Hellooo party people! I can say that now because I am finally legal! I turned 21 on July 21, 2019 and spent the day in Los Angeles with my mom. This summer I am living and working in Long Beach, California and had the weekend off, so my mom flew out to spend it with me! We took a day trip to Catalina Island, went on a Malibu Wine Safari, and explored LA!
Day Trip To Catalina Island
My mom picked me up early this morning and drove us to the Pike in Long Beach for some early morning shopping before catching the 11 am ferry to Catalina Island. Santa Catalina Island is famous for its tile in downtown Avalon, the Chicago Cubs, and Step Brothers! Catalina Island was once owned by Mr. Wrigley himself, which explains why the team hosted their Spring Training on the island for over 30 years. Also, if you’ve seen the movie Step Brothers, you will for sure know of the famous Catalina Wine Mixer scene… well this was filmed here!
The first thing we did upon arrival to Catalina was a tile making class! Catalina is known for its hand-crafted tiles and if you know my mom, you know that she is gifted when it comes to crafting, so this was the perfect activity for us.
We spent the afternoon shopping in downtown Avalon, checking out the local beach and casino. The highlight of our day was renting a golf cart and cruising around! We drove up to Mt. Ada and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the coastal town below. We had a delicious seafood dinner and ice cream before hopping on the hour-long ferry back to Long Beach.
I went out with my coworkers in downtown Long Beach after midnight to officially ring in 21! It was so fun!
Birthday Celebrations & Malibu Wine Safari
The big day! My mom picked me up this morning and drove us north to Westlake Village for a morning of pampering. We got pedicures and I had my first visit to Drybar!
Drybar
Drybar is a styling salon known for blowouts named after fun cocktails. I chose to have the Cosmo done and was able to enjoy a mimosa while getting my hair professionally curled! Not a bad way to start the day!
Malibu Wine Safari
At 2 pm we arrived at Malibu Wine Safaris, situated in the picturesque Santa Monica mountains. I saw a video of the Malibu Wine Safari on Facebook and thought it would be such a fun thing for my mom and I to do on my 21st! We drove around in a safari jeep with an awesome group and a hilarious guide, stopping along the way for several tastings and to feed animals!
We had both reds and whites and drank in the jeep between stops. This presented a challenge on the two large, steep hills that our driver chose to speed down as fast as she could, but we still had a blast!
Aside from the wine tastings, we fed several animals on the safari, including two zebras named Zebrina the Teenage Witch and Justin Zieber! We also fed lettuce to four llamas named Michelle and Barack Ollama, Llama Del Rey, and Kendrick Llamar! We also saw Stanley the Giraffe and several bison.
Once our safari was over we spontaneously decided to drive by the Bachelor mansion since it was only 5 minutes away. My mom and I are big fans!
Dinner In West Hollywood
From there we drove back into the city and ate dinner in West Hollywood, a fun and “hip” area filled with themed bars and restaurants. Pump restaurant is owned by Lisa Vanderpump and has such a cool aesthetic. My mom and I sat on the back patio which was beautifully decorated with colorful cushions, chandeliers, and candles. Their drink menu was insane and my food was so good! Our waiter brought out chocolate lava cake with sparklers in it for my birthday dessert, which was also to die for.
I spent the night with my mom in her hotel room – talk about a staycation! It was exactly what I needed after a busy weekend (and a 3 hour sleep the night before!).
Thank you so much to my family and friends for all the birthday love! Even though I was away from home, I felt so loved from all the birthday wishes. I can’t wait until I am home for good in August and can celebrate again with my family and friends! And thank you Mom for being the best travel buddy and making this birthday the best one yet! If you and Dad didn’t put me on that plane when I was just 10 months old, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
PS. Check out this guide if you’re looking for more places to celebrate your 21st birthday!
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