Oh, Nevermind, how could I forget Cable Cars! My teens loved taking the cable car. Actually, I did too when I was a teen, and older also of course! :-)

Great tips! I'm really looking forward to the trip.

Thanks.

LA for teens? Let's see....

On a sunny day, any beach between Zuma and Torrance Beaches, then Seal Beach on south to, well, the border.

Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade (don't be too put off by the homeless and the strung-out punks-- I've been working a block away for 18 years and never had a problem).

Hollywood: Melrose Avenue.

Beverly Hills: Just because. Don't forget a spin into Fred Segal or some of the chi-chi boutiques on Robertson.

Sunset Blvd: I happen to think the Guitar Center is cool-- especially since you often see famous musicians checking out new instruments, buying strings, etc. The big Tower Records is always worth a trip. Then swing over to the Virgin Megastore a little farther into West Hollywood (I always see "stars" there).

Hollywood can be a letdown-- it's not really that glitzy-- but the Walk of Fame is kinda fun, and you never know who you might run into. Hey, maybe there will be a star dedication while you're there! Grauman's Chinese is kitschy-cool, but chances are your girl won't recognize a lot of the names immortalized in the cement....

If you're at all interested in the art scene in LA, there are some awesome museums and galleries, both big (LACMA, Norton Simon in Pasadena, MOCA in downtown LA) and smaller (Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, galleries on La Brea and scattered throughout LA/West Hollywood/Hollywood). The Getty Center is an architectural wonder and it's worth a visit for the buildings, the gardens and the views-- but the art is never the centerpiece (the collections are notoriously spotty).

I live in Long Beach, so my fun times are generally spent there and in points south-- that is, Orange County. My hometown (a place I love madly) is of relatively little interest to outsiders, but the beach cities of Orange County are quite nice. However, given only three days in the greater LA area, spend them exploring LA itself. You can always come back to hit OC and San Diego (a very nice city indeed)...!

Great LA tips, esp. the Guitar Center. My daughter got an accoustic for christmas and that is her new love.

Are there nice places to stay in LA where parking is free or cheap? Don't want to spend more than $150/night.