Stuff to do solo in LA?
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free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:13 pm

Hey folks,

I'm going to be traveling to LA later this week. My boyfriend is traveling there for business, and some friends of mine from college are going to be there during his trip, so I figured I'd go visit - but the tickets were cheaper if I stayed a few extra days, so I may have some time all on my own while he works. Does anyone have any good tips for LA stuff to do on your own, during the day?

And hey, nightlife stuff couldn't hurt too - we'll have a car when we're together in the evenings, but I will probably not have a car during the daytime. So if there are great hot spots for food, music, or anything else anyone knows of, I'd love to hear your input!

So far our itinerary consists of: Disneyland. Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:18 pm

ginnie, you have GOT to see the Getty Art Museum. You won't be able to see it all in only one short day. I've been there 4 times and have yet to see their entire collection. The botanical gardens are a lovely place to eat your lunch and you can touch all the lovely plants after viewing the untouchable works of art. http://www.getty.edu/museum/

The LA county museum of art http://www.lacma.org/ houses a lot of more contemporary work if that's more your thing - If your preference is for natural history, just down the street from LACOA is the La Brea tarpits, a primordial, oozing pool of tar and old dinosaur bones right in the middle of the city. http://www.tarpits.org/info/visit.html

Each of these trips are great for daytime and you can spend as little or as much time as you like.

Too bad you won't have time to take a road trip about 3 hours east to see Joshua Tree national park, it's a stunningly vivid desert unlike anything you'll see in the lovely Northwest!

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:57 pm

THANK you, athena! What cool suggestions! I had already been tipped off about some parts of the Getty, but no one mentioned botanical gardens, and that sounds like something I would really enjoy. And I didn't realize those tar pits were in LA, I'd seen them in some movie (Volcano? Dante's Peak?) but never placed them. And who knows, maybe we WILL have time for the road trip, we'll just have to see... I think we have free mileage in our rental car, so that helps! Thanks again. Smile

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:04 pm

Ooh, just thought of something else! You can visit the Vidal Sassoon Salon in Santa Monica, it's right off the 3rd St. promenade. You can usually get an appt. within a few days notice and get a dynamite Vidal Sassoon hair cut for a mere 20 bucks! I've gotten my hair cut their for several years, I'm picky as hell and have never been disappointed. Instructors are pretty vigilant about keeping an eye on their students. Be prepared to spend a lot of time, 2 hour minimum and bring a book. After your fabulous haircut, go to Wolfgang Puck's for a light lunch, then visit the Santa Monica pier and muscle beach, Venice Beach. This will be a day long event!

link for contact info and reviews for the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica...
http://local.yahoo.com/results?fr=dd-local-more&stx=vidal+sassoon+academy&csz=Santa+Monica%2C+CA

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:21 pm

Man, I JUST got my hair cut last week! Ah well, I wouldn't want my stylist to think I was cheating on her anyway, haha. But maybe I'll see if they have good prices for other stuff, or maybe I'll just get a funky style done if it's cheap! Plus, my bangs always need trimming these days. (I'm so not used to having bangs, I've only had them since February and I hadn't had them before that since the second grade!)

And Venice Beach... yeah, I've heard that's a must. I think I may need to take my boyfriend there, but maybe I can scope it out on my own first. Do you know if LA has reasonably accessible public transportation?

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:58 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Man, I JUST got my hair cut last week! Ah well, I wouldn't want my stylist to think I was cheating on her anyway, haha. But maybe I'll see if they have good prices for other stuff, or maybe I'll just get a funky style done if it's cheap! Plus, my bangs always need trimming these days. (I'm so not used to having bangs, I've only had them since February and I hadn't had them before that since the second grade!)

And Venice Beach... yeah, I've heard that's a must. I think I may need to take my boyfriend there, but maybe I can scope it out on my own first. Do you know if LA has reasonably accessible public transportation?

Well, they DO offer highlights and color for very good price so you may still get your chance without "betraying" your stylist.

Hmmm... I don't have to take public transportation here too much because it's not nearly as user-friendly as I found it to be in Portland, OR. When I was living in Portland, I found it was actually EASIER to take the bus if I wanted to head downtown because buses ran so often and parking was so $$$.

How easy it will be for you to get to these destinations will really depend upon where you stay. Both museums and Santa Monica promenade/pier are on regular bus routes.

This link will get you time tables for bus and trains. http://www.mta.net/default.asp
I'd advise comfortable shoes/clothes and non-ostentasious jewelry as well. Laughing

Feel free to PM me if you need more details

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:05 pm

All of Athena123's museum suggestions were great. If you happen to like gardens (I am a garden freak) Descanso gardens and Huntington Gardens are both fabulous places to go. They are both large and even have shops/restaurants in them. It's a nice contrast to all of the craziness of LA.

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:06 pm

Yay, thank you! I do love gardens and I imagine the flora will be even cooler somewhere warmer. I just need to remember to buy Benadryl - I have seasonal allergies that are done bothering me up here, but going to gardens in new climates (= new species) often makes me sneezy and wheezy and red-eyed. Not exactly beautiful!

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:18 am

Go shopping! LA has fabulous shopping and if you're anything like me, the only time I can really shop is if I'm alone. Also, the Getty is fabulous as previously stated Smile

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:22 am

Hehe, I'm totally a solo shopper, too. Any particular zones/districts that are not CRAZY Beverly Hills priced? (Example of my range - for fun designer great-fitting jeans as a splurge I'd probably pay up to $200, but my normal MO would be less than half that.)

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:29 pm

athena123 wrote:

Ooh, just thought of something else! You can visit the Vidal Sassoon Salon in Santa Monica, it's right off the 3rd St. promenade. You can usually get an appt. within a few days notice and get a dynamite Vidal Sassoon hair cut for a mere 20 bucks! I've gotten my hair cut their for several years, I'm picky as hell and have never been disappointed. Instructors are pretty vigilant about keeping an eye on their students. Be prepared to spend a lot of time, 2 hour minimum and bring a book. After your fabulous haircut, go to Wolfgang Puck's for a light lunch, then visit the Santa Monica pier and muscle beach, Venice Beach. This will be a day long event!

link for contact info and reviews for the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica...
http://local.yahoo.com/results?fr=dd-local-more&stx=vidal+sassoon+academy&csz=Santa+Monica%2C+CA

Athena, hey, you should have told me about this salon a long time ago. LOL Would you please tell me more about it? I plan to get another cut in a couple of months to get rid of the dead ends caused by the Jap straightening perm I did a year and a half ago. I already cut off a lot of it, but the ends still got tangled up from the damage. I also am looking for a nice V-cut. Can they do that?

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:31 pm

ginnielizz, where will you be exactly in LA? I would say visit the Huntington Library in Pasadena. It's beautiful there. They got a famous Japanese garden.

Go to Santa Monica pier and walk along the 3rd street promenade.

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:22 pm

Unfortunately, locations are not exactly ideal - I'm staying at a hotel in Sherman Oaks but I'm flying in and out of Long Beach, so the travel is a bit annoying (as I'm discovering, thanks to Athena's assistance...) but I'm a good city gal, I'll enjoy myself. Hey, if any EDS LA gals fancy meeting up for a drink or anything, let me know! Or we could all go to Sephora and go nuts. Laughing

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:32 pm

bkkgirl wrote:

Athena, hey, you should have told me about this salon a long time ago. LOL Would you please tell me more about it? I plan to get another cut in a couple of months to get rid of the dead ends caused by the Jap straightening perm I did a year and a half ago. I already cut off a lot of it, but the ends still got tangled up from the damage. I also am looking for a nice V-cut. Can they do that?

Why bkkgirl how long have you been in LA? I surely would have told you if you had asked! Laughing

No idea what a V cut is, but since it's Vidal Sassoon Academy I'm sure they're up on the latest.

There's also a VSA in Orange County as well only 10 minutes away from work but I prefer going far far out of my way to the one in Santa Monica. You can get appts. much more quickly and they're willing to take a few more chances without pushing it. I mean, I tell them during the brief consult [which determines who they assign you to] that I want my hair cut, I don't want one of those "creative" cuts that only look good [if even then! Laughing

] in fashion shoots and that I'm willing to lose a little length as long as I can maintain my wash and wear hair. I haven't owned a blow dry in years and don't intend to start now.

They usually wind up placing me with advanced students, or stylists who have been in their own salons and just come into VSA for refresher courses.

The last time I got it cut, they gave me kind of a square profile and used alternating layers and graduated layers [I don't know the difference] that looked so fantastic the first guy I saw on the street after I walked out of the salon asked for my phone number! It really gave me a lot of shape, grew out nice and generated a ton of compliments.

sorry to go on like that, but I just love that place! Very Happy

Back on topic ginnie, I forgot to mention the Huntington Gardens as well, it's truly lovely but if I had to choose between that and the Getty, I'd do the Getty! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:34 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Unfortunately, locations are not exactly ideal - I'm staying at a hotel in Sherman Oaks but I'm flying in and out of Long Beach, so the travel is a bit annoying (as I'm discovering, thanks to Athena's assistance...) but I'm a good city gal, I'll enjoy myself. Hey, if any EDS LA gals fancy meeting up for a drink or anything, let me know! Or we could all go to Sephora and go nuts. Laughing

If you're still gonna be in the area on Saturday, I'm game! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:37 pm

Gosh, you guys are so great - I'm totally going to soak up all these options! I'll have all day Friday, Monday and Tuesday to myself, plus all of Thursday afternoon, so I'll definitely manage to fit in quite a bit. I didn't even know the Getty existed - and I am a big art fan, and I miss the museums all over Europe and even the one in Philly where I went to college. Seattle is a fabulous city, but the art museum here is really only good for traveling exhibits once you've seen their main collection.

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:38 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Hehe, I'm totally a solo shopper, too. Any particular zones/districts that are not CRAZY Beverly Hills priced? (Example of my range - for fun designer great-fitting jeans as a splurge I'd probably pay up to $200, but my normal MO would be less than half that.)

I've heard about the LA garment district but have never been, any other SoCal girls know anything about this, I'd be interested in learning a little more as well!

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:41 pm

Oh my God, we're gonna be a parade of skincare freaks marching through the city buying all the HA serums. I can picture it now. We should get matching T-shirts.

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:41 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Unfortunately, locations are not exactly ideal - I'm staying at a hotel in Sherman Oaks but I'm flying in and out of Long Beach, so the travel is a bit annoying ...

Totally off topic, but the travel agent who made these arrangements has no clue about the LA metro area I'd fire him! Laughing

or her or them!

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:45 pm

Hehehehehe that travel agent was yours truly!

My boyfriend is being put up at Sherman Oaks by his company, since the studio they're working with is right nearby. I only flew into Long Beach instead of LAX because the ticket was like a hundred bucks cheaper, and I was hoping to be all economical-like with this trip, but it seems like I would've been better off just sucking it up and paying for a flight out of the better, closer LAX option! Ah well... this'll force me to see the Long Beach Aquarium like you suggested, which is totally my kind of thing (and totally not his on most days) - so it actually works out really well, considering.

But yeah, if an actual agent had booked this, I'd make them front me the money for a taxi from Point A to Point B. I Mapquested it and they are nearly 40 miles apart, haha. I think I'll stay away from travel itinerary booking as a career choice!

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:53 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Hehehehehe that travel agent was yours truly!

My boyfriend is being put up at Sherman Oaks by his company, since the studio they're working with is right nearby. I only flew into Long Beach instead of LAX because the ticket was like a hundred bucks cheaper, and I was hoping to be all economical-like with this trip, but it seems like I would've been better off just sucking it up and paying for a flight out of the better, closer LAX option! Ah well... this'll force me to see the Long Beach Aquarium like you suggested, which is totally my kind of thing (and totally not his on most days) - so it actually works out really well, considering.

But yeah, if an actual agent had booked this, I'd make them front me the money for a taxi from Point A to Point B. I Mapquested it and they are nearly 40 miles apart, haha. I think I'll stay away from travel itinerary booking as a career choice!

ooops

my bad, sorry.... 40 miles in LA can mean anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending upon the time of day! Laughing

Ah well, live and learn. Next time you come here, be sure and post your itinerary before making the reservations, OK? Laughing

Laughin' right with ya, not at ya! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:02 pm

charis wrote:

All of Athena123's museum suggestions were great. If you happen to like gardens (I am a garden freak) Descanso gardens and Huntington Gardens are both fabulous places to go. They are both large and even have shops/restaurants in them. It's a nice contrast to all of the craziness of LA.

charis, I've never heard of Descanso gardens, do tell more!

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:08 pm

Hehehehehe, no offense taken, I so did not think things through - I had been debating whether to fly down and just chill out with my boyfriend over a long weekend during his trip, and I decided not to bother, but then an old college friend of mine called and said she'd be in town for two days and she'd heard I might be in LA with Grant - and I pretty much booked the ticket the next day, without thinking about it much or really checking my schedule.

Turns out, not only did I pick a crazy itinerary, but I booked it on a weekend when I was supposed to be at two friends' parties, another friend's art exhibition, and I had two appointments while I was gone (massage and brow wax, for those fascinated by my mundane ramblings, hahaha). AND my mom is going to be in town and staying over the night before my flight, and having guests (even parents) always leaves me a little frazzled. Oh, and I had service scheduled for my car that weekend too.

Had to cancel on ALL that (except dear Mum) once I booked my ticket, because it was non-refundable (the art expo is the first of many, luckily, and it's just a casual street art walk thing, not a big gallery to-do, or I'd feel pretty bad). I seriously don't know WHERE my head is these days! Ah well, at least I'll get in some vacation down time. Smile

And I needed this before I switch jobs - my new job is going to be SO instantly busy, and my old one is stressful 'til the last minute, so I'm glad I managed to squeeze in a proper vacation somewhere. Even if I spend the whole time getting from the airport to my hotel. Laughing

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:39 pm

athena123 wrote:

charis wrote:

All of Athena123's museum suggestions were great. If you happen to like gardens (I am a garden freak) Descanso gardens and Huntington Gardens are both fabulous places to go. They are both large and even have shops/restaurants in them. It's a nice contrast to all of the craziness of LA.

charis, I've never heard of Descanso gardens, do tell more!

I've never been to Descanso Gardens but I want to one day. It's in La Canada, and you can do a nice hike through it. It's supposed to be beautiful. http://www.descansogardens.org/site/

Admission is $7.

But it is not at all close to Sherman Oaks. So Getty would be a better choice. I have not been to Getty either. I'm not exactly a museum kinda gal. LOL I have a friend who works there and offers to get me a discount on admission, but I haven't yet made my way to it.

Athena, I definitely will have to try the VSA. I need to get a compliment on my hair, or at the very least, I just want my hair to stop getting stuck together on the ends. haha

I actually did start a thread about where to get a nice haircut in LA a while back. I got one recommendation for a gal at Fantastic Sam's in Glendale. I went and used her once. She was rather good, but I'm up for trying someone new. She didn't give me the exact V shape I want in the back, and she didn't layer the front nicely. So the search goes on.

I just got a cut in Thailand (dang it!), and the hairdresser did not at all do a good job on the V. It looks more like a U shape. I've seen some girls with a nice V and I think next time I see one, I will have to stop them and ask them for the name of their hairdresser. Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:45 pm

Hey bkkgirl, thanks for the info on Descano gardens, always nice to learn something new about my own backyard!

I must have missed that thread you can be sure I would have but in my 2 cents with VSA. Sigh, sometimes I wish I had razor straight hair so I could get away with truly geometric shapes...
The link I gave to ginnie will take you to VSA phone number, try giving them a call and you'll know by how the receptionist reacts when you mention V-cut whether it's something they'll be able to help you with! Laughing

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