When I think 'Los Angeles', I think: wild parties, Harley Davidsons, Playboy Bunnies, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll - all meticulously pardonned under the banner of 'Hollywood'. Drink-driving is the norm, veganism is the staple and the paparazzi are like contageous festering sores on the sidewalks of the hotter-than-hot hotspots. This vast, celebrity playground of almost 10 million people is home to screen legends, television stars, actor wannabees, and has beens who never really were.
It's a city where anything goes (which is just as well for the magazine moguls who'd be begging on the streets if it weren't the case).
I flew in to San Diego on Tuesday to meet up with my new Scottish friend (my sister's best mate) who recently moved to the USA after marrying an American. Like me, she is finding it a little challenging to make friends because she is not working and cannot do so before her visa is processed. Also like me, she LOVES a good time. It was obvious from the outset that our Thelma and Louse style trip to LA was going to be one to remember. But first, the Turducken.
The Scott and I were very excited to be spending Thanksgiving in the home of an American family. We baked a cheesecake for the occasion and spent four and a half hours breathing in the exciting aroma of Cajun spices as our chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey roasted in the oven.
Our American family of about 20 people welcomed us to their feast which, to me, looked a lot like Christmas dinner but without the plum pudding. And like Christmas dinner, we all became victims of a turkey-induced coma, having to force down rich desserts to kick-start our systems with a sugar rush. The Turducken verdict? You MUST try.
Apart from not having a work visa, The Scott hasn't yet been issued with a license to drive her gorgeous new black sports car - a wedding gift from her husband. I was only too happy to help out by playing driver for the weekend, while she navigated. I was also pretty damned excited to rip up the LA freeways at 80 MILES per hour. Woo hoo!
We arrived in LA with a crazy idea to commit all of the Seven Deadly Sins during our three-night stay. But after we covered two of them within 30 seconds, we knew we needed a greater challenge. Breaking the Ten Commandments were quickly struck off the agenda because neither of us was up for "thou shalt not kill". So we decided to stick with "anything goes".
I should mention at this point that The Scott is a model. She's gorgeous. Her Kate Moss looks turn a lot of heads and she likes to step outside the boundaries. Perfect.
Dinner on the first night was with a couple of friends at a swanky, over-priced restaurant called Sona. Morsels were the feature of our degustation menu and after the first serve, we knew the night would end with burgers at a nearby diner. We said goodbye to our friends at about midnight then walked up La Cienega Boulevard to find a bar that had been recommended to us. We stopped at a club along the way to ask a very helpful doorman for directions who concluded his instructions with, "be careful ladies". Should we be worried? I mean, "ladies" makes us sound so old! The bar was not up to our Hollywood standard so we cabbed it to a very cool bar at The Standard where we met a couple of French guys who were in town buying classic Porches to on-sell in Europe. We invited them to join us at what was possibly THE best bar I have ever been to, Chateaux Marmont. We arrived at the Chateaux at 1.35am to be told that the bar had stopped serving and that the joint closed at 2am. Huh? 2am? There must be some mistake! There's NO WAY that Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan could have been arrested at 2am! Sadly folks, it's true. Unlike the highly addictive 24-hour buzz city of New York, Los Angeles sleeps from 2am. After some gentle persuasion, we were allowed in for the final call. The night ended, of course, at a retro diner called Fred's 62, on Vermont Avenue.
Fortunately, there are plenty more things to do in Los Angeles than hang out in bars waiting for them to close. The Scott and I did the homework for you and can highly recommend these for your next visit:
- The Gun Club - here we shot off a round of 50 with a 9mm pistol. Can't wait to do it again!
- Brunch at 101 Coffee Shop on Franklin Avenue - kinda makes you feel like you're on the set of the opening scene of Pulp Fiction, but no one gets shot.
- Dinner at Cafe Stella on West Sunset Boulevard - very cosy and cool French restaurant. Met an Aussie actor/waiter who has just moved to LA from New York who said that LA is far more competitve than NY for actors. Go figure!
- Visit the Millenium Biltmore Hotel - this is where the Oscars was first held. Check out the stunningly ornate foyers and ballrooms, and make time for a cocktail at the bar.
- Stop by The Pleasure Chest on Santa Monica Boulevard - as the name implies, it's a sex shop! Two floors of toys, toys, toys and DEFINITELY 'XXX' rated. Leave the kids at Disneyland.
- Grab a Thai Massage - anywhere that looks dodgy is likely to be authentic. Worth the investment after a weekend of indulgence.
- Drive up to the Griffith Observatory - remember James Dean in the knife scene from Rebel Without A Cause? Stunning view of the sprawling city.
If you do go to the Observatory, note it is closed on Mondays, something we only discovered when we arrived. Lucky for us though, we stumbled on a movie set! We watched Jim Carey for a while as they shot scenes for his new film "Yes Man". On that note, we left LA for San Diego, then home for me to New York.
To quote Madonna:
"...Los Angeles is for people who sleep, Paris and London baby you can keep...I love New York"
Until next week,
Kaylie
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