Girls Trip: Los Angeles & Las Vegas

It’s me, Nic. I’m still only half functioning after a full-packed holiday weekend. Remember the European trip that I went on? Well I made some lifelong friends out of 4 of the girls, and we had a reunion trip to visit the West Coast (best coast? I’m still undecided, may have to make a few more visits back to really decide). We decided to make the most of the trip and explore all things Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the 5 days we shared together. This post is going to be a layout of all that we saw and did, because we squeezed in a heck of a lot of fun in such a short time.

 

July 4th was the perfect excuse to plan a short getaway trip, as the holiday fell on a Thursday I was able to fit in a 5 day vacation and be back to work the next day (gotta save those vacay days). So here I am sitting at my office desk reminiscing of my amazing time.

I booked my flights through Southwest (2 free carry ons, duh), packed my bags, and I was on my way. I booked two-one way tickets, rather than a roundtrip flight as it saved me about $100 dollars doing so. There’s so many airports in Los Angeles, so I recommend checking pricing at each and every one. Of course you know the most popular (and crowded) one, Los Angeles International Airport, better known as LAX--there’s also the Ontario International Airport (ONT), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), and the Long Beach Airport (LGB).



My inbound trip was from Nashville to LAX, but I had to live my Miley Cyrus Moment. “I hopped off the plane at LAX. With a dream and my cardigan. Welcome to the land of fame excess, Whoa, am I gonna fit in?” My flight was short and sweet, I left at 2:30PM, and with the time difference I was able to be in Los Angeles by 4:30PM. I may or may not have had a couple drinks to help pass the time, and walked off the flight a bit dizzy. Bad idea, because LAX is a whole other animal compared to BNA. A crazy amount of people moving in all directions and speeds.

Finally after weaving through thousands of people I saw my lovely ladies and we hit the road. Pulling out of the airport parking garage we were met by beautiful palm trees, the warm summer air, andddd the notorious LA traffic. Hours later, my stomach was rumbling and we made it to In N’ Out! My honest review: it’s a good ole’ fashion burger, with fresh toppings. The fries were a bit much, and the shake was thick and delicious. It very much so reminded me of a Shake Shack (in Green Hills) or a Hugh Baby’s (in West End and Berry Hill)!

After checking into our hotel and a quick freshening up on my part, we had a night out in an urban shoot off of LA, called Riverside. Their downtown area was very niche and cute, filled with restaurants and bars, that we took well advantage of.

• We started off at the Hideaway Cafe..but quickly left after one drink. It was karaoke night and a girl started singing “I touch myself” by Pink..enough said.
• We walked a couple blocks over the Pixels, and it was Panic Wednesday. Panic as in all your metal music wants and desires (aka none). Despite the music, it was a nice place to sit and hang out, and they were running a $4 drink special.
• We ended the night right next door when we stumbled upon The Menagerie. There was a dance floor around back and a drag show up front. It was an absolute blast, we ended up here for a couple hours. I even learned a new drink: California Water, it’s colorful, and oh so sweet.

The following day was July 4th. We woke up early and hit the beach. Our day consisted of moscato, charcuterie boards, sunburn, waiting way too long in line for the bathroom, an Irish pub, and finally, fireworks!! The Huntington Beach was a great option, to avoid the Santa Monica and Venice beach chaos, with still the same sandy, sunny fun.

After a good night’s sleep we prepared ourselves for all things LA. We put our walking shoes on, grabbed some caffeine and hit the road. Our first stop of the day was The Last Bookstore. I could have spent all day in this book wonderland, it’s two-stories high, filled with books, old and new of every genre. My favorite part was the book-themed art that decorated the walls, there was also an entire art gallery on the top floor. It was simply amazing.

We hit the road, to go see THE Hollywood sign. It’s surrounded by a beautiful L.A. neighborhood, and of course, lots of traffic. We soon realized that an early morning hike might have been a better option, in terms of weather and traffic! Luckily, we were able to squeeze into a parking space and head our way towards the trail. The Hollywood hike is along Griffith Park, and unlike most parks I’ve been to signage is quite lacking--so doing research is a must before you make the trip. Checking out the Griffith Observatory is also a quick A/C’d shortcut for those of you that want to just take a peek at it and go. Unfortunately, for time sake we weren’t able to complete the 4-5 hour hike, but we did see some nice views!

Side note: we found out that you could make the Hollywood hike by horseback?! I would definitely be interested in trying this route if I ever make it back! It does need to be booked in advance, so definitely check it out beforehand if you’re interested!!

We took our rumbling stomachs over to the world famous, Pink’s Hot Dogs! I can honestly say that the line was WELL worth the wait. This place has endless hot dog combinations, offering toppings like your usual chili, cheese, sauerkraut...and pastrami, guacamole, and onion rings?! I am drooling just thinking about this delicious meal. Located right across the street was the World of Fruit, an interactive art museum, fit with a dragon fruit shaped pool--I will definitely back to check out this cool place! Bonus points because the cast of 90210 ate at Pink’s, and that is fulfilling all my teenage dreams.

Speaking of the infamous Beverly Hills zip code. While driving over to our next stop we couldn’t help but blast Wheezer’s Beverly Hills song with the windows down. If you hadn’t guessed it yet, we were cruising down Rodeo Drive before we arrived at the Beverly Gardens Park--AKA the landmark Beverly Hills neighborhood sign. I was definitely having my Naomi Clark moment with the beautiful sunset background, stunning lily pond, and art structures surrounding me.

Finally, after a long day...we headed to Hollywood Boulevard. We browsed through the Hollywood Walk of Fame, saw people dressed in amateur superhero costumes, a man holding the largest snake I never wanted to see, and several pop art museums!! The coolest spots we saw were the pretty pink stars of endless actors and icons, the Museum of Selfies, and the Ghirardelli Fountain & Shop.

After stopping for numerous photo ops with the greats like: Matthew McConaughey, Mary Kate and Ashley, and Destiny’s Child. We stumbled into the coolest bar I have ever been to, Beetle House LA. With a speakeasy vibe, you must find the hidden door to be immersed into the Halloween magic. The decorations, the staff, the menu all fits to a tee of their year round spooky magic. With nightly fire breathing, sword swallowing, contortionist shows, and drinks like Alice’s Cup O’ Tea, The Beetle’s Juice, and Blood Bags you are guaranteed to have a creepy, good time.

After the unexpected night out we dragged ourselves out of bed, stocked up on Gatorade, and headed on the road for Vegas!! We had the perfect road trip playlist, and made a couple noteworthy pit stops along the way. Our playlist consisted had the likes of Cardi B, Sam Smith, N’SYNC, Bad Bunny, and Shania Twain--we hit all the genres and decades, a fun playlist is a must on long road trips.

First stop: Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. Smack dab in the middle of the dusty, HOT California desert you have this artistic jumble of recycled and reused objects. It’s free entry, open when the sun is shining, and is filled with serenity as you wander through this ranch wonderland.

Second Stop: The Seven Magic Mountains. A breathtaking open air, art structure of beautiful colors atop a vast open desert. Right on the city border, it is hard to miss these beauties. These totem-like rocks are even more whimsical in person.

Finally, after hours of desert hopping, handfuls of Chex Mix, we pulled up blaring Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas” to the notorious, Fabulous Vegas Sign in all of its glory. Oh and the first person I spotted before hopping out of the car? Elvis of course.

I was absolutely mesmerized by the glitz and glam as we drove through the city. After some research we decided to hit “Old Vegas” during the day, otherwise known as Fremont Street. A much less crowded, but just as flashy street in Las Vegas that features live music, casinos, yard-long cocktails, and Slotzilla!!! What is Slotzilla? Oh just the world’s largest slot machine, at 11-stories high AND you can zip line out of it, flying across thousands of musicians, magicians, Chippendales, and people milling around. AND yes I did zip line out of Slotzilla, AND yes it is as fun as it sounds and looks.

Can you really say you’ve been to Vegas if you didn’t spend at least one night out on The Strip? After a much deserved nap, we spent the next couple hours doing what girls do best--playing dress up and comparing outfit options, doing one another’s hair and makeup (thank you Janeth), and listening to Lizzo. We then piled into an Uber and hit the town. We opted for a club crawl, because it wouldn’t be a reunion with these girls without a proper bar crawl of some sort. LA Epic Club Crawls offered a guided tour with free entry to 4 bars and clubs, with drink specials and games along the way. We generally opt for a bar crawl as it eases the stress of waiting in lengthy lines and picking where to go.

On our itinerary was: 

• American Beer & Cocktails (they had endless beer options, and fun table games)
• Margaritaville (way better in Vegas than Nashville, a live cover band AND 2 for 1 flavored margs)
• Omnia Nightclub (we stood FRONT freaking ROW at a Zedd show, man is he beautiful)
• Chateau Nightclub (actually under the replica Eiffel Tower, it’s a stunning rooftop with a bumpin’ DJ playing till the night ends)

Along the way I snuck out to make a taco pit stop. Las Vegas is home to a Taco Bell Cantina AKA the same great taste (and value) but with spike baja blasts and shots of tequila, a DJ, and a wedding venue!!

We had such a blast on our night out on The Strip. It’s chaotic, expensive, and sometimes overwhelming--but it’s also an experience with my girls that I would never trade!

In case you were wondering, clubs in Vegas are open till about 4-5 AM. So we were out pretty late, and up way too early... I had to catch a mid-day flight back in California. We hit the road, this time with a lot less energy and enthusiasm, and a bit of a hangover. Hindsight, flying home after a night out in Vegas is not the most fun--but we definitely made the most of it. While I flew into LAX, it was actually cheaper for me to fly out of the Hollywood Burbank airport, about 30 miles north. And after a sentimental goodbye from all of my girls we parted ways. Well, less of a goodbye and more of a see you later as plans have already been in all of our minds on what are next trip will be...

Arizona (Grand Canyon!!, I mean look at this view from my layover in Phoenix!!)? Seattle (to ride a ferry and find our own Derek Shepherd’s)?? Austin?? Another international trip?!! So many options to choose from, it will definitely be hard to choose just one.

Take a look at all the cute pups that I saw along the way...one of which may not necessarily be a dog, rather a coyote that we came across on our hike (still a cutie though!).

One of my favorite parts of this trip, was all the glimpses of Europe that we came across. As we met on a trip abroad, it was only fitting that we came across just a few cities like Berlin, Paris, and Venice. It’s officially been a full year since I met these girls and traveled Europe together, it’s crazy how time flies!!

And that’s a wrap, on how to make the best quick girls trip to L.A., and Vegas! We had a blast, and I hope you find this helpful in your next adventure. As always, wait and see what we’ll do next!! Leave a comment below and let us know where you think the next Girls Trip should be! Wait and see what we'll do next.