Graduation Weekend at USC in Los Angeles

A bit of unique weekend getaway to Los Angeles for this weekend. Went to Los Angeles for the weekend to celebrate a graduation from USC. If you are ever lucky enough to go to one of these yourself keep the following in mind:

- book your hotel for the weekend way in advance (6+ months)
- stay in downtown LA for the weekend so you can cab it back and forth to the USC campus
- get to the commencement ceremony by 6am if you want a good seat, by 6:30 if you want a seat at all

We stayed at the Wilshire Grand Hotel. I’d rate this a mid range hotel. Nothing too fancy but clean, comfortable and quiet. We booked an executive room with a sitting area so we could entertain some family guests. The standard rooms were pretty tiny. We got a great rate ($179 on Thurs, $159 on Fri and Sat night) because we booked last November. All the hotels near USC jack their rates way up for graduation weekend so it’s a good idea to book early before they adjust their rates. Some hotels are booked up to a year in advance.
We ate at California Pizza Kitchen right across the street from the hotel. Plenty of other options within walking distance as well. Several restaurants in the hotel although we did not try any of them.

It was also Mother’s Day weekend while we were there. We had Sunday brunch at Luna Park on La Brea. Great restaurant that we’ve eaten at before. It’s about a 15-20 minute drive from the hotel in normal traffic.

A weekend in Los Angeles for the USC graduation is not an every day occurrence but a special weekend when it happens.