Two Great Spots in LA (Car-Free Solo Female College Student Edition)
School doesn't start until next Monday (Well, actually, it's still orientation week ๐ Haven't been idle these past couple of days, been exploring everywhere, one spot per day (so tired ๐ฅฒ ๐ First Stop: โจThe Getty Centerโจ totally FREE ๐๐ I took the bus there, Route 8 transferring to 761 direct. Remember to make a reservation on the official website first, screenshot your ticket! (Probably okay without one since it's $0, but they check at the entrance ๐ง Walk in, go upstairs, and take the tram straight to the museum! You can grab a map at the info desk first โ I got the Chinese version ๐จ๐ณ Then you can start exploring based on your interests! I spent a solid two hours carefully going through the entire North Pavilion ๐ฎ๐จ For lunch, I bought a turkey sandwich in the courtyard ๐ฅช In the afternoon, I briefly checked out the West Pavilion + the gardens, got a bit tired and headed back. โจYou can't finish it in one day โ definitely coming back more times! โจ ๐ Second Stop: Natural History Museum ๐ฆ๐ฟ I took Bus 14, then transferred to Metro E Line. Got off right at the museum entrance, then bought my ticket at the green ticket booth. I asked the lady, "Can UCLA students get..." (a discount?) Before I could even finish, she said "Of course!" and asked for my student ID. She took a look and said she misheard and thought I said USC! ๐ She said this one's on the house, but next time it'll be $14. (OMG thank you so much!! So kind and beautiful!! ๐ญ๐) Inside I saw massive dinosaur fossils!!! The ones I saw as a kid in science museums were all fake replicas ๐ฅฒ The real thing is just different! Absolutely breathtaking! ๐คฏ Also saw all kinds of animal specimens, fossils, minerals... Seriously, huge respect to all the scientists! ๐ซก The funniest part was the special cat exhibition happening now. You can see cat memes and cat plushies seriously displayed as exhibits ๐คฃ Had a sandwich for lunch on the Ground Floor. (Gotta say, I'm getting pretty tired of eating sandwiches every day ๐ ) In the afternoon, went to the 2nd floor to see birds, Maya exhibits, other animal specimens... On my way out, passed by USC's entrance. Felt like the architecture style was kinda similar to UCLA's (Might check it out another time ๐ Finally, I just wanna say... 1๏ธโฃ Thank you, school! Tapping my student pass is completely free! ๐๐ 2๏ธโฃ If you're also a female college student, don't drive, and want to explore solo... Taking the Bus + Metro is totally doable. Tested it myself, felt safe (even though I was lowkey scared inside... ๐ฅถ Oh, but I only traveled between 8:00-16:00, wouldn't dare go too late ๐ฅฒ 3๏ธโฃ Just like my landlord Alan told me: Every day is a new challenge. It's totally OK if you try something and don't like it. But if you never try anything new, you'll miss out on so many amazing experiences. ๐ซ 4๏ธโฃ But not having a car is honestly pretty inconvenient... Really hope to get my driver's license by the end of this year ๐ช๐ฅน What are your favorite car-free spots in LA? Let me know in the comments! ๐ Any other solo exploring tips? Share them with me! ๐ฅฐ #UCLA #UniversityOfCaliforniaLosAngeles #USC #LA #thegetty #naturalhistorymuseum #MuseumsInCalifornia #LosAngelesTravel