First, I want to thank everyone for all the fantastic vacation suggestions...now I have a fresh list to pique my wanderlust over the next few years...in the end we decided we still wanted to go somewhere where the possibility of wearing sandals was high, was in the continental US, and had a bit of character so we settled on Palm Springs with a quick trip to the So Cal coast after...
I think it will be the perfect combo of outdoorsy for the Mr. (Joshua Tree) kid friendly (Living Desert Zoo), spas (Viceroy?) and shopping to keep me happy...Really, really wanted to stay at the Ace (someday I hope to make it to one of their Kimmel Kids events) but I think with a kiddo in tow it is so nice to have at least 2 rooms (otherwise you have to sit in dark and quiet after they go to bed) and super great to have your own kitchen so you don't have to eat out every single meal...so we rented a cool little house in The Movie Colony through VRBO...with a pool - yippee!!
Speaking of Palm Springs rentals - did you know you can rent Frank Sinatra's house - where he began his legendary romance with Ava Gardner? - apparently there is a chip in the countertop where he threw a bottle at her!
After PS I think we are headed to Venice Beach where I found tons of cute bungalows for rent...I lived in LA for a summer and have traveled there lots for visits & work but have never spent any time in Venice so So Cal girls & Angelenos...thoughts, recommendations?? The only thing on my agenda is sneaking away for a quick yoga class at Golden Bridge with Gurmukh
anyone headed somewhere exciting this fall??
Favorite So Cal Spots?
xoxo, M
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hooray for SoCal! we'll probably be there for a week in early January, but to visit family, not for a proper holiday. would love to hear about family-friendly spots in the area, though.
ReplyDeleteyou are going to have the best time!! you should have a day at the ACE pool {FOR SURE!}...
ReplyDeleteOh that's great! You'll have such a great time. Weather should be good too. Wish I were better versed in Venice but I just don't get there enough. Need to do that actually! Bookmarked that rental site too, thanks! Have a great time:)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will have such a great time--I went to Palm Springs when I was 8 months pregnant and lounging in the pool was heaven... :) We're off to find warmth in Mexico in a couple weeks...can't wait. PS Now you have that LL Cool J song in my head--thanks a lot! lol
ReplyDeletesounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteif i were headed to LA, i'd go to Heather Taylor's gallery for sure and try to do a studio visit with Clare Vivier ;-)
just sayin!
xo
Mlle LeBlanc!
ReplyDeleteIf you'll be visiting the Los Feliz area in LA, Cafe Stella for brunch is delicious, and is across from the newly opened Mohawk General. There is also a delicious gelato spot near by if the sun is shining, Reform School and Casbah Cafe for some fun browsing.
Of course, there's the new Vanessa Bruno store over on the West Side at Melrose Place, among many other beautiful boutiques. And it;s so close to Urth Cafe on Melrose which has the best Pumpkin Pie and super sweet Spanish Lattes...
Or...visit the Brentwood Country Mart. Fun for the family, and lots of lovely shopping stops. Visit Laura, of Broken English Jewelry - she carries a bunch of great stuff, and Annie Costello Brown's jewelry as well.
Have fun!
Um, your vacation sounds amazing. Palm Springs is on my someday list and I'm dying to visit the Ace. Love the idea of some fun in LA as well. Sounds like you are going to have a fantastic getaway. And I'm with you on the two bedroom hotel situation with kids. It's a must.
ReplyDeletewell, my husband, Lee, (who lived in Santa Monica for 3 years and walked that Venice Beach weekly) swears by the Fig Tree cafe on the beach in Venice. I thought the food was good (I was in a crabby mood) but the setting is sublime - on the sand. We enjoyed Chaya Venice for grown up dinners. Sushi and more. Have fun! Just don't come back toooo blonde!
ReplyDeleteWooohoo!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I was in Palm Springs for a quickie (like 30 hours) visit a few weekends ago. I'm not sure how family-friendly the Ace would be unless you were on one of the Kimmel weekends. (Which this non-mom would totally go to.)
That said, their restaurant is awesome and they have a black and white photo booth in the lobby, so stop by! There's a great coffee shop across the street called Koffi that has AWESOME iced malted mochas. Yum.
Moving onto Venice, aka my happy place: Gjelina for lunch and a possible Anjelica Huston sighting. Lemonade for yummy salads and (duh, of course) lemonade. Steven Alan Annex.
Other not-far-from-Venice options: Santa Monica Farmer's Market for people-watching and aaaaaamazing produce. Food trucks. Hiking in any of our lovely parks.
And, if you do hook something up with Clare Vivier and you need, say, a driver and/or partner in crime, well, you know where to find me!
I am planning a big girls weekend here- it's harder than I thought to accomodate a big group in a rental house- but VRBO totally sucks you in-like ebay for vacation junkies.
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Thank you for all your recommendations!! Rebecca, if I can make a CV visit you're totally invited!! and yes, Emily - VRBO can suck you in for hours...and hours...
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