5 Things to Know Before Traveling to Los Angeles

Val here — after just returning from a quick trip to Los Angeles with a friend, I have just a few observations I’d like to share with our 2 Girls Who Travel audience.

Being as this was my first time visiting LA, even California for that matter, I knew I wanted to do and see a lot, but that was about it.

Some research the night before was my first eye-opener. I checked the weather!

Which leads me to my first tip … keep reading for my tips for first-time LA travelers.

1. It gets cold. Imagine my surprise when I checked the weather forecast for our three-day stay and saw that the temps were going to range from the low 40s to low 60s. So naturally I dumped the shorts, tanks and sandals from my bag and started the packing process all over. The sun only made guest appearances during our stay and sorry, Tony! Toni! Toné! It definitely rains in Southern California.
2. Los Angeles is super spread out. Please understand this – LA spans lots of miles. I consider myself the quintessential itinerary planner and aside from a scheduled tour to Crenshaw, Compton and Watts, we only had time to explore Hollywood. There’s a lot to do and see and you’ll need to plan accordingly and account for transportation time. This just means that I’ll have to return 🙂
3. Everybody in Hollywood does not act “Hollywood.” May sound naive or cliche, but I expected to encounter some saditty people on my visit. But nope. Everybody we encountered was cool, friendly and most were fun! Now granted, we were mostly in the super touristy Hollywood and we’re told most celebs chill in Santa Monica or Beverly Hills. So there’s that.
4. LAX is underwhelming. I don’t care what you say. I had a theory. I assumed celebrities (A through D-list) would be flying back to Los Angeles after the LA Rams lost the Super Bowl the night before in Atlanta. But we saw NOBODY. And we were looking! And overall, the airport left a lot to be desired – in regard to restaurants, shops, everything. It was very meh.
5. Trejos Tacos is worth a visit. Remember when 2 Girls Who Travel ran into Danny Trejo in Austin? We vowed to visit his restaurant whenever we made it to LA. It just so happened this is the very restaurant our Airbnb hostess suggested we go on the first night. And we’re so glad we did. Aside from tasty food, they had $6 house margaritas! The perfect way to kick off the first night in LA. And there are seven LA-area locations to choose from.

Check out a few pics from trip!

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? What are some tips you’d give to a first-timer? Drop them below.