We had varying expectations for LA after accounts from others of it being little more than a big dirty city. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in Venice Beach, and while the apartment we were in was larger only than our hotel room in New York, but at twice the price per square foot, the location was spot on. We were one block from the beach and spent a day walking along the Venice Boardwalk in the sunshine, past all the touristy shops and stalls, beachside skate parks, beach volleyball courts and outdoor gyms. I headed one way down the boardwalk and walked all the way to Santa Monica pier, while Seb and the boys walked the other way and were entertained by a silent disco on the beach.
Another highlight was walking through the Venice Canals, just a few blocks from our AirBnb. The houses there were very impressive, and although the canals themselves don’t go anywhere, it certainly felt like a sanctuary from the surrounding hustle and bustle. We also managed to find a lovely cafe a couple of blocks away that did great coffee….owned by Australians of course.
For our other day we headed into Hollywood, walked along the walk of fame and snapped some photos of the Hollywood sign. (An overall terrible experience with streets lined with crap souvenir shops -Seb)
Next, we headed east towards Joshua Tree National Park.