If you are staying in the Pasadena area, Old Town Pasadena is a charming and walkable main street with many restaurants, bars and stores.

If you're staying in Pasadena, we would definitely recommend checking out Old Town Pasadena or Lake Street for restaurants, bars and shopping!

Our favorite Pasadena restaurants for lunch/dinner:

-El Portal (Mexican)

-Granville (American with rooftop bar)

-Anayas (Mexican)

-Mercado (Mexican)

-Nick's (Steakhouse)

-Julienne's (Sandwiches/Salads)

-Mike & Anne's (American)

-Cafe Santorini (Mediterranean)

-The Counter (American)

-Craft (American)

Our favorite Pasadena breakfast spots:

-Lucky Boy (classic LA breakfast burritos)

-Marstons

-Cordova Cafe (if you are staying at the Hotel Dena)

-Russell's

Our favorite Pasadena bars:

-Kings Row

-Magnolia House

-Barney's Beanery (Where Leah celebrated her 21st!)

-35er

Other Pasadena favorites:

-Peets Coffee

-Vromans (great family-owned bookstore)

The Rose Bowl is an iconic stadium with a beautiful mountain backdrop and surrounding area. If you are interested in a walk, jog or run, the path around the stadium is a 3 mile loop.

The Huntington, located right in Pasadena, has beautiful gardens to walk through, a library and an art museum. They offer tours of the grounds, or you can do a self-guided walk! We would recommend reserving tickets in advance.

For any Parks & Recreation fans, you might recognize Pasadena City Hall as the location used for Pawnee City Hall. This is a short walk away from Old Town Pasadena.

In and around downtown LA, there are a variety of fun rooftop bars with great views of the city.

Among those, we recommend:

-Perch (Downtown)

-E.P. & L.P. (West Hollywood)

-Broken Shaker at the Freehand Hotel (Downtown)

-Rooftop at the Wayfarer (Downtown)

-Rooftop at the Hoxton (including their Peruvian restaurant, Cabra)(Downtown)

A few other unique spots we love:

-Clifton's Republic (Downtown)

-The Library Bar (Downtown)

-Bungalow (Santa Monica)

Inside the Griffith Observatory, you will find a planetarium, telescopes and unique exhibits. Outside, the observatory has an incredible view of the city of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. There is limited parking at the top next to the observatory, but the easiest way to access would be to park at the bottom and walk up. This hike is relatively easy, typically ~1-1.5 miles and takes about 20 minutes.

Looking for an iconic view of the Hollywood Sign? We recommend checking out Lake Hollywood Park!

If you are in town for a longer trip and love a good theme park, we recommend Universal Studios Hollywood! Grab a butter beer in Harry Potter World, take a Studio Tour of their iconic movie lots, and enjoy rides like Revenge of The Mummy, Jurassic World and more.

3rd Street Promenade & Santa Monica Place is an open-air, pedestrian only shopping area that spans 3 blocks. It is located in the heart of Santa Monica with many shops and restaurants to check out.