No I don't have a list....yet, I was hopeing you folk might have a few MUST KNOWS that I can compile and use for the end of December this year.
thanks in advance.

I'm no expert on LA by any means, but what I learned on my first visit is that nobody tells you the distance between places in terms of miles. It's always the amount of time it takes to drive (that is, nobody says xx is 10 miles from yy, it's always xx is 1.5 hours or whatever from yy). Which is probably a more practical description.

We had family living in Agoura Hills and the thing we enjoyed most in that area was taking an early morning drive down Canaan Road to Malibu, then going up to Zuma Beach. It was beautiful and peaceful.

http://watchthewater.co.la.ca.us/beach.cfm?bid=19

As a 24-year ex-resident I can offer a few tips:

-- When people in southern California say "L.A.", they're almost never referring to the actual city of Los Angeles, which is a tiny speck in a much, much bigger area. "L.A." refers to the L.A. basin, which extends from "the hill" (mountains that separate the basin from the San Fernando Valley) all the way south to Orange County. This can be horribly confusing for first-time visitors. When you hear that something you want to see or do is "in L.A.", you need to get lots more information about exactly where it is.

-- If you drive in L.A. the rule of thumb is to go at the speed limit+5MPH. If the sign says 35, don't go 30. Don't even go 35. Go 40, or else you'll have lots of very upset people behind you. The good news is, drivers in L.A. are generally courteous (at least compared to where I now live) and will let you in when you need to change lanes or turn a corner.

-- The area has many fantastic and relatively unknown attractions for tourists. Hopefully you know someone who can show you some of these. Generally the people who spend a few days there and come away with negative opinions never ventured very far from the airports or the crowded parts of the city. BTilke's recommendation of Canan Rd is a good one. Also Topanga Canyon, or try an evening picnic at Stough Park in Burbank (I guarantee you'll never see city lights like this anywhere else in the world).

When talking about freeways you will always hear them referred to as "the 405", "the 5", "the 605". In all the years I lived there I never once heard anyone say "take Interstate 405". You might hear "take the San Diego Freeway" but not Interstate 405.

Always always allow double the amount of time you have to get anyplace. Distance is measured in time to get there, not miles in most cases.

It is true, when referring to LA most people mean anything from the valley (San Fernando) down to Orange County and inland many miles. It can get a little confusing if you are unfamiliar with the area. There are many many cities within what is generally called the LA area.

For those who have never been there before I'd say STUDY a map very carefully before venturing out on the freeway. Don't try and cross 4 lanes of 75mph traffic because you suddenly see your exit. If that happens go past it and backtrack. Give one person the map and make them the navigator, it is always good to know the exit (or two) before the one you want to get off at.

Not knowing where you are staying makes it hard to give any recommendations, but it's always nice to take a ride up the Palo Verde Penisula - fantastic views of LA and the Pacific. If the weather is good (and Dec. can be iffy) walk along the beach at Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo Beach. Piers, resturants, etc. abound.

<lilac> any more unusual family dining experiences ?

ttt

I'm not there often enough to offer much advice, but I can agree with BTilke. 10 miles in 1.5 hours sounds about right!!!!

Insofar as the Freeways are concerned

MapQuest gives good advice - usually- always check with a map (AAA has good ones)

There are many towns in the LA Basin so if you are going around be sure that you have the right name.

I wouldn't suggest stayng in downtown LA because there is nothing else near.

Every freeway is under construction! Also rush hour here is from about 7am until 10am and then from about 3pm until 7pm. Between 10am and 3pm it is still pretty dicey!

Left turn on red! Learn it or weep!

If it rains, drizzles, mists or even heavily fogs, don't venture too far on our roads. They will get slick and turn into a Bumper Car Rally.

For the best meals, stay local. Avoid national chains (except, maybe, Morton's and Fogo de Chão). The Asian cuisines offer great bang for the buck, as does Mexican. And although you probably have images of L'Idiot from L.A. Story in your mind, not all high-end places are pretentious, precious and ridiculously expensive. But quite a few are. Ask the locals-- not just your hotel's concierge (although he or she will be a great source of information).

Since the greater LA area encompasses two counties and over 100 cities, use an accurate map to group your points of interest into manageable geographic areas. Universal Studios combines pretty easily with a short tour of Hollywood. Venice Beach in the morning/early afternoon, then Santa Monica in the later afternoon/evening. Beverly Hills boutiques, then West Hollywood/Melrose Avenue shops. Start the PCH drive in Orange County with a breakfast in Seal Beach (Shorehouse Caf&eacute, then take a leisurely drive down to San Clemente, making lots of stops along the way.

On a clear day, be sure to look due east at the gorgeous San Bernardino Mountains in the distance. Get to the shore and look for Catalina Island 26 miles west-- and dolphin pods swimming up and down the shore.

I feel silly even giving advice since I've been to the LA area exactly three times in my life The highlight of our last two trips, though, included:
--staying at the Hollywood Renaissance and playing Hollywood Tourist. So much fun and the Tour of the Stars' homes was a total blast.
--Hanging out in Santa Monica for the afternoon then eating dinner at The Lobster--absolute YUM. So much fun that we did this both trips.
--Driving from Santa Monica to Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway--eating lunch at a roadside shack with the best mussels I've ever had in my life. Watching the gray whales off the shore of a Malibu beach--absolutely priceless.
--Dining at Spago. A+++++++ food and equally divine atmosphere.

Mulholland Drive is a must-do.Also Santa Monica for dinner or clubs.Drive the PCH-Pacific Coast Hwy,too!

For traffic reports, a NECESSITY here, turn your car radio to AM 980 or AM 1070. 980 does traffic on the "ones", 12:01, 12:11, etc., and 1070 does them every few minutes.
Go hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The last topper before I cut and paste !!! thanks very much for the help so far !!

If you're a music fan, don't miss Disney Hall. It's a treat to see a concert there.

I thought it was Kanan road. The pretty one is mallibu canyon rd to the ocean. Right by Zuma beach (south) is Pt Dume state park. Stop at the building when you are first on the beach and it is a mile walk down the road to the cliffs. Beautiful. Watch and you can see dolphins out there. and surfers also. Ride up route 1 to Oxnard and go inland to the 101 and back towards la On the coast Nuptune Nest is a reasonable fish shack. enjoy

Marko, you don't say what you are interested in, the age range, whether are kids involved, price considerations, whether you are from out of the country and L.A. is a totally foreign land to you, etc.
With a little idea, we could be more help!

'Mulholland Drive is a must-do.'

Tell us exactly which part ? Entrance and exit points, or the whole thing ?

Second generation native, lived in or near LA all my 53 years. The County of Los Angeles, contains (last I counted) over 75 separately incorporated cities; e.g., Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Long Beach, etc. and, of course, the City of Los Angeles itself - which is a very odd shape. The Santa Monica Mountains separate the San Fernando Valley to the north, from the rest of LA County to the south. The southern expanse is referred to broadly as the "LA Basin." Hence the difficulty everyone is having in defining for you what is meant by "Los Angeles."

Marko, you would have gotten better responses had you stated preferences about areas, interests and how much time you have. But, I'll take you at face value when you say Los Angeles and assume you mean L.A. County and not Orange County - as the reference to San Clemente (in south Orange County) is very far afield from LA (not that it isn't worth visiting just as Newport Beach in Orange County is also a nice destination, they are just NOT in L.A.).

Must Knows:
1) Must rent a car. Don't expect to use taxis or public transportation.

2) Get as detailed a street map of Los Angeles County as you can find. Study this map and notice how the coastline curves as you travel north from LA. Remembering this will help you reorient if you happen to travel toward Malibu or take the 101 Freeway West (toward Ventura) and suddenly notice that the ocean is to the south and the 101 Freeway signs begin to say you are heading north when you thought you were heading west!

3) Plan each day's activities in the same geographic section of town so you don't have long driving distances.

4) If arriving on time is essential, then assume your MPH will average 30 -35, or about 1 hour travel time for every 30 miles distance, no matter what time of day you go (unless before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm). Go on Mapquest and compute the mileage. You can then know, for example, to allow an hour minimum to get 30 miles, then allow 20 minutes to get parked. If it can be avoided, try not to drive long distances between 7:30 am - 9:30 am or from 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm on a weekday.

4) Consensus on best areas to stay (though these are actually not in the City of LA) generally puts Santa Monica at the top of the list because it is coastal and nicer/safer than downtown, East LA or West LA plus has nice restaurants (so the 3rd Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Main Street areas are nice for good dining and strolling on a Fri or Sat night. Also consider Beverly Hills or Westwood area for upscale. Or consider "south bay" such as Redondo, Hermosa or Manhattan Beach (though these are less convenient to most tourist sights). Hollywood if you prefer a more 'funky' feel. Venice Beach boardwalk on a weekend for strange people watching.

5) If you have the slightest interest in art or just nice views, visit the Getty Center.

6) (This can also be done in reverse direction): The nice drive referred to by others is Kanan (not Canaan) Rd from the 101 Fwy to Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH). From there you can go north to Zuma Beach (though Dec is not really the time of year for the beach). I would instead go south through Malibu, stopping at Paradise Cove for an outdoor lunch (weather permitting)at Bob's Paradise Cove Cafe (have your parking validated or it's really expensive) - then continue on to Malibu Canyon Rd (at Pepperdine Univ) turning inland back to the 101. (or visit the Malibu Country Mart first). If staying in Santa Monica you could just continue down the coast. If you do this in reverse note that the Malibu Canyon Road Exit off the 101 is called Las Virgenes Cyn and the Kanan Rd connection from PCH is labeled Kanan-Dume Rd.

7) Unique dining experience (expensive) is Geoffrey's in Malibu. Ask for a view table at sunset.

8) Downtown LA demographics are dramatically different during the week than on weekends when the business crowds are gone and the local residents remain.

9) Do see the new Disney Hall. Try to get theatre tickets from something at the Mark Taper Forum or Ahmanson Theatre downtown and/or at the Hollywood Bowl.