If you haven’t read my post on Part 1 of my trip, be sure to check that out first.
Day 4: Friday, November 9
On Friday morning I caught my flight from San Fran to L.A. At the time, California was going through its worst fire in state’s history. Thankfully I wasn’t anywhere near the fire, but my heart goes out to all those affected.
LAX is a busy airport. It reminded me of LaGuardia in New York City. If you’re staying near Hollywood like I was, the best way to get there from the airport is the FlyAway Hollywood airport shuttle bus. For $8US it drops you off in the in the heart of Hollywood.
Walking around Hollywood the first time was surreal. I was greeted by the giant Hollywood Sign off in the distance. I found myself star-struck as I walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I found the names of famous stars like Christina Aguilera, Jackie Chan, Will Ferrell and the Rugrats. (Unfortunately, no star for Ariana Grande. Hopefully one day!)
After exploring for a while, I headed to my hostel to check-in. I had a such a pleasant experience at USA Hostels in San Fran that I decided to stay at USA Hostels in L.A. USA Hostels is conveniently located in Hollywood. Unlike Airbnb where you’re usually stuck lugging around your heavy luggage most of the day until your check-in time, USA Hostels will watch your luggage until your room is ready.
When I burned my mortgage papers three years ago, a lot of people reached out to me to both congratulate me and ask for advice. One of those people was a successful L.A. real estate agent named Tina Sun Wang. Tina and me stayed in touch over the years. When I mentioned I was travelling to L.A., she was nice enough to offer to meet up.
I met up with Tina for dinner at Sushi Ippo in Koreatown. It was so nice to finally meet her in person! Since it was my first time in L.A., Tina was gracious enough to make some recommendations of places to visit. I gave her a copy of my book to show my gratitude. Overall, it was a great start to my L.A. trip!
Day 5: Saturday, November 10
On my first full day in L.A., I hopped on the Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour and I’m glad I did. L.A. is such a big city! You can get around on public transit, but it’s a lot easier if you have a car. I didn’t feel it was worth it to rent a vehicle and figure out the best places to go on my own. A tour bus was a much easier way to get around. The tour bus took me to L.A.’s must-see attractions like Beverly Hills, 20th Century Fox Studios and Chateau Marmont.
After riding the bus for an hour and a half, I got off at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. It was just as I pictured it. There were rides, street vendors and even a Donald Trump Mariachi singer! And if you’re into feats of strength, you can check out Muscle Beach, the birthplace of the physical fitness boom in the U.S., on the south side of the Santa Monica Pier.
Donald Trump Mariachi singer at Santa Monica Pier
I spent the rest of the day exploring another place on my bucket list, Venice Beach. (I’ve wanted to visit it ever since I heard Katy Perry mention it in the song lyrics of “California Gurls.”) It’s a great place to walking, bike, rollerblade or surf.
Don’t forget to check out the Venice Beach Boardwalk. It’s the perfect place to grab ice cream or a hot dog. There are also some bikini bottoms with funny messages on them. (Just a heads up they’re not family friendly.) To be honest, I was expecting a boardwalk like the Beaches in Toronto, but I still had a good time.
Day 6: Sunday, November 11
It was my last day in L.A. and I still hadn’t crossed an important item off my bucket list: hiking up to the iconic Hollywood Sign. (Fun fact: The sign originally read “Hollywoodland” after a housing development, until the “land” part was later removed.) Luckily I was able to get in an extra day of sightseeing because even though I checked out, my hostel was willing to watch my luggage. If I stayed at Airbnb, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. I would have been stuck carrying around my luggage the entire day.
The Hollywood Sign is located north of Hollywood Boulevard in Griffith Park. There are a few different places you can see it. Getting to Griffith Park wasn’t too hard. I walked along Hollywood Boulevard, headed north up N. Bronson Avenue and Canyon Drive until I reached Bronson Canyon in Griffith Park. (There’s parking if you prefer to drive.)
The Hollywood Sign may look close, but looks can be deceiving. The hike up to the Hollywood Sign on the Hollyridge Trail takes about 3 hours roundtrip. You’re in the hot sun most of the time, so be sure to wear a hat, put on sunscreen and drink plenty of water. I’d also encourage you to stay on the trails. Not only could you get lost, there are rattlesnakes. Luckily, I didn’t see any when I was there, but I was always on the lookout.
Before going on your hike, be sure to check out the Bronson Caves. It’s a popular shooting location for movies and TV shows. It’s also a great place to get a closer glimpse of the Hollywood Sign.
When hiking up to the Hollywood Sign, pay attention to the direction signs. It’s easy to get lost and go the wrong way, especially on the way down. The hike up to the Hollywood sign is tiring, but rewarding at the same time. It’s tiring from being in the hot sun with little shade for so long, but rewarding the closer you get to the Hollywood Sign.
When you finally make it to the Hollyridge Trail Viewing Area, it’s a great moment. You feel on top of the world! As far as I know you can’t go right up to the Hollywood letters (legally, that is), although I did see some people up there. So, who knows? I wasn’t going to risk fines and imprisonment.
After resting up for a while after the long hike, I headed to the last destination on my trip, Rodeo Drive. If you’re unfamiliar with Rodeo Drive, it’s a street known for its luxury goods stores. Think of it like Yorkville in Toronto and Newbury Street in Boston.
I’ve wanted to visit Rodeo Drive ever since watching this scene in one of my favourite movies, Rush Hour 3, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker:
Woman 1: Do you know who I am? My family owns half of Rodeo Drive!
Tucker: Do you know who I am? Detective James Carter L.A.P.D. My family owns half of Crenshaw Boulevard.
All kidding aside, Rodeo Drive is fun just to go window shopping. And who knows? You might even see a Hollywood star or the Paparazzi while you’re there.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I had a blast in L.A., but I feel like I only saw 10% of what the city has to offer. I didn’t get a chance to stop off at any of the museums or studios. If you enjoy beaches and the big city, you’ll love L.A.! To get the most out of your experience, rent a car. I’ll have to stop by L.A. again one day, but for now this as a pretty good glimpse of what the City of Angels has to offer.
Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians, available now on Amazon and at Chapters, Indigo and major bookstores, and as an Audiobook on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.