Our Santa Monica + LA Getaway: 49ers Football, Jimmy Kimmel & More
Sky and I LOVE a quick Southern California trip, especially because it gives us an excuse to see my little brothers who live in Fountain Valley. We try to see them whenever we are down there, even if I have once again planned approximately 900 other things for us to do while we are visiting. 😂
This was definitely one of those trips. We stayed in Santa Monica, went to a 49ers game at SoFi Stadium, watched Harry Potter on a rooftop in Downtown LA, went to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel where we saw Halle Berry and Mike Tyson, somehow got an Old Dominion performance thrown into the mix, and finished everything off with dinner with my brothers.
Basically, we fit A LOT into a couple of days.
Staying at Shore Hotel in Santa Monica
For this trip, we stayed at Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, which was such a fun place to use as our home base. I love staying around Santa Monica because you get the beach and that quintessential Southern California feeling, but you are still close enough to head into LA for everything else we wanted to do.
Admittedly, we were not exactly on a “hang out at the hotel all day” kind of vacation. Between football, Hollywood, family, and everything else I had planned, we were moving around quite a bit. But I loved being able to come back to Santa Monica at the end of the day and have a completely different vibe from being in the middle of LA.
It also worked out perfectly for Monday night because we ended up having dinner right in Santa Monica with my brothers before wrapping up our visit.
Sunday: 49ers vs. Rams + Harry Potter on a Rooftop
Sunday was our BIG day. We headed to SoFi Stadium that afternoon to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams, and this was one of the things we were most excited about when we planned the trip. Sky and I love going to sporting events when we travel, so getting to see the 49ers play in Southern California was such a fun one to check off the list.
And SoFi Stadium is INSANE. Even before the game starts, walking into that stadium is an experience on its own. We spent the afternoon there watching the game and taking everything in before heading off to our next activity because apparently one major event in a day was not enough for me. 😂
That night we went to Rooftop Cinema Club in Downtown LA to watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Watching Harry Potter outside on a rooftop in Los Angeles was obviously right up my alley, and it was such a fun change from a normal movie night. We had headphones for the movie, got settled in outside, and ended what had already been a very full day watching one of my favorite movies under the LA sky.
Football followed by rooftop Harry Potter is honestly a VERY solid Sunday.
Monday: Jimmy Kimmel + A Surprise Old Dominion Performance
Monday afternoon we headed to Hollywood for a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which was probably one of the coolest experiences of the entire visit. I have always thought it would be fun to see how one of these shows is actually filmed, and we ended up with a pretty incredible guest lineup too.
Halle Berry and Mike Tyson were both on the show that day, so we got to see them in person while watching everything happen behind the scenes. There is something really fun about seeing a show you are used to watching on TV and realizing how much is going on in the studio that you never see from your couch.
Then, after the taping, we also got to see Old Dominion perform. I mean... what?! 😂 Somehow our random Monday afternoon turned into Jimmy Kimmel, Halle Berry, Mike Tyson AND an Old Dominion performance. I will absolutely take it.
Dinner With My Brothers in Santa Monica
After Jimmy Kimmel, we headed back toward Santa Monica and met up with my little brothers for dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. They live in Fountain Valley, so whenever Sky and I are in Southern California, I really try to make sure we get to see them at some point.
We had packed so much into Sunday and Monday that it was nice to finish the evening just hanging out with them over dinner. And because we were staying in Santa Monica, it worked out perfectly to spend the rest of the night there instead of adding another giant adventure to the schedule.
I know... very unlike me. 😂
Our Southern California Getaway
Looking back at everything we squeezed in, I genuinely don’t know how we did all of this in such a short amount of time. We stayed in Santa Monica, watched the 49ers at SoFi Stadium, saw Harry Potter on a rooftop in Downtown LA, went to Jimmy Kimmel, saw Halle Berry and Mike Tyson, caught an Old Dominion performance, and still got to spend time with my brothers.
Was it the most relaxing vacation we have ever taken? Absolutely not. Was it VERY on brand for the way I plan trips? Unfortunately, yes. 😂
But these are honestly some of my favorite trips with Sky. I love getting to mix the bigger experiences we plan ahead for with random things that end up surprising us, while still making time to see family when we are in Southern California.
Football, Harry Potter, Hollywood, country music, Santa Monica, and family all in one quick getaway? I’d call that a pretty successful weekend.
xoxo,
Hi, I’m Cait. I love sharing hidden gems, local eats, and fun things to do around Boise. From cocktails and brunch to events and weekend adventures, Boise Socialite is your guide to discovering what makes this city so special.
