I don't disclose too much about my family life here, but if any of you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that my husband is in the U.S. Navy. That means that we are separated for long periods of time when his ship sets out to sea, which it did in January. I roll with these deployments pretty well, but I admit, with a very active almost-five-year-old at home, it's exhausting. And lonely. I miss him as a co-parent, but mostly as a partner. The fact that he's not here to be both of those for me weighs heavily, more than I'm sometimes willing to admit.
Who is clued in to that fact more than anyone? My mom. She has always read me so well. So when she called up one day, offering to come to San Diego from Chicago to stay with my daughter for a few days so that I could escape from reality, I accepted. And I cried. That happens a lot when I talk to my mom - she taps into my emotions so well.
So she arrived - and after my daughter practically shoved me out the door, excited for her time with grandma - I headed to Los Angeles. I chose LA for my destination because it was such a pleasant surprise after our last visit (documented here) and because there were things I wanted to see and do that weren't exactly kid-oriented.
The enjoyment I experienced as part of my getaway was really shaped by where I stayed. The LINE Hotel was my home away from home for the weekend, and what a treat it was. If you know me, you know my style leans minimalist and modern, so this hotel was a perfect match for me.
My king room at The LINE Hotel - perfectly modern, perfectly minimalist.
And who doesn't love a great city view - especially if you get to look out over the Hollywood Hills. Spot the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign?
This room was an oasis - a place where I could be alone and in complete charge of my own time. But again, if you know me, you know I don't sit still well. So first I headed to explore the gorgeous hotel spaces, of which there are plenty.
After my wander through the hotel, I hit up some hotspots in Koreatown, home to The LINE. I loved Koreatown for its pure urban quality - strip malls next to old Art Deco buildings next to 1980s high-rises next to historic residential architecture. But the best thing was the food. And The Golden Pouch was my favorite stop. Basically a permanent food truck, they serve the most glorious dumplings I have tasted in ages. Ten in an order? No problem - I ate them all.
And if you are looking for Korean BBQ, check out Chapman Plaza. It mixes fantastic architecture with some great food.
My post-dumpling destination was the Marciano Art Foundation, which I decided to walk to. This ended up being a real treat, since a stroll down Wilshire introduces you to a lot of great architecture. My favorite was the Los Altos apartments, where this gorgeous courtyard drew me in.
The generous property manager allowed me to take a few photos and gave me a little historical background on the property - apparently Bette Davis and William Randolph Hearst once called this place home!
From there, it was on to the museum, which was such a revelation to me - what an incredible space with the most fascinating art installations. The Marciano Art Foundation is now one of my favorite spaces in Los Angeles.
I ended my evening back at The LINE, again feeling decadent while enjoying room service and watching this view as the sun went down. Thank you to The LINE for partnering with me on this getaway; you were a total gem! And thank you to my mom for giving me the break I so badly needed.
