A few times a year, two of my best friends come to visit, and we have a weekend full of fun and adventures. We never know where we’ll end up! Our adventures take us all over. This last trip we ended up in the LA area and discovered some new places, and of course, delicious things to eat! If you find yourself in the greater Los Angeles area, here are a few things I totally recommend checking out:
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Located in the beautiful hills of Simi Valley, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is truly magnificent. The library beautifully documents President Reagan’s life, from his childhood in Illinois to his careers in Hollywood and politics, and his time as the 40thPresident of the United States.
For someone who is obsessed with Classic Hollywood, fashion, and Eastern European history, the Reagan Library has fascinating displays and facts relating to all three of these interests! I loved seeing the iconic gowns worn by Nancy Reagan when President Reagan was inaugurated, and when Elizabeth Taylor came to the White House, among others!
Definitely make the Reagan Library part of your visit to the LA area. I wish there were more Presidential Libraries close to me, but I so look forward to traveling and seeing the rest of them!
Fun Fact: Because you know I find ways to pull Doris Day into everything, Ronnie and Doris made three films together, The Winning Team (1952), Storm Warning (1951), and It’s a Great Feeling (1949). The latter is quite silly, comprised mostly of Doris being super cute amidst a whole bunch of random star cameos. Ronnie makes a cameo and BOY IS HE HANDSOME! Take a look at his short cameo in the film here!
Four ‘N 20
This friendly neighborhood diner located in Sherman Oaks may not sound familiar, but I guarantee if you’ve seen television’s Parks and Recreation, Four ‘N 20 looks familiar.
Do you remember what food Leslie Knope was obsessed with? Do you remember the restaurant she would frequent to enjoy this food, and where her Galentine’s Day events were usually held?
The answer to the first question is WAFFLES.
The answer to the second question is JJ’s Diner!!!!
Well Four ‘N 20 is JJ’s Diner!!! Parks and Rec used Four ‘N 20 for all the JJ’s Diner scenes, and we enjoyed an awesome meal there on our girls weekend.
I’m sorry to say they don’t serve waffles at Four ‘N 20 (oh the irony!), otherwise I’m sure we all would have ordered them! It was a hard choice because the menu at Four ‘N 20 is so extensive, but I ended up getting the Health Nuts sandwich, and it was delicious! Put alfalfa sprouts and avocado on anything, and it’s going to be hard for me to resist!
Four ‘N 20 is quite renown in the area for its pies, so of course we had to get pie! We got the Chocolate Cream Pie and the Custard Pie. And we couldn’t resist: we got the Brownie Fudge Sundae and boy was it a work of art! Seriously, this was one extravagant Sundae. If being lifted on stretchers out of the restaurant and back home had been an option, I’m sure we would have taken it.
Go See a Chick Flick!
There are exactly one bazillion movie theaters in and around Los Angeles. So go see a movie!!!! Maybe going to a movie theater isn’t such a big deal to most. But it’s a huge event and special treat for me because, with my sweet little one, I just don’t get to go very often. (MJ does do exceptionally well in movie theaters, but my film choices are understandably limited when I take my three-year-old.)
There is just something really special about seeing a film in and around Hollywood. Whether you go to a really iconic theater with a fascinating history like Graumen’s Chinese or the Egyptian Theater, or just an average, everyday theater, there is something magical about going to the movies in the film capital of the world!
We went and saw The Hustle (2019). And we enjoyed every minute of this ridiculous chick flick! It may not be the best film to take your husband or boyfriend to, but see it with a group of girlfriends and I’m sure you’ll have a blast! If you’re interested in seeing this totally fun, silly, gal pal film, you can find it here!
Cake Monkey, Westlake Village
I’ve written about how magnificent Cake Monkey, the bakery I fell in love with earlier this year, is. My first experience was at the flagship Cake Monkey location in Los Angeles. You can imagine my utter joy when I discovered there is a Cake Monkey closer to me, in Westlake Village!
There was never any question of whether or not we’d go there on our girls weekend! And wouldn’t you know it, there was a farmer’s market in the parking lot when we arrived, so it was totally a win-win situation. I was so excited to stumble across this farmer’s market that I unfortunately forgot to take pictures, but is there anything better than fresh hummus and pita chips from a farmer’s market? The answer is NO! And we left the farmer’s market with plenty of both!
Ok, back to Cake Monkey. We got quite a few things, of course! The Black & White Cakewich is basically like a homemade ding dong. So that means it’s AMAZING. This beautiful little cake was gone like that!
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I think the show-stopping pastry of this Cake Monkey visit though, was the dainty and delicious Lemon Meringue cake with raspberry filling. This cake almost looked as magnificent as it tasted!
Also, for the first time, we tried something off of Cake Monkey’s lunch menu, the mashed avocado sandwich. Look at how gorgeous this sandwich is! It was simple, delicious, and filling.
Definitely stop by Cake Monkey in Westlake Village next time you’re in the area! Be sure to come hungry, because you’re going to want to have room to try everything!
So there you have it! Our girls’ weekend in a nutshell, and a few easy recommendations for things to do and eat on your next trip to the greater Los Angeles area!
What are your favorite things to do in Los Angeles?