Free (?) trip to Hollywood
 

My husband won a 4 day 3 night and $500 cash, expense paid trip to Hollywood for two and includes a rental car. I'm 54 and my husband is 62. We are not big on sight seeing, but would like to go to a beach so would like nice weather. Nighlife for us would be going for drinks and listening to music. We have until August to take the trip. I don't know where they will put us up, but need to decide when to go. Any sugguestions on when to tell them we want to go?

Did your husband actually "win" something - as in a church rafle he entere or something?

Or is this one of those offers in which everyone "wins" a trip -only it's never available whenyou want tnad there are all sorts of hidden fees and restrictions (for example, the $500 cash may be usake only against charges at a certain resort?)

He won the trip in a raffle at his company's annual meeting.

Hollywood as in Los Angeles, or Florida?

Hollywood in L.A. is a run-down dumpy-looking part of town - people only go there to attend performances at one of the few theaters and then get out as quick as they can. I hope you got a decent hotel into the deal? You'll have to get wheels and go elsewhere, you can't walk around there, there is hardly anywhere worthwhile to walk to, and the flotsam and jetsam may get on your nerves, it is just not a nice place.

There is one new complex, the Renaissance Hotel, where life is civilized (and quite expensive), the complex also houses some touristy shops and a couple of restaurants, and adjacent is the Kodiak Theatre. And the Hollywood Bowl (open-air concerts) is just up the road a ways.

The beaches can be foggy in April and May, although the rest of L.A. has agreeable temperatures at that time. By July and August it gets too hot for many people, and it never rains, and the beaches sure come alive then. The water never gets really warm but in July and August most anyone can get in and have a good time.

Thanks for the reply! Yes Hollywood, CA. I've heard that about Hollywood. I'm not too concerned since a rental car is included in the deal. We need to tell his company when we want to go and am wondering what time of year. I'm leaning toward sooner than later. March maybe?

I would pick May, it is our best weather month in the Spring.

Thanks! May sounds good to me. It's my birtday! May 15th!

Perfect! That would be a good day to go up to Santa Barbara. I wonder which hotel they are giving you in Hollywood. Don't worry about the area, it is fugly in parts but there are some interesting sites too. Get a good guidebook or download some information on the area. You an drive into Beverly Hills, down to Santa Monica, Venice, you'll have fun!

Yes, a car will allow you the freedom you need to make the most of LA. There is way more good stuff than people give LA credit for - you could spend a month of intense daily explorations and you would not have seen it all.

Just get used to the idea that it is not a city but a sprawl of interconnected cities. Unlike most cities, LA has no real center. Downtown, although well worth a long visit, is not important in the lives of most residents of SoCal who hardly ever go there.

Start with this very recent thread:
www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

If you have specific questions, come back!

Great! Thanks! Now I'm getting excited.

DalaiLlama, was the link you provided supposed to take me to a specific thread? It took me to the "Talk" font page. Just curious.

I found this one:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35170093


and this one:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35173144

OK, cool! Thanks!

Thanks, SeaUrchin, it was the second one I had in mind. What a great report!

Yes, isn't it a great report! Makes me want to walk around downtown, some of the places mentioned I hadn't even heard of and I have lived here all my life.

Thanks for the compliments guys! :d

Perhaps DalaiLama should give that thread a read.

Downtown is a major employment center with Federal, State, County and Municipal government offices, major utility companies, and garment and jewelry districts. It also has a concentration of museums and musical venues. Hence it is quite active, especially during the work week. If you're in Hollywood near a Metro Red Line it pays to take that rather than drive (takes around 15 minutes or less and you don't have to hunt for expensive parking). If you want to see the actual performance space of the Disney Concert Hall (very interesting), it isn't often shown on tours due to practice schedules. They have a casual Friday series that is a relatively cheap way to get inside.

Also I recommend going inside the new Taj Mahoney (Cathedral). Although I'm not crazy about the exterior, the interior is quite lovely.

Once you're in Dowtown you can take the DASH Shuttle Bus all over for 25 cents a trip.

Thanks. I wasn't aware there was a metro. I had heard parking was an expensive issue. The $500 in cash that comes with the trip won't last long, if that's the case.

I hope your trip includes hotel parking in Hollywood, that could add up also.

The Metro system is described on the various links

http://metro.net/riding_metro/maps/default.htm

To go downtown you use the Red Line. In Hollywood, the Hollywood/ Highland station is near the Renaissance hotel and Graumans Theatre. Downtown, the Civic Center station is probably the most centrally located. If you exit on First Street you'll see the City Hall, LA Times, and Caltrans buildings. Up the hill is the Disney Hall and Music Center. If it's clear, the City Hall tower (28th floor?), has a viewing deck. The interior has been restored and some of the public hearing rooms and the rotunda on the main floor are attractive (just walk past the guard desk). If you like dim sum for lunch, there are several places in Chinatown that are good, the easiest to reach by DASH "B" route is ABC Seafood (the first stop on Ord). Go early (11 or 11:30). Or for Mexican, on Olvera Street, La Golondrina Cafe is good. Phillipe's is another good tourist option with lots of historic charm, it's one of two places that claim inventing the French Dip Sandwich. They're near Union Station and Olvera Street (Alameda & Ord).

Here's the DASH Map, with landmarks shown. Usually the busses have them also.

http://www.ladottransit.com/dash/rou.../downtown.html

In Hollywood, walk down to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and admire the lobby. You can drive or shuttle (weekends) to the Griffith Park Observatory. Parking is free but the road is a bit curvy and you might need a GPS system to find it.

Haha, I re-read my message and it might imply that you can bypass the guard desk at City Hall..check in first! The entrance is on the Main Street Frontage.