Kathleen & Nicholas
Things To Do
1. Pasadena and Glendale
WALK AROUND THE HUNTINGTON -Kathleen works at this aesthetic botanical garden/art museum/archival library and gets 4 free tickets daily. Text Jessica at (626) 327-5845 if you'd like to coordinate tickets! GET COFFEE AT HABITAT COFFEE SHOP -Nick and Kathleen’s favorite coffee shop! (Kathleen likes how marshmallow-y the vanilla latte tastes.) GRAB FOOD OR SHOP IN OLD TOWN PASADENA/LAKE AVENUE/PLAYHOUSE DISTRICT -Lots of great food! Faves include Salt & Straw ice cream, The Luggage Room, and Granville. EAT AT BACARI -Nick and Kathleen’s favorite restaurant, also their first date! There are several of these restaurants, but the one in Silver Lake is the most aesthetic. The "Noa’s Cauliflower" dish is great. SHOP AT THE AMERICANA AT BRAND -Fun outdoor shopping center!
2. Hollywood
GET TICKETS FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD THEME PARK -Go on rides or The Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, or walk around Universal CityWalk if you don’t want to buy a theme park ticket. HIKE AROUND GRIFFITH PARK -Hike up to the Hollywood Sign or up to Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. WATCH THE PLANETARY VIDEO AT GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY -Go inside to learn cool info about space, or stay outside to look out over the city! HIKE AROUND RUNYON CANYON -So many great hikes in Runyon! Fun fact: Nick sees celebrities here almost every time he hikes. GET TICKETS TO SEE A SHOW -Get tickets to see a concert, play, or other production at one of many playhouses, concert venues like The Greek or Hollywood Bowl, or free Shakespeare in the Park shows in Griffith Park.
3. Malibu and the West Side
HIKE WILL ROGERS STATE PARK or THE LAS LEONES TRAIL -Beautiful wildflowers and SoCal plants! HAVE A BEACH DAY AT PARADISE COVE BEACH -Our favorite Malibu beach is tricky to park at, but you can eat at the Beach Café to get some parking validation! WALK AROUND SANTA MONICA BEACH or PALISADES PARK -We feel particularly Californian when we walk around the Santa Monica Pier with a Ferris wheel/the 3rd Street Promenade/Palisades Park/and the beach; we recommend this as a daytime outing. WALK AROUND VENICE BEACH/CANALS -Less kid-friendly, but walking around Venice Beach or the Venice Canals is iconic. VISIT THE GETTY VILLA ART MUSEUM -This smaller Malibu Getty Villa Museum focuses on classical Greek/Roman artworks, or you can drive to the Getty Center in Brentwood if you want to see a huge encyclopedic art museum.
4. Downtown Los Angeles
CHECK OUT CITY HALL OBSERVATION DECK and ROTUNDA -Free views of the city, old elevators, cool architecture. PERUSE FOOD OPTIONS AT GRAND CENTRAL MARKET -A historic bustling downtown food hall. Great if you’re looking for comfort food or any LA classic. If you're here, you may also want to ride Angel's Flight, a traditional cable car for $1. Super rickety, super short, super fun! GO TO MASS AT THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS -The modern architectured seat of the archdiocese of LA! Tell us if you love or hate the architecture; it’s divisive. WALK DOWN OR EAT AT OLVERA STREET and CHINATOWN -Olvera Street is a historic Mexican street with little shops and great food. Chinatown is nearby with amazing food and tricky parking! EXPLORE THE LAST BOOKSTORE -A labyrinth of a bookstore in the heart of LA. VISIT A MUSEUM -The Broad (pronounced like "road," contemporary art museum), MOCA (another contemporary art museum), and The Grammy Museum (history of music) are in this area.
5. Mid-City Los Angeles
EAT OR WALK THROUGH THE GROVE and ORIGINAL FARMERS MARKET -An aesthetic outdoor shopping area with stores, restaurants, movie theaters, a giant Barnes & Noble, and more. SEE ART AT LACMA -The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum! Even if you don’t go inside, you can check out the Instagram-famous "Urban Light" lamppost installation outside. LEARN ABOUT PREHISTORIC LOS ANGELES AT THE LA BREA TAR PITS -Ever want to see a woolly mammoth skeleton that was preserved in prehistoric tar? SIGN UP TO WATCH A SHOW BEING TAPED -Look for free tickets to see a show taping, but read all the rules... the Alvas sign up to watch "So You Think You Can Dance" tapings at: https://on-camera-audiences.com/
6. Anaheim and The OC
GET TICKETS FOR DISNEYLAND and DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE -Everyone knows this theme park, and it is one that has activities for old and young alike (picture a state fair environment)! Alternatively, if you like Disney things but don't want to pay for a ticket, you can visit the Downtown Disney shopping district for a taste of the magical vibes. GET TICKETS FOR KNOTT'S BERRY FARM or KNOTT'S SOAK CITY WATER PARK -A less-expensive but equally-delightful amusement park themed around Snoopy and the West, with a nearby water park. Kathleen grew up going here, as well as to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, which is right outside of the amusement park, with delicious boysenberry jam. EAT AT THE ANAHEIM PACKING HOUSE -Another fun, historic food hall where oranges used to be packed. ATTEND A SPORTS GAME -Most people think of Dodgers Stadium or the Clippers or Lakers playing at Crypto.com Arena, but an Angels baseball game in Anaheim is also an option!
7. Newport Beach
CHECK OUT THE WAVES AT CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK BEACH -Nick and Kathleen love this quieter beach and frequently walk up to the caves and down to the historic village. Also, it's fun to eat at a restaurant called "The Beachcomber," but it is typically very busy and requires a reservation. HAVE A SWEET BALBOA ISLAND TREAT -Grab a chocolate-covered frozen banana or Balboa ice cream bar! VISIT NEWPORT BEACH -You've got to go to a beach while you're here, and this is a great one! (Unless you want to do a bonfire... you have to go to a crowded beach like Huntington Beach for a bonfire.) TOUCH A SHARK AT THE LONG BEACH AQUARIUM -Not quite Newport, but the Long Beach Aquarium is fun for all ages with everything from penguins to jellyfish. They also offer boat tours to go whale watching around Catalina Island.