Snapshots of LA

Los Angeles, that is.

Ideally, my first trip to California would have been to the places I’ve been drooling over for years. San Francisco, Sonoma, Carmel…

But you take what you can get. And I was able to get a great opportunity to combine a work trip with a few extra days tacked on to explore the west coast – in the heart of Hollywood.

LAX – let’s just skip that part.

Hollywood – Our hotel was literally .1 miles from Hollywood Boulevard. Why do I know this? Because my husband sent me the Mapquest directions from the hotel’s lobby to Regis Philbin’s star.

Patriot Sangria, who's been keeping busy with a little make-over at 3-Sports while we’ve been traveling, has been jealously pouting because Steve McQueen has a star, but she does not.

And other than that – and a few good restaurants – Hollywood was, kind of, boring.

Beverly Hills – Yes Beverly Hills was quaintly posh. The homes were lovely. Not terribly big, but still impressive – and ridiculously expensive. We shopped along Rodeo Drive with a few friends who came down from central California during our visit. Actually, we didn’t really shop as the only affordable item was Starbucks water.

I made a separate trip to Beverly Hills to fit in my long run. There was no way I could handle two hours on the treadmill – and Hollywood is not exactly conducive to street runs. I woke up early on Sunday morning – to DRIZZLE – chilly, drizzle - which, though slightly ironic, was refreshing as I followed the 6 mile loop cue sheet I found online. Running goes by much more quickly when you are trying to keep track of directions on unfamiliar streets.

Malibu – My husband and I rented a car for our stay and spent part of one morning cruising. We stumbled upon Malibu – my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean – with the high cliffs and hills bordering the Pacific Coast Highway. The water was calm, though plenty of surfers were out trying to catch some waves. We even drove by the triathlon site for the infamous “JLo” race which was set-up for the weekend’s events. I couldn’t help but wish I had registered for the race – the course would have been awesome!

Venice Beach – Uh, how could such a lovely beach also boast the most bizarre combination of boardwalk vendors? Crap and more crap being sold by quite the eclectic crowd.

Laguna Beach – We visited my husband’s cousins in Orange Hills and scored a tour of Laguna Beach. We walked down the shoreline on a gorgeous afternoon. Photographers posed their clients among breathtaking rock formations. The waves pounded the shore – and I could not understand how such an amazing beach was not more crowded.

And now, we are back home - happy to see the furkids - and ready for the last workouts before MightyMan!