When I was around three years old, I decided I wanted to be an actress. I worshipped many classic actresses from a young age. I watched Wizard of Oz and learned it wasn’t real but knew I had to be as close to being a part of a magical world as possible in this world.

I remember moving to California as a small child and the drive felt like forever. I had been to Disneyland already and I was very excited to get to live closer so that I could go more. Even though I knew that most of the actresses I idolized as a kid had passed away, some part of me felt closer to them with every mile we drove. We spent a lot of time on boats when I was a kid and I knew we would get more time on the water too. I not only wanted to be an actress, but you could always find me in the swimming pool. I could not wait to swim year-round and live by the ocean. I was just five years old and I already had big dreams of what was to come in my life. Once we moved into our house in Riverside, California, we of course got a house with a swimming pool. The temperature would be in the 40s and I would be outback swimming with blue lips and blue extremities but I was always happiest in the water or by the water.

When I moved back to Colorado to start dividing up my years between the two states, it didn’t take long before I started feeling like I didn’t belong in either place. Southern California was my first love. I developed a taste for flying and traveling young because I would fly between Colorado and California four times a year and spend about half the year in each place. I would study acting in Colorado in many ways and go back to California and live right next to where my favorite movies and tv shows were made, as well as where people I idolized lived. I would sit and wait and hang all of my hopes on a chance encounter with someone who could make my dreams come true. I wasn’t unlike many people in dreaming of being a movie star but I would get so close to it and when I would go to fly back to Colorado, I would feel disappointment and hollow. Not only to have a family so divided and feeling like I was displaced as a result, it was hard to return to Colorado where I couldn’t swim, and a lack of opportunity to act because I didn’t have the internet or know where to go to accomplish any sort of acting. Leaving California was always very hard for me. Not to say it wasn’t hard to leave Colorado and my family and friends there too. I was just always leaving someone it felt like.

I did live there on my own after I graduated high school. Circumstances found me back in Colorado before I moved to New York City (and back to Colorado for the last time). California is in my blood though and it is very much a part of my roots. Los Angeles and surrounding areas still are home to me. I have family and friends there but more than that, SoCal has been one of my best friends and my family almost my whole life now. So going back whenever I get the chance, is many times like a homecoming for me that also reminds me of how much life has changed. Having a bad day at work, or things piling up on me, I could always go to the beach and those feelings would wash away with the waves. Even when I was a kid, I found myself in trouble a lot because I would run into the ocean fully clothed when we weren’t there to spend a day on the beach. The water draws me in the same way people get drawn into food, drinks, or even people they are attracted to. As a child, I truly had no control.

Now that you have heard my connection to SoCal and Los Angeles, here is more information on the travel element. Los Angeles County is built up of many smaller cities such as: Beverly Hills, Universal City, Hollywood, Burbank, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Inglewood, Pasadena, Compton, and many more. There is so much to do in all of these cities and you will spend plenty of time driving between destinations. It isn’t exactly a walking-city and by that I mean that you will want to drive or take a ride around Los Angeles because it takes a while to walk anywhere. Aside from the time it takes to walk anywhere, it can get pretty hot, and isn’t always pedestrian friendly.

If you are looking to go to Disneyland on your Los Angeles vacation, you will want to plan about an hour’s drive to get there and another hour or so back. San Diego can be a couple to a few hours drive south. Northern California is pretty much already its own state. So, just be advised that it takes a while to get around in SoCal.

Air quality is rarely good. You’ve probably heard jokes about the smog in California but between the marine layer, the traffic emissions build up, the smoke from fires that seem nonstop, the dirt being kicked up from the Santa Ana winds (California is very much a desert), and general pollution, the air is pretty thick with a brown hue that is very noticeable. It definitely makes for less than ideal pictures. It can also be off-putting when you actually see it. It is just part of life in LA though.

Traffic is a bit of a nightmare throughout the day. The 405 and the 101 tend to be the worst highways for that but rest assured, you will want to plan a little extra time when planning on driving on any California highway/interstate. There will be areas where you will notice heavier traffic than others. Parking is available almost everywhere but pay close attention to street signs that concern parking because there are plenty of rules around it in the city. Also make sure before assuming parking is free on Sundays, that where you want to park is included in that general rule of thumb. A lot of parking garages can be pretty reasonably priced considering how expensive it can get to park elsewhere. If you do metered parking, do not get a parking ticket. They are very expensive and Los Angeles does not mess around if you don’t pay your parking tickets. It is crucial you pay it in a timely manner if you do get one but I am not even exaggerating on the expensive part if you do get one. It’s best to just mind your meters and not be late.

There are plenty of photo ops around LA. The Griffith Observatory is a great place to see downtown LA, the Hollywood sign, and many other views. Urban Light is located in West Hollywood by LACMA and is an art spot made up of 202 lights from the 1920s and the 1930s. There are spots all around Hollywood in the city where you can see the Hollywood sign from the streets. TCL Chinese Theater is the famous theater for movie premiers. Hollywood Walk of Fame. The La Brea Tar Pits make for interesting photos. There are many more photo-ops to show your friends you were there around the city.

California as a whole is trying to reduce plastics in the environment. This means straws, when given, will typically be paper straws or compostable straws, bags are hard to come by and typically come with an extra charge, bottles should always be recycled but when possible, bring a reusable water bottle and fill it at many water filling stations provided around the city, and so on. It is important to do your part in keeping it clean.

My last trip to Los Angeles was a trip so that we could go to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. If you like Halloween at all, and you like movies, this is a must. There are many haunted mazes to do around the south lot. From Stranger Things (on an actual sound stage), to Ghostbusters, to Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man, to Creepshow, to Walking Dead, to Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and so much more, this is well done and sure to make you jump a time or two. The effects they put into the houses are incredible when you appreciate those kinds of things. Some things to know before you go to HHN: buy the pass that starts at 2 pm if you aren’t going to be there all day and plan on going to HHN after a full day. The 2 pm pass will get you into the part to jump in line to the house you most want to see early. Most rides do shut down early evening on HHN nights. HHN is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights usually starting at 7 pm. Download the Universal Studios App that will tell you wait times on rides and it does have a section for HHN where you can also see wait times on mazes, as well as wait times on rides still open. It is free and very worth checking in to plan your next adventure in the park. Plan lots of walking. The scares will be park-wide during HHN as they do have actors walking around the parks with chainsaws and in costumes to scare the visitors. No flash photography or lights are allowed in the mazes. I highly recommend checking it out if you like Halloween at all at least once.

There are many beaches around Southern California that are worth checking out. Santa Monica has the famous Santa Monica Pier. You also have Long Beach, Huntington Beach (my personal favorite), Venice Beach, Malibu, and many more just within close distance to Los Angeles. Choosing the best beach can be a tough task as they all have a little different scenery. If you are traveling with a dog, please make sure the beach you choose allows dogs as not all of them do. It is important to find the ones that do and please make sure you clean up after your dogs. Depending on what you’re looking for in a beach, it is important to look into which beaches are better for your wishes. Also, plan to pay a bit for parking at the beaches and get there early for good spots. Remember the Pacific Ocean is colder so the ocean air can get pretty cold, so it is important not to just expect it to be perfect beach days year-round. California can certainly get cold and the wind can get very chilly. You may need a jacket depending when you are there and also what time of day. Plan ahead and pay attention to the “Feels Like” line on the weather apps.

There are also many places to hike around Los Angeles. One famous trail takes you up by the Hollywood sign. It goes through Griffith Park. If you like to get out and be active, you can check out the All Trails app for hikes close to where you will be staying, sort by difficulty levels, and see all of the information on the trails.

Whatever you’re intending to go to LA for, there is something to do for everyone. Even if you’re only there for a weekend, there is sure to be something for you to enjoy in Los Angeles. Even I haven’t done everything. It is a good note to make that Hollywood and many parts of Los Angeles are actually not as glamorous as they seem to be on TV. There are plenty of things to remind you that it has its flaws as well.

Packing List: Jackets from September through June are for sure for the nights and mornings too (occasionally through the day). Bathing suits, pre-purchased tickets to activities, Type A or B power adapters, Reusable water bottles, Reusable straw, Your own beach towel, Water proof case for phone and camera, Shoes for walking and beach shoes, Portable power block for recharging

Do: Clean up trash if you see any on the beach, Pay attention to parking signs, Watch the road when driving at all times, Wait for pedestrians to get all the way across the street when driving, Stay far enough behind the car in front of you that they can see you headlights, Expect big lines at all In N Out drive-thrus

Don’t: Litter!, Get parking tickets, Remove animals from their environment just to get selfies with them (not long ago some people took a dolphin out of the water to get selfies with it and it ended up dying)

Transportation: Rental cars, Lyft, Uber, Scooters, Bicycles, Taxis, Bus, Metro, Limo or private driver

Video Notes: Please excuse my poor filming through the mazes. Not only was it dark and I was trying not to trip on the people in front of me, I was trying to keep an eye on my surroundings. Also please forgive the darkness. I did brighten the videos a bit but since they don’t allow you to film with lighting through the mazes (understandable), eyes adjust but cameras do not. It was actually that dark in there which was meant to be scary- and it was. I was not able to get video of too much of the Walking Dead maze. They seemed to have different rules in that one, or someone just didn’t want me filming and they also didn’t have the rules as clearly posted on that one. I was advised my phone needed to be put away. Sadly. I really wanted video of that one.