Ultimate Los Angeles Staycation: A Mystery Picnic Through LA’s Los Feliz Neighborhood

If there is one thing we love, it’s a Los Angeles staycation. We’ve been keeping our travels local these days due to coronavirus. Oh, and there is that whole having baby twins thing…

Even after 10+ years of living in Los Angeles, we still manage to uncover new places to explore. We recently joined AmazingCo’s mystery picnic through LA’s trendy Los Feliz neighborhood. In fact, our latest Los Angeles staycaton might be our best one yet — and the perfect date idea for couples. Now that’s saying a lot since we’ve been doing so many adventures lately.

AmazingCo offers mystery picnics not only in Los Angeles — but in cities across the country and around the world. This is actually our second mystery picnic with AmazingCo. A few weeks back, I surprised Kevin for his birthday with a Malibu mystery picnic. We had such a blast that upon arriving at our final stop in Malibu, Kevin and I said in unison, “We need to do this again!” Okay, I admit. It was a LITTLE creepy. Clearly we’ve been together for a long time. That and there is nothing we enjoy more than solving puzzles and eating food. It’s a winning combo neither of us can argue about.

What is involved in a mystery picnic? How long does it take? Is it difficult? And maybe more importantly, what happens if we get lost? Don’t worry, if we can do it, so can you. Check out our latest adventure and we’ll show you why a mystery picnic is the perfect way to see a city — either as a visitor or a local.

What Is A Mystery Picnic? And Can I Do It In My City?

While you could plan a mystery picnic of your own, who has the time? That’s the thinking behind this mystery picnic adventure. AmazingCo will do all the work for you, mapping out your adventure and arranging all the food along the way. Each clue solved will lead you closer to your next picnic food pick up. The best way to find what mystery picnics are in your area is by visiting the AmazingCo website.

All you need for your mystery picnic is a cell phone (to gain access to the clues). I also recommend bringing your own picnic basket. Pre-COVID all participants were able to borrow a picnic basket that you simply returned at the end. For our pandemic adventure, I purchased a nice picnic basket from World Market at The Grove for just $6. It is also available for purchase online here.

Other useful items for your mystery picnic include paper plates, napkins, plasticware (including cups), a table cloth and an insulated freezer bag with ice packs (if exploring on a hot day). Finally, afraid of getting lost and missing your food? Don’t worry — each clue comes with hints. And if you’re totally stumped, each stop is revealed including the exact address to plug into Google Maps.

Los Angeles Staycation: Why A Mystery Picnic In LA’s Los Feliz Neighborhood?

Most tourists have heard of Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Santa Monica from their starring roles in countless movies and TV shows. But mention the trendy eastside neighborhood of Los Feliz and you’ll likely get a blank stare. Even as LA residents, we haven’t fully explored this pocket of the city. However, that is what made this location so appealing for our Los Angeles staycation.

Now you won’t find any infamous LA landmarks here — no Hollywood Walk of Fame, towering buildings or surfer beaches (or any beaches for that matter). Instead, you’ll find the more creative types wandering the tree-lined streets and dining at some of the best locally-owned restaurants in LA. There is a definite bohemia vibe here and we suddenly felt the urge to hit up a thrift store just to fit in.

What Can We Expect On Our Mystery Picnic Through LA’s Los Feliz Neighborhood

While booking your mystery picnic, you’re given an option on what time to start your adventure. I recommend starting around 11:30 AM. That way, you get to maximize your full day adventure (without having to wake up too early). The mystery picnic through Los Feliz includes five stops total. Kevin read the first clue out loud as I drove us from our place in West Hollywood. Would we be able to find it? I knew at least we were heading in the right direction.

I won’t give away any of the specific spots. Where is the fun in that? However, I’ll tell you that the first stop was a bakery that specializes in freshly-baked breads and pastries. Our mystery picnic is off to a great start. Upon walking inside, our food was prepared and ready to go. I could tell Kevin was already getting hungry as he did a little happy dance when he picked up the freshly-baked baguette and homemade hummus. Clearly, the biggest challenge of this mystery picnic will be stopping Kevin from eating it before we reach the end.

The first stop is also a convenient place to pick up any additional beverages with its wide selection of wines and beers (an additional charge from the mystery picnic). I highly recommend the chilled rosé — perfect for a hot SoCal day. It conveniently comes in a can (no corkscrews required). Just pop it in the cooler bag and you’ll be all set for your picnic later on.

From here, we hopped in the car and headed towards Los Feliz village. It’s a quick drive, but this is the perfect time to start playing a few rounds of AmazingCo’s online trivia. A few days before the mystery picnic begins, you’ll receive an email with a link to play at any time. I recommend designating the passenger to serve as the quizmaster and score keeper. There are a total of 5 trivia rounds with a total of 47 points. We were definitely stumped by many of these. Clearly, we’ll need a few more rounds before we try out for Jeopardy!

At this point, I suggest parking the car to explore the next three official stops through Los Feliz Village. You can either do this on foot or hop on one of those Bird or Lime scooters often scattered all over LA’s sidewalks. There are so many cute restaurants in this part of town.

At the second stop, you’ll swear you’ve been transported to Paris at this French sidewalk bistro. It was a weekday and the place was packed with locals sipping wine and enjoying the early afternoon sunshine. It seemed like the kind of place where a Hollywood writer would develop that next great film script or a brooding artist would sketch all day long. This is the life.

Many of the restaurants on this mystery picnic also have gift shops on site with artisan foods for sale. I highly recommend checking out the goods for a special gift to take home. This shop has been in Los Feliz for over two years yet we’ve never seen it. That’s what makes a mystery picnic so unique. It really felt like going on a vacation without having to leave home.

Kevin was thrilled that the second stop included a cheese plate and toasted bread. Basically, his two favorite food groups. After picking up the food, I recommend exploring the neighborhood by foot. In addition to the food stops along the tour, AmazingCo gives several optional side-trip recommendations. The side stops include some of the neighborhood’s most unique galleries as well as shops to explore.

The third and fourth stops are a bit further afield. To reach the third stop, you can walk (taking roughly 10 minutes), rent a scooter (5 minutes) or hop in your car and drive over (2 minutes). Pick your poison! There was a heat wave in LA so I decided to drive (don’t judge). Whatever method you choose, the next snack is a tasty one — two giant chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies smelled so delicious. And let’s just say, someone couldn’t help himself and chowed down on the cookie before we left the parking spot. Fine, I guess I’ll let him off the hook since it was a hot day and we didn’t want them to melt.

Rounding Out The Los Feliz Mystery Picnic: The Last Food Stop

The fourth stop will be your last food pick up. After solving the puzzle, you’ll discover you’re not very far away by foot (9 minutes), scooter (4 minutes) or by car (2 minutes). Once again, it was a local business that we’ve never been to. We found this shocking since we’ve walked by it countless times before since it’s in the heart of Los Feliz Village. One of the best parts of this mystery picnic is just how different each stop is — showing the diversity that Los Feliz is known for. The shop is a traditional Italian market with specialty products imported straight out of Italy. Have a loop around and see what fun goodies you can uncover.

The last stop of your mystery picnic requires driving. But before you head out, be sure to explore Los Feliz Village and its colorful graffiti, indie bookshops and boutique stores.

Los Feliz marches to its own beat — you’ll feel worlds away from the glitzy, papparazzi-filled version of LA you might imagine. The neighborhood has a certain charm and classic look, making it a popular backdrop for film and television.  As you explore, be sure to keep your eyes open for the famed Dresden Restaurant, which you might recognize from the cult-favorite 1996 movie Swingers.

The Final Stop: A Mystery Picnic Spot Which You’d Never Guess Existed in LA

You’ve made it! I recommend hopping in your car — driving less than 5 minutes — to reach the fifth and final stop. You’ll feel like you discovered a secret spot in LA as you head into the woods, passing through a tunnel of Sycamore trees and tropical plants.

I recommend taking a short hike along this hidden path that many locals don’t even know exist. There are plenty of benches along the trail. But we suggest walking about 9 minutes to reach the picnic benches at the end of the trail. We unfolded our picnic blanket on one of the tables and spread out our feast.

 

Clearly, life is good. Can we pause this moment and enjoy it forever?

It takes most people about 3-4 hours to do this mystery picnic. Though, we definitely went at a leisurely pace — wrapping up our picnic at about the 5 hour mark. And like on cue, my husband and I said in unison, “Wow, where did our day go?” Okay, this is definitely getting weird. Clearly we’ve been spending a lot of time together in quarantine.

THE LOWDOWN:

• AmazingCo offers unique experiences in more than 50 cities across the country and around the world.
• We recommend their mystery picnic as the perfect staycation idea, or way to experience your next travel destination like a local.
• The total experience takes roughly 3-4 hours. But you can easily scale it or spend as much time as you like.
• The experience includes: All food, interactive clues and riddles on your smartphone, games and conversation starters as well as additional activity and walking recommendations.
• The cost starts at $90 for two people.
• Book your mystery picnic by visiting AmazingCo’s website here.

Looking for other staycation ideas? Check out our full list of recommendations for your next Los Angeles staycation, as well as 5 secrets spots in LA you (probably) never knew existed (but should!). More into the beach? Be sure to read our feature on the Malibu mystery picnic, the perfect birthday outing idea for adults. Or if you’re feeling like staying at home these days, we have recommendations on the best virtual activities you can do from a drag show with sangria making to a virtual pottery class.