Christmas in Los Angeles
December 17-27, 2018
One of my family’s sweet traditions is to visit LA over Christmas as my entire mom’s side of the family lives there. We weren’t sure if we’d be able to go since Noah is so little. However, with both of us still on leave and the allure of the California sun beckoning, we decided to join our family out west and we are SO glad we did!
At 4am on the 17th, we gathered Noah in our arms to prepare him for his very first flight! We packed his stroller, bassinet, and car seat with us since we planned on doing a lot of walking and driving around in a rental car in LA. We had 2 suitcases, 2 backpacks, the stroller & bassinet bag, the car seat, and of course, Noah to bring. Luckily, we were able to check the 2 suitcases during check-in and then the baby gear at the gate so we only had our backpacks on the flight itself. We wore Noah in a baby carrier to free up our hands.
Noah behaved so well during the flight. We’re so very proud of him! He slept and ate cradled in my nursing cover the entire time. The airplane acted as a giant white noise vibrating machine. A baby’s dream. People say this newborn stage is the easiest time to travel with baby and I would wholeheartedly agree!
On the first day, my Aunt Julia took us on an adventure through downtown LA. For breakfast, we drove to Chinatown for the best dim sum we’ve ever had at Long’s Family Pastry. The shu mai and BBQ pork buns were absolutely divine.
The Angel’s Flight Railway had just recently re-opened. It’s a little trolley ride up or down for $1/person. A fun little ride to ascend the city!
We strolled by the Walt Disney Concert Hall and through the lovely Grand Park. One of our favorite parts of the day was visiting LA City Hall! On the 27th floor, you’re able to experience a panoramic view of the city skyline for free! Amazing :) We also stopped by Grand Central Market for a bratwurst for my grandpa. I’d love to stay and sample more of the amazing eats in the future here.
One day, we stopped by the adorable California Cactus Center in Pasadena. It’s essentially a cactus nursery with the most amazing plants.
Various food adventures pictured below: bubble tea at Au79 Teahouse and Taiwanese food with Stephanie at Monja Taiker,. Their pork was amazing and we each got an entire plate of it with our meal! My cousin, Jeremy, introduced us to a new boba place called Dr. Boba that actually doesn’t use tea. It’s fresh milk with brown sugar & boba. We all LOVED it. I’m already dreaming about going back!
There’s a Hidden Swing at the top of Elysian Park that was so Instagram-able we had to go! We had suspicions on whether it still existed or not as Google Map reviews said the swing was broken and all that remained was a rope you could swing on like Tarzan. However, we took the risk and are so glad we did because the swing was in fact, intact. You have to hike for five minutes up a pretty steep path to find it, but it’s so worth it.
The seat sits pretty high up, so I had to hoist myself on. It is such a breathtaking experience!
For lunch that day, Steven, my sister Eunice, and I went to the Oinkster! My uncle Ozzie had recommended it last year and I had watched a Buzzfeed Worth It video about the place. We decided to try the Oinkster Pastrami (thick cuts of pastrami with red cabbage coleslaw, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese), Belgian fries with garlic aioli sauce, and Ube (purple yam) milkshake. All were unbelievably tasty. It’s a little pricey for “fast food,” but even Guy Fieri has visited so I guess it comes with the territory.
Our food tasting adventure continued with a stop at Again Cafe x Chibiscus Ramen. What a name, right? It’s a cafe by day and transforms into a ramen restaurant at night after 5pm. It had a modern white aesthetic with the most beautiful handcrafted foods. We shared a charcoal waffle (intriguing, eh?) with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. Unbelievable! We also had the colorful O.M.G. specialty drink, which had Thai iced tea, fresh milk, and matcha as well as a Ceylon black iced tea. Everything was delectable.
We walked around Old Town Pasadena in the evening. It has all of my favorite shops like Madewell, Anthropologie, and tons of cute little boutiques for those who love shopping. A Heavenly Couture was having a closing sale, so I picked up a $15 green jacket and a $5 grey blazer. Love! Pasadena’s City Hall had no fewer than five wedding parties taking sunset golden hour photos. So fun to people watch!
On Sunday morning, we drove to Irvine to visit my Aunt Cynthia and join them at Saddleback Church for a message from Pastor Rick Warren. It’s always fun experiencing different church services and the hospitality of its members definitely stood out to us. In addition, they even have a lovely mother’s room, seated couches in the back of the service room for families with babies and even special parking spots for families with babies. Incredible! We have a newfound appreciation for considerations like these after having Noah.
After the service, they had plenty of lovely backdrops for family photos and Christmas refreshments for all! From a hot cocoa bar to towers of desserts and even manufactured soap sud snow falling from the roof outside, this church wasn’t going to let people get away without a “white” Christmas!
For lunch, we went to Panini Kabob Grill for some incredible kabob platters.
Following the meal, we went to the most picturesque place ever. Heisler Park at Laguna Beach. Cactus plants surrounded by vibrant flowers dotted the landscape next to the beautiful blue water. The sun shone brightly, creating the perfect backdrop for family portraits.
Everything is exciting traveling with Noah. For instance, the first time Noah touched the ocean. I think I was way more fearful of the chilly water than he was!
The next day, we had an incredible adventure at Joshua Tree National Park! I’ve always wanted to visit. Because of the government shutdown, there was no one working to collect the normal entry fee of around $30/car. Lucky us! I didn’t know this, but the iconic cactus tree hybrids in the park are actually called Joshua Trees. I wonder what it takes to have a tree named after you?
Lovebirds in the desert, aka my parents :’)
Ladies of the desert (my mom, cousin, sister, and cousin) :)
Lastly, we always have a lot to celebrate around this time of year with one of my uncle’s birthdays right before Christmas and then another uncle’s birthday on Christmas! We celebrated with cakes from Porto’s and JJ Bakery. Always delicious and fun to have a celebration spanning 4 generations this year! This year more than ever, I treasure family time. Especially with us having such a big family, it is such a privilege when everyone is able to get together.
First picture of all of our new immediate family! My parents and their 4 kids + 2 son in laws + first grandchild!
Until next time, Los Angeles! We are so thankful to God for the best Christmas here with family to close out 2018. We wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way and can’t wait for what 2019 has in store!
