Top Attractions in Los Angeles
5. Griffith Park – The Griffith Park area is a very large recreational spot. A golf course, picnic area, museums, and the Los Angeles Zoo are just some of the attractions. The Los Angeles Zoo is one of the best in America with constant enhancements for a better experience. There are elephants, gorillas, alligators, polar bears, nocturnal animals, seals, and snakes, just to name a few. The large facility includes a plethora of animals in addition to one of the best botanical gardens in the world. Not very far away is the Observatory which will reopen soon. At the Observatory you can learn all about Astrology and watch amazing light shows. The Griffith Park experience can not be missed.
4. La Brea Museums – In the area of La Brea there are many museums including the Natural History Museum and the world famous La Brea Tar Pits. The Tar Pits are absolutely a unique experience. The museum features many prehistoric animals bones which were are dug up from the tar pits within the museum location. Sabre Tooth tigers, Giant Sloths, and an array of dinosaurs are on display, many reconstructed to appear how they might have looked when they were alive. The actual tar pits is another experience. The black, sticky tar is still bubbling and contains an endless of amount of fossils which have yet to be dug up. Even in the viewing area the tar is present and you can pick up a stick and poke at the puddles of tar to see just how strong it is. The other museums in the area are also quite an experience. Art museums, science museums, and car museums are all within walking distance of the tar pits. You must see it for yourself.
3. Santa Monica – The city of Santa Monica, which borders West Los Angeles, is part of L.A. County and features a variety of attractions. The 3rd Street Promenade is a 3 block hang out spot which many interesting shops, restaurants, and strange people. While on the Promenade you will find local teens, other tourists, and crazy but harmless homeless people. If you are from the Midwest you might experience culture shock as you encounter the various freaks of the area, and all over Los Angeles for that matter. Punks, goths, hip hop fans, hippies, yuppies, and trendy teens just to start the list. At the end of the Promenade is the Santa Monica Mall, which isn’t really impressive but features interesting stores and a pretty decent food court. Once you’ve had enough of that you can head down just a couple of blocks to the pier. The Santa Monica Pier’s landscape has changed drastically over the years, especially with the earthquakes. The wooden pier features unique shops, an arcade, an entire indoor carousel, and even a miniature amusement park with roller coasters, a ferris wheel, and carnival type games. You can fish off of the pier or just sit and relax as the ocean breeze passed through your hair. Santa Monica is one of the best things about Los Angeles.
3. Hollywood – Of course Hollywood is the main reason why Los Angeles is famous in the first place. It’s where all of the celebrities live and hang out. But don’t get your hopes up, it’s very rare to actually spot a celebrity most of the time. Hollywood features many attractions, such as the Sunset Strip, which has all of the hottest night clubs and bars. Another world famous part of Hollywood is the Chinese Theatre, which is where the Hollywood Walk Of Fame is. Here you can see all of the stars on the ground, from John Wayne to Ryan Seacrest (How did he get a star?!). If you absolutely need to see something to do with celebrities, buy a “Map to the Stars” from a vendor along Laurel Canyon and take a drive through neighborhoods where tons of the stars live. Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll catch a movie star or recording artist in their front yard. It’s doubtful though.
2. Venice Beach – Venice Beach features a boardwalk with the most unique sights in the world. Vendors, tattoo parlors, street performers, and the unique mixture of visitors make up the scene. Venice Beach is a relaxing experience. Walking down the boardwalk you will hear constant Bob Marley music and smell incense burning. This is where the cultural dynamic of Los Angeles is at its best. Enjoy the atmosphere, watch the strange characters, and take in the experience.
1. Universal City – Universal City is in the San Fernando Valley, also a part of Los Angeles, and is where most movies and television shows are filmed. To start with, there is Universal Studios Hollywood, which is a great theme park that revolves around, you guessed it, Hollywood. There are rides and shows based off of movies and TV shows. Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, and E.T are just some of the great rides available. Another great ride, my favorite in fact, is the tour. The tour takes you through a bunch of Hollywood movie scenes in live action form. The ride has also changed over the years and has featured scenes from JAWS where you actually see a mechanical shark and big explosions, Frankenstein where a big flood takes place, even King Kong where a gigantic mechanical King Kong rages and shakes the bridge that you are on. King Kong is one of the best things I have ever seen. It starts with a helicopter crashing and then you spend a few minutes seeing King Kong throw a fit. As if this weren’t enough, there is more than just the theme park. Right next to the theme park is Universal City Walk, which is in my opinion a top notch hang out spot. There is an IMAX theatre, a Hard Rock cafe, several shops such as Harley Davidson and cool toy stores, and a great food court area. The food court features famous restaurants, my favorite being Versailles, a Cuban place with the best menu I have ever seen. Try the shredded pork in garlic sauce! The atmosphere is terrific, with all kinds of lights and a huge screen that plays music videos. On Saturdays they have bands play next to the Hard Rock Cafe and everyone has a good time. If you see one thing in Los Angeles, make it Universal Studios.
Coming to Los Angeles won’t guarantee a career in show business, but taking a vacation in the City of Angels won’t be disappointing. Los Angeles will shock you, scare you, thrill you, and entertain you. You will have an enormous amount of fun meeting new people and enjoying the scenery. I hope that if you ever visit Los Angeles you consider visiting the top attractions. See you soon!
Again, for more information visit www.losangeles.com to learn about locations, contact information, and more detailed descriptions of each attraction.
