California: Days 3, 4, and 5

Alright, I’m back to finish up the deets of my Los Angeles trip for you guys! I hope you enjoyed the first little bit, posted last week, I had so much fun re-visiting my memories from the trip to share with you guys! SO, the rest of the trip was equally as incredible as the first, we did a whole lot of roaming around, some more eating, and soaked up as much of that California sunshine as we could ❤

The next few days included….

Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive- and let me say, they are just as glamorous as you’d think. We had such a fun time boppin’ around and stopping in some shops. We even found the Pink Heart wall and got some super cute pics 🙂
SPRINKLES- yes, yes, I know there are Sprinkles in other cities, but I can’t not get a cupcake when I see one. Kalin hadn’t had a Sprinkles cupcake before so I was pumped I got to be there for her first time! I had the Red Velvet flavor and it was delish
Walk of Fame and Chinese Theater- so, not quite as fabulous as I’d imagined, but still super cool to see. The smell kind of reminded me of mid-summer New Orleans (yikes) and there were way too many selfie sticks around for my liking, but we were able to see some pretty cool stars and all of the handprints and footprints at Gruman’s Chinese Theater. Hint: If ya make this trip and have a car, a Starbucks drink near the Theater will get you a validated parking ticket and save ya a couple of bucks, ya know, so you can go back for a second Sprinkles cupcake 😉
THE PALM- my mouth is watering just thinking about this place. This pretty ritzy Beverly Hills steakhouse is a must do, Kalin and I both said that we think our steaks were the best steaks that we’ve ever had! This meal was definitely on the pricey side, but we had alot to celebrate- I mean, life’s pretty great. If you know me, you likely know just how much I love French 75s if I’m wanting a more fancy drink, well the one I had at The Palm was absolutely delicious! 10/10 recommend!
Hollywood Hills- So the original plan was to take the 4ish mile hike from Griffith Observatory to get a good glimpse of the famed Hollywood sign, but we woke up a little late, came up with a few excuses, and ended up driving the car as close as we could and getting a pretty dang good glimpse there. I mean, ya kind of have to squint your eyes and maybe tilt your head a little, but you can certainly see the old aluminum sign standing tall on those beautiful hills in the distance behind me!
Malibu + Malibu Farms- So we had reservations for Malibu Farms for dinner on our first night, but we ended up canceling and doing Catch instead because it just worked better with the other things we wanted to do that day. Fast-forward a few days and we had one last dinner to grab so we decided to take the drive up to Malibu and check out the beach, the pier, and the restaurant! On our drive up we stopped at the famous Bundy Street site, which is an essential place in the OJ Simpson case; Kalin is a HUGE follower of that story so she was just so excited, like I can’t even explain how stoked she was to find this spot! lol. Anyways, once we got to Malibu we put our feet in the Pacific Ocean- leading to my pants getting SOAKED by a big wave, walked on the pier for a bit, and enjoyed dinner at Malibu Farms. The restaurant is a farm to table restaurant, so everything is super duper fresh and pretty healthy. Most people are probably so excited reading that, but for a girl who doesn’t like any fruits or veggies, I could have passed on this meal. The hummus was really yummy, but the nachos they had on the menu were one of the only dishes I’d eat and unfortunately I wasn’t wowed. No big though, I LOVED the views and the ambiance of the place and am so so so happy that we went.
In-N-Out: So, I wasn’t about to come to the west coast and not sink my teeth into a famous In-N-Out burger. Lucky for me, I didn’t fill up on my real dinner, so having second dinner wasn’t an issue. We grabbed burgers and shakes on the drive home and spent our last few hours in LA watching a movie in bed, staring at the California skyline in the distance, stuffing our faces with fast food burgers and fries #goals.
….and with that, my Cali round up is complete. My heart is still so full from this trip. Quality time with a good girlfriend, some sunshine, and exploration of the unknown is good for the soul. It refreshed my desire to explore, filled my heart with all positivity that could fit, and reminded me of just how lucky of a girl I am. Sure, life has thrown me some curve balls these last few months, but at the end of the day, my life is beautiful, the people in it are oh so wonderful, and the God that made all of this possible is awe-inspiring. God is so good, my friends, and whether you are on a lavish trip cross country with your BFF or lying in your bed watching Netflix before falling asleep, be sure to thank Him, to praise Him, and to share His love with everyone you meet. Have a great week, guys ❤