This is how you know I wasn't born in San Diego: I love LA.
Every time I admit this to a true San Diegan, their response is usually a variation of "Ugh, why???" Which I totally understand because after growing up outside of Manhattan and having lived there for two years, I have the same response when people tell me they heart New York City.
But I really can't help it: I love Los Angeles. I fell in love with that city the moment I got off the plane at LAX. And while I know now that I would never want to live there, it does make for a pretty nice weekend getaway. Which is why for the past two years I've planned at least one weekend per year up there when I tackle a new bunch of items on my LA Bucket List.
This year I thought I'd sit down and actually write that list so that it no longer exists solely in my head. Partly to have a fun way to keep track of my adventures as I complete them and partly to get suggestions from Angelenos on what I'm missing.
Though I don't think I missed much. After all, I did manage to come up with 100 things to check off my list...
- Take the train from San Diego into Union Station ✓
- Have drinks at The Chateau Marmont
- Hike to the Hollywood Sign ✓
- Visit LACMA
- Order a Blood and Sand cocktail at Tiki Ti ✓
Toro Toro Toro!
- Run the infield at Dodger Stadium ✓
- Go to a Star Party at Griffith Observatory
- Ride the Sky Slide
- Visit the Getty Center and the Getty Villa
- Watch a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery ✓
Watching A Hard Day's Night at Hollywood Forever
- Camp at Point Mogu State Park and watch the sunset at Zuma Beach
- Ride the Ferris Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier
- Walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens
- Take a free tour at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Kayak the LA River
- Go to a The Price is Right show taping
- Visit the Magic Castle ✓
- Shop at Melrose Trading Post Flea Market ✓
- Tour The Chinese Theater
- Catch a summer concert at The Hollywood Bowl ✓
Seeing Sufjan Stevens in 2016
- Take the Disney Movie Palace and Backstage Tour at El Capitan Theatre
- Hike Runyon Canyon
- Spend an afternoon at the LA Zoo
- Go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology
- Walk through the Descanso Gardens
- Visit the Watts Towers Art Center
- Hike to the Eaton Canyon Waterfall
- Go shopping at the Wacko Soap Plant
- Get spellbound at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios
- Take the Warner Brothers Studios VIP Tour ✓
My brother and I in Central Perk in 2010
- Watch improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
- Go to a Last Remaining Seats movie screening
- Visit the MOCA Grand and the MOCA Geffen ✓
- Eat lunch at Daikokuya in Little Tokyo ✓
- Wander around the La Brea Tar Pits
- Go inside the Infinity Mirrored Room at The Broad ✓
- Watch Marty and Elayne perform at The Dresden Room ✓
Selfies with Elayne
- Eat lunch at The Ivy ✓
- Go on Esotouric's Charles Bukowski Bus Tour
- Ride the LA Subway
- Catch a Lakers game at The Staples Center
- Get lunch at Grand Central Market
- Enjoy a beer at Eagle Rock Brewery
- Sneak into the Lost Sunken City
- Buy a book at The Last Bookstore
- Walk the Venice Beach Boardwalk and Canals ✓
- Hollywood Walk of Fame ✓
- Go inside one of the cages at the Abandoned LA Zoo in Griffith Park
- Buy a vinyl album at Amoeba
- Check out the view from the Camera Obscura in Santa Monica
- Take a picture in front of the Made in LA wall
- Go gallery hopping at Bergamot Station
- Eat dinner at The SmokeHouse Restaurant
- Get a nighttime cocktail at 71Above
- Hike to the Batcave on the Bronson Cave Trail ✓
- Picnic at the Silverlake Meadow
- Pet a sloth at the Wildlife Learning Center
- Go to Six Flags Magic Mountain
- See a play at Pantages Theatre
- Pretend to shop on Rodeo Drive
- Climb to the tower of the Point Vicente Lighthouse
- Bar hop between Whiskey a Go Go, Carney's and Saddle Ranch on the Sunset Strip
- See LA from the Observation Deck at City Hall
- Take a docent-led tour of the Central Library
- Spend time with Ghandi's ashes at the Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
- Tour Paramount Studios
- Brunch at the MB Post
- See a magic show at Brookledge
- Have a Good Time at Davey Wayne's
- See the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center
- Spend some time in a Frank Lloyd Wright home by touring the Hollyhock House
- Shop at the Echo Park Time Travel Store
- Bike The Strand Bicycle Beach Path
- Tour Sony Pictures
- Hike the Grotto Trail in Malibu
- Stay at a beach cottage in Venice ✓
- Check out the UCLA Meteorite Collection
- Explore the Annenberg Space for Photography
- Grab a beer at Golden Road Brewery
- Tour the Stahl House
- Eat lunch at Neptune's
- Watch jazz performed at the Lighthouse Cafe
- Take a picture at the Micheltorena Stairs at Micheltorena Elementary School
- Visit the Museum of Natural History
- Sit inside Wayfarers Chapel
- Urban hike up the Baxter Street Stairs
- Take advantage of one of the 12 days a year that the Ennis House is open to the public
- AirBnB in Laurel Canyon at the Laurel Canyon Treehouse or the Quincy Jones Residence
- Check out the Museum of Tolerance
- Bowl at the Highland Park Bowling Alley
- Be basic and visit the Museum of Broken Relationships
- Race a turtle at Brennan's Pub Turtle Racing ✓
- Spend a Saturday night out in Hermosa Beach and crash at Hotel Hermosa
- Get a drink on the rooftop at the Ace Hotel
- Sit at the stage at Jumbo's Clown Room
- Stay in the Marilyn Suite at the Hollywood Roosevelt
- Get my aura photographed at the Aura Shop
- Eat a taquito on Olvera Street
- See a show at The Greek Theatre
- Do the Los Angeles Conservancy Historic Downtown Walking Tour
Los Angelenos, what am I missing? What are your favorite secret or iconic LA activities?
