Category Archives: california

cali desert calling!

prepare yourself, Palm Springs

i’m not usually all that spontaneous – i’m really more of a planner. BUT when my travelin’ pal, Leah, started pleading with me to reconsider going to Palm Springs this upcoming weekend, i decided to throw caution to the wind! after all, i had points to put toward the plane ticket and have graciously been invited as a guest of the kind Mrs. O Around the World. how could i say NO?! we three ladies have a similar passion for travel and living the good life. i know we will relax, laugh & enjoy each other’s company as well as drink & dine in the best of style. Palm Springs, i’m looking forward to seeing all that you have to offer!!

here’s some Palm Springs pinterest pictures to whet your whistle!
BON VOYAGE! XO – lola
ps: only the gin + tonic photo is mine – for photo credit see my pinterest board.

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what do cussing, crudite & california have in common?

oh, the crazy life of lola!

yesterday i found myself poolside at the posh Beverly Wilshire. i know, this isn’t so crazy for lola as i LOVE the sun!

delicious rose by the BW pool

anyway – there i was, enjoying my rose wine and flipping through Los Angeles magazine when who should take a seat right behind my lounger but famous Man vs Wild adventurer, Bear Grylls. i guess this isn’t that crazy either since i am in Los Angeles and star sightings abound here. nevertheless, i thought it was too good of an opportunity to be in such close proximity not to chat up the man. so i did what any clever gal would do and flipped over onto my stomach to sun my backside to make eye contact with him. we chatted about real life stuff – not star stuff. we discussed music genres and various music apps. then it happened! twitter was brought up AND you know how lola just loves the TWITTAH…

well hello mr. grylls

i told Mr. Grylls about being a travel blogger as he finished off the last of my poolside crudite snack. i gave him my business card with my contact details and he said he would check out my blog. i warned him this is not the stuff boy scouts might like to read. no, there wasn’t cussing but there was sassy raciness sprinkled here and there. that hooked him and he stated he would now follow me on twitter too. so there you have it! Bear Grylls, who has over 700K twitter followers and follows just over 100, followed me on twitter! granted it was only for 24 hours!! my site’s google analytics said someone in Beverly Hills checked out my blog. i think the chief scout of 28 million scouts worldwide couldn’t handle the lola heat.

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hollywood or hollywon’t?!

welcome to Hollywood! what’s your dream?

the boa in the city of angels

i’m going Holly’would’ ALL the WAY, baby! 😉

lola quite enjoyed her time in Beverly Hills.  let me just say, if you have the choice, choose this! OMG, i don’t love LA but i could live in Beverly Hills quite happily. i’ll start with the Beverly Wilshire. it’s old school Hollywood glamorous! the building itself is gorgeous and a landmark worth visiting just to see it. the staff was amazing – waiting on me hand & foot – making sure i was satisfied. you know how lola loves the great customer service and attention!!

the beautiful Beverly Wilshire hotel

the whole “hood” of Beverly Hills is spectacular. who couldn’t be wooed by Rodeo Drive and all the beautiful boutique stores? or the expensive, fancy, fast cars parked along the palm-tree-lined streets? everything is perfectly groomed and very clean. it is sooo posh – i could have just died and gone to heaven!

super swanky Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills Bugatti – the most pricey car in the world

i quite enjoyed my little LA tour complete with a visit to Grauman’s Chinese & Kodak theaters. it may be totally touristy but it was fun to find some of my favorite stars hand and foot prints in the cement as well as their stars on the side walk of Hollywood Boulevard. the whole area seemed to be buzzing about the Oscars happening just one week after my visit.

Grauman

Ms. Paltrow

my Hollywood crush – Johnny Depp

i got a kick out of getting close up to the Hollywood sign too. boy, driving up those winding roads was something else! it was interesting to learn the history of the sign (it was just an advertisement for land being sold to build homes) and how Hugh Hefner saved the sign by recently buying up all the land where the sign sits so that it cannot be developed. awww, that Hef is such a softie!

you can find every food imaginable at the farmers market

i also discovered some yummy foodie places and the 3rd & Fairfax Farmers Market – nom, nom, nom for eyes, nose, ears &  belly! in Bev Hills, i recommend Taberna for delicious Mexican (and that’s coming from a native Texan) 😉 AND The Farm of Beverly Hills was fantastic for breakfast (it didn’t hurt to have a star sighting of David Spade while eating my omelette)!

lola loves Beverly Hills!

to be honest with you, there really wasn’t anything that was hollywon’t. well…maybe the terrible LA traffic on the way to the airport but that’s it. looking forward to returning in May, Beverly Wilshire in the ritzy Beverly Hills, it’s the only way to stay! definitely ‘Lola Approved’!!

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lola goes to la-la land

hooray for hollywood!

star power!

sing along with me “california girls, we’re unforgettable, daisy dukes, bikinis on top”

then a hop, skip and a jump over to paradise in the pacific!

don't forget the sunblock

time to get your tan on, lola! trip numero tres is to none other than Los Angeles, CA & Kauai, Hawaii. should be a fun-filled, sand & sun-filled vacay! can’t wait to share my adventures of discovering Hollywood & Hawaii.

see you soon golden & aloha states!

XO – lola

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Early March – boondoggle – Palm Springs, CA

quick jaunt to Cali after Vegas.  perfect recoup opportunity for me!  La Quinta Resort was heavenly and the staff there could not be more helpful or nice. things i would say not to miss – the 5+ mile bike/jogging path that runs along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains – beautiful! AND Adobe Grill’s handmade guacamole – YUM!  the margaritas weren’t too shabby either.

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