Day 94 - Our LA-LA Land Adventure

I have a theory. I believe that you are either an LA person or a New York person, but you can't be both (feel free to disagree, but you're wrong). Me? I'm a die-hard New York girl - the grit, the attitude, the rhythm, all just feel like a comfy pair of shoes that you jump into at the end of a long day (and then go out dancing in until dawn, leaving them on as you collapse into bed for an hour before you have to get up). My only great love(s) in LA are my brother in law and his awesome wife & my superty awesome nephews - totally worth the trip.

Sebastian and I made the pilgrimage to to LA to see Marty before the Britney tour officially kicks off, which got me thinking about Simple Adventuring. I'll be writing about Plane Travel with Toddlers as soon as the violent spasms and tremors have stopped and the trauma has worn off enough for me to talk about it. But here we are in LA with hubby chained to his lighting console for much of the trip. What to do what to do?

Today, young S and I wandered down to Venice Beach where a little girl named Malia buried his toes in the sand. No pics of her, but here's Sebastian looking pensive.

We walked to the Venice Beach Boardwalk, which is kind of like the Canal Street of Los Angeles. It's listed as one of the top things to see in Venice (hang on - my eyes are rolling so hard it's difficult to focus & I'm scared they may get stuck), so please let me paint this picture for you. Imagine if you will stall after stall of "medical marijuana" dealers (when I first got there I did a double take at the big pot leaf business cards). Get your wacky-tobacky "evaluation" for $40 and walk out with some premium product. Note to California - you might as well just legalize it across the board - medical marijuana loophole = EPIC FAIL). Bob Marley blasting from the speakers, tattoo/piercing shops, fried food, day-glo spraypaint art. Here are some pictures, go turn on some Jamaican tunes so you can get the full effect:

Thank goodness I don't have to make an appt!

Muscle Beach

The one thing that would have me coming down here every day if I lived in LA is Schulzies Bread Pudding & Coffee. I have a real soft spot for luscious, moist, gooey bread pudding, and this was sublime. I thought I would try the Earl Grey flavor, but was convinced by the awesome folks at Schulzies to try some sort of double chocolate concoction that was absolute heaven on earth. If you're ever in the area, this spot is not to be missed.

We walked by the canals (yes, Venice CA has canals too!) which were lovely. See?

So, here are my thoughts on Successful Simple Travel. Apply and repeat as needed.
1. Do what you WANT to do, not what you think you OUGHT to do. If you are more of a white water rafting person and not so much of a museum person, don't go to the museum. Go white water rafting.
2. Walk whenever possible - you're more likely to find hidden treasures and grottos and pot dealers bread pudding stands if you're on foot. Plus you can walk off some of that deliciousness. BONUS!
3. Plan some time to get lost, explore, or just sit and stare off into space at a cafe (after you've had your "medical kush evaluation" perhaps?). There's a lot to be said for planning, but make sure there's plenty of flex time built in for trashy novels, an impromptu henna tattoo of some Chinese symbol the guy says means "luck and wealth" but you suspect means something very different, and assorted culinary adventures of the gelato kind.
4. With the exception of your bathing suit and that light-up negligee you bought for your honeymoon, if you don't use it at home, you won't use it on vacation. Leave it.
5. That 85 lb stone replica of an Easter Island head will not look nearly as awesome in your living room as it does in the shop. Do yourself a favor and think twice before you buy.
6. You do not need to buy souvenirs for people. No, you don't. Really. They throw them out when you're not looking, Send them a postcard if you must, but unless you KNOW someone simply MUST have a snow globe from Hawaii, skip it.

We'll see what the flight home brings - should be some good fodder. Tune in......