Los Angeles and San Diego: Where to stay, what to see with Virgin Holidays | Activity Holidays | Travel | Express.co.uk file:///C|/...with%20Virgin%20Holidays%20%20%20Activity%20Holidays%20%20%20Travel%20%20%20Express.co.uk.htm[3/1/2018 11:54:32 AM] HOME NEWS SHOWBIZ & TV SPORT COMMENT FINANCE TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT LIFE & STYLE LOGIN REGISTER Apps Puzzles Horoscopes Shop Paper -1°C CRUISE ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS BEACH HOLIDAYS SHORT & CITY BREAKS TRAVEL NEWS 'They are terrified!' BBC editor reveals Paul Burrell shaken as medium uncovers Putin’s new super nukes threaten 'new Cold War' as Vikings season 5, episode 11: Lagertha's death BBC Breakfast: Dan Walker left red-faced after he Los Angeles and San Diego as you’ve NEVER seen them before: where to stay and what to do VIRGIN HOLIDAYS has launched more than 300 new experiences for travellers to help personalise their holidays and curate bespoke trips. This is your guide of where to go and what to see in Los Angeles and San Diego. Latest videos Jessica Jones season 1 recap: What happened in Jessica Jones season 1? Global Awards 2018: Charlotte Hawkins flashes cleavage as she wows in slashed frock Home Travel Activity Holidays Los Angeles and San Diego as you’ve NEVER seen them before: where to stay and what to do By FELICITY THISTLETHWAITE 12:02, Sat, Oct 28, 2017 | UPDATED: 12:36, Sat, Oct 28, 2017 Accept Cookies By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can find out more by following this link .
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Los Angeles and San Diego: Where to stay, what to see with Virgin Holidays | Activity Holidays | Travel | Express.co.uk
HOME NEWS SHOWBIZ & TV SPORT COMMENT FINANCE TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT LIFE & STYLE
LOGIN REGISTER
Apps Puzzles Horoscopes ShopPaper
-1°C
CRUISE ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS BEACH HOLIDAYS SHORT & CITY BREAKS TRAVEL NEWS
'They areterrified!' BBCeditor reveals
Paul Burrellshaken asmedium uncovers
Putin’s new supernukes threaten'new Cold War' as
Vikings season 5,episode 11:Lagertha's death
BBC Breakfast:Dan Walker leftred-faced after he
Los Angeles and SanDiego as you’ve NEVERseen them before: whereto stay and what to doVIRGIN HOLIDAYS has launched more than 300 newexperiences for travellers to help personalise their holidaysand curate bespoke trips. This is your guide of where to goand what to see in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Latest videos
Jessica Jones season1 recap: Whathappened in JessicaJones season 1?
Global Awards 2018:Charlotte Hawkinsflashes cleavage asshe wows in slashedfrock
Home Travel Activity HolidaysLos Angeles and San Diego as you’ve NEVER seen them before: where to stay and what to do
By FELICITY THISTLETHWAITE12:02, Sat, Oct 28, 2017 | UPDATED: 12:36, Sat, Oct 28, 2017
Accept CookiesBy continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can find out more by following this link.
Virgin Holidays: Los Angeles and San Diego as you've never seen thembefore
When you think of Los Angeles you think of the Hollywood hills,sunshine and the A-list elite - right?
But there’s another side to the sprawling city that could endearyou to the home of celebrity far quicker than the crowds aroundthe Walk of Fame.
Stepping out onto the tarmac at LAX, escaping a drearyautumn in England, the sunshine was like a welcome oldfriend.
Flying Virgin Upper Class was a treat in itself, but theexploration trip truly began after navigating security, picking upour bags and jumping into a waiting SUV.
The palm-tree-lined streets of LA are exactly how they look inall the movies.
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Huge houses swept past as we drove toward our first stop inthe City of Angels: Andaz West Hollywood.
The hotel is on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and isoverlooked by a plethora of eye-waveringly beautiful homes inthe hills.
The staff, when pushed, point out Johnny Depp’s palatial padand the Chateau Marmont next door - a star-spotting hot spot.
Effortlessly cool, the hotel oozes the laid-back attitude LAembodies from the off.
A glass of wine as you check-in? Yes please.
The hotel manager, Henning Nopper, has been part of theHyatt family since 1999 when he worked as a BanquetManager at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle.
And it’s clear his enthusiasm for the job isn’t waning yet as hepersonally introduces the group to his award-winning team.
Nopper fills me in on the heritage of the hotel over a lobster rollor two. Famously, he tells me, room 1015 was where RollingStones guitarist Keith Richards chucked a TV out the window in1972.
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East LA street food tour
Sisters Lisa and Diane Scalia came up with Melting Pot FoodTours back in 2008.
They, like many true Los Angelians, worried tourists coming tothe city were missing out on the wonderfully rich culture andstreet life happening in East LA.
The tour starts in Boyle Heights: a neighborhood of almost100,000 residents east of Downtown.
If you Google the area as an outsider, it might sound scary.Headlines slamming anti-gentrification and condemnation of“outsiders” are top of the search.
But behind the headlines are real people fighting to make aliving. And what Lisa and Diane are trying to do is help thosepeople help themselves by showing off the best of the bestfood, drink and culture in the area to tourists who wouldn'tusually venture out this way.
We take the tour a matter of weeks before Día de Muertos -Day of the Dead - a huge celebration in Mexico.
The streets are lined with painted skulls, pictures of Frida Kahloand incredibly intricate clothing to celebrate the Mexicanancestral holiday.
Submerged into the heart of the community as we take part inthe walking-eating tour, it’s clear the sisters are close friendswith hundreds of members of the neighbourhood.
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Armed with plenty of Frida Kahlo portraits and full of deliciousfood, the sisters decided it was time to take the group to LA'sOriginal Farmers Market.
A landmark “unlike any other in southern California”, they say.
Artisan butchers, bakers, LA’s finest cheese counter and evenan international spice merchant endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.
A corned beef sandwich with pickle was first on the menu fromMagee’s Kitchen. As history would have it, Blanche Mageethought farmers heading to the market to sell their goods mightlike to have lunch. So she filled a picnic hamper and startedfeeding them.
On the Farmers Market website it reads: “Today, folks still lineup for outstanding roast or corned beef, tempting turkey andmarvellous ham platters.”
Then it was time for a beer at E.B’s Beer and Wine bar -named after Market founder Earl Bell Gilmore.
Sadly, that’s where Lisa and Diane left the tour after a long dayof food tasting and a second-to-none guided tour of ‘real’ LosAngeles.
Los Angeles and San Diego: Where to stay, what to see with Virgin Holidays | Activity Holidays | Travel | Express.co.uk
Virgin Holidays: Los Angeles is a city easy to get lost in
Where to eat in LA?
Dinner at Rossoblu in Downton LA was like stepping over thethreshold into the world of the Kardashians.
The LA you see in the movies was right here in the quiet, darkstreets of Downtown Los Angeles - an ‘up-and-coming’ trendyarea.
Fairy lights adorn the Instagram-ready garden outside while theinside is every bit as Sex and the City as you can imagine.
Raw wood and slate were paired with casual leather seat butthe most exquisite glassware. It was clear the venue has triedto appeal to the luxury laid-back LA lifestyle.
The meal was incredible with a mixture of pastas, meats andimpressive fish dishes like a stream to our table.
San Diego
The next day it was time to leave the hustle and bustle of A-listheavy LA behind and head for the quiet, arty shores of SanDiego.
On the road trip down to the city we stopped off at Temecula
Los Angeles and San Diego: Where to stay, what to see with Virgin Holidays | Activity Holidays | Travel | Express.co.uk
Virgin Holidays: This view, from Kona Kai Hotel in San Diego, wasexquisite
Where to stay in San Diego?
The Kona Kai Resort and Spa is a small nugget of tranquilityand calm in a city that has plenty of restaurants and bars tokeep any tourist craving the busy life going.
Set on the Kona Kai Marina, every room has an impressiveview of the hundreds of boats moored up.
Watching the sun set on the beach at one of the many gas-litbonfires is a highlight of the resort.
What to do in San Diego?
A visit to San Diego wouldn't be complete without dropping inon Moniker General and Liberty Public Market.
Ranked one of the Top 20 food halls in the US, you simplyhave to stop off and enjoy the Mess Hall Bar, Grape Smugglerwine and tapas bar, and Pi Pizza Bar, dishing out Roman-stylepie by the foot.
Still not full? Head down to La Jolla and drop into Galaxy Taco.Headed up by celebrity chef Trey Foshee, the restaurant payshomage to Mexican culture and cuisine.
Travellers looking for something a bit different, head down toYou & Yours Distilling Co.
Positioned in downtown’s East Village the distillery has awonderful tasting bar where you can try out the vodka and gin.
You & Yours Distilling Co. also provides weekend tours,distiller-led educational programs and tastings.
Los Angeles and San Diego: Where to stay, what to see with Virgin Holidays | Activity Holidays | Travel | Express.co.uk
only accommodation and then a further three nights at theKona Kai Resort and Spa in San Diego, all for £1295 perperson.
The price is based on two adults travelling and includes carehire and all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which aresubject to change. Virgin Holidays is a member of ABTA and isATOL protected.
To book:, 0344 557 3859 or visit one of our individual retailstores or one of the 110 stores located in Debenhams andHouse of Fraser stores nationwide or visitwww.virginholidays.com
Melting Pot food tours start from £45 per person. Wine tastingsin Temecula start from £20 per person.
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