im going to my cousins house, and im planning the trip, what are some cool things for me and my family to do. im 12 and my sister is 6, so stuff we can all do. i do have access to a car, in fact we are driving there. and she lives in WAY southern california. There are literally hundreds of things to do here in LA. Here is my top ten list:
Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth. Half a billion visitors can鈥檛 be wrong. (Sometimes it seems all at once)
Universal Studios: A theme park that grew out of a studio tour. Check out eBay. You can find some discounted tickets there. And Universal City Walk is a fun place to hang out in the evening after your day inside the park.
Hollywood: Hollywood Boulevard is ready for its close-up, thanks to years of urban renewal and renovation. Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Mann's Theatre and more. You can see a lot for free. I have also added the Hollywood & Highland complex to my top ten list鈥?it has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards). I like the El Capitan theater, because it has been restored to its former glory, unlike the Chinese, which was essentially gutted and turned into a multiplex.
Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.
Venice Beach: Los Angeles kitsch and over-the-top culture at its best.
Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore.
Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste. And it's a short bike ride from:
Santa Monica Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. (The Sting and "Three's Company" come immediately to mind).
After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach.
Santa Monica Third Street Promenade - Downtown Santa Monica's shopping promenade is often the scene of movie star-sightings. Just a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier.
Sunset Boulevard: Perhaps one of the world's most famous streets, it began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way. It makes for a fun drive. Along the way, you see a lot of different neighborhoods. Hollywood, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades. When you get to the ocean, stop at Gladstone's for Fish.
Queen Mary: Once the largest ship afloat, she's been docked in Long Beach for longer than she sailed, and her elegance never fails to impress. Free to visit. You can actually stay on board, for a price.
Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, The Grove and Farmers Market coexist. Enjoy a movie or shopping, then take the trolley to the Farmers Market for lunch or dinner.
Farmer's Market is right next to CBS, so walk across the lot to see if they are taping "The Price is Right". You might even get in.
Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.
Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art or architecture better (or maybe you'll just enjoy the view), the Getty is sure to please. Free.
Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the tonight show. Check the NBC web site for all the details there.
Places to eat:
In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone. In-n-out.com
Pink鈥檚 Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. Might see a celebrity.
Tommy鈥檚 Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. Original location at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown.
Canter鈥檚 Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, might spot a celebrity.
Phillippe鈥檚: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station, Olvera Street. Watch the mustard, it鈥檚 hot.
Places to Stay:
In Hollywood, I recommend the Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood and Highland, the Best Western Sunset Plaza, or the Hollywood Roosevelt.
In Anaheim, I recommend the HoJo Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. If you want to splurge and make this a most memorable trip, stay at Disney鈥檚 Grand Californian. You get the full Disney experience. If you don't need to stay by the park, then stay at the Doubletree on Harbor, or even the one in Orange on Chapman.
In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced.
Places to Shop:
South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa
Fashion Island, Newport Beach
Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
Citadel Outlets, Commerce
Beverly Center, Los Angeles
The Block at Orange, Orange
Ontario Mills, Ontario
If you are going to San Diego area, go to localwally.com. Wally has the lowdown on all the cool SD stuff.
If you are going to Norcal, be sure to check out Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's great. California is such a vast State that you can easily be at the beach in the morning, in the forest by the afternoon, and on the slopes in the evening.
Where about's in CA are you going to go visit your cousin and will you have access to a car? For your age group, consider the following:
For Southern California, expect to find alot more shopping, nightlife, and a little more emphasis on cuisine. Your also going to have Disney, and more shoppes then you can shake a stick at.
In Northern California - say anything from Monterey and up, I believe the emphasis is on nature and you're going to find alot more outdoor activities, though the climate may be a little cooler as compared to Southern Cali.
If you have access to a car, and have some time on your hands, take a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The views of the beaches are amazing, you have all kinds of wonderful resturaunts and shops to check out and you're going to get a great blend of Northern and Southern California.
The #1 absolute must-do in California is to get a hold of an In-N-Out burger. Trust me, it's the best burger on the planet bar none.
Enjoy your vacation and have a blast on the west coast!
Mongoose you should probably go to las angels it fun you could visit hollywood go to amuesment parks and anywhere else that your family wants to go in las angels so i think you should go there ive been there its soooooooooooo cooooooooooool. well if you go there have fun They have IN-N_Out places all over. Where are you staying. In-N-Out is a MUST DO. Here's where you can find all their locations http://www.in-n-out.com/locations.asp
And it doesn't matter which one because the food is the same at all of them. Great! 12 year olds are not supposed to be using this forum. Please read the "Community Guidelines". Also Californians do NOT call our state "Cali". Most of us consider that term to be offensive. The only ones who call it "Cali" are young, teeny bopper girls, people from out of state, and one moron rap artist. You are probably not into dolls anymore but if your sister is, you can check out the American Girl store at the Grove in LA. There are only a handful of stores nationwide and they have a cafe you can do lunch or dinner in. Grove is a cool shopping center to, and the LA Co Museum of Art and the La Brea tarpits are like a block away.
Disneyland is always a sure-fire bet, but as a local to So Cal, I have to say to stick to the Magic Kingdom. I find CA Adventure was too corny. South Lake Tahoe is beautiful all year long, but summer is the busiest with the ski season in winter a close second. There are alot of new hotels and condos being built in the area as well, although they are not for the budget minded! |
