I am still shocked by the cost of this trip. It seems I visited during a very busy weekend in Los Angeles. There were multiple concerts and sporting events, the biggest of which was the Jay-Z concert (my reason for flying out). The trouble started when I arrived at the airport. I didn’t anticipate the how busy a weekend it would be so, I did not rent a car in advance. On arrival, I browsed the car rental websites to find that most lots were sold out of vehicles. I had to swallow the $80 Uber charge from LAX to my hotel…
At least my hotel was nice. I stayed in a boutique hotel in a posh area…
Hotel bathroom with gorgeous Scalamandre wall paper.
First stop, fun! After checking into the hotel and decompressing, I headed down to Santa Monica Pier. The Ferris Wheel didn’t allow single riders but, I was able to ride the roller coaster (in the background)…
The coaster was fun. The operator took us around twice since the ride was short and it was a slow night. After the coaster, I changed into my flip flops and walked along the beach. I took the time to get personal with God and ask him for some things (health, success, and a brand new SUV)…
I started day 2 with coffee and a walk in the L.A. sun. I stopped at the trendy Alfred Coffee for an iced coffee with oat milk (no sugar, please)…
Seven dollar coffee, anyone?
After Alfred’s, I walked a few blocks to the famed Erewhon…
I wasn’t particularly keen on buying any treats or smoothies, but, my eyes lit up when I found their health section. They had a lot of quality supplements…
Behold, my $170 Erewhon supplement haul. I returned 2 of the herbal extracts because they were alcohol based. The brain health supplement packets had no effect on me so, those have failed the test. The Salt & Stone shower gel is heavenly (gift cards are appreciated!), and I am still experimenting with the rest of the supplements…
After Erewhon’s, I walked to the park for a 2 mile stroll. While walking, I called my dad for the first time in about a year (long story, will tell!).
After my walk, I went back to my hotel and hung out for a while. I still had a lot of time left before the concert that night so, I went on one of those Hollywood/celebrity homes bus tours (not interesting, wouldn’t recommend)…
Before I talk about the concert, may I digress for a minute…
As I mentioned already, this trip was expensive. I didn’t expect for transportation to cost so much. Generally, Los Angeles has been price-gouging: gas, food, hotels, taxis, taxes, taxonomy, trigonometry! It doesn’t matter: it’s all so bloody expensive! We all need a moratorium on traveling to Los Angeles for 30 years until they lower their cost of living.
Anyway, it was time for me to order an Uber for the concert and my heart nearly stopped when I saw the cost on my app: $102.49 for Uber electric (the stadium was only 6 miles from my hotel). I was trembling with rage. Luckily, my closest and most reliable client of 4 years bailed me out and let me log into his account to use his Uber Black. The funny this is that his rate turned out to be $0.48 higher than mine. I jokingly sent him a text, saying that Uber has been fleecing him for years.
By the way, thank you, my heart, for making sure I got to the Jigga Man concert on time even though you owe me anyway for that thing you said a few months ago and I still haven’t forgiven you but you are making your way back to me slowly but, surely... Thank you.
My client’s Uber Black to the rescue!
The concert was okay. I’m not a super-fan of Jay-Z: I don’t know his entire discography by heart nor his life story in detail but, I know his music reasonably well, even his earliest albums. But, his concert set-list mainly included the hits. There were only a few deep tracks like “Never Change”, which is one of my favorites. But, that’s exactly what I came for: the music from his albums that weren’t singles. In any case, I still enjoyed myself. But, I don’t think I would attend another highly commercialized concert of his again.
I’m back in Atlanta and I do miss the Los Angeles sun. Every day was clear and beautiful. But, it won’t be a city I urgently return to. I hope to prioritize international travel in 2027.