weird, I try to make sure the card represents us as family.
The last time Tim and I were on the card… Elliot wasn’t even born!
That’s why this year’s theme is centered around a love of street and public art! Our family has spent a large part of the last year creating, exploring and photographing art, which is why it made perfect sense that our card represent all of those things.
Outtakes
In my attempt to capture the perfect shot the boys and I visited some of our favorite areas of town, and I feel like we got two great photos! Two is great considering the antics, which ensued, and the location of the sun, which was definitely working against us.
Last year I lucked out, I told the kids we were just practicing, and I got what I felt was the “perfect” shot on my very first try! As you can see from the outtakes above this year didn’t go quite as smoothly, and after torturing both myself and the boys in my attempt to get ANY decent shot, I realized that last year’s greatness was in large part because that image is a silhouette. No weird faces, closed eyes, or silliness, at least none that anyone can see.
2016’s holiday card.
In preparation for this year’s card we actually tried our hand (finally) at creating our very own “graffiti” on the Venice Beach Art Walls! We had an amazing time spray-painting our beachy yet Christmassy mural then the boys posed while I took their photo!
We’re definitely hooked on wall painting, and will absolutely be creating more “masterpieces” in the very near future! I know posting here isn’t exactly the same as sending real snail mail, but I don’t have your address, so this will have to do.
Wherever you are and however you celebrate, we wish you the merriest of Christmases and a happy New Year!
In just a few days the boys, and I will be boarding a flight to London! “We’ve” been planning this trip for months and are really getting excited! Now that the logistics have been settled its time to start thinking about what I’ll be packing and what I’ll be packing it in. It’s generally been our habit to pack for travel using European sized carryon luggage, and as I mentioned in a previous packing post, that’s the case no matter the length of our journey. Pun intended!
You might already know that London is one of our favorite destinations, but this will be our longest visit to date. We’ll be staying two weeks over the winter holidays! We don’t get much use out of wellies, sweaters and jackets here in Southern California, so I’m really looking forward to getting a chance to bundle up for a change.
We’ve used Plum Guide to rent a flat, which means we’ll have access to laundry facilities. Still, all those cold weather clothes take up a lot of room in the suitcases. Speaking of which…
Six years, thousands of miles and many destinations later, the wheel on my older son’s suitcase broke. At 15 he’s outgrown dinosaur luggage, so rather than fix it, we decided to give him my suitcase, and I would get a new one. But which one?
After reading everything I could find on carry-on suitcases, I settled on one that looked cool, boasted the ability to charge my phone, would track my flight and weigh my clothing! Wow! Unfortunately, I won’t be telling you more about that one, because upon arrival I realized all that modern convenience came with a price…there was no room left in the suitcase for clothing!
The Away suitcase in blush pink.
Let’s try this again, this time I’ve decided to try an AWAY suitcase. Not only do they come in all sorts of fun colors, but they also include charging capabilities and there seems to be plenty of room for my clothing!
Here is everything I was able to fit in:
Packing List:
6 sweaters
5 long sleeve shirts
2 flannel shirts
2 thermals shirts
1 sweatshirt
7 T-shirts
6 pants
6 socks
2 hats
1 belt
1 gloves
1 bra
2 shoes
8 underwear
1 pj pants
Another fun thing about the Away Suitcase is the ability to personalize! Along with my suitcase I picked up these fun suitcase stickers… Should I decide to check my bag, I’m pretty sure my suitcase won’t be confused with anyone else’s on the carousel!
Knowing I’ll have access to laundry means I won’t be needing everything on this list, but it’s always nice to have choices… Tell me, what’s your favorite suitcase? Do you carry on or check your bags? Have you rented a flat, or do you prefer the full service a hotel provides?
Welcome to this week’s edition of Faraway Files, a fabulous travel blogging community, where people from all over the world share their travel tips, inspiration, and adventures! I think of it as the modern day form of having a pen pal(s)! I’m excited to be to be using our new Faraway Files logo, which includes Corey and I, for the first time!
The holidays are upon us, and while I do love our holiday traditions, its nice to shake things up every now and again, so for the first time in six years, the boys and I will be spending our winter holidays away from home! I’ve assured my younger son that Santa will find us, even in London!
Speaking of which… Faraway Files will be taking a break for the holidays, and will return on January 4, 2018, with Katy as the first host of the New Year!
I’m excited about all the fun things we’ve got planned during our visit to London! In the spirit of discovery I’m sharing my post about things I’ve discovered in my own hometown: Los Angeles! My post 50 MORE Things to do in Los Angeles, is a companion piece to last year’s post 50 Things to do… and if you can believe it we’re already deep into EVEN more things to do in LA!
Just like every week there were many inspirational posts! The following were some of my favorites from Faraway Files #57:
Shades of Courage gives us the scoop on transatlantic stopovers, and I’m already thinking we need to plan our next big destination, just so we can include the Azores on our intinerary!
I know I’ll be in London for Christmas this year, but Esther of Your Dutch Guide’s post about the Amsterdam Light Festival has me thinking ahead to next year’s Christmas destination.
Jacki of Hit the Road Jacki shares 5 of her favorite US National Parks. Her photos are stunning, and reading about them gives you an idea of just how vast the United States really is.
This is the place to link up your travel posts every Thursday. Faraway Files is a weekly file of the best travel ideas on the web. We want to dream of faraway places, to make new travel plans and share our travel secrets. Inspire us to travel to places we’ve never considered before or revisit a place we thought we knew. We know that you can feel faraway even when you’re close to home so share your experiences of travels near and far wherever you are in the world.
We love our link up and the supportive community we’ve created. If you join in, please reciprocate and comment on the hosts’ posts as well as any others that take your eye. If we see a pattern of people not joining in, we have decided that it’s fairest to all of us to remove the links of those posters.
So let’s inspire and share each other’s posts. We’ll try to read and comment on every post and we’ll share them on social media too. Each week we’ll choose our favourites and highlight them on our blogs and social media channels using #FarawayFiles.
How it works:
Link up one travel-related post and add the Faraway Files badge onto the post or your blog (code below) or link back to the hosts.
The link up will go live every Thursday at 8am, UK time, until midnight on Friday. It will alternate between Untold Morsels, Suitcases and Sandcastles, Fifi + Hop, HilaryStyle and Oregon Girl around the World. This week’s link up is right here.
Link ups work best if everyone shares so please comment on all of the marked hosts’ posts and at least one other.
Tweet us your posts (@suitandsand, @UntoldMorsels, @oregongirlworld @fifiandhop @hilarystyleme) using the hashtag #FarawayFiles and we’ll retweet to our followers.
Love Instagram? Share your favourite photos from your posts with us, tagging #FarawayFiles and we’ll add our favourites to our Faraway Files Instagram feed.
What’s my favorite thing about living in a popular vacation destination? The number of visitors! I absolutely love it when friends and family come to visit (hint, hint), and not only do I love their company, but it’s the perfect opportunity to be a tourist in my own town! Bonus: All those delicious meals together!
Surfing with friends from out of town!
In my quest to discover new places and roam far, I’d been missing out on great experiences closer to home. Over the past year and a half I’ve been doing my best to remedy that, and featured many of our around town adventures in my previous list, 50 things to do in LA, but since then I have discovered a whole new mess of fun ideas, many within a few miles from my front door, but all within a days drive!
50 MORE Things To Do in Los Angeles:*
1.The Famous Santa Monica Stairs
Location: 699 Adelaide Drive, Santa Monica
You’ll feel less guilty about all the amazing LA food you’re going to eat if you start your day with a workout. At the top of “The Stairs” you’ll be rewarded with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, and who knows, you might even find yourself working out next to your favorite celebrity…
2. Main Street Santa Monica
Location: Start Between 2nd and Nielson at Strand
Santa Monica’s Main Street, is just a bit off the main tourist path, which neans you’ll find plenty of one of a kind shopping, restaurants, street art, and less tourists!
3. Cookie Good
Location: 2448 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica
Cheeto flavored cookie anyone? Not your thing? Don’t worry Cookie Good, has “normal” flavors too! The cookies here are so delicious we bought a dozen different flavors and took a bite of every single one!
4. Kazu Nori
Location: 120 Broadway #104, Santa Monica
Kazu Nori is small and it’s popular, so get there early, or be prepared to wait. The menu consists of one thing: hand rolls. They’re made to order and to delicious perfection.
5. Patrick’s Roadhouse
Location: 106 Entrada Drive, Santa Monica
Just across the PCH from North Santa Monica Beach, Patricks Roadhouse has been a local and celebrity favorite since 1973. The old time atmosphere is quirky and very family friendly. The portions are huge!
6. Nighthawk Restaurant
Location: 417 Washington Blvd, Venice
You’ll find cereal milk cocktails and other breakfast items with a fun twist at Nighthawk a trendy late night spot just blocks from the beach.
7. Salt & Straw
Location: 1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice
Salt and Straw’s ice cream is delicious, but don’t take my word for it, the ever present line should speak for itself. One reason the line is so long… you can sample as many flavors as you want!
8. Wurstkuche
Location: 625 Lincoln Blvd, Venice
Wurstkuche’s exotic sausages and delicious fries are a savory and popular treat. There is a constant line out the door, but don’t be fooled you’ll find a large amount of communal seating in the back.
9. The Venice Sign
Location: Pacific Ave & Windward Ave
The Original Venice Sign was hung across Windward Avenue at Pacific by Abbot Kinney himself, this current version was installed in 2007. Most often lit with traditional white marquee lights, the Sign changes throughout the year in support of various events and holidays.
10. Hatchet Hall
Location: 12517 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles
With it’s quirky decor, bustling atmosphere and fabulous service dining at Hatchett Hall is sure to please, but it was the rolls that really won me over! I just can’t stop thinking about them!
11. The Venice Canals
Location: Enter the Grand Canal at Washington Blvd and Strongs Drive
The famous Venice Canals! No, not that other city in Italy with canals, these are the ones in Los Angeles! Did you know we have our own?!
12. Sony Studios Tour
Location: 10202 Washington Blvd, Culver City
The Sony Studios Tour is a behind the scenes walking tour located on a working studio lot. You’ll get a chance to visit and see props from TV and Movie sets as well as learn about the magic of movie making. The tour is offered for ages 13 and up.
We love our excersie in LA, and we love our stairs. It’s even better if we combine them! Try the ones at the Baldwin Hills Overlook where on a clear day you can see all the way to Downtown LA and beyond.
14. Furaibo
Location: 2068 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles
You’ll find Furaibo in LA’s Japan Town, not to be confused with Little Tokyo. They are famous for their Japanese style chicken wings, which are amazing! Bonus: There is parking in the back.
15. Paley Center for Media
Location: 465 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, just one block off of Rodeo Drive, the Paley Center for Media has revolving exhibits that explore the connection between media and society.
16. Beverly Hills Hotel
Location: 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hills Hotel opened in 1912, before Beverly Hills was even a city! You can’t miss its iconic pink paint and famous sign, and you don’t have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy one of it’s many iconic dining establishments!
17. Sprinkles Cupcake ATM
Location: 9631 South Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills
Wait, what? A 24 hour ATM that only sells cupcakes and cookies? Where can I find that? Beverly Hills of course!
18. Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop
Location: 9631 South Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills
While vistiing #17 we discovered that Sprinkles also has an ice cream shop! We couldn’t resist, and I’m so glad we didn’t! This was some incredible ice cream, and the red velvet cones were amazing! You’ll find the Sprinkles ice cream shop just next to the Cupcake ATM.
19. Sugarfina Candy Boutique
Location: 9495 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills
Adults and children alike will enjoy a visit to this sweet spot! Sugarfina was born in LA, but features gourmet and unqiue candies from around the world. They even offer candy tastings!
20. Malibu Country Mart
Location: 3835 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu
The Malibu Country Mart feartures high end shopping, a wonderful playground and delicious dining options! The best part… it’s just a stones throw from the famous Malibu beach!
21. Neptune’s Net
Location: 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu
Fish & Chips, motorcycles, and gorgeous ocean views! Need I say more? You’ll find Neptune’s Net just a short drive up the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.
22. Folk Art & Craft Museum
Location: 5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
The Craft and Folk Art Museum is housed in an adorable little building just opposite the Labrea Tar Pits. You can’t miss its cheerful black and yellow design. The exhibitions are revolving and feature current day artists with a unique twist or smaller exposure.
23. The Berlin Wall
Location: 5900 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
Did you know you can view part of the Berlin Wall in LA? The largest remaining stretch of the original Berlin Wall is located just across from LACMA on Wilshire Blvd’s Museum Row.
24. Melrose Avenue Shopping
Location: Between La Cienega and North Highland
One of LA’s most famous streets, Melrose shops you’ll find everything from vintage Dr. Martens to today’s most current and upscale fashion brands. Stroll up one side and down the other and along the way keep your eye out for some of LA’s most popular Insta walls.
25. Fairfax Avenue
Location: Between Melrose and W. 3rd Street
Home to the ultra trendy Supreme and Rip n’ Dip streetwear shops, you’ll also find many other one of a kind shops and galleries, mixed in among this area’s excellent dining choices, which include Canter’s Deli, Prime Pizza, and number 26 on this list, which is so delicious it deserves it’s own spot!
26. Jon and Vinny’s
Location: 412 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles
Excellent food, service and celebrity sightings are what you can expect at Jon and Vinny’s. No wonder it’s consistently listed as one of LA’s top restaurants. Getting a table can be tough, so book ahead, or consider a late lunch when you might even be able to walk right in.
27. The Original Farmers Market LA
Location: 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles
The entire family will love wandering within LA’s Original Farmers Market where you’ll find stall after stall of delicious food items, restaurants, and shops.
28. Dupars Pancakes
Location: 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles
Located inside the Farmer’s Market listed above, Dupar’s has been whipping up their famous pancakes since 1938! They’re an LA institution, and they really are THAT good!
29. Georgetown Cupcakes (Free)
Location: 143 S Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles
Would you like a free cupcake? Georgetown Cupcakes is giving you one! All you have to do is check out their online fridge cam for the secret cupcake of the day. Tell them the flavor when you walk in and they’ll give each member of your group a complimentary cupcake!
30. Laurel Hardware
Location: 7984 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood
Don’t be fooled by the exterior when you pull up outside Laurel Hardware, one of West Hollywoods most trendy eateries. It may look like an old hardware store from the outside, but the inside is gorgeous and the food is delicious, as are the cocktails.
31. Brothers Korean BBQ
Location: 3680 W 6th St, Los Angeles
Brothers Korean BBQ is our family’s go to for special occasions. The service is excellent as is the food. My favorite part: all the “sides” that come with your meal.
32. The Wiltern
Location: 3790 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
Located at the corner of Wilshire and Western the Wiltern was built in 1931 as a vaudville theater. It was restored to it’s original glory in 1981 and today its a live music venue.
33. Neutra VDL House
Location: 2300 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles
Architecture lovers won’t want to miss a visit to the Neutra VDL House built by the famed Modernist architect Richard Neutra 75 years ago. Tours of the home and garden are available, and are given by architecture students.
34. Alfred’s Coffee
Location: 3337 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (Multiple Locations)
If you ask me Alfred’s Coffee has their priorities straight, because, while it may be cliche, as far as I’m concerned nothing happens before coffee! With locations all over town, including a tea room, you’ll be able to get your priorities straight as well!
35. LA Zoo
Location: 5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles
We’ve been to over 25 zoo around the world, so I think you can trust me when I say the LA Zoo is fun for the entire family!
36. Greek Theater
Location: 2700 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles
The Greek Theater is located inside Griffith Park and is an outdoor venue. The Theater seats less than 6000, and is a great place to see a show.
37. See a Movie at Hollywood Cemetery
Location: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles
Consider attending an outdoor movie screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery! Even if you can’t make it to an organized event you might consider a visit anyway, as the cemetery is the final resting place of many famous Hollywood and musical icons.
38. The Hollywood Bowl
Location: 2301 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles
The Hollywood Bowl is located one mile from the famed corner of Hollywood and Highland in… You guessed it, Hollywood! The Bowl seats 17,500 people and is an open-air venue. Getting there can be a challenge, but it’s worth it!
39. Capital Records Building
Location: 1750 Vine St, Los Angeles
The Capital Records Building is a historic landmark, and has been featured in a number of movies and television shows since it’s completion in 1956. Located just north of the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine you can’t miss it’s iconic round shape, which resembles a stack of records.
40. The Bradbury Building
Location: 304 South Broadway at West 3rd Street
Built in 1893, the Bradbury Building is an architectural landmark. While the outside might not seem like anything particularly special, its the inside’s Victorian Era atrium with it’s grandiose iron work, 50 foot ceilings, and open cage elevators that really shine. Fans of the movie Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, might recognize the atrium space as Sebastian’s home.
41. Angels Flight Railway
Location: 356 S Olive St, Los Angeles
The newly reopened Angels Flight Railway has been in operation on and off since 1901, and at 298 feet is the world’s shortest railway. The Angels Flight Railway is a treasured piece of LA history, and it has given more than 100 million rides!
42. Grand Central Market
Location: 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles
The Grand Central Market opened in 1917 and has been operating continuously ever since. A popular destination for locals and tourists alike, no matter you food tastes you’ll find something for everyone in your group! From Thai sticky rice to cheesecake, a Jewish deli, vegan choices, a cheese shop, Chinese food, produce stands, a butcher shop and so much more. There’s even a PB&J shop!
43. Birdies Restaurant
Location: 314 West Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles
Birdies, is well known in LA for both their donuts and fried chicken, so of course you have to try both! The donuts are baked fresh every two hours!
44. Sweet Tooth’s Walking Tour of DTLA
Location: Start Here
This family friendly dessert walking tour of Downtown Los Angeles includes delicious treats AND iconic sights, Life is short… dessert first!
45. Dodger Game
Location: 1000 Vin Scully Ave, Los Angeles
Baseball fans will love a visit to the iconic Dodger Stadium perched on the hill overlooking downtown LA. Be sure to get a Dodger Dog while you’re there! Play Ball!
46. Downtown Los Angeles Sample Sales
Location: 860 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles
LA’s Fashion District is home to over 1,200 showrooms, representing over 4,500 fashion lines. Many of them hold sample sales on the last Friday of the month. The Cooper Design Space building right in the heart of the Fashion District is a great place to start.
47. Old Town Pasadena
Location: Colorado Boulevard
Old Town Pasadena is a great place to spend an afternoon! There are endless options for food, so you’ll be hard pressed to choose which of the many yummy treats you’ll try while walking around. We picked this taiyaki up from Stray Cat Poke & Dessert!
48. Rose Bowl Flea Market
Location: 1001 Rose Bowl Dr, Pasadena
The Rose Bowl, located in Pasadena, is about 25 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. It is of course famous for hosting THE Rose Bowl of football fame, which is held on New Year’s Day, but it also plays host to a monthly flea market!
If thrill rides are your thing, you’ll want to head to Six Flags Magic Mountain for roller coasters galore!
50. Mini Monster Milk Tea
Location: Universal City Walk, Universal City
If you love boba tea (I do!) and cute things, then you’ll want to stop in at Mini Monster! The delicious boba is served in your choice of unique and reusable jars in various fun shapes!
Manhattan Beach has fabulous beaches and a quaint downtown. Its just one of the many wonderful smaller beach cities between LA and San Diego, and definitely my favorite!
*to help you make the most of your LA visit I’ve tried to group everything by neighborhood.
* As fast as we “check things off” we think up more fun and interesting ideas, so stay tuned for EVEN More Things To Do in Los Angeles coming soon…
*Be sure to check official websites for operating hours and ticket prices.
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Take me with you!
Would you like directions to all these fabulous places? Why not take me with you! You can download this and other fun hilarystyle articles using the GPSmyCity app!
Can a person be too happy? Is that even possible? I didn’t think so, but I admit to being accused of it on occasion. Yep, that’s right, I was once accused of smiling too much! That was awkward, but you can’t keep me down! I’m a morning person, I end most sentences with exclamation points, and in general I’m a pretty cheerful person, so when I heard about a place that was literally called: Happy Place, I knew I had to go there. Stat!
In fact the moment I saw the advertisement I clicked buy tickets and scooped up the max allowed (8) for opening day. My friends we were coming for the Thanksgiving holiday break and I just knew they would want to share in all that happiness… or at least I hoped they would! Lucky for me, they did and we had the best time!
If you’re wondering, Happy Place is very similar to The Museum of Ice Cream, which if you don’t already know, is basically room after room of colorful photo ops. If you’re into taking selfies this is your heaven, and even if you’re not… Wandering through 13 + brightly lit rooms decorated to the hilt, and filled with cheerful activities, photo ops and yummy treats is a pretty great way to spend an afternoon! Raise your hand if you love an afternoon of silly fun with your besties!
Raise your hand if you love fun!
Here is a preview of just some of the fun we had during our visit.
Upon entering Happy Place you’ll be asked to watch an adorable little video, which basically spells out the rules, no selfie sticks, enjoy yourself, the path is one way only…
For the sake of everyone’s happiness there are a few rules…
After the video you’ll head down the entrance hallway…
And through the door…
Giant Shoes
Can you guess what these shoes were made of?
Lovable Sea Monster
The first two rooms were cheerful, but we weren’t exactly sure how to interact with them, I guess we needed to warm up a bit…
XO
…Becuase we figured it out in the next room, which also happened to be my favorite!
If You’re Happy and You Know It…
Celebrate Everyday!
I’m a big fan of celebrating! Really, any excuse will do! We couldn’t open any of the 400 presents on the walls, but did get these delicious cake pops!
Balloons!
Pop Up Flowers
We all loved this fun room where you could pop up among the flowers like gophers!
Topsy Turvy
I’m afraid this room was a bit beyond our capabilites, we weren’t quite sure how to make ourselves appear upside down. I ended up rotating the photos. My dad was definitely the best at this, I think I may be choking that teddy bear!
Four in One
The next “four” rooms were really all in one room together. The lines to get photos were quite long,especially for the rubber ducky tub, but we perservered…
Live Laugh Love
Rainbow Hearts
Rubber Ducky You’re the One
Mirror Mirror
The End of the Rainbow
This room was fun, but the “gold” is a bit rough on your feet when you land, and if you’re wearing a skirt or dress, you’ll want to hold on to it as you jump!
Snow Confetti Angels
We don’t get much opportunity to make snow angels here in SoCal, but confetti works too!
Snow Confetti Globe
The final room, and a favorite of our group, we loved this confetti filled dome! Once the door was shut the fans came on and the confetti was flying! Lucky us, no one was waiting and we got to go twice! You can’t believe the places the confetti finds itself…
Once you’ve had your fill of photos head to the final room for popsicles, lemondade, the gift shop, and a few final photo ops!
One last Photo Op!
With the exception of a few rooms you’ll be taking all your own photos during your Happy Place visit, or you can ask the friendly staff to take your photo. This “garden” had a camera set up, which took us a few tries to get just right. Once we were satisfied we emailed the photos to oursleves!
Whoops! We weren’t ready!That’s better!Third times the charm!
You’ll work up an appetite during your Happy Place visit, but don’t worry, you’ll find delicious RAINBOW Grilled Cheese sandwhiches just outside at The Happy Toast food truck! The perfect way to end an already fun afternoon!
Tips & Advice:
The Happy Place is located in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District at 1242 Palmetto Street.
Parking can be a bit hectic. If you can, I suggest grabbing a spot on the street, but if there isn’t any available there are number of nearby lots.
Arrive 20 minutes before you timed entry to queue up.
The only restroom is at the start.
Don’t forget to bring your camera!
The rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches were delicious, but at $12 each priced a bit high.
If you have time explore the neighborhood, its one of my favorites, you’ll find plenty of street art, shopping, and delicious food all within blocks of Happy Place.
Will you be in the LA area in the next few months? Check out the Happy Place official website for ticket information. Not coming to LA? Don’t worry, sign up online for updates and information on the Happy Place’s next destination. You never know where the Happy Place will pop up next. The Museum of Ice cream has since opened locations in both San Francisco and Miami, and I hear the Color Factory could be headed to LA soon. My fingers are crossed! Stay tuned…