Long time no read, my friends! Where is time going? I can’t believe I last wrote to you in early March, and now April is pretty much done — can’t keep up! But I digress … where did we leave off? That’s right, we were headed to dinner.

My friend and I headed to chic Bottega Louie to get our pasta fix. The vibes, food and cocktails were pretty great, but the service lacked a bit. After dinner, we joined Stephanie’s friends at Shoo Shoo, Baby for some drinks. I loved the ambiance of this bar; the front windows were open and you could feel the cool breeze with a pleasant scent of incense from time to time. The DJ set list was on point, to say the least. If you see me dancing in my seat, the playlist is that good, ha!

We didn’t stay out late as we had an early day ahead of us. Plus, we love a good nighttime routine, am I right? Safe to say our first full day was a success. After breakfast on Sunday, we showered and got ready to conquer the day. The first order of business was picking up the rental car; much to our surprise, we were upgraded to a sleek white Dodge Challenger for the price of an economy car. Already off to a great start!

What’s a road trip without your favorite drink? The second order of business was a quick stop at Starbucks and off to Malibu we went. For a long time, driving up the Pacific Coast Highway was on my bucket list, but I’m glad I didn’t drive and rather admired and enjoyed the amazing views and scenery. We arrived at Zuma Canyon Trailhead before noon and were glad there weren’t many other people at the time.

The trails at Zuma Canyon have the reputation of being the best hikes in Malibu with amazing views of the ocean. The latter is part of the most strenuous hike — takes a few hours to complete the 5 miles — which can offer both a leg-burning workout and peace and solitude. Stephanie and I did the shorter hike in the Zuma Loop Trail, about 2 miles long, and we only gained about 200 feet of elevation. We didn’t get to see the ocean on this route, but the views were just as beautiful. The plan was to head to Carbon Beach after, anyway, so we knew we’d have the chance to bury our feet in the sand and enjoy the smell of the saltwater.

Before we arrived at the beach, we made a pit stop at Malibu Village, where we grabbed takeout from Marmalade Café and made the mandatory Fred Segal visit. We browsed some of the shops and then got back on the road. Luckily, we found a great parking spot by the beach, so we got out of the car, took off our shoes and soaked in the sunshine while enjoying lunch on the beach.

As expected, the water was freezing but just as beautiful as on any hot summer day. I was just feeling grateful to be on the beach in workout clothes in mid-February without being cold. After lunch, I dipped my feet in and out of the water and collected some rocks to add to my collection. The drive back to Downtown L.A. wasn’t as bad as I expected; we rode with our windows down, making air waves with our hands and singing our little hearts out, a.k.a. the epitome of what to do on a girls’ trip.

As this was our last night, we played some music and had some wine while we relaxed back at the hotel before getting ready for dinner. This night, we headed to the Arts District for a quiet dinner at Hearts and Flame — a coastal Mediterranean restaurant led by executive chef Michele Brogi — offering delicate yet flavor-packed dishes and lovely, chic cocktails.

I started off with an espresso martini — as I needed some help staying up at this point — and then we shared oysters as our appetizer, served with lemon and a very subtle but punchy shallot vinaigrette. For my entrée, I tried the pappardelle funghi, ceci e Grana Padano; the dish consisted of beautiful and light homemade pasta ribbons, wild mushrooms and chickpea puree with a flavorful chicken jus. I was tempted to add a protein to this, but am glad I didn’t, as the dish doesn’t need it. I switched to an elderflower spritz to accompany this dish, which somewhat served as my dessert, as well. After dinner we headed back to the hotel, started packing, watched a movie and called it a night. The next morning we grabbed breakfast before heading to the airport to drop off the car and wait for our flight.

Although this trip was two months ago, I’m so glad it was the one that kicked off my 2023 travel season. After that, I went glamping in Hudson, New York; spent 12 days in the Dominican Republic; and just returned from a work trip to Washington, D.C. Which one do you want to read about in my next blog?

— Yasser Ogando, advertising & production manager