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Universal
Studios
The Universal Studios tour is one of Hollywood's famous
must-sees. With a slate of ever changing attractions, the
park is a great outing for the whole family and can easily
take up an entire day. After the guided tour, you can wander
around the park, get something to eat (at one of the 16
restaurants and cafes), take in the various shows, like
the new Spiderman Rocks musical and Waterworld or board
one of the numerous thrill rides including Jurassic Park,
Back to the Future, and Terminator 2:3D.
Santa
Monica Pier
Perched over the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, "The
Pier" feels more like a carnival than a place to shop.
Cirque du Soleil pitches their tent on the beach here annually,
and there are concerts and dances on the weekends in the
summer. In addition to the many restaurants and souvenir
stands, there is a full-service amusement park with a roller
coaster, ferris wheel, merry-go-round and arcade. The pier's
end provides one of the best sunset views in Los Angeles
County. Credit cards accepted vary by store.
Hollywood
Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame is very much a tribute to Johnny Grant,
sometime mayor of Hollywood and relentless promoter of Tinsel
Town. There is no mistaking what town you are in when you
gaze down at the sidewalk and see these world famous gold
stars. Encompassing a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard near
the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, more than 2,500
bronze-inlaid stars commemorate some of the most famous
individuals in movies, radio, TV, recording and theater.
Celebrities are added frequently, so give the Chamber of
Commerce a call to see if you can catch one of the actual
ceremonies and witness a star becoming immortal.
Queen
Mary
One of the great 20th century luxury liners, this vessel
has been the centerpiece of Long Beach Harbor since 1967.
Larger than the Titanic, the boat allows tourists to take
a self-guided tour of the bridge, engine rooms and officer's
quarters, while guided tours visit areas of the ship which
are otherwise inaccessible. The boat has been turned into
a hotel, and features several restaurants, shops and a wedding
chapel.
Hollywood
Sign
This structure, located atop Mt. Lee in Griffith Park, is
perhaps the most enduring symbol of Hollywood. The nine
50-foot letters can be seen from all over the L.A. basin,
and occasionally even from passing aircraft. Originally
constructed in 1923 and reading "HOLLYWOODLAND",
it was actually a promotional tool meant to draw attention
to housing developments in a nearby section of the Hollywood
Hills. By the '70s, however, the letters were in pretty
bad shape, so the city decided to reconstruct it and began
promoting it as a tourist attraction.
Catalina
Island Conservancy
88 percent of Catalina Island is owned by this organization,
whose duty is to preserve it and its rare species of plants
and animals for posterity. With this in mind, they have
affixed a steep price for biking permits ($50) to generally
discourage that activity in the wilderness areas of the
island. However, hiking maps only cost a quarter, and hiking
permits are free, as well as the staff's sound advice, and
can only be obtained through this office. Additionally,
the conservancy offers a number of outdoor recreation and
environmental education programs, particularly the summer
naturalist programs.
Griffith
Observatory
This is the highlight of Griffith J. Griffith's contribution
to Los Angeles and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.
The construction of this art deco observatory was completed
in the early 30s and has provided a great view of the area
during both day and night ever since. Plus, anyone even
vaguely interested in astronomy will find the exhibits and
planetarium shows fascinating. Griffith Observatory is of
an interest to cult film fans because it was a site in the
James Dean movie "Rebel Without A Cause." Of the
ongoing shows, the most popular is "Laserium,"
which runs during the evening and features music from perennial
favorites like Pink Floyd and the Beatles.
NBC
Studios
This is the West Coast nerve center of the National Broadcasting
Company. Most famous as the home of The Tonight Show, hosted
by Jay Leno, this sprawling studio complex also offers compelling
walking tours through soundstages and other facilities.
Although reservations are always good, tickets for the tour
are pretty easy to come by. The tours are given between
the hours of 9am and 3pm Monday through Friday. If you want
to attend a taping of the Tonight Show, you should show
up at 9am to get in line for tickets for the 5pm taping,
unless you have reserved them months in advance.
Knott's
Berry Farm
This exciting theme park is one of the main tourist attractions
in Southern California. The park consists of six themed
areas, including Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, the Boardwalk
and more. Besides dozens of rides and attractions, the park
also features special live music and theater performances,
great restaurants and many shops. Seasonal attractions include
the world famous Knott's Scary Farm at Halloween.
La
Brea Tar Pits
Once upon a time, Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant.
It is now a park, and the tar pits are the world's richest
deposit of Ice Age fossils. More than 40,000 years ago mammoths,
saber-toothed cats and dire wolves who freely roamed the
Los Angeles basin became entrapped in the natural asphalt
of the tar pits. During the summer months, visitors can
observe the ongoing excavation from Pit 91.
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| Sunny
L.A. enjoys pleasant weather throughout the year. Ringed
by mountains and the sea, the temperatures tend to be moderate
-- seldom exceeding 85 F/29 C or falling below 40 F/4 C
-- and sunshine reigns most of the year. Most rainfall occurs
from late October to early April, and morning fog can be
dense in winter. The farther inland you go, the greater
the extremes of hot and cold, the more sun and the heavier
the rain.
The mountains just inland from the Los Angeles area tend
to trap air pollutants, resulting in smog, an unhealthy
haze that, at its worst, can give the sky a brownish hue
(smog alerts are most frequent during the last half of August
and much of September). If the smog level is high, you may
have to restrict your outdoor activities. If you have respiratory
problems -- including common allergies or sinus problems
-- let your doctor know you'll be in a high-pollution area
and ask for advice.
Los
Angeles is known for heavy traffic and a shortage of parking
places, yet Angelenos love their cars and drive everywhere.
We suggest you follow suit. If you have a car and a good
map, the freeway system will get you anywhere you want to
go, though sometimes at a rather slow pace. It's a good
idea to check the local news for traffic conditions before
you depart for any destination.
The city covers a huge area and has many distinct regions
-- walking between them is either an impossibility or just
not done. L.A.'s expanding subway and Metro Link offer speedy
service to certain destinations. Bus service is slow and
barely adequate for residents -- visitors won't have much
use for it.
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