SoCal Sojourn

On the final full day of my trip, I met up with some friends currently living in LA. We all met up for a late lunch and decided that we wanted to go to a popular place for our meal- just so us out-of-towners could say we did. The place we decided to go was The Ivy. We figured that this place, like all the others celeb hangouts, was all about the atmosphere- but had no idea how right we were! Like it always is, The Ivy was completely packed, especially on the ever-popular patio. The wait staff was pleasant, and even though it was packed, it wasn't too loud or cramped. After looking over the menu, mostly pizza, pasta, steak and seafood, I decided on the highly recommended fish & chips. The entree was about $30- not unusual for a place like this.
Once the food came, which took nearly 45 minutes, I was unimpressed. The food was no better than at a casual dining place, costing half as much. Even though there was a ton of food, it just wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Looking around, I realized that most people were doing the same- seeing who's there and not eating much of the enormous portions on their plates. It was a great afternoon, which turned into an evening by the time we left. There were about 5 easily recognizable faces in the crowds of the restaurant. If you are in to star spotting, this is a great place for it. If you are looking merely for a great dinner, you might want to look elsewhere.

If you go near Los Angeles anytime soon, stop by Diddy Riese for some amazing ice cream sandwiches!
This place is very popular among college students, as UCLA is right around the corner. Diddy Riese creates ice cream sandwiches out of two cookies (of your choice- and there are many to choose from) and once scoop of ice cream in the middle. The price is the best part- One Dollar.
The line for these sandwiches is always long, especially after dark. It does move quickly though since there are always many workers and a relatively simple transaction. Its open late and its well worth the wait.

Ever since I heard of its glory, I HAD to go to the San Diego Zoo. It was a must. My parents love to tell me how much I wanted to go there as a child, and now that I've been, I'm not sure why!

I visited the San Diego Zoo in mid-August of 2005. My friends and I hopped in our rental car and we all were so excited—none of us had been before. Upon entering the grounds, an amusement park-like atmosphere was all around us. balloons, big signs, and friendly employees greeted us at the gate. We were all ready to enjoy the trip.

Living near a large zoo, I guess my expectations were high, but the sad-looking animals and overcrowded walkways made the experience nearly unbearable. My local zoo (the National Zoo in Washington DC) had many of the same animals, all available for view for a minimal parking fee. Don't get me wrong, I'm still glad I went. The San Diego Zoo, however, did not stack up to my lofty expectations.

Sorry to disapoint any teen readers, I didn't meet any of the reality stars, but I did fall in love with their hometown. Laguna Beach has officially become my favorite beach ever.

Before my trip to SoCal,I decided on a few beaches to visit. I did the popular LA-area ones, Santa Monica, Venice, etc. but I was trying to decide if Laguna was worth the hour trek down. It was!

While it's a little out of the way, Laguna Beach is a total beach town. Artsy shops and cafes line the streets adjacent to the beautiful beach and rocky coastline. I was lucky to be in the area in the morning and it was such a treat to walk along the beach and park, greeting smiling faces as I passed. Its so different from other SoCal beaches I'd been to- and it was a welcome change.

The Happiest Place on Earth! I LOVED Disneyland.

I went to Disneyland with a group of 4 adults (people over 18) and had a blast! The park wasn't too crowded and the overall experience was wonderful. Here are some of the recommendations I have for making the trip out to the park, for a similar group:

>Tickets- buy them in advance. In the morning, the lines are much longer for getting tickets than they are to get in the park. Also, get a 1 or 2 day park hopper ticket. You can easily do both in 1 or 2 days and its great to be able to switch between the two during the day.

>Parking- Even if you are staying in the area, park in the garage. There's a shuttle bus that takes you directly to the gate and they run frequently-as one leaves another pulls up. Parking permits are good all day so you can leave for lunch and come back.

>Accommodations- stay in the area. This makes it easy to go between the park and hotel during the day to rest. We stayed at the park for most of the day then left around dinner to just relax, and returned for the parade and fireworks at night. Unless you have kids, don't expect to spend longer than a day (maybe 2) here. It is a great time, but the parks are small enough to do quickly.

I can't say enough great things about this place. The staff was kind, and most of the patrons were just as nice. There is just something different about the atmosphere at Disneyland.