“This ain’t no disco/It ain’t no country club neither…”

This is L.A.

And yes, the lyrics to “All I Wanna Do” were stuck in my head a good portion of this short, but oh-so-sweet, vacation. As was “Hollywood Nights” – more on that later. Actually, they play lots of songs about California in California. Especially at the beach. It was a little weird.

The purposes of this (impromptu) trip were many: First, any opportunity to get out of Chicago in January should be jumped on with little to no forethought or second-guessing. Second, I never got to spend much time in Los Angeles, and I was curious. And third, I owed a proper visit to some friends who made the trek to L.A. a couple years ago.

Actually, my friends are great. They’re incredibly funny and talented women. And they’re doing things. Great things. Ever hear of Lisa Laureta or Brigid Marshall?

Anyway, I had a fair amount of me-time while visiting, which was nice. I did a lot of exploring. Consumed a lot of kale. Met some interesting characters. I even saw the new Star Wars film (I know, I know – sometimes I even surprise myself). The images in this blog represent four days of exploration, reflection, gorgeous sunsets, and real California livin’. I made it a point to find David Bowie’s star on Hollywood Boulevard, which was (expectedly) covered in layers of memorial paraphernalia. On my way out of town I heard news of Alan Rickman’s passing, and would have liked to visit his star as well, but time would not allow it. I’ve always been a fan of Rickman’s work. He and I share a birthday.

En route to LAX with a couple hours to spare, I was taken on a glorious hike through the Hollywood Hills (cue: Bob Seger). Apparently Los Angeles is home to hundreds of secret stairways that have been around since the 1920’s, before cars were a means of transportation. We hiked the Beachwood Canyon stairs, using these instructions. It’s a lot of stairs, guys. An awesome (and tiring) way to end my visit.

I have to say that this visit changed my outlook on California. My Midwest, city-girl attitude was pleasantly confronted with lots of “hey, everything’s cool, man” and “relax, you’re in Southern California”. But in a good way. In a way that didn’t get on my nerves. It’s like there were no rules, and everyone just got along. Everything was – okay. It was refreshing, in a sense. I think I needed that.

Hey California – you’re okay.

Locations pictured include: Echo Park, Sunset Blvd, Venice Beach, Real Flowers L.A., Griffith Observatory, Hwy 101, the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Hills, and Brigid’s backyard.

Hollywood L.A. California
afternoon Echo Park lake
Echo Park Los Angeles, California
Echo Park Los Angeles, California
palm tree silhouette California
sunset Echo Park L.A. California
Echo Park boat house sunset
sunburst Los Angeles CA
citrus tree L.A. California
L.A. California flower bush
L.A. Beach building
L.A. Beach store
yes real flowers Venice Beach L.A.
L.A. vendor Venice Beach
bike rack Venice Beach L.A.
Venice Beach L.A. graffiti tree
Silhouette of palm trees at Venice Beach during sunset
hike to Griffith observatory L.A.
dirt path L.A.
downtown L.A. from hike
Griffith Observatory entrance L.A.
Griffith Observatory time device L.A.
L.A. star at Griffith Observatory
Hollywood L.A. California
traffic in L.A. rush hour
Hollywood Walk of Fame L.A.
Hollywood Walk of Fame L.A.
Hollywood Walk of Fame L.A. David Bowie
Hollywood Walk of Fame L.A. David Bowie
TCL Chinese Theatre entry mat
Hollywood L.A. Chinese Theatre
TCL Chinese Theatre California exit sign
Hollywood Hills doorway L.A.
L.A. California
Hollywood Hills stairs, California
Hollywood Hills stairs, California
Hollywood Lake, California
Hollywood Hills slow sign