A Day In LA

There's nothing more fun that going to LA on the last Friday of any month, and shopping at the California Mart in downtown Los Angeles.  That's just what I did with several friends on the last Friday in January.  We left Carlsbad at 7am and arrived at our destination at 9am.  Not bad time on the 5 freeway.  There are now two buildings housing the hundreds of showrooms that sell every sort of clothing, including lingerie, bridal gowns, men's suits, childrens' clothes, accessories, gifts, and women's clothing.  Since the days that I went there four or five times a year they have added another building.  There is so much to see, you've got to have a plan.

Many shoppers come with suitcases.  We just had bags, which were fine for what we bought.  This was more of an exploratory trip for us.  We plan to go again in about six months, now that we've got the hang of it and know what to expect.  Bring cash.  That's the only currency the showrooms will accept.  My big find of the day was a handbag for $10.  It's dark grey.  I love it.  Everyone came away with several things, but after 2 1/2 hours of shopping, we were exhausted.  Even our savvy shoppers Trish, Fran and Jean, had to call it quits.  But we'll all be back another day for more shopping and fun.  Many sizes are available, but most common are small and medium.

Of course we had to eat, so we headed a few blocks north to the Grand Central Market.  It's been there for decades, but has recently been upgraded, and has attracted more upscale booths, like Wexler's Deli  (delicious), and EggSlut, the newest sensation for breakfast in downtown LA.  The wait for lunch at EggSlut was an hour!  I ate at Thai Street Food, as did Christie.  We had delicious pad Thai noodles.  Trish ate at a Mexican stand and did not love her meal, and Fran and Jean  at Wexler's Deli.  Grand Central Market is a great place for people watching, and also a great place to buy herbs and spices and cheap produce.  We had a wonderful lunch, and were back on the road at 1:30, just in time to avoid Friday afternoon traffic.  We were home at 3:20.  A great day with great friends, and we all got some pretty good bargains too.