To Live and To Die in Los Angeles (In Just 72 Hours)

Ever since I was a little girl (probably about when I was introduced to Keeping Up With The Kardashians), visiting Los Angeles has held the top spot on my bucket list. This summer, I got to cross it off. 

My mother and I headed west in August for a 72-hour whirlwind trip. We booked just one weekend in LA and I was going to see all of LA in that 72 hours, even if that meant getting zero sleep. My poor mother was sick with pneumonia, hence “to die in Los Angeles”. To make the tour a little less hectic, I found in Hollywood where I could hop onto the famous Red Bus that would give me the most detailed tour. 

We first made our way to Hollywood Boulevard where we saw the Hollywood Walk of Fame and jumped aboard the Red Bus. The Red Bus then took us all over Downtown Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica. 

On the bus I was able to see the eight-story shopping mall, the Beverly Center, and Rodeo Drive, a high-end shopping district famous for designer shops such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Jimmy Choo. One of my favorite stops was the hipster Melrose Avenue where I was able to take pictures in front of the Instagram-famous Pink Wall and visit the Melrose Market, where hundreds of artists and thrifters come together to buy and sell their creations. One of our last stops was the beautiful Santa Monica Pier. 

WE SAW ALL OF THIS IN ONE DAY. 

Because of my and my mother’s guilty pleasure of watching the Kardashians every Sunday evening, it was only right that we made our way to Calabasas, where the Kardashians live. That being said, our first stop on day two was the restaurant Health Nut. If you’ve ever watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians on E, you may have noticed that the sisters are always eating the same salad. They have even been credited for the famous  “salad shake”. I thought that the perfect lunch on our day in Calabasas would be the Kardashian Salad from Health Nut (Yes, I did the salad shake). After a healthy lunch, we drove around the hills and were completely awestruck by the celebrity mansions. 

Unfortunately, I was not able to Keep Up with the Kardashians, so my mother and I headed back for the day to prepare for our last day in California. I had two goals for my last day.  That was to see the Hollywood sign and to try In-N-Out Burger for the first time. We did both and both exceeded my expectations. The Hollywood sign was massive and iconic to see in person and In-N-Out was to die for. 

After the 72 hours in Los Angeles, you can probably guess that I was exhausted. However, I wasn’t ready to go home. I would have stayed there forever if I could have. Los Angeles was better than I could have ever imagined. Being able to pretend I was Kim Kardashian for three whole days– nothing can beat that. I was able to vlog the entire trip so that everyone can experience it with me. However, the videos do not do the trip justice. 

I would suggest to everyone that you must visit Los Angeles if you haven’t already before. Even if you can only find a weekend to do so, I proved to you that you can see all things Cali in just 72 hours. 

I left California inspired. If you have even the smallest desire, I urge you to book your plane tickets, hop on board the Red Bus, and get inspired in Los Angeles. But for now, click the link for my video and enjoy the experience with me. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_cXPVTEQBs&t=40s

xoxo, Madison Hursh 

• california
• Downtown Los Angeles
• travel