California Dreamin'

Welcome to L.A!

What a whirlwind trip that was, exhibiting at ISSE in Long Beach! With time differences and flights, we were actually only there around 7 days in total, and boy did we cram a lot into those days! Given the trade show took up 5, there wasn't much time for much else. 

How to see Los Angeles in one and a half days....

So, the day we arrived, we had quite bit of work to do, and errands to run, so we hired a minivan! What better thing to do after a 14 hour flight, than drive around a foreign place, on the wrong side of the road, in something that resembles a small bus? Simples....

As we landed at 7.30am there was not much we could do work wise, so the two people not driving decided it would be a great idea to cruise down to Venice Beach, and armed with my trusty GPS and a giant coffee, I happily obliged!

What a weird experience that was. I think the fact the place was dead empty at that hour, and also as we were fully dressed in head to toe black from our flights, walking across sand dunes in our boots, it all just seemed a little bit odd. But we checked it off our list. Check!

Completely normal attire for the beach....

Typical tourist shot...

After quickly checking into our hotel, It was then back on the road (Freeway driving is a hoot - trying to keep the bus inbetween the white lines while it changes from 4 lanes, to 6, then back to 4 - I nailed it though!) So apart from the beach, the other notable tourist attractions we saw that day, were 'Home Depot', 'Ikea', 'Wells Fargo Bank' and 'In-N-Out Burger Chain'. Check, check, check and check! Doing tourism right!

Lunch of Champions... Would you like a cheeseburger? A cheeseburger? Or a Cheeseburger?

So when you travel for work, despite having all the best intentions to diversify, dinner options usually become very repetitive. We usually find a good pub and restaurant within walking distance, and if it satisfies on the first night - we will be there every night! Shout out to Rockbottom Restaurant & Brewery. 

Thanks for the samplers of EVERY craft beer on tap. haha....

And for the food. Notice the small patch missing from the nachos? This slid off as the waitress was walking, and as much as we tried to refuse - they provided us with another complimentary serving, on top of this!! Of which we ate every bit....

 

Can you blame us? Quite possibly the best nachos I've eaten, anywhere in the world...

When we were not eating, we were working. Trade show was a success (see Winner Winer Chicken Dinner) and very very busy. On the last night, too exhausted to venture any further than our hotel, two of us went downstairs to the Bar. Im not sure if its friendly Californian hospitality, or his last shift, but "Joshy the Barman" was very, very, generous with the pouring of Jack Daniels. 

Note the colour of said Jack - mixed here with soda, not cola. Needless to say, the running commentary of the US election playing in the background TV got funnier and funnier as the night progressed. The next morning... not so funny. Thanks Joshy! 

With heavy hearts and sore heads, it was time to check out. A quick trip to the gift shop to purchase tacky Long Beach Sweaters for the husbands (Look, it was either that, or Intelligent Leggings!) We then booked another car, this time something a little more flashy and oppropriate in size - and it was back on the freeway, destination Beverly Hills. 

A quick walk down Rodeo Drive! Check! Where high end designer boutiques are only out numbered by cosmetic surgery clinics... Sadly, Richard Gere was nowhere to be found, so I couldn't live out my dream of having a 'Pretty Woman / Big Mistake' moment. No check!

Next Stop. Santa Monica Pier. Again, inappropriately dressed for the beach, we never made it onto the sand. However we did take a photo from above, so we could check it of the list. Check!

Luckily, there is never a dress code for eating more Mexican. So we did that too! We checked out a cute little place called 'Blue Plate Taco', a hit with the locals, and we definitely understood why...

And so concluded our expedited tourist trip around LA. It was back on the freeway, LAX bound. A few drinks in the Qantas lounge, and a midnight flight back to the land down under to surprise our husbands with their matching sweaters! 

...and they say there are no perks to being married to globetrotters!

Thanks LA, you were awesome :)

 

xxx