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Old 27 Apr 19, 04:17 PM  
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oh_darling
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Livin’ it up at the Hotel California (October '18) Day 5 - Santa Monica Life!

Livin’ it up at the Hotel California (October ‘18)

‘You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'


Day 5 - Flight to LA, Santa Monica Pier and Exploring!

We were up at 5.15am this morning! Our shuttle was coming at 6.15am, eeeessshkkkk. We got ready and all packed up and were out the room by 6.05am. We checked out at the main desk and then grabbed a coffee to sip while we waited outside. We booked our shuttle with Supershuttle and I’d sooooo recommend them again, we got regular updates saying our driver was en route and where he was, and then I could track him, too. Super helpful.

He arrived, we hopped in and then picked up another two ladies before heading on to the airport. We were both pretty gutted to be leaving San Francisco, even though we were obviously super excited for the next leg of our trip, so we were quite quiet and just looking out the window. I enjoyed listening to the ladies in the taxi chatting, one lived in SF and one was visiting and it was interesting hearing their discussion.

We arrived at the airport at 7.15 so that was super easy. Checking our bags was quick and easy, then we were through security really quickly too! The whole process was mega simple, I’d say to anyone nervous about internal flights do NOT even worry, it’s so easy! The staff were all so helpful with us too, telling us exactly where we needed to be.

We walked to our gate and grabbed a couple of seats.





I nipped to the loo and reapplied my allergy cream and put some make up on. By the time I got back Benj said that we were boarding in 5 minutes! I was starving though and needed some brekkies, so ran to grab something all the while Whatsapping Benj apologising haha because I was nervous I was going to make it stressful for us. But my stomach ruled me! I queued up and ordered a breakfast burrito and a bottle of water. $13, then ran back. It was fine and I needn’t have rushed, it was a bit of a mess at the gate with people not having assigned seats due to an error on the system. We didn’t, but we just queued up and got assigned 2 seats together so it was all good. We walked onto the plane and found our seats, and after sitting down I realised we’d been upgraded to Comfort Plus! We’d only booked Basic Economy tickets as they were the cheapest and we didn’t need anything else for such a short flight, but we were in the Comfort Plus section with lovely comfy seats! What a result! I read trippies on my phone, Benj slept, and we landed early at 10.30. Hello LA!

I’d booked us another SuperShuttle to our Santa Monica hotel, so once we’d gone through and picked up our bags, we headed over to find out shuttle using the very detailed instructions they gave us. We waited just a few minutes and were in a van and heading to Santa Monica in no time! We arrived at our hotel, Hotel Carmel, about 11.30. We checked in and were able to leave our bags as our room wasn’t ready (We hadn’t expected it would be). We then grabbed some bits from our cases before storing them, and took it in turns to nip to the bathrooms behind reception to change and freshen up. It was warm in SM, way warmer than it had been in SF!

With our luggage safely stored and feeling much better after changing, we headed out to explore! We were so looking forward to this relaxed day by the sea, and it was amazing to finally be there! Our hotel was literally 5 minutes from the sea which was amazinnggggg, so we were walking onto the pier in no time! We took the obligatory Santa Monica Pier photo







And then started walking to Venice Beach! We’d decided to walk there first and then come back and do the pier afterwards. It was absolutely gorgeous weather, warm and sunny, and there was SO MUCH good people watching to be had in the area hahah that the walk just flew by! I just loved seeing everyone rollerblading, cycling or just walking their doggies

Benj grabbed a freshly made lemonade from a stall he’d seen online that was famous, and we shared it as we strolled along the beachfront.



It was too sweet and lemon-y for me haha but I was thirsty! We started to get super hot and I realised I hadn’t put any suncream on which was a bit of a fail, so we stopped to buy some en route as I felt like I was burning oooopppsss.

Famous muscle beach!



We made it to the Venice Beach area and looked in a few of the crazzzyyyy shops haha before pausing for a spot of lunch at a place we’d ear marked as being really great for veggies, with good reviews. Venice Ale House is just on the corner as you get to Venice Beach, and it was busy which we thought was a good sign! Especially as it was a Monday ha! We got a nice table in a sort of covered but also still outside area, and placed our orders for some drankkkkkkkkks!

I don’t seem to have a photo of the drink I ordered, but gonna assume it was a cider maybe as I remember needing something cooling! Benj went for a beer flight and when it arrived everyone on the surrounding tables stopped to stare haha! It was so cool!



He got 3 IPAs and had a great time trying them and reading about them on the accompanying card. I tried them too and found myself enjoying them! I was quite getting a taste for IPA’s this holiday! And then...our meals arrived. OMG. I was so so so happy. LOok at these!

Crab nachos of deliciousness!







NACHO LIBRE* - organic tortilla chips, beans, cheese, jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, guac, and I added crab for $7 because why the hell not!

Honestly, this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life. Beautiful tender, fresh crab meat, LOADS of guac, crunchy chips and covered in beautiful melty cheese. I was one happy gal.

And Benj was equally happy with his! He ordered the:

VEGAN CLUB SANDWICH* - tofurkey, tempeh, avocado, tomato, vegan cheese, arugula, chipotle aioli on sourdough







And yes, it was as incredible as it sounds! I got to try a tiny bite and omg it was so insanely flavourful and I couldn’t believe it was vegan! Some seriously clever chefs in the kitchen here! There was a really fun vibe at this restaurant and a great mix of people; some tourists, some people grabbing coffee and a cake with some friends, and some people just enjoying drinks. We loved it here! We were extremely full after lunch because the portions were absolutely ridiculous and the food was too good to leave, so we paid up and waddled out of there to continue our travels. We popped in and out of a few shops but didn’t get too far because we got sucked into a street show!

Basically a big crowd was gathering and some guys were just setting up something...so we paused to watch. And stayed watching for...45 minutes! Ha. And we gave them $20! This is so unlike us, but the show was really really great and the guys were all so funny, and we basically thought they deserved it.



Everyone in the crowd was giving money too, they must have got loads ha! They did acrobatics and tricks and stuff, but it was the running commentary and banter that had us absolutely cracking up. If you’re in Venice Beach and see a big crowd gathering on the hilly bit of the boardwalk, stop and watch! You won’t regret it!

After this small slash massive unplanned break, we were a bit behind schedule and really needed to wrap up our time in Venice Beach and get back to the hotel to freshen up for our evening activities. It was HOT. Unfortunately we never made it to the skate park which Benj had really wanted to see, but he really enjoyed the street show so didn’t mind too much. We called an Uber and were back at the hotel in like 3 minutes, vs the 30 minutes it would have taken to walk back along the beach. Winning! We picked up our luggage and got our room key then headed on up to our room. The reception area of the hotel was gorge and it all felt very vintage and glamourous; very surprising as it was the cheapest hotel I could find that didn’t seem to be stabby central… There was even complimentary ice water with lemon, and COOKIES in the reception that was much appreciated!

We went up in the vintage lift and opened our room. Our room was quite dated decor-wise but honestly it was clean, it just felt old and we thought it felt like an English B&B or something, not something we’ve experienced much in the US! But we’d def stay again as it was the amount we wanted to pay for the 1 night and we were hardly in the room at all, and it felt safe



After a very quick freshen up, make-up reapplying and a change of clothes, we were ready to head out for the evening. We wandered across the road (literally!) to the pier that we’d sort of skipped this morning, and took a slow promenade up the wooden slats

We paused to see Zoltar and I got my fortune I thought I’d read that he was the actual Zoltar from ‘Big’ but appaz not haha, still, cool to see!



Benj also got a pressed penny to remind us of our trip to Santa Monica





The atmosphere was amazing. It was still super warm, the sun was just starting to set, musicians were playing as we strolled along, and it was just so, so perfect. We stopped for some photos and had a little cuddle and when one of the buskers started playing ‘What a wonderful world’ I burst into tears! I was just so happy to be there, so excited for the rest of the holiday, and just so loving every single second. One of my favourite memories of the whole holiday



Crying behind my shades!



Honestly guys it was just so lovely, what I wouldn’t give to be back there right now! I miss it so much!

Benj took some photos of me with his awesome new camera phone which I loooooooove







Action shot!



The sun was setting by now so we walked right to the end of the pier and managed to grab a nice spot in front of some railings to watch it properly set. What a treat!





Once the sun had gone down we strolled back along the pier and across the sand towards Shutters on the Beach; a super fancy, super beautiful hotel I’d have loved to stay at but we couldn’t afford it, so I’d had my eye on it as a spot for pre-dinner drinks

View of the pier as we walked across the sand!



We walked in and it was just stunning, I was so happy! We headed over to the bar and it was lovely and cosy and there was a pianist playing, but he stopped shortly after we walked in haha! So we decided to sit outside as there were some cute tables looking out over the water. Lovely views! A waiter came over and we ordered a Hoppy Poppy IPA for Benj, and a glass of prosecco for me as I was being fancy



The menu!



Our view



Once we got our drinks I spied that the pianist had come back out so I asked Ben if we could take our drinks inside and watch him as I loooooove a pianist! He was down so we switched it up and went inside where it was all cosy and relaxed and actually nicer than outside! We had a cute candle and a little pumpkin on our table which was also lovely. I’m not sure if there’s many things in life that are better than relaxing with live music and a glass of fizz, I was soooooooo happy







I’d 100% recommend going for a drink at Shutters if you’re spending an evening in Santa Monica! We did have some trouble actually finding the entrance as it’s a bit hidden so we ended up walking all the way around it almost haha but we got there in the end! It’s basically on the right hand side of the building if you’re standing with your back to the sea, in case that helps anyone!

After enjoying the beautiful ambiance in Shutters we were reluctant to leave but time was getting on and we were getting peckish!

Cute outside of Shutters





After much restaurant research I’d selected Del Frisco Grille for our dinner and made a reservation for 8pm. It’s a lovely restaurant, quite near the beach, with a nice outdoor seating area that’s sort of covered but sort of not! We were invited in and asked if we wanted to sit in or out, and we said out as we’d seen the nice seating area but I wanted to check if there was heating.

We headed out and there was heating, yay! It was a bit chilly so I asked if we could have a nice booth right by one of the heaters and the waiter said that was fine as it wasn’t too busy. It was SO NICE, I had the heater blaring right down on me and it was amazing haha! Benj doesn’t like being hot haha so was fine with the normal air!

To start, I ordered a lovely glass of wine and Benj got a beer. The menu was AMAZING and it was so hard to decide what to get, but we eventually chose to share a bunch of appetisers/sides which turned out to be the BEST DECISION EVER.





All of our apps came at once which was fabulous and our table was groaning under the weight of all the deliciousness!

So we ordered, to share:

ARTICHOKE BEIGNETS
Fontina, Parmesan, Sweet Basil Dressing 15

WILD MUSHROOM FLATBREAD
Fontina, Caramelized Onions, Baby Arugula, White Truffle Oil 16

TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE
9.50

SWEET POTATO FRITES
7.50

It was all incredible and the perfect amount of food for us, too! The artichoke beignets and the flatbread were my faves; the fries also came with some sort of basil ranch dip which was soooooo good, and I love anything with truffle oil in so I was in heaven!











The atmosphere was really lovely too, it had got busier and there was a lovely buzz outside. Although at one point it kicked off a bit; I nipped to the loo and when I got back Benj was like omg you literally just missed someone jumping up onto a bin just outside the restaurant, doing a handstand on the bin, then running off! He managed to take a photo of the exact moment he was in a handstand too which was crazy haha! I was so gutted to have missed the drama!

We finished up and paid up; the bill was about $70 so not crazy and we both really enjoyed the food. I’d definitely recommend this place if you’re in Santa Monica!

We walked really slowly back to our hotel, nipping back onto the pier to take in the atmosphere for one last time and just watching the water for a little bit. Even though we only had one day and one night in Santa Monica we’d both absolutely fallen in love with the place, and we were gutted we weren’t staying for longer! We’d looooove to come back one day and I really hope we will I’d really recommend the Hotel Carmel too if you’re looking for a good budget option that’s super close to the pier!

With that, we were back in our hotel in no time and after a quick re-packing, we were straight into bed and ready for our early morning Uber to LA!

Wowee, what a mammoth day! Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed!
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Old 30 Apr 19, 09:07 PM  
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Lovely day Libby! Your photos on the pier are beautiful
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Old 6 May 19, 01:35 PM  
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Originally Posted by Hmr89 View Post
Lovely day Libby! Your photos on the pier are beautiful
Thank you so much! They're fab aren't they, Ben's phone is amazing! xxx
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Old 6 May 19, 10:31 PM  
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Another fab day! I’m really enjoying your report. I’d love to do this trip but have always been put off thinking I’d need to hire a car and despite people saying how easy it is I’m just too nervous to give it a go. Did you hire a car at any point? Thanks for taking the time to write about your trip. It must be lovely to look back over them in years to come.
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Old 8 May 19, 08:35 PM  
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Originally Posted by sparks1 View Post
Another fab day! I’m really enjoying your report. I’d love to do this trip but have always been put off thinking I’d need to hire a car and despite people saying how easy it is I’m just too nervous to give it a go. Did you hire a car at any point? Thanks for taking the time to write about your trip. It must be lovely to look back over them in years to come.
Hi! Ahh I know what you mean, we were the same but you really don't need to hire a car, you just need to have a clear plan and accept that you can't see all of California in one trip! We didn't hire a car at all and would 100% do this exact holiday again

No-one gets a car in San Francisco or LA so these were both fine, and in Anaheim we chose a hotel within walking distance of Disneyland! Internal flight from SF to LA was super cheap, and we used SuperShuttle for transfers and Uber for everything else We both enjoy a drink too (as you've probably guessed ) and when on holiday we wouldn't like to be restricted by having to drive! Plus I'm not super into driving, neither of us are, so we thought it would just add unnecessary stres to this trip.

I'm sure one day we'll drive the PCH but for now we're good I'll try and include all our Supershuttle/Uber details in the trippie so you can get an idea of it all, but it was honestly so so easy and we didn't feel we missed out at all by not having a car because these were the places we wanted to go! I hope that helps And I'm so glad you're enjoying the trippie! xxxx
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Old 8 May 19, 09:23 PM  
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Awwwhh Libby, you make me smile reading your trippies

I literally feeeelllll your excitement- love it!

Keep them coming lady x
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Old 22 May 19, 07:07 PM  
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Fabulous day. Glad you're enjoying the west coast as much as Florida. Santa Monica looks great, food delicious and beautiful sunset.
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