Now that autumn has kind of arrived – well, it’s still warm here in LA – maybe you and yours would like to do some day tripping, so why not set out as a Food Explorer close to home? You know what this is like, you’ve been on our Tours!
Tours of any nature may take a (long) while to come back into fashion, so until that day, here is how you can do this on your own with your family or a few friends.
Surely there’s a walking neighborhood you’ve wanted to explore, choose one you are very unfamiliar with but you’ve always been perhaps intrigued by!
If you’re stymied, meditate on it, run the idea by friends, or start with a few that we like –
- Riviera Village in Redondo Beach
- Downtown Manhattan or Hermosa Beach
- Downtown El Segundo
- San Pedro
- Larchmont Village
- Burbank’s Magnolia Street
- Brand Avenue in Glendale
- Even Old Pasadena, some new places have opened since you’ve done our Tour!
- West 3rd Street, just adjacent to our favorite Original Farmers Market
- Downtown Santa Monica
- Pacific Palisades
- Downtown Long Beach
- Claremont Village
- Down Orange County way – Downtown Fullerton, Balboa Island, Old Tustin, Old Town City of Orange, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach
Here are some great tips:
- Social media might be your first go-to resource but please consider touring unplugged as in, don’t have a plan!
- Do a little bit of research to find your way to a destination, but leave social media out of it after that.
- Find a colorful street or neighborhood that you’ve heard or read about, but never visited.
- Set out relatively early, eat a little something before you leave so that you’re still hungry, but not hangry!
- Take water to stay hydrated, very important!
- Trust that your own inner knowing is going to guide you to all of the best places from start to finish.
- Take your camera and even a journal or sketchpad to record your experience, as if you’ve been sent on a special undercover assignment. This is all about unearthing new treasures.
- Be entirely open to what diverse flavors you’ll find all day long, and be on the lookout for places that resonate with you. Many cafes and eateries post their menus, so just go with what feels good and has your preferred price points.
- Eat a different little something all along the way. The child/gourmet/foodie in you knows exactly what it wants to eat and where, so humor them, you’ll be so glad you did.
- During your sojourn, if it feels like fun, open conversations with merchants and store owners / talk to locals. You may just meet someone(s) extremely interesting!
- Do what you can to collect stories along the way; this will make for such a rich experience.
If you’ve never let your instincts be your guide, now is the time. Plan to be surprised!
Find a charming Tea Room or coffee café to spend a little time, in the middle or even at the end of your day’s tasting travels.
Here you can relax over a cup of heaven, musing about the discoveries you’ve made and ideally how pleasantly surprised you’ve been.
A day like this will always lead you to unexpected pleasures, and inspire ideas for similar adventures in the future.
Thank you Olga Popovych, for foto from unsplash.com.
