A weekend in Santa Monica
A short and sweet two-day itinerary.
Honestly, I find it exciting to come home from travels and have another trip queued up. That’s exactly how it went down in early August. A close friend was going to celebrate her nuptials on Venice Beach with only close friends and family in attendance and I surely wasn’t going to miss this. Less than a month after my three-week holiday I found myself rolling out my packing cubes once again and plotting another itinerary. I felt no shame admitting that I needed another vacation after a vacation.
Stay / Getting Around
We arrived at LAX with a dream in our cardigan around 11 am local time and made our way to Le Meridian Delfina Santa Monica. Check-in wasn’t until 3 pm however we needed a landing before we trekked outwards for the afternoon. To our delightful surprise, we got an early check-in and I was gently reminded of how comfortable staying at hotels could be. After my unpleasant chronicles with an Airbnb in Copenhagen, this as I mentioned was the vacation I needed after a vacation.
Everyone says the traffic in LA is terrible and they were right. We did our best to avoid Ubers and used bikes as much as we could. At our hotel, they offered complimentary (albeit slightly broken) bikes that served as our main mode of transportation in the Venice Beach and Santa Monica area. Walking was considered and tried; unfortunately, one is reckoned with a force of European whiplash as every stretch of sidewalk is not pedestrian-friendly and sore to the eye.
Eat / Drink
Gjusta Bakery: There are many unspoken rules in this part of California. Number one is that if you see someone remotely famous, do not stare, ponder, or provoke. If you’re interested in relaxed outdoor patio dining or a quick bakery run though, this Mexican spot is a local favourite for a hearty and healthy meal. The serving counter was easy to figure out, super fast and the employees indirectly flirted with you. You will see plenty of familiar faces which is a bonus for movie buffs or pop culture aficionados.
The Win-Dow: I often underestimated how long I would need to get from point A to B. The roads are so vast that it makes everything appear closer than it isn’t. So as a result we botched this part of our timetable when we realized we had forgotten to eat and needed a quick meal before the wedding. The Win-Dow is a unique spot; the gothic script logo makes it feel like it was designed to be a medieval walk-thru burger joint. They offer a limited selection of smash burger varieties with a vegan/veggie option included. We got the $4 cheeseburger and the Beauty Burger along with their famous fries and their house sauce. If it weren’t for the hustle of it all, I would’ve spent more time here.
Urth Cafe: Urth Cafe is the quintessential Californian place. It has an extensive cafe menu of dishes using only the best sustainable, farm-fresh, and organic ingredients; fitting for the health-conscious wellness culture. The Huevo Rancheros is what I ordered and it did the job; a savoury and protein-heavy kickstart. If you’re in a crunch and/or recovering from a bender the night before, then this is a spot to add to the list.
Alfred’s Coffee: Our journey to Alfred’s was quite an event. When Google Maps says a place is 5km away, please refrain from walking there if you’re in LA, specifically if it's West Hollywood or else it may be a two-hour walk. We were defeated by the urban development again (interesting article here though!) and eventually got in our 40th Uber of the weekend for a 2-minute drive. All was well again. Upon arrival, the weekly farmer’s market was taking place right outside the shop. We perused the fruits, were offered free figs and berries by the local farmers, and pretended to be locals a bit before stepping into Alfred’s. Once I got in, I drank a Peach Blossom Iced Tea which was perfectly sweetened. I warned you it was a journey and a half.
Fun
Appledoll: The LA-based beauty brand is a cultural anchor to the Abbot Kinney strip charm. The shop is decorated in a cutesy, early 2000s, gothic way and includes a superior photo booth. It’s tucked away and not too busy from the rest of the boulevard. Shoutout to
for finding this one.
Baja Cantina: The wedding celebration and reception were 5 minutes away from each other - what an ideal situation. The reception part took place in a private section of the Baja Cantina. There we serviced a spread of chicken, steak, and mushroom tacos in a self-serving station next to warm corn and flour tortillas and a variety of pico salads. Shoutout to Amena’s sister for orchestrating this one.
Santa Monica Boardwalk: Biking along the boardwalk was an ethereal experience. The flat but winding bike path made it easy to gracefully people watch and lurk the happenings around the beach. Bring your AirPods, and a good podcast (maybe anything from This American Life for the full immersive experience) and get ready to maladaptive daydream for 30 minutes along a scenic stretch of this coast.
Other curiosities:
Pickles are heavily advertised everywhere. Primarily on big billboards.
Self-driving cars are safer drivers than real ones.
There is a cafe near Abbott Kinney Blvd that has a full-on rave at 2pm.
Anyway, that’s all I have. There is no juicy update to the airport romance but he did gift me butter last month and it was greatly appreciated.
You killed it with the recs!! I’m still thinking about that veg smash burger from win-dow