One evening in L.A.
 

Wife and I be driving from Vegas to LA in a few weeks on a Sunday afternoon to catch a Monday flight out of LAX, staying at Crowne Plaza LAX. Never been to LA before. Can you recommend somewhere to hang out, maybe see some shops or something and a place to eat for dinner. Hoping for some place casual, not necessarily cheap, just don't want to worry about dressing up, like all kinds of food, prefer something with "local flavor". Is there a nearby beach/boardwalk type of area you recommend?

Thanks.

OK, you'll have a car. Good. Nothing immediately in the LAX area comes to mind, but you might head north to Santa Monica. The Third Street Promenade has shops-- mostly chains, but nice ones like Banana Republic, French Connection UK, Guess?, Z Gallerie, Restoration Hardware, etc. There are restaurants there, but I would recommend heading to Venice and eating at Joe's Restaurant on Abbot Kinney-- one of the best Cal-Cuisine eateries in the metro area.

Venice Beach is pretty close to LAX, as is Marina del Rey. Venice's "Boardwalk" is world-famous. MDR is a working marina, so you can stroll on the docks and look at the sailboats. There are restaurants in MDR that are pretty good.

I have stayed in that Crowne Plaza. DO NOT EAT THERE. Also, if possible, turn in your rental car the night before and take the hotel's shuttle bus. it will save you 45 minutes. If I were staying at LAX and wanted a night out, I would go to Hermosa Beach. It is a few (10 minutes with traffic) minutes South. Parking may be a drag (there is a multi-level pay lot - use it), but there are plenty of fun places and restaurants. Plenty of good sushi, cocktails, & people watching. The oddest place is a place called The Mermaid. It is right on the beach and it has a parking lot - for customers only. The Mermaid has not changed in decades. Red Naugahyde boothes, a broken piano, dimly lit, and very strong drinks. Do not worry about dressing up in SoCal. Just about everyone/thing is casual.

Head 10 minutes south from the airport to the Manhattan Beach pier. Park the car and walk around all the shops, cafes and pubs, out the pier, along the Strand (miles-long beachfront walk/bike/skateway). Check out Rock 'n Fish, much-praised restaurant near the pier, watch the surfers at sunset, or grab your longboard and hit the waves yourselves. Perfect LA venue on a summer evening.

Great, thanks for the tips!

I second the Santa Monica option--easy, casual, and fun.