Los Angeles

With its long stretches of white sand beaches, world- renowned museums, Hollywood Hype, and exciting theme parks, the possibilities were endless during a trip to Los Angeles. Visitors could spend a fortune here! But what people might not expect is that some of the best places to explore were free, including the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach Boardwalk, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Sign hike, the Griffith Park Observatory and the Getty Center.

GETTING THERE

Most travelers come to LA through Los Angeles International Airport LAX, which has flights arriving from every major city in the world. There are several other lessor known airports which could have cheaper tickets from some cities, so check John Wayne Airport SNA, Long Beach Airport LGB, Burbank Airport BUR, and Ontario Airport ONT.

AMAZING EXCURSIONS

Starting at the ocean, it was an easy full day adventure walking past the big brand stores along the Santa Monica Promenade to the Pier, then south along the Venice Beach Boardwalk, which was funky and fun. I went by small restaurants, tourist shops, a popular skatepark where high flying boarders were in action, and saw people working out at Muscle Beach.

Other wonderful beach communities dot the coast, the affluent seaside enclave of Malibu was a few miles north, idyllic Manhattan Beach and trendy Hermosa Beach were just a bit south, with popular 'Surf City USA' Huntington Beach and exclusive Newport Beach even farther south.

Inland from Santa Monica, was the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the celebrity footprints outside the Chinese Theater along Hollywood Boulevard. Also, many businesses ran Celebrity Home Tours from this area. Just about a mile away, up Beachwood Drive was one of a couple access trails to hike to the Hollywood Sign. It was a truly spectacular view, and I spent hours here enjoying the sight.

Nearby was another popular hike, through Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. The fascinating Griffith Park Observatory was in this neighborhood and offered more incredible views of the city. It didn't cost anything to get inside the Observatory and it had a great collection of interactive and interesting exhibits about space.

Going inland even more, the Downtown Los Angeles area was a diverse mix of architecture and cultures. Olvera Street had authentic Mexican food restaurants and shacks, across the street was Chinatown with many eateries and delicious dim sum offerings, and nearby was Little Tokyo with its traditional sushi restaurants.

The busy Grand Central Market isn't far away, its a hustling bustling food hall packed with eateries serving yummy food of all types. The famous old Bradbury building, The LA Flower Market and California Jewelry Mart were nearby, along with LA Fashion District. Opening hours vary wildly so be sure to check in advance.

Downtown LA was packed with other well known hot spots, including Crypto.com Arena with concerts and sports, the Walt Disney Concert Hall with its inspiring modern architecture, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Broad Museum. The Broad was free to enter, but tickets must be booked in advance online. It included impressive Infinity Mirror Rooms, and artworks from Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein to name a few.

Other fabulous museums in Los Angeles included the Getty Museum, again free but online reservations were needed and there was a parking fee. It's a stunning white stone building perched high on a hill overlooking the city. It has a varied collection, most of which was once owned by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. It included vibrant impressionist paintings from Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, and a delicate collection of hand written and decorated ancient manuscripts.

There's also the wondrous California Science Center with a real life space shuttle, and the La Brea Tar Pits with remains of Saber-toothed Cats, Ground Sloths, Dire Wolves, Mastodons, Mammoths, and many more animals. Researchers were still digging and I got a look inside an active excavation site which was surprising to see right in the middle of a major city. Next door was LA County Museum of Art, LACMA, with a massive collection of art. Other excellent locations for art lovers included the Huntington Gardens and the Norton Simon Museum both near the famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was packed with tourists snapping photos, locals driving luxury cars, and high-priced designer stores. But not every restaurant was expensive, and it was worth it to relax and enjoy the sights, while eating a meal in one of the most exclusive locations in the world.

The Los Angeles area was home for many theme parks. Universal Studio was practically in the center of town, with its kid friendly themes and Hollywood hype. Disneyland was to the south, a county away but still easily accessible. Other smaller but still fun theme parks included Knott's Berry Farm, with its rollercoasters, Wild West theme, and boysenberry flavored foods, and also Six Flags Magic Mountain, billed as the 'Thrill Capital of the World' because it has so many rollercoasters. Both Knott's and Magic Mountain also had water theme parks attached which were super fun in the summer.

There was so much to do in Los Angeles, the only hard part was picking. Even though the theme parks were quite expensive, there were many other amazing adventures for free, including miles of scenic white sand beaches, nature hikes with panoramic views, iconic locations immortalized in movies, and many magnificent museums.