๐ Beyond LA: Anaheim & Long Beach
Our third stop on the West Coast trip: Anaheim & Long Beach ๐๏ธโจ We flew into LAX but decided to think outside the box ๐ง ๐ก. After hearing about safety concerns and crazy hotel prices in downtown LA ๐ฅด, we boldly chose to stay in Anaheim โ 26 miles away from the chaos! We booked a hotel in Buena Park ๐จ, just 5.8 miles from Disneyland ๐ฐ โ perfect for theme park lovers! Itโs also located in Koreatown, so we enjoyed authentic Korean food daily (and low-key hoped to spot a K-star ๐โค๏ธ). ๐ Two must-try Korean spots: Jinsol Gukbap (pork soup ๐๐) Hanyang (beef short rib soup ๐๐ฒ) So good we went twice!! We started our mornings with a cool August breeze and headed to the coast ๐โ๏ธ. Visited the peaceful Point Fermin Lighthouse ๐๏ธ and the beautiful Korean Friendship Bell ๐ โ so serene, mostly locals jogging and walking dogs. Felt like a hidden gem ๐ฅน. Also stopped by the LA Waterfront โ stunning views of docked yachts ๐ฅ๏ธโ โ and snapped a quick pic in front of the historic Queen Mary ๐ข๐ธ (in and out of the parking lot in 14 minutes flat! โณ๐). Then we hit Long Beach ๐๏ธ โ way less commercial than Santa Monica, easy FREE street parking ๐คฉ๐, highly recommend! In the afternoon, we explored Anaheim Packing District ๐๐ฎ โ a trendy food hall with tons of options (Chinese, Japanese, Western, you name it!). A bit pricier than expected, but no tip required ๐ . โ Overall, this trip was full of pleasant surprises! Less hustle, more charm โ the real American vibe ๐๐บ๐ธ. #WestCoastRoadTrip #BudgetTravel #USATravel #LongBeach #Anaheim #LosAngeles
