Many students find summer break to be a great opportunity to head down to Florida to relax on the beach, or to New England for a college tour. This summer, consider a different approach, with a trip to beautiful and sunny Los Angeles. Here’s how I spent my spring break there:

Wednesday, 5 a.m:
On Wednesday Mar. 27 my family and I headed out to Los Angeles to visit my brother and to get away from the abnormal Maryland April snow. After waking up at five in the morning we finally landed at Los Angeles International Airport around noon local time. We got out rental car and quickly headed to Tsujita LA, a ramen noodle restaurant.

Wednesday, Noon:
The restaurant sits about fifteen minutes away from the airport in West Los Angeles where we arrived to a line out the door. Normally I would be very upset with a line but waiting in the 75 degree sun with a light breeze was not a bad compensation. I ordered the Ramen with bamboo shoots, spring onion, and extra noodles. The broth was delicious, rich and refills on noodles and broth were available for just $1.50.
The London Hotel was great and was conveniently located off of Sunset Blvd., not too far from the famous sights. Every morning there was a delicious complimentary breakfast in the downstairs restaurant with an impressive buffet with a variety of options from chocolate croissants to a juice bar.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.:
Wednesday night we headed to a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles called Bäco Mercat. I had the Coca, a flatbread with several topping options including smoked jalapeno, merguez ragu, and feta cheese. After almost falling asleep at the table at 8:30 from jetlag, Bäco Mercat kept me awake.

Thursday, 8 a.m.:
The next day we took things slow and made our way to Pasadena. There, we drove around Cal Tech, one of the nation’s finest universities. For all of you math and science experts who are looking for an outstanding college, Cal Tech’s campus was very impressive and architecture is very neat as well.

Thursday, 2 p.m.:
Next, we went to the Huntington Library. The 120 acre botanical garden features specific regional gardens from Australia, Japan, and China too. The weather was amazing as usual and was perfect for walking around the grounds. I highly recommend a trip to the Huntington Library if you have free time on a beautiful day.

Friday, 8 a.m.:
The next day we made the two-hour drive out to Palm Springs, California to stay for the night. Prepare to be surrounded by dust, cacti, and mountains. The resort we stayed at was fun and had a golf course and multiple pools. Luckily, I had the opportunity to hit a few balls on the driving range for a half hour looking up at the mountains and sunset.

Friday, 7 p.m.:
That night we drove into the downtown and ate at Workshop Kitchen and Bar. Here, I highly recommend sharing dishes for the table. Among the dishes we had that I enjoyed include the Brussels Sprouts, Farro Risotto, and shaved Fennel Salad.

Saturday, 9 a.m.:
The next day before our trip back to Los Angeles to spend our second to last day, we drove through Joshua Tree National Park. Normally, I never like anything to do with nature or national parks but Joshua Tree swayed my opinion. The scenery is breath-taking and I made sure to take plenty of photos.

Saturday, 8 p.m.:
The last night in Los Angeles we went to Beverly Hills and ate at a nearby restaurant called Picca Peru. This restaurant is a must-do if you can get a reservation since it is one of the hotter restaurants in the city. My main recommendations would be the Pollo Saltado, the Tricolore Causa, and especially the Chocolate Bombas for desert which are outstanding.

Sunday, 1 p.m.:
The next day we had to have one more great meal so we went to a restaurant in an old IHOP location called A-Frame. The restaurant was outstanding and was a great lunch place but is mainly known for dinner. Chef Roy Choi was recently featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show on CNN.

Sunday, 5:30 p.m.:
Flying over the beach after taking off was difficult to leave and arriving home to 40 degree weather at 1:30 AM was no fun. Los Angeles is a great city (minus the traffic) with plenty to do. If you are dying to go to college on the west coast, don’t hesitate to send a few applications to USC, UCLA, or even Cal Tech. Los Angeles has plenty of sights, amazing food, and local get-aways for a family or even an individual in just five days. If you have time this summer I highly recommend making the trip out there.