A friend and I will be visiting LA March 21-27 from Alabama. Any suggestions for must-see places? We would tend to enjoy outdoor actiivities and maybe a studio tour more than we would museums or shopping. Also, is a whale watching trip worth the $ at that time of year? Thanks for any info.

Farmer's Market, near Fairfax
Olvera Street
Chinatown
Walk of the Stars, Chinese theatre
Venice and Santa Monica beaches
La Brea tar pits
Griffith Park

more stuff:
Climb Mount Hollywood, its paved and a reasonable hike.
I think Warner Bros does a decent studio tour, others can comment.
Descanso Gardens, Huntington Gardens and/or the Arboretum are nice for getting outdoors
Surf lesson

Make reservations for Griffith Observatory for about an hour before sunset. Spectacular view on a clear day.

Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino-exquisite.

I always love the funky Farmers Market situated right next to the glittery Grove.

We went boating this past Sunday with family, along the Southern Pacific Coast, and saw a number of whales. We are having great weather in LA, so I would say yes, it would be worth the money for the experience. Saw this boat, out of Long Beach, with a couple other big boats following whales. The others were so packed with people, we thought this one looked much nicer.

http://www.2seewhales.com/

In addition to the great suggestions above, I must say that I enjoyed the tour of the movie stars' homes. You can join a group or buy a map and do it on your own.

Another fave thing we did was watch the filming of a TV show. The show we saw is no longer airing, but it was really interesting to see how things work. Tickets to a filming are free but they can be hard to get, depending on the popularity of the show.

We also loved seeing the sunset by Manhatten beach.

I have a weird one. The Hollywood Forever cemetary.

That sounds interesting, tell me more, like who is buried there?

Runyon Canyon - great walk/hike = great view from the top = and an interesting assortment of LA people (including celebs) with their dogs; free yoga class/ group in the gardens part way up.

Never mind, trippin, I googled it. It looks like a beautiful place.

http://www.hollywoodforever.com/Cemetery.htm

Yeah, I love Hollywood Forever Cemetery (on Santa Monica Blvd?) Every time we pass it we stop to take a walk!

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. We are getting so excited about the trip.

I have read about that whale watching boat that MBNancy mentions. They supposedly have an airplane spotting the whales and radioing their location to the captain of the boat. They claim a 90-something% success rate in seeing whales. They operate out of Long Beach, so you could combine the whale watch with the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Aquarium of the Pacific is a terrific suggestion. It can get pretty crowded with school groups but it is worth the trip. The Queen Mary and a boardwalk/Marina is also in the area. This area has been revitalized with lots of new restaurants (though mostly chains) and shopping.

All good suggestions. The Warner Bros. tour is great. Griffith Park is always wonderful for walking. Bike rides on the Strand in Hermosa Beach are a true slice of southern California coastal life. Try it-- you won't want to go back home!

RE: Long Beach downtown attractions-- If you have time for LB (I don't know-- LA is a huge area and there's so much to do!), the downtown highlights would include the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village, a little collection of shops going out onto a pier into the harbor, ending at a restaurant called Parker's Lighthouse (pretty good seafood). Other watering holes include the Yardhouse (200+ beers on tap), Springbok Bar & Grill (South African wine & cuisine) and Kabo Café (Belgian/African fusion). You can also take the Aqualink or Aquabus to Alamitos Bay Landing then take the Passport A shuttle to Belmont Shore, our little strolling/noshing seaside village (where a 1200 square foot bungalow can set you back a cool $800K). Mellow fun, but only do it if you absolutely have a day to spare.

Whoops-- the Aquabus won't get you to Alamitos Bay, only the Aqualink. But a leisurely ride on the harbor is wonderful, day or night (I went on a harbor cruise Saturday night-- truly special!!).

Of the three, I've only tried the DB and the In and Out. A friend of mine who is also a graduate of the CIA, Hyde Park, said she's tried all three and DB is best. She went on to say that those three should not even be compared in the same article.

Lord - don't know how that ended up here, sorry.

Yes P_M, it's a pretty place and interesting "Old Hollywood" feel to it.

Whale watching is at its peak here in LA right now. I saw 8 grays today over 3 hrs (25 recorded for the entire day) and 5 last week in a 2 hr period at this location:

http://www.palosverdes.com/rpv/recre...nter/index.cfm

It was fantastic for anyone interested, I highly recommend it. The museum will provide binoculars for you to borrow if you leave them your car keys. Bring a picnic basket.