Itinerary for Parents: Los Angeles on Mondays
Today I will talk about the last full day my parents were here. This post is jam-packed with ideas for what to do in Los Angeles on Mondays. Although you can roam around this city with fewer people, it may be harder to find things to do. So many places are closed on Mondays or have limited hours. This post is a little long, but I wanted to show you that if you plan things carefully, you can cover a lot of ground, even in trafficy Los Angeles.
Items checked off the table of likes: Great food, cars and design, vinyl, relaxing vacations, and vacations where you can explore and learn.
If you remember my post for the first full day in Los Angeles, I mentioned that there were two days when we split our group in half and did separate things. Today was the second day where we split our group. While my husband and father fed their inner car geeks, my mom and I opted for some relaxation time.
But first brunch….
Table of Contents
Mid-City
Republique
Due to our locations this day, I needed to find a place between LACMA and Koreatown that had the option for a good and fast brunch. During the day Republique on La Brea and 6th street has café service, which is a great option if you want quality and are limited on time. Choose between delicious pastries by award-winning Margarita Manzke and full breakfast options ranging from classics to Mexican, French, and Mediterranean fare. You really can’t go wrong with this place as it hits a lot of dietary and food preference boxes. You may pay a lot for the bill, but the portions’ size and the food’s quality are definitely worth it.
Hours, cost, and other information
- Website: https://republiquela.com/
- What we ate: German pancake $17, fried chicken sandwich $19, Croque Madame $17, smoked salmon benedict $21, black sesame cream puff $4, and a wide range of coffees and lattes.
- Good for: Groups, grab and go, leisurely brunch
My husband and father
Mid-City
Petersen Automotive Museum
The Peterson Automotive Museum is one of the few museums that are open in Los Angeles on Mondays. It recently went through a massive renovation. The former unassuming brutalist building is now red and metallic. There is no missing it now. (See photo above.)
Its insides also got a major overhaul as well. It is lighter, brighter, and easier to get up close and personal to their collection. In addition to rotating exhibits, there are two tours of their underground vault packed with the cars, not on display. There is the vault tour and the extended vault tour.
The extended tour lasts one and a half to two hours–if this gives you an idea of how vast the vault is. With a knowledgeable tour guide, you snake through the rows of cars that include early Fords, cars from movies, vehicles once owned by notorious figures in history, the curvy classic cars from the 40s and 50s, and more than I can describe. A highlight was seeing one of the few McLaren Sennas in person. The guides relate a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the vehicles making the time go by quickly. No photos are allowed inside, unfortunately.
This tour is highly recommended.
Hours, cost, and other information
- Website: https://www.petersen.org/
- Cost: $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $11 for kids–general admission. The tours are scheduled throughout the day and require an additional ticket, prices range depending on length.
- Good for: Car lovers, history buffs, people who like design
- Things to know: You are on your feet the entire time. If you have limitations on how long you can walk or stand, please come prepared. There are a limited number of free manual wheelchairs available.
Similar options, but not on Mondays
If you or one of your visitors are car lovers, I have taken guests to two other related events in Los Angeles:
- Bob’s Big Boy: Every Friday night, local collectors put their cars on display in the carhop lot of the Burbank/Toluca Lake Bob’s Big Boy. FREE to attend. Also, Bob’s has my favorite patty melt.
- Culver City Car Show: Look for this annual event in May. Similar to Bob’s Big Boy, collectors from around the west put their cars on display at the Veterans Memorial Park on Washington and Overland in Culver City. Food trucks, live music, and all things 1950s round out the entertainment.
My mom and I
On a whim one visit, I took my mom to a Thai Spa. From then on, she was hooked, and going to one is always on the itinerary when she visits. Our spa of choice is the Raven in Santa Monica, but I needed to find a place to get a great deal and be close enough to Mid-City where the rest of our plans were. Then I remembered the place I used to go to when I lived in…..
Koreatown
Royal Thai Massage
It is strange how much difference a few miles make in Los Angeles. I had to pull this place out of the back of my mind. When I lived in Koreatown from 2010-2012, I found myself getting a massage at Royal Thai every month or so. With their prices, that is totally doable. I really do not know how I stumbled upon it in the first place. Koreatown is much more well known for its Korean Spas.
I love the chiropractic aspect of Thai massage. As someone who sits in front of a computer all day, I find the release of out-of-place bones and stubborn knots very relaxing. Thai massages can be alarming to some if you haven’t had one before. First, the massage often starts with someone climbing on your back. It may begin with someone walking up your back either on their feet or on their hands and knees from the back of your thighs to the tippy-top of your shoulders. All manner of limb is used to relieve the knots in your body from knees to toes and elbows. Your body is also manipulated into yoga-like poses to fully stretch your body. Due to this, you are given something to wear for this type of massage. If any of this sounds frightening to you, please choose the Swedish massage. You can also get a little bit of both with the Thai/Swedish combo.
Something that was new for me at this location was a facial. The facial technician is only there on Mondays-Wednesdays. She cleansed, steamed, washed, and extracted my face for ninety minutes. I was left with skin so clean and plump from the collagen that I couldn’t stop touching it, which probably was bad, but I didn’t care. I wish I would have gotten facials all those years ago.
Although it may be lacking in The Raven’s ambiance, I think I have gotten better massages at Royal Thai. The added option of having a facial for an hour and a half means that I might just have to call in sick on Mondays.
We were able to schedule a sixty-minute massage and an hour-and-a-half facial for only $36 more than the Raven. I think this is the best way to spend your day on Mondays in Los Angeles.
Hours, cost, other information
- Website: http://www.royalthaimassage.net/index.html
- Cost: A sixty-minute massage is $55. Yup, less than a dollar a minute.
- Things to note: You or You plus one, it is harder if you want to go with a group.
Together again
DTLA/Art’s District
In Sheep’s Clothing-CLOSED
Unfortunately, In Sheep’s Clothing closed as a result of the pandemic.
Wurstküche
After our hectic day, we decided it was time to eat again. A couple of blocks from In Sheep’s Clothing is a place that I have wanted to take my parents for a while, Wurstküche. Being from the upper Midwest and them being fans of Toronto’s Otto’s Bierhalle, I thought this was a great place to have a no-fuss come-as-you-are dinner.
Wurstküche makes all of their own sausages, which range from traditional bratwurst to exotic combinations made from all manners of beast. This place also has a few vegetarian options on the menu. The sausages have a great snap to them and can be ordered a few different ways. I always come back for the double-fried french fries. Get the pesto mayo sauce you won’t be sorry.
Once you order at the counter, you sit at the long communal tables inside or smaller tables outside. At the bar, they offer a couple dozen German and Belgian beers on tap.
Hours, cost, and other information
- Website: https://www.wurstkuche.com/
- Cost: Traditional and vegetarian sausages are $7.50, you pay $8.50 for the gourmet and $9.50 for the exotic.
- Good for: Groups and a no-fuss meal
We may have stopped by Pie Hole up the street afterward.
Mondays are a harder day of the week to find things to do. I hope that this post helped you have some ideas for what to do in Los Angeles on Mondays.
This concludes my itinerary for parents. Even though these posts were parent-focused, I hope all readers were able to get some ideas from this series.
To read the other days and to get ideas for your out-of-town guests.
Los Angeles Itinerary for Parents: Arrival Day
Los Angeles Itinerary for Parents: Friday
Los Angeles Itinerary for Parents: Saturday
Los Angeles Itinerary for Parents: Sunday
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