Escaping L.A. for LA!
Skyview Hotel, Los Alamos. Photography By Linda Hosmer
You're in Los Angeles, work's killing you, your commute is draining your decency and you just need to peace out. Enter Los Alamos, California to the rescue. For years we've dipped into this tiny town, to unwind and drink wine with our friend Vanessa over at Muni Wine (btw their wine labels are amazing - you'll want to stock up for dinner parties). Muni’s cute wine bungalow sits on the front porch of The Alamo Motel. It's 150 miles from our home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. I'm giving you miles because we all know traffic can impact your drive time. But in all reality it should take you no more than 3 hours to get there, so a weekend trip is totally doable.
Ok back to Los Alamos we go! So the main reason we've always loved coming here is simple: the people are super nice, it's small and that means it's manageable so you won't feel like an overwhelmed traveler sweating over your chaotic "never gonna happen" to do list. This is a real "you have no choice but to relax" kind of getaway. You can walk or ride a bike to get to where you need to be!
Skyview, Los Alamos. Photography by Linda Hosmer.
This time we stayed at the shiny new Skyview. It was a last-minute booking on the Hotel Tonight app and was a bargain at a $130 for the night. What this hotel offers up: a picturesque pool, a hip restaurant/bar onsite called Norman and then finally I gotta talk about the rooms. They're simple and have a beautiful layout. But what we really enjoyed was having our morning coffee on the deck right outside the check-in area. We just stared at the golden brown hills that always remind me of hash browns for some reason (mmmm food). Life is good here in Los Alamos.
Bodega, Los Alamos. Photography by Linda Hosmer
Now let's move on to where to drink and eat. First stop is Bodega. Just a heads up, you're going to want to move into this little wine spot. It's minimal and the little greenhouse in the back is just the sweetest and gets all the heart eyes from me. So definitely stop in here for a drink or two and just sit back and soak in the sun (or the rain - we actually spent a rainy Valentine's Day here once and it was perfectly cozy). But if you’re in the mood for good conversation and knowledgeable perspective on the area and how it’s changed then definitely pay Stephan Bedford a visit over at Bedford wines. For a new kid on the block feel, dip into Lo-Fi Wines for a tasty Gamay as make your way down the few blocks that make up this little town.
But remember you can’t drink too much wine without filling up on some delicious meals. Food places are a plenty here from Plenty on Bell to Pico to Bell’s (formerly Jamie Gluck’s Bell Street Farms). When the Bell’s switch first took place we were hesitant but that was a poor instinct because within seconds new owners Daisy and Greg Ryan shut our doubts down with an AMAZING lunch and now we’re lifers. Then there’s the ever so popular Bob’s Well Bread - this place should be your first stop in the AM. The coffee’s great, the baked goods are phenomenal and the vibe is just right. Bob’s also sells plenty of pantry goodies like apricot-habañero jams (DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT IT) and Whalebird Kombucha growlers from San Luis Obispo (realllly good + $3 for the bottle and $11 refills).
All in all Los Alamos is the relaxing getaway we all deserve when the other L.A. gets a little too heavy. Escape and enjoy!
