Your Cart is Empty
Can you believe Humphrey had never been outside of San Francisco Bay Area? So we decided to do a family trip down to Los Angeles.
ROAD TRIP
We could've flown down, but we wanted to make a stop in between to visit our friends. So we drove all the way down via I-5 (as in, not the scenic route), which is a 6 hour drive, not counting stops.
We made a couple stops for potty breaks and was surprised to see most of the gas stations we stopped at (both ways) had a grassy area for pets. If not, I'd at least run a couple laps around the gas station with Humphrey as our legs would get tired from sitting so long. Before getting in the car we would all re-hydrate with water and we'd be ready to hit the road again!
Our main concern before the road trip was that Humphrey would get restless or anxious in the car. Lucky for us, Humphrey slept through most of the ride just fine!
"Are we there yet?" (shop Humphrey's scarf here)
ACCOMMODATION - SOFITEL LOS ANGELES AT BEVERLY HILLS
We were graciously hosted by Sofitel during our five-day trip in Los Angeles. Read our review of this wonderful hotel here. Sofitel was truly a dog-friendly hotel, which made traveling with Humphrey so much easier.
The Very Important Pet (VIP) Package is complimentary to your stay, and includes luxurious eco-friendly dog beds and feeders, treats, discounts to a local daycare, and more!
Early birthday pawty at Sofitel's dog-friendly restaurant, Cattle & Claw (shop Humphrey's pawty hat here and reversible harness here)
DAY ONE - EXPLORING BEVERLY HILLS AND WEST HOLLYWOOD
We had the pleasure of meeting with Alexandra and Ghassan, who we connected over our shared love for French bulldogs. Alexandra is a fashion influencer, and also the founder and creative director of Lovely Pepa Collection. Fun fact: Pepa is a brindle pied frenchie, like Humphrey!
We met at a nearby cafe in West Hollywood called The Assembly, which is dog-friendly as they have an outdoor space to the back, which is much nicer than street-side patios. We tried their cold brew, chai latte and some pastries - all very good (I wish we had taken some photos before wolfing and gulping it down!)
We're so happy to have met up with Alexandra and Ghassan, who were so down-to-earth, and inspiring in so many ways.
"So when can I meet Pepa?" (shop Humphrey's star scarf here, rope leash here and leash bag here)
Afterwards, we walked around West Hollywood and checked out some cool boutiques. In the evening we reunited with a couple of our friends. Last minute reservations were tricky in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area, but we were able to grab a table at Prospect Gourmand, for some yummy farm-to-table goodness.
DAY TWO - ROSIE'S DOG BEACH MEET UP & STREET PERFORMANCE
We got up early in the morning and headed down to Long Beach for our SBH meet up. Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach is one of the best dog-friendly beaches we've been to. We were blown away by the amazing turnout and would like to thank everyone that came. I think I've said this so many times that it feels like it has become my elevator speech on why I do what I do, but it's really the connections built around a shared love for dogs that inspire me the most. It's so genuine, and so positive.
Humphrey with one of our first Instagram friends, Bruce (shop Humphrey's reversible harness here)
TIP: When heading to the beach with your dog, remember to bring water, a towel, and unless you are headed back home immediately, bring eye rinse and ear wash. Your dog will likely get sand all over his/her face so make sure to get their eyes and ears clean afterwards to avoid any irritation or infection. If it's going to be a hot day and your dog is sensitive to heat (as frenchies usually are), pack a cooling vest to keep them cool. We brought a cooling vest for Humphrey (see this post).
In the evening, we went to support our friend Vahe's first street performance. He recently left his cushy engineering job at a successful start-up in San Francisco, and moved down to LA to pursue his passion for music. We were joined by another friend, Alec, whose passion is to tell interesting stories which is a part of his DONUTS series on YouTube. Alec found Humphrey's story interesting and will soon be releasing a video of our story behind Humphrey's Instagram, the launch of Spotted By Humphrey and more, including coverage of our meet up at Rosie's Dog Beach! Make sure to subscribe to his channel here.
Best collaboration ever. (Watch a short clip of this performance here)
The highlight of the evening was when Humphrey joined in. He did a great job at his role, which was to be cute and attract a crowd.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week to continue reading about our trip. We'll share our visit to Malibu to meet with our famous Instagram friends, taking Humphrey to a rooftop bar, our experience using CBD oil for Humphrey, and meeting our good friend, beauty influencer and Indonesian boss babe Vinna.
