Growing up as a fan of The Beach Boys, I dreamed of a place where you surfed all day, danced on the beach all night and drove killer cars. (As a kid in the early 90s, my addiction to “Saved by the Bell” only furthered the obsession.)

As a late teen, all of my favorite bands suddenly hailed from the same place: Phantom Planet, Rooney, Maroon 5, The Like (RIP).

You would have thought I’d find a way to get there sooner than 34, right? And you probably would have assumed following a band on tour would have taken me to California.

You’d be wrong on both counts. Last summer I finally made my first trip to Los Angeles, and I absolutely fell in love with southern California. It was just as magical as I’d always pictured.

Tomorrow morning, I’m headed back for a second year at the Halloween convention (um, yeah – they’re totally a thing) I attended last year…but first I’m spending a couple of days in LA and hoping to check out some iconic music spots, like Amoeba Music, the Capital Records building and maybe even catch a show at an iconic venue.

As I’ve been gearing up for the trip, I’ve been adding to the playlist I created last year…and enjoyed blaring as I drove up the PHC back to LAX at the end of my trip.

Listening to these tunes totally puts me in a southern California state of mind. I can’t wait to get back!

 

California, Here We Come | A California Playlist

 

If Spotify is not your preferred method for streaming music, here is the complete playlist so you can create it yourself:

 

WHAT SONG WOULD YOU ADD TO THE PLAYLIST?

Share it in the comments, and you just might see it added to the playlist! On Spotify? Follow the playlist here.

 

California dreaming,