We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Ares and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for LA Dreaming after I started getting asked by family and friends how I was able to find fun things to do in LA area. When you live in or visit a big area it can be overwhelming when you try to decide what you should do. I try to provide a variety of ideas of things to do while also sharing resources to help people be able to get the most out of an experience.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am most proud of the fact that LA Dreaming helps encourage people to have adventures in the LA area. There are times when I’ll post an experience, sometimes a free one, that so few people seem to have done before. For example, earlier this year I shared about the free tours at the Tournament of Roses mansion in Pasadena. I also shared about visiting the garden of Oz in the Hollywood Hills. Both of these experiences are free but are only available one day a week for a specific period of time. I am someone who loves sharing about these types of places as I want to remind people that they exist and share why they are worthy of a visit.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place to take visitors is Aroma Coffee and Tea in Studio City. This is such a cute place and the food is incredible. People feel like they are getting a local experience when they come here and often talk about it after they go back home. I love dining at The Grove or a food hall like Grand Central Market. For a nicer dining experience, I would take them to Catch or Castaway. The next time my Dad comes to visit I plan to take him to see the In N Out replica in Baldwin Park. He has never been to the replica of the first In N Out burger, and In N Out is the first and last stop of every visit to LA.

I like to plan a hike, a visit to a museum or botanical garden, or some type of entertainment like attending an outdoor movie screening or a tv show taping. I don’t have set things that I always recommend or take people to, other than Aroma because I like to personalize what I do with them based on what I know they would enjoy.

If I want to wow them with a beach I take them down to Laguna Beach to Treasure Island Beach or Victoria Beach. I love taking them to a filming location, whether it’s a movie studio or house or restaurant that was used in a tv show or movie that they love. You can’t go wrong with a visit to the Huntington Library or Descanso Gardens. I love including a theme park as well.

I actually just finished creating a free e book I’m offering through blog called A 10/10 Would Definitely Recommend Guide to Los Angeles. It has 100 recommendations of things to do in the LA area. It will be going live within the next few weeks. My hope is that this will be a great resource for people.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Stefan, from the popular LifeHacks LA account, has been such a blessing to connect with. I love that he has created a community of people who are just as passionate about exploring the Los Angeles area as I am. He produces and shares such great content which is always a source of inspiration to me.

Website: https://ladreaming.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la.dreaming/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/la_dreaming

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.