Road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles :: 3 Day Travel Guide
As we savor the last few moments of Summer, Scott and I decided to take a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles in his silver Volkswagen. If you've ever visited San Francisco during the summer, Karl can takeover. The weather is (REAL) chilly and cool. It felt like the perfect time to escape to sunny Southern California. In today's blog post, I'll be covering a 3 day travel guide from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where to stay, eat, and play!
Friday :: Day 1
We woke up bright and early at 5:00am and hit the road. We made a pit stop for breakfast in my college town of San Luis Obispo, CA.
· Breakfast at Seeds
When ever we’re traveling, we like to eat healthy and light. The fresh acai bowl came with a free kombucha with a yelp check-in! I loved the textures of the seeds and fresh fruit!
· Coffee at Scouts
Seriously the cutest coffee shop in the area! I visited this spot on my previous trip to SLO and I think its a can't miss!
· Malibu Wine Safari
After a long day on the road, we wanted to stop in Malibu for a wine tasting. Malibu Wine Safari has been on my bucket list of places to visit when I saw a ton of posts on Instagram. Be sure to pack your SPF, Instagram Husbands, and falsies! I was surprised by the number of well dresses and made up guests at the winery. I thoroughly enjoyed our Safari Tour, with the friendly guides, rolling vineyards, and feeding exotic animals! Sadly on the day we arrived, the Stanley Tour Tickets were sold out. Be sure to book in advance.
· Checking into our Airbnb
When we were researching for places to stay in LA, a lot of our friends recommended West Hollywood or somewhere on the West side. However, since we’ve been Vitamin D deficient and wanting to stay by the beach, we opted for Venice. Honestly, I loved staying on Abbot Kinney! The airbnb was very charming, quiet, and clean. From the beautiful boutique shops to the delicious and healthy food, I always look forward to spending time by Venice. Plus it’s only a few minutes from the beach and Venice Canals.
Saturday :: Day 2
- Alfred
Coffee or Boba?! That’s the question I always wonder when I’m trying to visit Alfred in Los Angeles. Luckily, I had the chance to try both. At Alfred’s Tea Room, I ordered a rose milk tea. It was creamy and almost had a smoothie consistency. Honestly, I love both locations and you can’t go wrong with either.
We finally gave the motor scooters a chance and explored the beaches from Venice to Santa Monica. It was a surprisingly affordable and fun way to explore the city. I know these scooters are controversial but be mindful of where you park your scooter.
- Park's BBQ
For dinner, we were craving Korean BBQ. After watching Ugly Delicious, we checked out Park's BBQ. On the BBQ Episode, "Chang and his cronies discuss whether or not Peking duck is barbecue, and he heads to Parks BBQ in LA’s Koreatown for a meal with artist David Choe, actor Steven Yuen, and proprietor Jenee Kim. Over lunch they chat about how popular Korean barbecue has become and how it’s, in Chang’s words, “modern-day eating.” We left with our clothes smelling delicious and our bellies were happy!
Sunday :: Day 3
We were feeling the fatigue the next day and decided to stay in the Venice area for breakfast. We stopped by Gjelina Take Away and had the BEST breakfast pizza and pastry of my entire life! No Joke! For coffee, we opted for Intelligentsia, which did not disappoint!
· LA is known for it’s beautiful artwork. We walked around Melrose, hoping to catch the flea market but it was closed. We ended up finding the famous pink angel wings and snapped a few touristy pics.
· Echo Park Lake
We ventured over to the East side to Echo Park Lake to enjoy a lazy Sunday. Pack your lunch and have a picnic or rent a paddle boat with your date. This was such a pleasant surprise and escape from the typical city experience.
· Crustaceans Beverly Hills
In 2016, I had the chance to attend a private dinner at Crustaceans San Francisco with none other than Chef Helene An herself! After watching Crazy Rich Asians, I wanted to visit an upscale Asian restaurant in Los Angeles. When I heard that Crustaceans had reopened after their huge renovations, I knew I had to make a reservation to try their Chef’s tasting menu.
A few popular dishes such as the Tuna Cigar and Garlic Noodles are still available. Yes the garlic noodles that are SO good it will make you cry! However, they’ve shifted their focus to a few new dishes and vegetarian-friendly options. I can’t forget to mention the delicious artisanal cocktails at the front bar. It’s a can’t miss! You should definitely make a visit to Crustaceans for an upscale lunch or dinner!
Thank you for much for reading my SF to LA 3 day travel guide. We sure packed a lot of activities in one trip. Be sure to save or share this post with your friends.
- Ally
Thank you to Malibu Wine Safari and Crustaceans Beverly Hills for hosting our visit.