Published 9 October 2013, by Jess
Los Angeles, well known as the home of Hollywood – A place where you go to be discovered, celebrity spotting and mixing with the rich and famous are the reasons many people visit this wonderful city.
Famous location from the movie ‘No Strings Attached’ starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Porter
I must admit, from everything I had been told, I wasn’t all that interested in seeing LA and therefore my trip was only a short three (3) nights. Everyone has different tastes, but having been there myself now, I highly recommend the city to everyone thinking of going.
I was told LA was “concrete city”, “difficult to get around” and “the people are extremely rude”. Maybe I caught LA on its good days, but I found everything I had been told to be false. Sure, the city has its faults (walking anymore than 3-4 blocks away from Hollywood Boulevard in the opposite direction of The Roosevelt Hotel was an experience in itself and not one I’ll be rushing back to do anytime soon), but I really did enjoy my time there and would definitely visit again.
Things to See & Do
The Roosevelt Hotel
A perfectly positioned hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, The Roosevelt Hotel is popular among young Hollywood stars particularly frequenting the roof top pool and Teddy’s nightclub in the lobby.
This was the hotel I stayed in and is located opposite the Chinese Theatre and Kodak Theatre.
The hotel is believed to be haunted, with a few reported sightings of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Cliff who both lived in the hotel for extended period. Other sightings involve a little girl in a blue dress.
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
Across from our hotel a stall were selling tickets for the Hop On Hop Off buses. Generally in the cities I visit, I like to take the tour because it’s a great way to get around a city and see its main attractions at your own pace.
For $19 US I purchased a ticket that gave me access to the Hollywood loop and the Santa Monica/Venice Beach loop.
See below for details of the places on each loop;
Santa Monica
The Santa Monica Pier opened in 1909 and is a prominent landmark in Santa Monica attracting tourists from all over the world. At the end of the Pier is a small carnival type atmosphere, with wooden rollercoaster, carnival stalls and lots of fun for the kids.
Third Street Promenade is also well worth seeing in Santa Monica. This is a pedestrian-only shopping district that stretches for three blocks, buzzing with street performers and artists and some great shopping and eating venues.
Venice
A little over-rated in this writers opinion, as far as I could see it was just beach and the usual suburban housing etc. I did stroll around the area for a little while as our bus tour seemed to drop us in a desserted area and we couldn’t seem to find our way down to the Muscle Beach/Muscle Pit area we had hoped to see. Instead we stumbled across some cute little canals just like the picture below.
I am told that this is the area you want to see, so if VeniceBeach is on your list, I’d head down to MuscleBeach to see what all the fuss is about.
Hollywood
Walk of Fame
“This is where it all began. At this location on 15 August 1958, the first 8 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were dedicated to Ouva Borden, Ronald Colman Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, Ernst Torrence and Joanne Woodward. The Walk of Fame was completed in 1960”
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a mark of achievement and honour for contribution to the entertainment industry. It includes a mix of musicians, actors, directors, producers, musicals/theatre groups, fictional characters and more.
The Walk of Fame is an impressive strip of pink stars stretching 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and 3 blocks of Vine Street.
Chinese Theatre
Chinese Theatre is a movie theatre on the Walk of Fame that opened on the 18 May 1927. The theatre has distinct concrete blocks in the forecourt with the signatures, foot prints and hand prints of motion picture personalities from the 1920’s to the present day.
Beverly Hills
Famously referred to as Beverly Hills 90210 as a result of the popular tv 90’s show and now the remake, Beverly Hills is its own city in Los Angeles County California surrounded by the City of Los Angeles. It is featured in many movies and television shows and also in some popular computer games.
It is home to the very famous ‘Rodeo Drive’, an upmarket, high-end shopping precinct for the rich and famous. Brands such as Gucci, Prada and Jimmy Choo just to name a few can be found on Rodeo Drive.
Prada, so sure of their brand, is the only store without a name to distinguish it to shoppers.
Hollywood Hills
If you have a car, which is recommended in LA since everything is very spread out, then driving into the Hollywood Hills has to be on your list!
We drove to 3000 Canyon Lake Drive, Hollywood to get some amazing views of the Hollywood sign. The trip into the hills was very narrow & winding, but without a doubt it was well worth it. The other great thing was the fact that there were very little people around so we weren’t interrupted trying to get a great shot.
For other great locations to get pictures of the Hollywood Sign go to – http://www.pachd.com/free-images/hollywood-sign.html
Disneyland
Getting there
If you are travelling there from Hollywood like I did, take the red line metro rail from the corner of Hollywood Bl & Highland Av toward downtown and get off at the last stop, Union Station (approximately 17 minutes). Transfer to a metrolink or amtrak train to Anaheim or Fullerton, then you can take a taxi or bus to Disneyland. We opted for the taxi since there were a number of them already waiting at the train station.
Fun for the whole family, Disneyland will bring out the kid in everyone. Whether you enjoy rides or not, the park is well set out and the FASTPASS is the best way to avoid lines. You swipe your FASTPASS and the ride will provide you with a time to come back in which you will be able to get straight on without lining up.
Toon Town
We paid $78.50 US in 2011 for a one day pass with entry to Disneyland (No park hopping included)
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/
The teacups were something I had always wanted to experience for myself, ever since I was a child growing up watching movies of other kids riding the teacups. Something to tick off the bucket list!
You also have the chance to meet some of the characters, whether they are walking around the park or within attractions. The characters are always happy to take photos and interact.
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger was the first drive-thru hamburger restaurant in California, their motto “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.”
The burgers at In-N-Out Burger are absolutely amazing and the service is fantastic. Be sure to use the local insider knowledge that we were provided with thanks to our Hop On Hop Off bus tour guide – Ask for ‘Animal Style’ burgers & fries.
Animal Style Burgers – Cooked in a thin layer of mustard, and in addition to the lettuce and tomato it also includes pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread.
Animal Style Fries – Comes with two slices of melted cheese, spread, and grilled onions on top.
Highly recommend you make a pit stop here at some point during your time in LA!
Newport Beach
A great place to visit on a beautiful summers day. The main reason for our trip was to see the home of the popular television show ‘The OC’ (OrangeCounty). The beach was stunning and the housing extremely impressive. Our trip was short due to having to catch a plane home that night but I would love to explore a little more of this coastal beauty.
Passport 2 the World 