Los Angeles

I visited L.A. for a short time with my sister and friends from the 22nd to the 24th of August 2016. Here are some of the pictures from our time there!

We approached Los Angeles on the 22nd August having driven on the beautiful route along the Californian coast. It's a long drive and occasionally gets quite hot so it's exciting when the signs of Los Angeles life get closer.

 The base for our stay in the area was at Venice Beach. It's a fantastic location and allows you to get away from the traffic and stresses of Los Angeles.

The beach front is not only lined with many palm trees and intriguing shops to suit all tastes (and ages!) but is also lined with some very quirky entertainers. Dancers, devils, singers, you name it and it's probably at Venice Beach!

 The morning after we arrived we took a drive from Venice to the Hollywood hills. This isn't a straightforward drive as you weave through the many streets of Beverly Hills but when you're lucky enough to have a morning like ours it's worth the effort.

We visited on a Tuesday morning at Lake Hollywood and there was only a few people wondering around which was optimal for viewing and enjoying the iconic sign. It was quite surreal to be looking at something that is famous the world over and yet have no crowds to contend with.

 After our first stop we headed over to the Griffith Observatory. This is another location from where you can spot the Hollywood sign clearly but obviously nowhere near as close as before. It is however nice to see the wider view of all of Los Angeles on one side and the sign looking over on the other. This is a great location with free parking and facilities where you can admire the stunning skyline and views of Los Angeles. Again, this is one I would advise getting to early as it is a prime location throughout the day for reasons which are clear.

Back at the beach now and I was eager to take the walk to Santa Monica. The walk is not a short one by any means and many people choose to negotiate it by cycle, skateboard or Segway but assuming it's not too hot as was the case on this day it's a very pleasant experience.

Santa Monica is most famous for its pier but as you would expect this is a great beach destination as well with so much to see and do as well as many expensive but wonderful hotels nearby.

Back in Venice it was time to admire one of the most wonderful reasons to visit California - sunset. As can be seen in these unedited photos the sky takes on a mesmerising array of pinks and purples cast against the tall palm trees.

Last morning and there was enough time for some last photos at the beach, the indications were that a beautiful day was in store but we were heading for the bus and to make our way to Las Vegas.

My short time in Los Angeles was a better one than I had anticipated having heard from many people about the lack of culture here. Yes it is true that compared to San Francisco the historical sights are absent but you can't deny that there is much to offer the visitor here. The beaches are wonderful, the weather is perfect most of the time and as we proved its possible to enjoy the world famous Hollywood hills in a peaceful and leisurely pace. If visiting again I would always choose to stay at the beach as it provides a refreshing escape from the naturally hectic nature of downtown and Beverly Hills.