There were quite a lot of things that I wanted to see in LA. Unfortunately, the city is really spread out and exploring it completely is definitely not accomplishable by foot. So, I decided to do the same thing I did in San Francisco and jump on a tour bus.
There are quite a few places in LA that are very beautiful and also a lot of iconic studios etc. if you’re one for cinema history. However, in between each major sight there aren’t a heap of interesting sights to see. Rather, lots of 20th century buildings etc., basically, the things you’d see in any modern city.
Travelling through Beverly Hills and along Melrose was of course great because of all the giant houses, manicured hedges and perfect landscaping. I wasn’t really interested in a celebrity spotting tour, although a longer tour through Beverly Hills would have been nice, seeing the mansions and quirky houses, but 
unfortunately I didn’t have time.
The next main attraction was Rodeo Drive, with its multitude of designer shops. Seeing the shops this way was different to what it was like in any other city because the shop fronts were all spectacular and the sidewalk area and its surroundings were immaculate. I could definitely feel a sense of class and wealth oozing from the pavement.
Then, driving through Santa Monica a completely different vibe was felt, with beachy style architecture and a more relaxed feel. The beach was beautiful with the sun setting in the sky and the infamous palm trees along the sidewalks.
At this point it started to get dark and quite cold. Silly me only wore a shirt, light pants and thongs as it was warm when I was walking around at midday. I attempted to keep myself warm, but really couldn’t wait to get back to my hotel.
The remainder of the tour passed through some iconic filming sites, cemeteries and shopping locations – but nothing of too high significance.
I think if I’d had more time to really explore LA I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. Having important things to do the following day that required internet access, my exploring options were limited and I only really got a chance to walk through some parts of Hollywood.
Also, because I was so close to flying home my sense of adventure faded heavily and my desire to venture into the unknown had basically vanished. Even though I loved travelling, once I began the countdown to leaving the USA, reality set back in. Although I wasn’t necessarily keen to go home, knowing that the holiday was about to end made me ready to leave.
I think with having so much time to explore NYC and London, the idea of only briefly encountering major attractions in a city is foreign to me. I think LA would be another one of those places that really deserves a couple of weeks to really allow you to soak up what the city is all about. There seemed to be a lot of fun things happening and it would have been great to continue my stay and get to experience some of them. Another time perhaps …
