I'll Follow You Anywhere

Coming from the West Coast, I’ve been lucky to have been able to see a lot of California from a very young age. My family was constantly taking road trips down the coast in search of the sun when it seemed like the rain in Vancouver would never quit, and over the years I caught glimpses of San Diego, San Francisco, endless tiny surf towns, and so much more. There will always be a special place in my heart for Big Sur, for Beverly Hills, and of course for Anaheim (the home of Disneyland), but in the end my adult favourite has turned out to be Venice Beach.

There’s a certain degree of whimsy and magic to Venice Beach that’s hard to describe. Built to mirror Venice, Italy, canals with little boats run between beautiful pastel houses with cactus gardens in the front yard. On the main streets like Abbott Kinney stylish babes wander the streets with ice cream cones and overpriced sneakers, and down on the boardwalk surfers and skaters fill the massive sidewalk. It’s the perfect combination of relaxed and exciting, stylish and fun, and oh, there is so much colour around every corner!

Scroll down for our favourite spots…

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Food and Drinks //

Salt & Straw
Sunny Spot
Moon Juice
Lemonade
The Butchers Daughter
Cafe Gratitude


Shopping //

Urbanic Paper
Negarin
Ilan Dei
Illesteva
Bountiful (so many cake stands!)

*if you happen to visit on a Friday don’t miss the Farmer’s Market!

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Have we inspired you to hop a plane to LAX? Book with Expedia.ca for a dreamy deal

Dear DiaryI'll Follow You Anywhere

It’s no secret I love sugar, and I always joke that my main cost when travelling is the amount I spend on special sweet treats. Seriously, I will explore a city completely based on bakeries and chocolate shops, determined to try every sweet creation I can, no matter how unbelievably full I am at the time.

Bottega Louie in Downtown LA is my ultimate undoing, and I’ve been dreaming of the pastel shelves and marble details since my last visit a few years ago. Perhaps that’s why we pencilled in lunch just after we’d finished booking our flights with Expedia.ca– we knew Bottega Louie was the first place we wanted to be when we touched down.

Last time my stop in Downtown LA was pretty rushed, but this time around I made sure Johanna and I had lots of time to eat, explore, and shop (I also bumped up my Bottega Louie “souvenir budget”… which I very quickly exceeded regardless.) In the bistro we feasted on portabello fries and berry lemonade, and in the market portion we swooned over cakes and delicate gold-flecked macarons. With Amina from Studio Mucci at our side to guide us through the treats (she lives nearby), it was truly the perfect first afternoon in LA.

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