Los Angeles, California

L.A., baby! Last time we were in the U.S., we headed out west to visit Ang’s sister and our niece in Los Angeles. We were there mainly for family reasons, but we did see some things during the first trip for both of us to the City of Angels.

I’m going to keep this mostly pictures, because I feel like it! =P Most of our time was spent in the Venice and Mar Vista areas of L.A., as this is where our awesome Airbnb was. Los Angeles is massive, and we didn’t even come close to touching most of the city in our few days there. A perfect reason to go back!

So then, let’s get it on.

What I expect from L.A…

Cruising around Venice…

Plenty of street art to check out in both Venice and Mar Vista…

It feels like it never ends. And we love everything about that.

How about some delicious beer?! We visit a lot of breweries and craft bars as part of our Hopsmash project, and we managed to hit a couple of places in the short time we were in L.A.

First up, Firestone Walker Brewing’s The Propagator in Venice. They were nice enough to host us and give us a little tour of their newest project.

Tasty, and educational!

We also hit up Father’s Office in Culver City for their legendary burgers and insanely large tap list of craft brews. They also have a location in Santa Monica if you’re in that area instead.

Speaking of food!

Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe is an absolute must in the Venice/Mar Vista/Marina del Rey area. Best for breakfast, but hit it up whenever you want. They also have an express takeout side if you don’t want to stay, but we were happy to sit on the sidewalk and enjoy all of their Hawaiian-infused breakfast goodness.

We also hit up House of Thai Taste in Mar Vista for some great Thai food, something we really don’t get when we’re in Europe. These guys nail it with so many delicious treats!

Mmmmm.

We also hit up The Grove with our family, which is just a shopping mall. But, we hung out and checked out the large outdoor market next door. We basically went because our niece wanted some books, and they’ve got a huge bookstore. Oh, and we saw Gordon Ramsay. Because I guess that’s what happens in L.A.? (No pictures, sorry not sorry!)

We also got pedicures and manicures, because when in L.A…

And, in pure L.A. fashion, a famous TV actress sat down across from us. (No, no pictures!)

We also visited possibly one of the most hipster places on the planet: Deus Ex Machina.

We went here because we were told they had great coffee, and it was within walking distance of our Airbnb. The story goes that they thought their coffee was so good, they didn’t offer sugar at first. At all.

Now, they offer, like, 821 kinds of sweeteners…except white sugar. Okay.

Also, the espresso was terrible. Sorry, guys. Also, they’re a motorcycle shop? And a clothing brand that sells $60 T-shirts?

Right on, I guess. I don’t get it. It was all totally surreal.

Anyway! Went to get a tattoo. Because that’s what we do. Also, a friend of a friend is a great tattoo artist in Northridge, so we had to hit One Truth Tattoo to get inked up.

That’s Matthew. He’s the realest.

Oh, I guess you want to see what I got. =P

Boom. Respect the craft, y’all.

Also, I’m a model now! Haha.

Very many thanks to Matthew for the great work. We’ll be back!

Lastly but not leastly, let’s check out our Airbnb. Tucked away behind a house in a family neighborhood in Venice/Mar Vista is our little spot. I didn’t take any photos of the inside, but it was great! Our hosts were fabulous, and we’ll stay here again in a heartbeat.

Also, there were chickens! They didn’t cock-a-doodle-doo us at all, and were mostly just fascinating to watch walk around and hang out in the back yard.

All in all, we had a great time in Los Angeles during our few days there. It took a day or two to actually understand how L.A. works and all that – it’s a process – but we did end up liking it quite a bit and look forward to going back again to explore more of this massive and sprawling metropolis.

See ya!

Be sure to check out our other USA posts right here.

A very special and very big thanks to all the fine people of Los Angeles, to the brewery folks who welcomed us, and to our family for always being so welcoming and loving.

Want more? Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Flickr.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? If so, what’d you think? If not, what say ye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!