Travel Diaries: Rodeo Drive & Galore

Hello everyone,
Happy Saturday! Today marks the last day of my work week and I am extremely excited to be having a short breather from the hectic December pace at the mall. I feel fortunate that I was able to enjoy my vacation before this month started as mall employees usually are restricted by a blackout period in which they can't take leave during the Christmas shopping season. However, so many of my friends are on vacation now in either Hawaii or LA that I can't help but feel a tad envious! Oh well, at least I can reminisce about my trip with these pictures! These were taken on our first and second days-- enjoy!

Walking around Rodeo Drive and taking touristy pictures with no shame.

Christmas time in LA: sunshine and barely any cold weather.

What would Rodeo Drive be without its big brands?

On the first night, we headed to an outdoor shopping mall called the Grove, which had an amazing selection of stores as well as a great amount of Christmas decorations.

For our first meal, we went to The Fat Cow, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and enjoyed these truffle fries, pasta, and a huge burger. Delicious!

Our first L.A. sunrise.

Some shopping snapshots while meandering around Santa Monica Promenade. Okay, I lied; it was less meandering and more an extreme focus on getting to every store that I like in as little time as possible (the bf isn't the most patient shopper at times).

On our second night, we ate at Katsuya on Hollywood Boulevard, a restaurant which provided us with a vibrant atmosphere and great food.

Scallops!

When we headed back to The Grove on Day 3, I spotted this poster at the Barnes and Noble: some of the main actors from Breaking Bad were doing a signing on the day we were leaving! You should know that I was completely devastated!

Some cute treats when we revisited The Fat Cow for some special blend "Intelligentsia Coffee."

Our chicken jambalaya and seafood platter at The Gumbo Pot at the Farmer's Market next to The Grove.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a slightly blurry picture of our night with Dir En Grey at the House of Blues. What a fantastic way to enjoy my first rock concert!