Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere// Los Angeles, California

A few weeks ago my family came to visit me in San Francisco--yay!!--but my sister is OBSESSED with Taylor Swift and she planned on going to the Grammy museum to see her exhibit since she heard of it's existence. So we made a little pitstop in LA before trekking back up to San Fran. That means a little adventure in LA! Was it worth it?...Um, not so much.

The Omni Hotel

We stayed at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and this was a highlight of the trip, sad to say. It was located in a nice area of downtown, it has a beautiful lobby, spacious rooms, but a little pricey around $300 a night but if you're splitting it with friends, it's not bad.

The Redwood Bar & Grill

I google map'd an American food restaurant because we were all craving a burger and found The Redwood Bar & Grill within walking distance. It's tucked into the street like a secret and the pirate ship theme is authentic in that you definitely feel like you are in the bottom of a shit. The atmosphere was dark and the lunchtime crowd was nonexistent. Great for a burger, I really enjoyed the food even if the atmosphere was a little to be desired. Reasonably priced for LA standards, lunch burger was $13.

The Grammy Museum

This was the sole reason for this LA excursion and the highlight of the trip. The Taylor Swift Experience at the Grammy Museum was worth the $12.95 admission price. A huge boom box with lighted dance floor welcomes you playing 'Shake It Off' on a continuous loop. There is a wall devoted to her magazine covers and another devoted to all her albums. Some of her clothes and gowns and concert outfits are in the center. Not a huge exhibit and the rest of the Grammy museum was blah to me because I'm not super into music but I am into Taylor Swift and it was definitely worth it!

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater

So, I have a confession. As much as I love to travel and see new places, LA is a place I never desired to go to. I don't buy into the celebrity obsession, I think the emphasis our society puts on actors and caresses is disgusting if I'm being honest so the Walk of Fame was not fun for me. It's littered with tourists, people dressed up as Hollywood characters (Jack Sparrow, a creepy Minnie Mouse, etc.) and charge to take a picture with them, you can't even breath it's so claustrophobic. Not my style. I hated being so crowded--but mind you, the crowds at the Colesseum or the Trevi Fountain don't bother me because, duh, we're looking at history not the handprints of actors who don't matter in the long run--and I hated that so many people buy into the fake glitter that is Hollywood. The only part I liked was seeing the Harry Potter plot because...Harry Potter. Am I biased? Yeah, but it's my subjective opinion and I'm sticking to it. Many people have told me point blank they hate Rome and London and I love them. To each their own, but LA is not my bag.

The Ambiance

LA as a city to me was dirty, not worth the hype, and some place I will never go back to. My sisters and Mom didn't care for it, either which is pretty telling. My sisters can usually always find something positive about where we go and they said themselves they were glad they went to see it but would have zero desire to go back. And the traffic is deplorable. I got a migraine from the stop and go and while I expected it, it doesn't make an excuse for it. 

Must-Sees

The Taylor Swift Experience

Skip

The entire city unless you're an avid T Swift fan. Not worth the plane ticket.

Travel Class
Staycation