Apologies for the lapse in communication, but there was good reason for it. After a crazy week at work, Brendan and I packed up and headed to sunny Southern California for a long weekend… We figured it would be a timely escape from the holiday stress and the Chicago cold (As it turns out, our plan was perfect, as Chicago got snow yesterday for the first time this winter). While we’re here until tomorrow, I wanted to check in to describe our first day in L.A.

On our first day, we woke up early and drove to Hollywood with my college roommate, who works out here and does ridiculous things like meeting with network and studio executives on Friday mornings. She dropped us deadbeats at the Roosevelt Hotel, where we had a phenomenal breakfast at the Twenty-Five Degrees bar. Afterwards, we wandered up and down Hollywood Boulevard, people-watching and snapping photos and reading the names on the Walk of Fame (which for some reason reminded me vaguely of a cemetery). We indulged our tourist status, shopped in the stores at Hollywood and Highland, and killed time until my roommate had wrapped up her too-cool meetings. She picked us back up and we headed west, stopping at Pinches Tacos across from the Chateau Marmont for our second meal of the day. (One theme of this and any trip we take is that there is an exorbitant amount of eating and drinking – I write this post from the terrace of our hotel, where we are currently having brunch).

Back in the car, we drove through Beverly Hills on our way back to the west side and the Getty Center in Brentwood (by far one of the most beautiful and interesting places I’ve ever been to, and the subject of future posts – wait for it!). We spent the rest of the afternoon there, watched the sunset, then headed back to her place for wine and takeout Thai. All in all, it was a solid first day in L.A.

Today – brunch, a drive to Santa Monica, a boat parade in Marina del Rey, and a holiday party at my friend’s beachside apartment. Fingers crossed we make our early flight home tomorrow, preferably with enough time for In-N-Out on the way to LAX…

— Bridget