BEFORE YOU LAND
LA Travel Notes
A few small reminders that'll genuinely save you at least once: outlets, parking, beach closing times, and when golden hour actually hits.
Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.
Key points
- Outlets aren't always cheapest; check the brand sites first
- After you park, tap "Save parking" in Google Maps
- Some beach lots lock at night, so watch the closing time
- Sunset isn't golden hour, so leave earlier
Full text
③ Outlets aren't always the cheapest
Lots of people rush to the Citadel the minute they land. For a lot of brands, though, website sales, Nordstrom Rack and Bloomingdale's Outlet are actually better deals.
④ Google Maps' saved-parking feature is super handy
After you park, tap 'Save parking.' Especially in Santa Monica, DTLA and West Hollywood; it's saved me more times than I can count.
⑤ Watch the beach lot closing times
Some beach parking lots lock their gates at night. It's not that your car won't start; it's that your car can't get out. Check the closing time before you go.
⑨ Sunset isn't the same as golden hour
Lots of people look up the sunset time and only head out then. But the best light for photos is usually 40–60 minutes before sunset, especially in Malibu, Venice and at El Matador.
⑩ Stop staring at the rankings
My biggest to-go after all these years: top-ten lists take you to the popular spots, but what really makes you remember LA is usually a coffee shop you wandered into, a walk along the ocean, or an afternoon with nothing planned.
An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).