Three hours or more between flights? Make a run for it! Unless you’re a devoted lounge junkie, there’s next to no excuse not to escape the gate and explore a little. Grab a cab\Lyft\Uber\Zipcar and hit the town if even just for a quick meal or neighborhood walk. If you’re headed out on an international journey and need to re-check bags, re-check ‘em before you head out or store them in a locker. Especially when you’re in a total wellness hotspot like LA!
Despite the traffic-packed, always under construction LA freeway system, if the time of day is right it’s really not all that bad. Just hop on the 405 and have GPS take you to your hip hood of choice, almost any will have some stylish healthy options. The current Well and Away favorite is Venice, mostly because every healthy dining desire can be fulfilled within a two block radius.
Moon Juice
This place will ruin 99% of other smoothie/juice/raw bars out there. It’s that good. Once you go Moon Juice, you’ll be ordering moon dusts and milks from their site like the apothecary maniac you never knew you were.
Cafe Gratitude
Raw vegan pesto with zoodles. Or a full on plant-based antipasto plate. And a tiramisu that might make you think ‘Venice Italy, meh, it’s not Venice Beach’. And the people watching is on point. The only possible catch depends on your openness to entrees as affirmations: each menu items here are inspirational affirmations. You’re in Venice. Just go with it and remember how much nicer it is being told ‘you are radiant’ than grumbling to yourself at the coffee bar about having zero access to carageenan-free almond milk.
Groundwork Coffee
Cruise down Abbot Kinney to peep the Warby Parker store, the new Vince shop (summer, 2015), women’s clothing retailer Heist and a bajillion other adorable, spendy souvenirs. Stop at Venice’s original hip coffe joint Groundwork for some of LA’s best iced coffee.
Spontaneous Adventuring
If you're looking to do more than just eat healthy, yummy food in Venice while people watching, some easy LA resources include LA Weekly and C Magazine. If you're looking to book a last minute gel manicure or Pilates class close by but don't know where to go (or don't want to spend half your trip budget during a layover), Groupon's Things to Do in LA section just got a nice refresh and has a wealth of unexpected offers.