This post brought to you by JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. The content and opinions expressed below are that of itsybitsyindulgences.
We’re a traveling family. The itch typically hits us a few short days after retuning home from a trip. There is just something about being away, disconnecting, and reconnecting that I love. Yet, for a multitude of reasons (i.e. commitments, cost, etc…), it’s not always possible to jet off for extended getaways. To quench our frequent case of wanderlust, TJ and I have recently taken to short little staycations. A quick night in Palm Springs… or a drive down the coast to San Diego for the day can work wonders to cure the itch. Our most recent little staycation included a 24 hour jaunt in Los Angeles. The area has so many different neighborhoods to visit, delicious restaurants, and great culture, that it seemed like the perfect spot for adventure. Having done a few of these over the past year, I thought I’d share a little bit of the thought process that goes into it for us…. in case you’re looking to cure your every present case of wanderlust too.
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1. Pick a local city you’ve always wanted to visit: First things first. You have to go where you’ve had a good experience, or somewhere you’ve been dying to checkout. When we’re looking to stay local, we think about an area that has a lot to do in a 24 hour time period. We typically opt for places that have a balance of activity and relaxation… and always go somewhere that has good food. It’s a weekend getaway must for us.
2. Plan out your activities: When we’re on a limited time frame, we we start the planning process as soon as we can… even if it’s the night before. We check out instagram to find tasty spots from locals, and rely on those who have visited before to direct us to good daytime activities. If we’ve visited the area previously, we try to revisit one favorite spot, and do something new as well. That way we have a guaranteed good time… and a little experience at too. With little miss in tow, we’ve had to get a little more creative working around nap and bedtime, but when we find the right activities and schedule them out, we typically always have a good time.
3. Pick a restaurant: Often times, this is one of the most important factors for us. We love a good meal, especially on the weekends. So, this past trip, we visited Ford’s Filling Station. We’d dined at WP24 last year around this time, and had such a wonderful experience that we figured we couldn’t go wrong with this trip’s selection. Annnnd, we didn’t. Everything from the food, craft cocktails, and service was impeccable. As we were chatting with the waitress, I asked her if she knew the source of the food products (this has become important to me over the past year or so). She mentioned that the dishes were seasonally based and ingredients were locally sourced, many of which were organic. After that, we got to the real important stuff….
We started the meal with a couple of their craft cocktails, as well as the bacon wrapped dates and smoked brisket taquitos (we went for comfort food here!)…. I, of course, opted for the cocktail with champagne as the main ingredient, and the appetizers were pretty much mouthwatering. When it came time to order the main dish, TJ nor I could decide which to pick, so we decided we would share. We opted for the duck carnitas (um, so good) and crispy pork cochinita style. As if that wasn’t enough, we added an order of the cheddar biscuits and whole roasted cauliflower (hey… gotta get my veggies in somehow!). Each bite was better than the last. Even Harper got in on the action with a little bit of smashed banana (the waitress was so sweet to offer this). As we sat there, chatting about the day, we opted to share a last glass of wine (rosé, duh) and split the donuts (as if we hadn’t eaten enough already). It was the perfect bit of sweet to end the savory meal.
It was such a great experience and the best way to end our little staycation. We dined al fresco (my favorite, always), enjoyed a few libations, good conversation, delicious food, and an ambiance that couldn’t be beat. I mean, isn’t that how all staycation dinners should end?
4. Pack the proper attire: I love an overnight staycation because figuring out what to wear is much easier than a few days. I always try to look at what activities we will be partaking in, as well as the restaurants we will be visiting. Knowing that we were heading up to LA for the weekend, I opted for a relaxed and casual daytime attire, and something a little dressier, yet equally relaxed, for dinner at Ford’s Filling Station. I chose this dress for its intricate details, yet billowy feel. It ended up being the perfect piece for dinner…. it allowed me to eat as much as I wanted without worrying… and who wants to worry about that on vacation??
That’s pretty much it! Staycations are great ways to getaway with minimal planning or stress. I hope you can plan something fun with those you love in the next few weeks…. and of course, have a great weekend!
