L.A. Visit: South Coast Botanical Garden

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Every year around this time we get the urge to visit our RainyDayLA office. It may be that we miss our friends out West, but it may also have something to do with the New England weather. The fact that it has been unseasonably warm in Boston this Winter did not diminish our enthusiasm for the trip! When we left Boston, the temperature was gray, cool, and in the mid-40s. A nap, a few movies, and six hours later, we stepped out into the warm, sunny, if a bit hazy L.A. As always, our host Kristin has assembed various fun and interesting activities and food options for every day of our visit 🙂 This time her “suggestions folder” was almost an inch thick!

After a quick bite, we headed out to our first destination: South Coast Botanical Garden. It was only six miles away from where we were staying, but L.A. traffic being what it was, it took us some time to get there. The grounds were small, but it was amazing to see so many things blooming this time of the year. SCBG was a great reminder that Spring is on its way and the stroll was a very relaxing way to start our visit.

Kristin, the queen of “free stuff to do around town,” strongly urged us to check out the digital photography exhibit currently at the Annenberg. The exhibit, DIGITAL DARKROOM, features the work of 17 artists from around the world that explore the intersection of art and technology, a perfect fit for RainyDayMagazine readers!

The artists were selected from a range of backgrounds, each specializing a type of photographic and illustrative expression. The fascinating part is that many of the artists cross genres and combine multiple techniques to create their unique work.

After the two stops, we were ready for some food. The suggestion was to head over to The Ivy. The one we went to was NOT the one on Robertson Boulevard. That Ivy is famous for celebrity sightings and paparazzi. We went to the one in Santa Monica because it was closer. Also, Kristin happened to have a gift card and had been dying to use it 🙂

We hung out at The Ivy for a leisurely lunch. While we did not see any celebrities (that we recognized), the food was very tasty and the service was excellent. Being right across from the beach, the view could not be better.

Having hit three L.A. sites within hours of landing, we were ready to go unpack and take a breather. Tomorrow’s schedule will be just as eventful. After a little rest, we are sure we’ll be ready for it! Work, work, work.