Places to visit / thing to do in LA
01 June 2001, 08:52 PM
#1
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Off to LA next week for 7 days and then to Vegas for a week,
Anyone been to LA and can recomend some places to visit / thing to do while there.
Any tips would be great
Thanx in advance
Phil G
Anyone been to LA and can recomend some places to visit / thing to do while there.
Any tips would be great
Thanx in advance
Phil G
01 June 2001, 09:06 PM
#2
Best thing to do in LA is to hire a car and leave LA. If at all possible spend sometime in San Francisco - much nicer place.
No offence to anyone from LA - just my personal opinion.
No offence to anyone from LA - just my personal opinion.
02 June 2001, 01:07 AM
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I highly recommend going to Venice beach and watching the freaky people. I live here, and I still get a real laugh out of the oddities I see out at the beach.
Hollywood's not as bad as was made out in the previous post....it just gets a bit crowded on weekend nights. But there's so much to do!
Go to Manhattan beach (near LAX) and eat at Mama D's Italian restaurant. I always take out of town visitors there. It's right by the pier.
Mainly - just enjoy the sun !
Hollywood's not as bad as was made out in the previous post....it just gets a bit crowded on weekend nights. But there's so much to do!
Go to Manhattan beach (near LAX) and eat at Mama D's Italian restaurant. I always take out of town visitors there. It's right by the pier.
Mainly - just enjoy the sun !
02 June 2001, 12:57 PM
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Six flags is good if you like roller coasters - gets a bit busy at weekends though. Disneyland?!
The beaches are great: all that beach volleyball, hmmmm
A Lakers game, though being the finals you'll have to pay top $ for a ticket!
Can't remember the name, but there's an observatory that gives you a great view of either LA or the Smog, depending on if you get lucky!
Avoid Hollywood - its a dive and very scary at night if you go off the main track!
Cruise round Beverly hills in a cabrio, trying to feel important...
Dunno if you can get in easily, but the main Warner Bros lot is there - I'm sure they must do public studio tours: I was working for them, so got the run of the site for free
The beaches are great: all that beach volleyball, hmmmm
A Lakers game, though being the finals you'll have to pay top $ for a ticket!
Can't remember the name, but there's an observatory that gives you a great view of either LA or the Smog, depending on if you get lucky!
Avoid Hollywood - its a dive and very scary at night if you go off the main track!
Cruise round Beverly hills in a cabrio, trying to feel important...
Dunno if you can get in easily, but the main Warner Bros lot is there - I'm sure they must do public studio tours: I was working for them, so got the run of the site for free
04 June 2001, 02:37 PM
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I second the bit about going to San Fran instead. But if you must go to LA...
Venice beach is worth going to. Has a (famous?) guy who juggles a chainsaw, 10 pin bowling ball and an egg.
Universal studios is worth a visit as well. Get there as early as possible and avoid the huge queues on the most popular rides (Jurassic park, Back to the Future).
Also the road with all the stars on the pavement is in a really scruffy run down district - was a real anti climax for me.
Avoid the Planet Hollywood in Hollywood - the worst service I ever had anywhere!
Do NOT go to the Downtown area - even during the day.
Be careful where you go at night. If you get mugged, don't be a hero - hand over your wallet. Life is cheap to the muggers, and guns are everywhere. Bear in mind that in LA, the most common cause of infant deaths is gunshot wounds...
As for Las Vegas...
Apart from the usual touristy things (Caesers Palace etc)
Go to the Hotel that looks like the New York skyline - it has a rollercoaster on the top.
I stayed in the MGM Grand. Worth dropping into just to look down one of the corridors - this place is seriously large.
Go in the Luxor (Pyramid shape) and marvel at the scale of the interior.
Worth going on a flight over the Grand Canyon - even if it is pricey.
If you gamble - set yourself a daily limit and stick to it.
If you play Blackjack, play like the Banker, always hold on 17 or higher.
For both places...
If you want a drink, remember to have ID with a photo AND date of birth on it. This means a Passport or UK Photo ID license (which isn't recognised everywhere).
Venice beach is worth going to. Has a (famous?) guy who juggles a chainsaw, 10 pin bowling ball and an egg.
Universal studios is worth a visit as well. Get there as early as possible and avoid the huge queues on the most popular rides (Jurassic park, Back to the Future).
Also the road with all the stars on the pavement is in a really scruffy run down district - was a real anti climax for me.
Avoid the Planet Hollywood in Hollywood - the worst service I ever had anywhere!
Do NOT go to the Downtown area - even during the day.
Be careful where you go at night. If you get mugged, don't be a hero - hand over your wallet. Life is cheap to the muggers, and guns are everywhere. Bear in mind that in LA, the most common cause of infant deaths is gunshot wounds...
As for Las Vegas...
Apart from the usual touristy things (Caesers Palace etc)
Go to the Hotel that looks like the New York skyline - it has a rollercoaster on the top.
I stayed in the MGM Grand. Worth dropping into just to look down one of the corridors - this place is seriously large.
Go in the Luxor (Pyramid shape) and marvel at the scale of the interior.
Worth going on a flight over the Grand Canyon - even if it is pricey.
If you gamble - set yourself a daily limit and stick to it.
If you play Blackjack, play like the Banker, always hold on 17 or higher.
For both places...
If you want a drink, remember to have ID with a photo AND date of birth on it. This means a Passport or UK Photo ID license (which isn't recognised everywhere).
04 June 2001, 03:10 PM
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I'd also recommend leaving LA asap, though I don't care much for San Fran either. If you are staying there for a while though, definitely go to Venice Beach. Santa Monica, just a little north of Venice is also quite nice. I've not been to Universal Studios or Disneyland, but my family have - said former was good, latter a bit of a disappointment.
If you don't have to spend the week in LA itself, would also recommend Santa Barbara which is about 100 miles north up the coast.
You don't say how you're getting to Vegas. Quick way is a 5 hour drive through the Mojave (sp?) desert. Better way would be to take 2-3 days, and drive north, then, through Yosemite National Park, then through Death Valley National Park - absolutely magnificent. Pacific coast highway from LA up to Monterey is also superb - few feelings in life like driving a convertible along there - it's sending a shiver up my spine just thinking about it Too little time I'd guess to go see the Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park, or explore Kings Canyon.
In Vegas, I'd recommend a hotel midway along the strip, such as the Mirage or Caesars Palace. Obviously loads to do in Vegas, but take a Grand Canyon flight if you can. Hoover dam is also well worth a visit, as are the nearby State Parks - Valley Of Fire (absolutely gorgeous, try to stay there to watch the sun set), Lake Mead, and Red Rock Canyon.
Enjoy your holiday. I love California, as you'd probably guess
Gary.
If you don't have to spend the week in LA itself, would also recommend Santa Barbara which is about 100 miles north up the coast.
You don't say how you're getting to Vegas. Quick way is a 5 hour drive through the Mojave (sp?) desert. Better way would be to take 2-3 days, and drive north, then, through Yosemite National Park, then through Death Valley National Park - absolutely magnificent. Pacific coast highway from LA up to Monterey is also superb - few feelings in life like driving a convertible along there - it's sending a shiver up my spine just thinking about it
Too little time I'd guess to go see the Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park, or explore Kings Canyon.In Vegas, I'd recommend a hotel midway along the strip, such as the Mirage or Caesars Palace. Obviously loads to do in Vegas, but take a Grand Canyon flight if you can. Hoover dam is also well worth a visit, as are the nearby State Parks - Valley Of Fire (absolutely gorgeous, try to stay there to watch the sun set), Lake Mead, and Red Rock Canyon.
Enjoy your holiday. I love California, as you'd probably guess
Gary.
06 June 2001, 01:13 AM
#7
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Go and stick your hands in the imprints at Manns [sp] it's freaky. I'll second Venice beach for people watching. And, if you go out for a walk in Hollywood at night act mad and you'll fit right in.
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