It was so nice to have a lie in, in a large, cosy, comfy bed after the last few uncomfy nights in San Diego (those beds were the worst!) The boys had gotten up early to watch the rugby on their i pads by the pool area and Megs had gone for an early morning dip (I’m the lazy one!) so I joined them a little later on for breakfast. Nutella Stuffed French Toast. Amazing!
The boys engrossed in the rugby!
Over breakfast we decided what to do with our day. Should we go to Universal Studios, visit the sites of Hollywood, visit more beaches? The list was pretty endless. But eventually we decided we would drive down to Hollywood Boulevard to see the sights and then drive onto Santa Monica as the weather was so amazing we had to make the most of it.
We hadn’t realised how close we were to Hollywood Boulevard, just a 10 minute drive down the hill from our hotel and straight into a multi storey carpark very easy.
It was a Saturday morning in Hollywood which meant it was super busy. We made our way along the walk of fame but we couldn’t see all the stars as 1. There are so many of them it would have taken the whole day to see them all and 2. There were lots of people trying to see the stars/take pictures etc, plus it was super super hot. Also something a little strange and what some people may find a little full on or overwhelming is that so many people try to sell you their CD, or were handing out their resumes and headshots. Sometimes literally trying to shove them into your hand. It’s mad how people think you could be someone to help them make it big!
We managed to get a few photos and then decided to head over to the Chinese Theatre and see the hand/foot prints.
To be honest we didn’t think much of the Hollywood Boulevard area, it’s pretty run down and with the heat and constant array of people trying to sell you their soul we decided to call it a day after just over an hour.
On our way back to the car park we managed to get a good view of the Hollywood sign and also popped into a few shops.
Back in the car we were looking forward to spending the rest of the day chilling on the beach in Santa Monica. However the traffic was awful and the closer we were getting to the beach the foggier it became.
By the time we made it to Santa Monica and parked up we couldn’t believe how cold and misty it was and how different the weather was back in Hollywood! You could feel the sea mist on you and it looked really eery, but that didn’t put us off, we still went for a walk along the pier, checked out some of the funfair rides and had a mooch around the stalls selling local wares.
How crazy is this sea mist/fog?!
Where’s the sea gone?
Feeling a bit chilly and peckish we decided to head in from the beach and walked along the main high street. There were plenty of food places to choose from however being a Saturday most were only offering brunch or some had stopped food until the evening and seeing as it was afternoon and we had had breakfast we were really looking for something a bit more substantial. Hello Cheesecake Factory.
This restaurant was huge. Matt and I have visited cheesecake Factories before in America and Dubai but this was Megs and Frasers first time. Matt decided to order a couple of starters as a main as he wasn’t feeling that hungry but we couldn’t stop laughing when we saw how much arrived for him! Megs and I went for Buffalo chicken and fries and Fraser went for a burger. I ate as much buffalo chicken on this trip as I could as its my absolute favourite and I’m yet to find anywhere in the UK that tastes the same as America.
Matt and his light bites haha
After dinner we decided that we had had enough of the cold misty weather and would head back to the hotel for a bit to chill, swim and have time to get ready before the evenings activities. But first we had to buy some cheesecake to take away! You can’t go to the cheesecake factory and not sample the cheesecake. The Oreo one is always my favourite!
leaving the fog behind!
We were a bit disappointed with the weird weather and it was a shame we didn’t get to experience Santa Monica properly, however back at the hotel the sun was still shining and it was boiling hot. So we went for a dip in the pool and enjoyed a couple of drinks in the hot tub.
Later that evening it was Megs turn to surprise us all with her planned activity and she had booked something fun. A table at No Vacancy in the centre of Hollywood.
Pulling up in the taxi we had no idea what to expect, it was like something from a horror film when we arrived. No street lights, no people, just an old creepy looking hotel, with a no vacancy sign swinging in the breeze.
We walked up to the front of the building and there was a man sitting on a rocking chair on the porch. I think we were all thinking Megs where have you brought us? However he was super friendly, checked our names were on the list and then we waited a couple of minutes for a friendly hostess to take us into the club, or that’s what we thought she was doing. Instead she gave us a few instructions on the show times, not to take too many photos and how when we entered we had to chose from 1 of 3 doors to go through. Interesting…She left us and said she would meet us by the bar area.
So we stepped inside the building and were greeted with 3 doors, we went for door number 3. We gave it a little push and ended up in another room (a bedroom) with a very beautiful woman, dressed in lingerie, laying on the bed. She explained the rules again to us, asked if we were ready for a good night and then pulled a lever which moved the bed she was on backwards to reveal a secret staircase which we were then told to go down.
This lead us to the main bar area which was designed in a sort of burlesque/speakeasy type way. It was all very surreal but was really amazing. We met back with our original hostess who then took us to our table, which was located outside in the little courtyard area which was decorated with fairylights.
It was a lovely, warm Saturday evening and we couldn’t wait to see what the night had in store. We ordered a bottle of vodka with mixers and took in our surroundings, it was quite a small venue but there was something interesting around every corner with a real mixed bunch of people.
At 11pm the show began first with a tightrope walker above our heads and then the burlesque show on the main stage.
We had such a fun evening and when we called it a night we had to leave out of the back door, where we ended up back on Hollywood Boulevard which was surreal as we honestly felt like we were in our own little bubble in the middle of nowhere all evening.
If you are after a fun night out in LA I would definitely recommend No Vacancy, just make sure you book in advance!
Love, Chloe xx
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