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Gianna | Travel Notes & Side Quests

@giannamaui

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An overthinker saying yes to every side quest. IYKYK
🙊 Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

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Notes from California: the infamous Nike Missile Site LA-88

A Cold War missile site… that you can just hike to.

You walk a long (semi-private) exposed fire road, and suddenly you’re standing between abandoned military buildings, rusted vehicles, concrete slabs, fenced remnants, and then… cows. Actual cattle. Just casually grazing next to a former missile defense site.

It felt insane in the best way. History, wind, sunshine, ghost-town energy and livestock. I saw one other person the entire time.

More info on how to get there and what to expect soon.

#notesfromcalifornia #nikemissilesite #rockypeakpark #lahikes #losangeles by @giannamaui

Came for the whales. Stayed for the dolphins 🐬🌊!

No whales this time, but pods of dolphins swimming alongside the boat, jumping through the waves, and absolutely making the day. Unexpected, unreal, unforgettable.

Whale watching out of Newport Beach with @daveyslocker with @socaldreamgirl, open ocean, fresh air, and the kind of moments you don’t plan but will always remember.

If you’re in SoCal: go. Nature always delivers.

#whalewatching #dolphins #newportbeach #daveyslocker #california by @giannamaui

Could I BE any happier?! 🛋️☕️
Hanging out at Central Perk like I’m waiting for Gunther to bring my coffee, casually reenacting Friends scenes (and improvising new ones with @tawnie_rose_ 😂), hanging out on the couch (yes, THAT couch), wandering through Monica & Rachel’s apartment, making new friends and fully living my best 90s sitcom life.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Burbank is a MUST if you’re even remotely a Friends fan. You don’t just look, you step right into the sets, learn behind-the-scenes facts, and realize how many iconic moments were filmed right here.

📍 Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
🎟️ Tickets are around $70–75 USD (worth. every. cent.)
👉 Book ahead, especially on weekends, this place is always there for you

I laughed, I nerded out, I sat on the couch way too long. 10/10 would pivot again.

@wbtourhollywood @warnerbrosentertainment @friends @centralperk @visitcalifornia @california @secret.losangeles

#Friends #centralperk #wbstudiotour #warnerbrosstudios #losangeleslife by @giannamaui

Our new favorite series on the World Wide Web: Another Day, Another Hike 🥾✨
If sunsets, city views, and slightly questionable leg decisions are your thing, keep reading.

I kicked off this series at the Culver City Stairs (Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook) in LA. I started around 4pm, just in time to catch the sunset around 5:20pm. Parking was easy with plenty of free spots on Jefferson, and a short path leads you straight to the stairs.

Once there, you get to choose between the stairs or the trail. I went for the stairs and immediately felt it in my legs. Watching people in weighted vests casually doing multiple rounds was humbling, but reaching the top made it all worth it. From there, you get incredible views of the ocean, the LA skyline, and on clear days even Malibu and Palos Verdes. The vibe was relaxed and friendly, with people taking photos for each other and enjoying the moment.

The hike is about one mile round trip and I’d rate it a 5/10 if you take the stairs and go slow. It also felt like a perfect solo hike as a woman, enough people, enough lights, and I felt safe the entire time.

Guess how many stairs I had to take to earn this view? 🥾🌅

#hiking #culvercitystairs #losangeles #sunset #winterinla by @giannamaui

And this is why I have trust issues 🍓!!!!
I asked @chatgpt ONE simple question after I saw @zack_telander do it. How many R’s are in strawberry?

What I got back was confidence, chaos, and multiple different answers, all said like absolute facts that made me doubt myself!!!

But also… right after this incident I made ChatGPT write this caption and the hook to generate most views and make my reel go viral 😂😂

#chatgpt #aihumor #reels #viralreels #chatgptfails by @giannamaui

somewhere between Stars Hollow & Hollywood ✨

went to the Gilmore Girls event at @wbtourhollywood with @tawnie_rose_ and yes, think cozy winter vibes, fast-talking energy and a community that instantly felt like home.

We met so many lovely women throughout the day - proof that the Gilmore Girls fandom is truly elite 🤍
The love, the outfits, the shared obsession? Unmatched.

But (and this hurts): the lines were insanely long.
So long that we didn’t even make it to Lorelai’s house 💔 but then again, I shouldn’t complain cause that’s a champagne problem!!!

So: 10/10 vibes, 5/10 logistics, 100/10 community.
Would I do it again? probably.
Would I bring more patience and make a whole day out of it? also yes.

@warnerbrosentertainment @gilmoregirls @netflix @scottypsbigmugcoffee @warnerbros

#GilmoreGirls #StarsHollow #WarnerBrosStudios #LAEvents by @giannamaui

I swear nothing could cheer me up. Life felt heavy, everything felt off, and then California reminded me of its greatest invention: @innout.

It’s not just a burger place. It’s a Cali institution. Family-owned since 1948, never frozen beef, prices that somehow survived inflation, and a secret menu everyone pretends they “just know” (animal style, protein style, 3×3, flying dutchman… be honest, you googled it at least once).

Double Double, no tomato, no lettuce, raw onion & grilled onion. Eaten in a parking lot at golden hour like it’s part of the experience.

People move to california for the weather, the beaches, the dreams. Turns out they stay for In-N-Out.

Drop your order. Secret menu counts. 🍔

#innout #innoutburger #secretmenu #california #therapy by @giannamaui

Image 2 obviously. Yes, I would still date him. No, I will not explain myself. 🚩

P.S.: If you (or one of your friends) look even remotely like this and are emotionally unavailable, please feel free to slide into my DMs and absolutely ruin my life ♥️🙏🏻

ChatGPT • AI image generation • AI boyfriend • trend • dating humor • modern dating • red flags • delusional dating • soft launch • single life • relationship expectations

#chatgpttrend #aiboyfriend #aigenerated #redflags by @giannamaui

Notes from California: 🌊 Surfing can feel gnarly in an intimidating way, especially when you’re new and very aware of your inner kook. I used to think you needed surf camps, coaches, and a big budget just to belong out there.

Turns out I just got really lucky. I have a few surfer friends who are genuinely excited to bring people along, lend boards, share wetsuits, explain lineups, and laugh with you when you wipe out (again).

Some of those friends are building something big with @despuessurf, a surf club that feels like a run club for the ocean. No ego, no gatekeeping, just community, consistency, and showing up together. Add @despuescoffee after the session (best coffee in OC, period) and suddenly early mornings feel very worth it. Their next surf session is on the 01/10 at Salt Creek by the way!!

Beginner-friendly spots I’ve loved so far:
📍 Zuma Beach (extra grateful for @michael_gunnar paddling out with me here a few times)
📍 Newport Beach
📍 Malibu with the endless perfect small waves

Real talk though: surfing is one of the harder sports I’ve tried. Be prepared to drink a lot of salt water, miss waves, catch whitewater, and feel like a kook more often than not.

But with the right people, even the gnarly days are fun and that’s how you keep coming back, duuudeee 🤍🌊

#NotesFromCalifornia #SurfCommunity #BeginnerSurf #KookLife #CaliforniaSurf by @giannamaui

My soulmate has gates, delays and boarding groups ✈️.
Money comes. Money goes. Boyfriends come. Boyfriends go.
But airport serotonin? That’s a forever thing, am I right?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

#AirportSoulmate #travel #SoloTravel #POVTravel #airport by @giannamaui

2025 pushed me harder than expected.
Full on growth season, no warning, no instructions.
It tested me, shaped me, and quietly made me stronger, I built upper body strength, emotional resilience, and very strong sense of “never again!”.

2026, I’m ready. Manifesting a new job that fulfills me, friendships that feel mutual and aligned, and more of those exciting plot twists and side quests, the kind that bring joy, clarity, and momentum.

I am grateful for the moments this year that reconnected me
to purpose, presence, and direction and endlessly thankful for the people who showed up, steady energy, soft support, real love.

#nextchapter #softlife #newyears #growthseason #trusttheproces by @giannamaui

Stepping into 2026 with the fearless energy that Shia LaBeouf brought to that iconic @nike commercial: JUST DO IT! 💥 (bringing back an old classic here!!)

This year has taught me that the most transformative moments come when we embrace the unknown and take bold leaps. Let’s make 2026 a year of action, adventure, and unstoppable positivity. Together, we can inspire each other to break boundaries, create unforgettable memories, and ride the waves of change with confidence - even if you’re a kook like me and it’s scary sometimes. Let’s make every moment count and set the tone for an epic year ahead! 🌊✨

#JustDoIt #2026Mood #MakeWaves #2026 #newyearsresolutions by @giannamaui