I’m back.
Actually, I got back from Los Angeles on Friday night and have since been poorly readjusting to the time change.
On a whole, the trip was good. The convention went well and work was cake and the last few days were superbly relaxed.
In between work, Eric and I had the nights to bum around the city with my coworkers. We explored downtown L.A., which to be honest, I wasn’t very fond of. Naturally, the city is centered on businesses, so most restaurants and bars closed by 11 p.m., so there was minimal nightlife in proximity to our hotel. I was also surprised by the distance between each bar or restaurant. Unlike Milwaukee where you simply walk across the street or next door to the next bar or eatery, in downtown L.A. you had to walk a couple of miles to and from each. No joke.
Downtown L.A. was quite dirty and smoggy too, especially in our hotel’s vicinity. That was a bit of a turnoff, but there were some aspects that were very interesting – in particular, the city’s diversity and history. We explored notable neighborhoods such as the fashion, jewelry and financial district. We also hiked several miles to the gaudy yet extraordinary Chinatown and ate some delicious dimsong (or something like that) followed by potent sake in Koreatown.
Additionally, my coworkers, Eric and I had the chance to eat at some fine restaurants like the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Wolfgang Puck Cafe along the Universal CityWalk. Unfortunately, on some nights when I worked late, we were forced to either order Pizza Hut to our hotel room or dine on appetizers at the hotel bar, which left much to be desired.
On our actual vacation, Eric and I explored Hollywood, which was awfully disappointing. While it was cool to see Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theatre, that part of Hollywood proved to just be a tourist trap where everyone was out to get a buck from unsuspecting sightseers. That didn't completely mar our visit, though.
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