How to Spend a Vacation in Los Angeles
There's plenty to do in Los Angeles in the summertime, from visiting museums, to playing at the beach. Here are some simple tips for making your stay a little easier and more focused.
Steps
Rent a car at the airport or come with your own. There is public transport, but it can be frustrating. Everything is too spread out for a taxi to be economical.
Be choosy about where to go in Los Angeles. It is a spread out city, which means that you need to take care to choose a part of town to stay in that will interest you most. Some suggestions are offered in the "tips".
Find a copy of the L.A. Weekly, a free paper which lists all the movies, nightclubs and shows.
Think about the type of places you'd like to visit. LA has a lot of choices:
The Science Museum and Natural History Museum (both near downtown)
LACMA, or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Wilshire District)
Farmers Market is a funky place to visit and get a bite to eat while you're in that area. It is on Third Street and Fairfax. It is also connected to The Grove, an outside mall with good stores, movie theaters and trolley.
Hollywood has lots of clubs and nightlife.
Melrose Street is a great stroll.
Beverly Hills and the west side have all the fancy shops and art galleries.
Warner Brothers Studios gives a great tour, as does Universal Studios in addition to the theme park there.
Take to the beaches. As for the beaches, Santa Monica is crowded. Nearby Venice boardwalk is great for people watching. On the other side of Santa Monica, the Malibu coast stretches out with lots of lovely beaches which might appeal to you for some sun and surf time.
Griffith Park is a beautiful public park near Hollywood and Los Feliz. It has a lot of trails, a carousel, horseback riding, a couple golf courses, tennis courts and the Greek Amphitheater.
Tips
Some of the places to stay include:
Santa Monica. It has great proximity to LAX, Venice, Brentwood and Century City. It has the Santa Monica pier, beaches and great shopping.
Pasadena is another good choice. It is far from the beach, but is in a lovely foothills location. The Gold Line takes you to downtown Los Angeles and Chinatown. There is beautiful Huntington Gardens, the Norton Simon Museum and the thriving Old Town Pasadena. Also, it is a short drive to the L.A. Zoo, Griffith Park and Warner Brothers Studios.
If driving, remember to carry meter change and parking garage money just in case. Avoid freeway madness. The best time to drive around is 11am to 2pm, or after 7pm.
Warnings
Always lock your car and don't leave valuables inside.
Wear a money belt, and/or distribute your credit cards and cash in different bags, or pockets, so if one is stolen, you won't be out of luck.
If driving around, study your map before hand, and try not to take freeway exits in areas which aren't your intended destination.
