what to do in la?

[kingbunky 3]

if you had a couple of days in LA, what would you do to entertain yourself? perris doesn't count because i've already planned a couple of days there. i was thinking of a studio tour, and maybe a visit to west coast choppers, but other than that, i'm not sure.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[mnealtx 0]

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if you had a couple of days in LA, what would you do to entertain yourself? perris doesn't count because i've already planned a couple of days there. i was thinking of a studio tour, and maybe a visit to west coast choppers, but other than that, i'm not sure.

Heck, and here I was all ready to ask if you meant Lower Alabama, Lousiana, or Los Angeles....

Studio tour sounds pretty cool, though....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[antifnsocial 0]

Pm Frenchy, I hear that he's always up for a party.

Please feel free to reply to my posts and pm's, but only if you're smart enough to understand what they really mean.

[kingbunky 3]

if i was flying solo i would probably do that, but i'll have my wife with me, and i'm not sure about having her around frenchy. i've read a lot of stuff about him and i'm nervous. that said, if he's around perris that weekend i'll be sure to look him up! if anyone is around perris on june 30 - july 1 (thursday and friday) look me up! i'll be the pasty white canadian hippy type wandering around looking lost, with my way cool new infinity and a big pink sabre. gotta leave saturday at some point to drive back to vegas for my flight home though.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[tdog 0]

I lived in L.A. for 4 years... You are talking Los Angles, right?

I would say the studio tours are very touristy, but fun. Universal Studios, et. al.

Here are some ideas that are less touristy:

One Day:
*Santa Monica Pier (Almost every movie of L.A. has the pier in it)
*The Promenade mall in Santa Monica, both the indoor mall and the outdoor mall.
*Walk or rollerblade the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Journey into a piercing parlor just to experience it.
*Drive thru Santa Monica inland on the streets and see the architecture and style… So different than other parts of LA, art deco to modern.
*Drive up to Malibu, perhaps a little farther, but the journey is the destination on that one.
*If it is still there, just past (north) Malibu Canyon on PCH, Malibu Seafood is a great dive to get some fish (or chicken) and chips and sit outside.

Another Day:
Six Flags if you like amusement parks – some of the best coasters there.

Another Day:
*Drive Sunset Boulevard from the ocean in. Again, the journey is the destination – but you will get to see Beverly Hills close up.
*Shop Rodeo Drive.
*Chinese Grauman Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
*Hollywood Boulevard (Stars on the concrete)
*Westwood (UCLA area) See a movie in one of the theatres. A lot of the theatres show ONE film, different than the mega-plexes elsewhere in the world. (Note – this is close to the Santa Monica stuff)

If you are into art, the LA Museum of Modern Art is always got weird stuff. (Last time I was there they had a male and female Greek naked statue side by side… A video projector projected a spinning propeller on the female genitals and a banana was projected on the male. Ouch.) The Norton Simon museum has great collections of Dega’s ballet dancer statues and a piece from every artist you can think of. Good outing to Pasadena for a day. And the Getty museum is just incredible; both for J. Paul Getty himself and the art collection his money could buy.

But – my favorite place in LA… Drive up to Griffith Park Observatory at the end of the day… See a show in the planetarium or something – but watch the sun set over the city… Way up on the mountain, the city (which can be ugly up close) is a beautiful thing… From hearing the sounds of the city miles away, to just seeing the expansiveness – it is beautiful.

If you are into hiking – Malibu Canyon State park is cool. They have some walls to climb, but it also has a trail system… I spent many a weekend mountain biking thru there. A few miles in the relics from the MASH set still remain. They filmed MASH there. You can look up at the hills and see the opening sequence of MASH where the helicopter flies in. Fun déjà vu.

If I was you, I would pick a hotel or something in the Santa Monica area… That way you are central to the beach, the city, the studios, Westwood, Hollywood Boulevard, etc.

[kingbunky 3]

great info there, thanks! we are going to be driving down from san francisco on the pch (something i've always wanted to do) and staying in malibu for a night. six flags sounds fun, i had actually been checking their site out. i'll have to see the planetarium for sure. how about beaches in the area? which one would you go to just to laze around for awhile?

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[tdog 0]

My favorite beaches are the ones half way between SF and LA on PCH... Those are the more “suburban” or “hawaii” type beaches – nice and clean and pretty.

Venice and Santa Monica are great people watching, surfing watching beaches... There are even body building championships in Venice with a full outdoor members only gym. On the weekends, roller hockey in the parking lots… Weird mix, the only place where I have seen the ultra conservative mothers pushing their baby’s strollers next to and saying “HI” to guys selling drugs and outdoor tattoo places. But the water gets dirty (like city waste dirty) - so I always swam in Malibu (where I lived) or north of Malibu about 10 minutes there is a good beach on PCH… I always rollerbladed/people watched/attempted surfing south (Santa Monica/Venice). So, if you are looking for fun in the sun, try more than one – but if you are staying in Santa Monica, no need to drive 40 minutes north or more because the characteristic L.A. beaches can all be found in Santa Monica and Venice – and you will see the others as you drive south from SF…


In Malibu there are a few hotels... My favorite, I forgot the name, is on the land side of PCH, just south of the McDonalds I think. White two story. Cheap (by Malibu standards) and clean. Otherwise you are spending much, much, much more for some of the other hotels. Santa Monica is only 20 minutes south of Malibu on PCH... Six Flags... If you are going there from Malibu, take the Malibu Canyon road 20 minutes inland (nice drive too) and hookup with the 101 - and take it to the 405 - to Six Flags... Then when you are done, be sure to go back the way you came because the drive between Malibu and Santa Monica on PCH is awesome - all along the ocean... You will see plenty of the 10, 405, and 101 when you start going to westwood/planetarium/studios, etc... So go the long way to Santa Monica.

[kingbunky 3]

great stuff there, looks like i'll have to stop at a beach on the way down from san francisco to swim, then hit venice to people watch.
one more question then i'll go sit down. anybody know of a good tattoo artist in the area? sf or la, doesn't really matter.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[skybytch 273]

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looks like i'll have to stop at a beach on the way down from san francisco to swim

Bring a wetsuit. It's a bit cold out there, even in the middle of summer.

Be sure to stop repeatedly between Carmel and San Simeon. The whole coast through there is incredible. South of Piedras Blancas there's a beach that usually has lots of sea lions hanging out, great photo ops.

Hearst Castle (San Simeon) is worth the price of admission.


South of San Simeon get off 1 at Moonstone Beach Drive (it will rejoin 1 a couple miles down). Excellent beach for walking.

There's a nice beach for swimming at Cayucos - park at the pier.

Morro Bay has a nice but kind of touristy wharf area, a big rock and a few nice beaches.

San Luis Obispo has a great downtown. If you're there on a Thursday be sure to hang out after sunset for Farmer's Market - they close a street to cars, it's great for people watching (good food, too).

A bit off the highway south of SLO is Avila Beach. Great little beach town, also good for swimming. A bit further south is Pismo; they have a beach you can drive on.

Take your time and don't forget the camera.

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