I have a chance to pick up a bargain ticket to Los Angeles that arrives LAX this Saturday evening and leaves LAX Tuesday night. Given the three days (probably more like 2 days to do anything) what are the best things to do in LA given the short whirlwind trip. This is my first time there, and the tickets just became available at the spur of the moment.

suggestions anyone?

I'd suggest you try hotwire or priceline for hotels in Santa Monica. You could spend a pleasant two days in that area. There are loads of good restaurants, shops, the beach, the pier. You can rent a bike and ride up and down the bike path right on the beach. Ride down to Venice Beach for some real southern California flavor. It would be possible if you based yourself near the beach in Santa Monica to do without a car and just take a cab from the airport to your hotel. But if you want to rent a car you could also drive into Hollywood for sightseeing on one of those days.

This is a copy of an earlier email to someone else visitng LA.


One of the most unusual things to do, but very fun is to take a sunset
horseback ride over the Hollywood hills from Hollywood to Burbank, they take you over
the hill, you stop at a Mexican restaurant, have dinner and drinks then you
ride back after dark so that you can see the entire city lit up! It's $40.00
PP that is a great thing to do for out of town visitors.
They also hour or two hour day rides for starting at $20.00 and you don't need to be an experienced rider. It's great to see some of the local chaperal, one of the most unique features of LA.

IF you like to shop, be sure to go to the 3rd street Promenade in Santa
Monica, (I was just there last night). And Melrose Avenue, or the La Brea Antiques district.

Hollywood is home of the newly opened Hollywood Highland center, next to the Grauman's Chinese. If you go up to Hollywood ,park at Hollywood/Highland center. Explore the Chinese, the mall (Though the mall itself, apart from architecture is pretty standard fare).
Go across the street to the Roosevelt hotel and look for the ghosts of Marilyn Monroe and Rudolph Valentino. Take the metro ($2.70RT) to Universal City Walk.
Eat at either Musso and Franks (Deli/expensive old but atmospheric) Or Micheli's on Las Palmas, my personal favorite.

You can easily get to the Griffith Park observatory from Hollywood also.

A visit to the Hollywood Forever Cemetary is very interesting, as well, if you are into that type of thing.

From Hollywood you can take the Metro also to Downtown, to visit the central library, the Music Center, Pershing Square (I think they already have their ice skating rink up), and the Bonaventure hotel.

Also, let me know if you are interested in hiking. I am a very keen hiker
and can point you towards some terrific view trails.



A day trip you may enjoy is to Pasadena, where we have the best museum (The
Getty gets all the credit, but mostly the Getty is about architecture NOT
the collection). Go to the Norton Simon if you appreciate Impressionist Art.


Hope this helps you, Welcome to LA>

I would also like to know if Warner Bros. has tours? If so, do you get to see the facade of the house on Bewitched or Partridge Family? I believe they were filmed on the Warner "Ranch" lot?

That would be Universal Studios tour.

According to the website 1164.com (named for the address of the house on Bewitched) it is located on the Warner Bros. Ranch lot.

Warner Bros does have a VIP tour that is open to the public-so does Universal.You can get the Warners tour info at the Warners online site.wbsf.warnerbros.com

Make sure you call the studios in advance to be sure that their tours are still running. I know that Universals is, but for a while after 9/11 Warner Bros. had shut theirs down.

When I was there for Thanksgiving the Warner Brothers tour was not running, for security reasons. I got the phone nubmer from the website & called it I think. It sounded nicer than Universal to me--more exposure to real production activity, less of a theme park.

I loved a hotel called Sofitel. You could walk to a bunch of restaurants and shops including 3rd Street which had vintage shops. I got my room at an Internet site, probably Expedia, for $138, and it is usually in the 200s I think.

Go to Farmer's market near the studios (I remember seeing CBS logo) and have lunch, coffee, or ??? and people watch.

Have a drink at the top of the Westin Bonaventure.

I agree with Susan about Venice Beach.

There are so many things to do it's hard to narow it down. What do you like to do? The studio tours are fun, I agree the Getty is about architecture, not the collection, prefer the Norton Simon, MOCA, LACMA. If you are interested in architecture, contact the LA Conservancy. They offer tours of downtown ( art deco galore) every Saturday. Good tours, about two hours long, $8.

M.

scott

for such a quick trip i would pick one part of la and focus on that, otherwise you will spend most of your time trying to get from one part of town to another.

santa monica/venice/malibu make for a great three days. beaches, the venice boardwalk and 3rd st. promenade for people watching, plus lots if great shopping and good restaurants.

then there's hollywood, west hollywood, beverly hills. everything from la tourist kitsch like the chinese theater to ultra trendy sunset strip and of course rodeo drive. this itinerary also puts you close to the studios, which are just over the hill. very good restaurants here too... check out zagat.com no matter where you stay.

for more off the beaten path, there's pasadena. some great small museums there, including the norton simon, the asia pacific museum, the huntington library and gardens. very pretty city with some great old neighborhoods. (check out the gamble house if you're an architecture fan) fun shopping, restaurants and people watching in old town. and don't overlook the 1771 Mission in neighboring San Gabriel for a glimpse of socal's spanish history.

have fun


hollywood