West California/Las Vegas Holiday Help!

AeryFairy

AeryFairy

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So fiancé and I have booked ourselves an epic three week honeymoon to LA, San Fransisco, and Las Vegas! I know a few of you lovely lot are from California, and I think a few more of you have been over that way before, so I was looking for any recommendations and tips for places to eat, sights to see, tours to do, anything vegans should watch out for... And anything else you can think of!

We're staying in Anaheim for four days, then West Hollywood for a week, then Union Square for a week, and then just off the Vegas Strip for the final three days so anything accessible from those parts would be great!
 
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Anaheim - Staying at the Disneyland Hotel? I assume you're going to visit Disneyland. That's the only reason I can think of for visiting Anaheim. :p

West Hollywood, I can't tell you about where to stay, but definitely don't miss a meal at Real Food Daily. Let me know when you get there so I can meet you for lunch or dinner! :D

By the way, what time of year will you be here? Also, if you want to visit the beach area, Santa Monica and/or Venice, there is a Chinese restaurant in Venice that is vegan friendly. Half the fun of visiting this place is for the ambience. There is the Santa Monica Pier you may want to visit, plus the Venice Boardwalk.

We also have Native Foods and Veggie Grill in the area that are pretty good. Their menus are similar and are all-vegan.

If you're interested in the celebrity/entertainment industry aspect of Los Angeles, you might consider signing up for a bus tour of LA and/or Hollywood, something like this: http://www.starlinetours.com/

And/or plan a visit to Universal Studios and take one of their backlot tours.

And then there is Hollywood, with the Chinese theater, with the handprints in the front of the theater and the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Blvd.

One warning about visiting Hollywood: The area can be dangerous, especially at night, so please be careful and aware of your surroundings if you do go there. :(
 
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I just knew you'd be a big help, Amy <3

Yes, Anaheim is for Disneyland! :D we're not staying at the actual disney hotel, but one that's a short walk away. We knew there wasn't much else there, but that doesn't matter because we'll have three whole days of Disney to keep us entertained.

We'll be there between the 8th and 28th September this year. What's the chinese restaurant called? I love chinese food, it's my favourite, so any vegan-friendly chinese places are a must.

Added Real Food Daily, Native Foods, and Veggie Grill to my growing list of restaurants.

We were already planning on Universal Studios and the walk of fame :) but I hadn't yet thought about the Chinese theatre, definitely want to check that out.

And will bear in mind that the area can be dangerous :)
 
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I'm trying to think if there is anything useful I can add to what Amy said.

Knott's Berry Farm isn't too far from Anaheim if you want to see another amusement park. It's not as good as Disneyland (in my opinion), but it does have wilder rides, if you're into roller coasters.

Here's a blog with reviews some of the vegan options in Vegas. http://eatingveganinvegas.tumblr.com/

If you're going to eat at any of the giant all-you-can-eat buffets, look for reviews. There are a few that seem to have more than their share of food poisoning.

If you're going to be doing more than just gambling you should see The Fremont Experience if you can. It includes a light show so it's best seen at night. It's in the downtown area though, and even though there are a lot of people around at night, the same warning as Hollywood goes. You should be fine as long as you don't wander off into the smaller, darker side streets.

You can usually get coupons for free or heavily discounted meals, games, souvenirs and events, at the welcome centers, some hotel/motel lobbies and some gas stations/convenience stores along the highway when you get close to Vegas.
 
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Chinese restaurants, hmmm...

Here's the Venice restaurant, Mao's Kitchen: http://www.maoskitchen.com/ Actually I almost forgot, they have a Hollywood location, too, so if you don't get to Venice, you can go to the one in Hollywood.

There is also Genghis Cohen on Fairfax. There is the main restaurant and also a small performance space that features music performances. If you decide to take in a performance, you can order certain items from the menu and enjoy them in the performance space while enjoying the music. I haven't eaten in the main restaurant, but I've had a nice vegan stir-fry in the performance space.

Here's the website: http://www.genghiscohen.com/
Here's the menu: http://www.genghiscohen.com/download/Genghis_Cohen_Menu.pdf

September is usually the hottest, driest month of the year in Los Angeles, so don't worry about rain or cold weather. A jumper (cardigan sweater) is recommended for layering for air conditioned buildings and cool nights, but other than that, bring light clothing for warm weather.
 
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Oh, yeah, San Francisco! Great city! You'll love it there! :yes:

Where to eat in SF: http://millenniumrestaurant.com/ It's inside a hotel, btw.

What to do in SF, besides riding the cable cars and driving and/or walking down Lombard Street:

Visit The Rock! (Alcatraz)
Visit the Top of the Mark
Visit Pier 39
 
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One other question: While you're in LA, will you be interested in visiting any museums? If the answer is yes, even if you only have time for one, then I would recommend the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. The museum displays fossils dug from the tar pits nearby. I've always thought it was a fascinating place to spend an hour or two.
 
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shyvas said:
You didn't mention whether you were renting a car. There are many places to visit in the greater LA area.
Click to expand...

We haven't rented a car, but we may rent one when we get to LA if we want one :)

Amy SF said:
One other question: While you're in LA, will you be interested in visiting any museums? If the answer is yes, even if you only have time for one, then I would recommend the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. The museum displays fossils dug from the tar pits nearby. I've always thought it was a fascinating place to spend an hour or two.
Click to expand...

Museums are good - we always like to visit a couple when we travel. Especially ones to do with science or natural history.
 
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Are you flying from Manchester via LHR to LAX ? Do you have transportation from lax to Anaheim ?

Are you planning to spend the whole 4 days at Disney ? If not you could rent a car and visit Newport Beach. You also have the Queen Mary at Long Beach and you could take a boat and spend the day on Catalina Island which is beautiful.

When in LA you could also rent a car and visit the old town at Pasadena, Malibu, The Getty museum.

You must visit Rodeo Drive and The Beverly Whiltshire hotel. There are some gorgeous shops in Beverly Hills for the home ; Z Gallery, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Don't forget to go to Wholefoods.

You also have the Bona Vista cocktail revolving lounge. You see the LA from all the angles as the floor revolves. I've been many times and it is a unique experience.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bona-vista-lounge-los-angeles

Don't forget travel insusrance, a plug adaptor and medication.

map_of_los-angeles.jpg
 
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shyvas said:
Are you flying from Manchester via LHR to LAX ? Do you have transportation from lax to Anaheim ?

Are you planning to spend the whole 4 days at Disney ? If not you could rent a car and visit Newport Beach. You also have the Queen Mary at Long Beach and you could take a boat and spend the day on Catalina Island which is beautiful.

When in LA you could also rent a car and visit the old town at Passadena, Malibu, The Getty museum.

You must visit Rodeo Drive and The Beverly Whiltshire hotel. There are some gorgeous shops in Beverly Hills for the home ; Z Gallery, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Don't forget to go to Wholefoods.

You also have the Bona Vista cocktail revolving lounge. You see the LA from all the angles as the floor revolves. I've been many times and it is a unique experience.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bona-vista-lounge-los-angeles

Don't forget travel insusrance, a plug adaptor and medication.
Click to expand...

Thanks shyvas!

We're flying directly from Heathrow to LAX - our wedding is in the south of England, where we're both from :) all our transport to and from the hotels was included with the booking. We were planning to spend pretty much all of our time in Anaheim at the Disney parks (we arrive in the afternoon on day one, so we'll need to rest, and then we have two whole days and most of another before we get transferred to the LA hotel). I would love suggestions for places to eat or other things to do in the evenings though :)

Will definitely be going to whole foods! And also TJs. People here have sent me too many wonderful things from those places in package exchanges, I need to stock up :p

Rodeo drive has gone on the list :)

Bona Vista sounds really cool too! Do you usually have to book?

We already have our travel insurance and plug adapters too x
 
AeryFairy said:
Thanks shyvas!

We're flying directly from Heathrow to LAX - our wedding is in the south of England, where we're both from :) all our transport to and from the hotels was included with the booking. We were planning to spend pretty much all of our time in Anaheim at the Disney parks (we arrive in the afternoon on day one, so we'll need to rest, and then we have two whole days and most of another before we get transferred to the LA hotel). I would love suggestions for places to eat or other things to do in the evenings though :)

Will definitely be going to whole foods! And also TJs. People here have sent me too many wonderful things from those places in package exchanges, I need to stock up :p

Rodeo drive has gone on the list :)

Bona Vista sounds really cool too! Do you usually have to book?

We already have our travel insurance and plug adapters too x
Click to expand...

Are you flying with Virgin Atlantic ? Don't forget to make a SM request. The flight is very long so take a pillow with you. You'll need it espcially for the return flight which is usually during the night.

You don't have to book for Bona Vista as you can just have cocktails or a glass of wine.

I would also suggest that you try Mexican food during your trip.

Don't forget to visit the 3 shops that I mentionned at Beverly Hills as they are amazing.

Will get back to you for SFO and LAS.
 
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Aery: Do not forget that when you go shopping in Los Angeles to have plenty of reusable bags with you, as there is now a ban on single use plastic bags in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, LA County, Culver City and I can't remember where else. Just be safe and use reusable bags. This is where the fold-up Chico bag I sent you will come in handy. :p

My favorite shop in Beverly Hills is actually Geary's. They've been in BH since 1930 and, surprisingly for a Beverly Hills institution, have gifts for every budget. Their main shop is actually on Beverly Dr. (their Rodeo Dr. shop is dedicated to Rolex), so don't feel bad if you don't get to visit this place.

BUT...one place you MUST find the time for is this: http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/

Even if you only browse and don't buy anything, you'll get an adrenaline rush knowing that every single item in the shop is animal-free and cruelty-free. :) And, as the website says, they ship worldwide if you decide to order from them after you get back home. :D

They're in Pasadena, which is a little far out from West Hollywood, so if you don't rent a car, I think you can take the subway from WeHo to Pasadena. If you want to make a day of it, there's the Norton Simon, a first-class art museum (most people who watch the Rose Parade will see the floats pass by it on Colorado Blvd.), plus Real Food Daily has a location in Pasadena. Plus, as shyvas mentioned, Old Town Pasadena.
 
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If I ever go to California I want to see Sausalito.

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Delete. Double post. Tapatalk has been weird with no delete option again.
 
My sister and I were in Sausalito in 2005. I don't recall any vegan-friendly restaurants or cafes there; as it's a seaside town, they have seafood restaurants. But that was 9 years ago, so it may have changed since then.

In that same trip, we also went here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_Woods_National_Monument And if you get a chance, I highly recommend it. It's a seriously awesome (that is, full of awe) place to visit and feel close to nature. If you do go, as I recall, the cafeteria at that time wasn't really vegan-friendly, so you might want to eat first or bring something with you. I also suggest joining a guided tour.

I dunno if you'll have the time, but if you're interested at all in the history of Los Angeles, you can also visit this place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Fernando_Rey_de_España so then you can say you visited an historic California mission. You can also visit this place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olvera_Street

ETA: I just had another thought. If you and your new hubby are brave enough, I can take the two of you to lunch at an all-vegan Ethiopian restaurant in the mid Wilshire district. I've had Ethiopian food before and it's quite an interesting culinary experience. :)
 
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