Los Angeles - 2024
I have been in love with Los Angeles since I was a little girl.
It was one of the places my dad was considering moving to when we were moving to the States - Los Angeles, Phoenix or South Florida - and I grew up loving the idea of a golden city nestled between the mountains and the beaches where it was sunny every day.
In the end, South Florida won out - the fact that my uncle lived here at the time and that whole no state income tax thing were big factors in the decision - but I never stopped dreaming of L.A.
About a decade ago, I almost chased the sun out to the city of flowers and sunshine but at end, it all kinda fell apart, shattered my heart and I haven’t been back since.
Until now.
In January 2024, we finally returned. This is the story of our adventure - a family travelogue, a toddler endurance test and a long-overdue love letter to the City of Angels.
The Desert Odyssey: The Road to L.A.
We left Pahrump, Nevada and planned to arrive in L.A. around 9:00pm which is just in time for a late dinner and drinks on the balcony of our rental.
We ended up at our rental house at 11:30pm.
Between desert road construction and an accident on the 15, we were stuck in the car for entirely too long but Will napped, I read and we listened to a lot of acoustic Zeppelin and Spotify’s Laurel Canyon Legends playlist which made the journey a little easier.
Desert sunsets are unlike anything else
If I was doing the drive from Vegas to L.A. again, I would definitely leave first thing in the morning and make several stops to break up the drive - Calico Ghost Town and Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner which has dinosaur statues in the back as well as grilled cheese sandwiches (diner grilled cheeses are the best - especially if you get them with grilled onions, tomatoes and slathered with Thousand Island dressing. Trust me on this. It’s basically an Animal-style grilled cheese. More on those later).
We pull up to the rental house (booked through VRBO) and immediately, we realize something is a little hinky.
The location is amazing - up in the hills above Sunset Blvd with gorgeous, sweeping views of the city - but there are more red flags than a Maoist parade.
The listing specified we were renting the "entire house," but it was actually a shared space. The owner had access to our quarters at any time and could track whether or not we were home based on our car in the garage.
Keys to lock up or an access code, perhaps?
Oh no. There will be none of that. Oh, and the cherry on top: "If anyone asks, don’t say you’re staying in a rental. Say you’re visiting friends."
Me when we arrived and realized there were shenans afoot
Exhausted from the extended drive, we just needed a warm bed to collapse into, so we figured we’d deal with the sketchy logistics tomorrow.
West Hollywood & The Hollywood Hills: Close Calls and Literary Icons
One of the main reasons we opt for home rentals when traveling with a toddler is to have access to a washer and dryer. When traveling with kids, you have exactly two options:
Bring everything you own (not a viable option when Delta is charging a minimum of $30 for checked bags each way).
Do laundry.
Having access to clean clothes and avoiding a mountain of laundry upon returning home is an absolute mental health game-changer. So, the next morning, I woke up and puttered into the garage to start a load. John came in with his stuff, I threw it in the washer, and then the heavy garage door clicked shut.
Fuck. We’re locked out.
Me when we realized we were locked out
The house where my son was currently inside—all alone—watching his tablet. The house with multiple staircases and a high-altitude balcony with a killer view where he could fall to his death.
I’m prone to anxiety as is.
In fact, I get anxious if I’m not anxious about something (hey, do you love your therapist? You should give me their number!), but now? Real panic had set in.
We started thumping on the door, yelling at the top of our lungs. The homeowner came out to find a wild-eyed, frantic woman wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and socks, shrieking about her kid being trapped inside. She let us back in, and I rushed to find Will, who was utterly oblivious to what just happened.
I looked at John and told him I needed to get the hell out of that house immediately, and I needed coffee. That became our game plan for the rest of the stay: the house was strictly for sleeping, showering, and holding our bags.
We grab coffee (more on that later) and popped into Booksoup so Will could see what heaven looks like without actually leaving this earth to go there. We found him a great book about dinosaurs, and I spotted about 500 titles I wanted. But books are heavy, and my carry-on was already stuffed to the gills.
Regret #43: I absolutely should have bought the Raymond Chandler, the Los Angeles noir anthology, and that punk rock Gatsby shirt, which unfortunately, they do not sell online but they do have a pretty bad-ass Kathleen Hanna one. Riot Grrrl forever and ever amen.
Griffith Park & North Hollywood: Panoramic Views and Miniature Trains
Appropriately caffeinated and with a new children's book in tow, we headed up to the Griffith Park Observatory for a 360-degree view of the basin and to stretch our legs. Beyond the breathtaking vistas, the observatory is a major filming location - Rebel Without a Cause was shot here, as were iconic scenes from The Terminator, Back to the Future, La La Land, and episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
David Boreanaz doing his best James Dean. God, that show was so good. They really should have done another reason with Wolfram and Hart. It’s time for a re-watch.
What else was filmed here? My favorite music video of all time - Rush Rush by Paula Abdul. It’s a take on Rebel Without A Cause, it stars a young Keanu Reeves and features the line, “All I want from you is what you are,” which is pretty damn perfect.
If I was a smarter woman, I would have hired a professional photographer and had family pictures taken here but I guess we’ll have to wait for another time.
After taking in the views, we headed over to the Travel Town Transportation Museum where Will had a blast playing with toy trains and exploring the real trains. This place is amazing and it is completely free. And for like, $4 - you can take a ride around the place on a mini train. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours in the sunshine.
Kid’s really good about indulging his mom in taking selfies together.
But even at three and a half, I can see his teenage, “Mo-om…stawp” face.
Will has always loved being outside but he was big on “hiking” this trip, so after lunch, we decided to hike to the Hollywood Sign. Will went hard in the paint on the hike so as soon as we left, he fell fast asleep.
We took advantage of this and figured it was the perfect opportunity for a little scenic drive action. So, we headed up to Mulholland Drive, through Laurel Canyon and decided to grab a pre-dinner drink at Harriet’s Rooftop which has the most incredible views of the city
Santa Monica & Malibu: Coastal Chills and British Sweets
The next morning, we woke up for beach day. Yes, it was freezing (relatively speaking, it was in the 50s) but we figured since it was our last full day in L.A., we should come out to the coast and have a few laughs.
Because I am just shy of completely insane in terms of being an Indian Mom, I insisted on driving through the UCLA campus on our way to Santa Monica.
"Look, honey! You can go to school here! The medical school is named after David Geffen and they have a great law school too!"
Will didn't seem to care, but he likes blue, yellow, and bears, so I’m feeling optimistic.
I love the beach on a cool, windy day but Will was definitely way more into the arcade at the pier.
The Jurassic Park game was a huge draw but after about half an hour - Will was overstimulated, I felt like I was trapped in a pinball machine and we figured it was time to head up the coast to Malibu.
Will had a blast running around the beach, exploring the dramatic rocks and hidden coves that you just don't get to see in Florida.
Chasing a toddler around on the beach is an endurance event.
After we finally convinced Will to leave, we needed a drink…and chips and salsa because I always kinda need that, so we headed to the Malibu Brewing Company - another great spot where Will ran around while we enjoyed some quality time in the cool sunshine.
They had some great merchandise too including this rubber tumbler which is perfect for both little hands and G&Ts at the pool.
More rubber tumblers in 2024 and definitely more poolside gin and tonics.
There was a cute little candy shop next door where I found a treasure trove of English sweets and learned that that’s where Malibu’s most British like Chris Martin from Coldplay and Robbie Williams buy their treats. I grabbed a Violet Crumble, Will grabbed some gummy configuration and I told the owner she should pick up some Quality Street for the holidays next year.
You’re welcome, Robbie.
Venice Beach: Sunsets and Southern (Californian) Hospitality
From there, we chased the sun to Venice and decided to catch sunset on a rooftop, so we ended up at High - the Hotel Erwin’s rooftop lounge.
The moment we arrived, Will passed out cold in his stroller. In one of the kindest gestures of hospitality I've ever experienced, our server immediately positioned his stroller directly under a heavy-duty heat lamp and handed us a stack of thick blankets.
Guys, it was 50 degrees. I love this so much. Southern Californians understand the cold just like I do.
Culver City & Hollywood Boulevard: The Bonus Day
Our last morning, we headed back to Venice for quick donuts at Blue Star before heading towards LAX. But just as we were checking our flight status, we found out our trip home was cancelled due to a brutal midwestern blizzard (the exact weekend the Dolphins played the Chiefs in Kansas City in -4º weather).
So, we had three options:
Take another flight that would route us through Detroit where we had a six hour layover…or possibly more due to inclement weather.
Fly to Atlanta and catch a connecting flight home the next morning at 8:00am local time.
Stay in L.A. for one more day and take the same flight home the next day.
If' you’ve ever been in an airport with a toddler, you know there was only one correct decision here, so we took Will to a park in Culver City while we made a bunch of calls to figure out flight details, where we’d be staying an extra night (a hotel by LAX booked using points) and what we’d do on our bonus day in paradise.
Since John had never been to L.A. before and had never seen Hollywood Boulevard, we decided to check it out…but first, we needed lunch because man, that kid went hard at the park and was starving. Also, if I had to go to Hollywood Boulevard, I was gonna need a drink.
I’m not a fan of Hollywood Blvd - yes, there’s a lot of great history and I love Amoeba Records but personally? I just find it grimy and chaotic and there are way too many people there.
I feel the same way about Times Square. It’s just a lot and I’ve seen it once and I never need to go back.
Will wasn’t particularly impressed with the Walk of Fame but he did get super excited about the fruit vendors. To be fair, those mangoes and pineapples with Tajin looked legit.
I really wanted to grab a drink at the Frolic Room - the dive bar where Charles Bukowski used to hang out - but they don’t take kindly to people bringing toddlers into their establishment so I’ll have to make my pilgrimage next time we’re in town without Will.
A couple of years ago, we spent a really happy afternoon hanging out at Bukowski Tavern in Boston and honestly, there is no peace like the peace of hanging out in a dive bar on a cold afternoon, nursing an even colder G&T and eating something salty, spicy and delicious (The Frolic Room offers Jiffy Pop with their drinks thus cementing it as a much needed oasis in the midst of bedlam).
Did Y’All Eat?
You think we’re gonna come to my favorite city in the country - a microcosm of the entire world - and not eat well? Guys. Come on.
Dialog Cafe
West Hollywood
Great service, a perfect vanilla latte and serve-yourself house-made hot sauces. I ended up committing a Gallic culinary crime against humanity by snagging pieces of Will’s croissant and dipping them into the sauces. The salsa verde was the best.
No regrets. OK, like one regret - I should have gotten the breakfast burrito. And the banana-nutella smoothie with espresso in it.
OK, so lots of regrets. I need to go back.
Dog Haus
Burbank
Will’s new thing lately is hot dogs. He can’t enough of them and considering how good the plant-based hot dog game is now, I am all about this. I had one of the best hot dogs of my entire life here. They serve them on grilled Hawaiian rolls which are the best of all things and from now on, I’m gonna use them when making pav bhaji.
Guelaguetza
Koreatown
You’re not going to come to Los Angeles and not eat Mexican food - actually, you’re not going to go anywhere and not eat Mexican food but that’s neither here nor there - so we grabbed dinner in Koreatown at Guelaguetza, one of the best Oaxacan places in the country. Shout out to L.A. Taco for turning me onto it.
Oaxaca is the Land of Seven Moles, so our meal started with chips and mole - an incredible combination which should be on tables across the country. Don’t get me wrong - the spicy salsa at Torero’s is my favorite thing on the planet, but this? This is magic.
I’ve been into mezcal and coconut water cocktails lately, so the Flor De Piña was kinda perfect - mezcal, pineapple, coconut juice and honey. Super light and refreshing, this is the perfect cocktail for an afternoon at the pool.
I came to eat mole, so obviously, I ordered the Enmoladas.
Oh my God - a giant platter of queso-filled tortillas drowned in mole negro. It was one of the most incredible Mexican meals I’ve ever had and I am a girl who eats a lot of Mexican meals.
Regret # 997 - the fact that Oaxacan food isn’t readily available all over the country.
Regret #998 - the fact that I have never been to Oaxaca. I’m launching a campaign for our next family vacation to be down Mexico way.
Harriet’s Rooftop
West Hollywood
Located inside the 1 Hotel, the city glows from the roof. We grabbed a pre-dinner beverage here and I ordered the Passion Project - a really lovely cocktail made of Roku gin, passion fruit, hibiscus, lemon and club soda. Perfect cocktail, perfect view.
Canter’s Deli
Fairfax
Canter’s is a Los Angeles institution and of course, Will was super excited about the fruit cup but didn’t give one iota of a good goddamn about the history of Canter’s in relation to Guns ‘N Roses.
Straight up Philistine, the kid.
I’ve been reading about Ruth Reichl’s love of matzo brei for years and I figured there was no place better to order it than a proper Jewish deli. It was straight up comfort food and would have been exactly the kind of thing I would have ordered when I was in my 20s - post-concert, all sweaty and exhausted at 2:00am.
But as a grown woman whose definition of comfort food becomes more and more Indian-inspired every year, I have to ask - is it kosher to add onions and jalapenos?
We ordered fresh, warm sourdough bread, a steaming bowl of clam chowder, and a hot dog with fries. I paired it with the Bri-Wi cocktail (gin, St. Germain, kiwi, lime, and sugarcane juice). The prices reflect the spectacular view, but the portions are massive, so definitely order to share for the table.
Malibu Brewing Company
Malibu
Chips and dip (salsa roja, salsa verde and rancho queso) and a glass of rosé in the sunshine.
Is this heaven?
Nope. It’s Malibu.
In-n-Out Burger
Palms
If I’m on the West Coast or even West Coast adjacent, I’m going to In-n-Out.
Nothing makes me happier than an animal-style grilled cheese, animal-style fries, and a frosty Diet Coke. Will loved it but who wouldn’t? It’s legitimately good fast food and I really hope that they eventually make it over to the east coast.
Look, Shake Shack is fine and I love that cheese-stuffed mushroom thing they have but the animal-style grilled cheese has my heart. Also, I know everyone complains about them but I like the fries. They actually taste like potatoes.
Blue Star Donuts
Venice
Their tagline is, “Donuts for Grownups” which…look. I love an elevated flavor profile as much as the next girl, but sometimes? You just want a donut and a cup of coffee. Nothing fancy.
We should have hit up one of the numerous donut shops owned by Cambodian immigrants as featured in The Donut King.
Will wanted a soft pretzel so I found this great German spot which not only had giant soft pretzels with beer cheese but a truly excellent plant-based sausage and one of my favorite comfort foods ever, spaetzel.
You guys, we as a nation, are seriously sleeping on German cuisine. It is excellent.
The Takeaway
I have loved this city for longer than I can remember.
From the blue and white sweatshirt my dad got me as a kid to spending my teenage years devouring the works of Bukowski, Raymond Chandler and Francesca Lia Block - this city captures my heart in a way that no other American city does.
Los Angeles was my dream for so long and when I made the decision to leave my ex, I knew I was making the decision to give up on this dream.
That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and it hurt for a really long time. Some days, the ghost of an aching longing still haunts me.
But a decade later, I returned with my son and my husband.
A man who, while driving through the Hollywood Hills - a place that reminds him of St. Thomas, the place of his birth - looked at me and said, “We could retire here.”
I don’t know if that will happen - I’m scared to put more hope into Los Angeles for fear it might dissolve again - but it seems more like a reality now.
Maybe we could retire here.
Maybe Will could go to school at UCLA.
Maybe we could live in a Spanish-revival bungalow, go hiking with our dogs, drive up the coast and spend our nights listening to the music we love while eating truly excellent Mexican food as the moon rises over the mountains.
