4 days in LA - how does this look?
Discussion
We are flying to LA on Monday, as part of a longer California trip. We won't be at the hotel (Hollywood area) til late on Monday night, but how does the below look from people who have been recently? Last time I went was 15 years ago, and it was mainly theme parks and Las Vegas!
Day 1 :
Hollywood / Walk of fame etc. We don't expect this to take too long, but as we are staying close by might as well go and see it!
Long Beach
Venice Beach + Santa Monica - maybe evening meal etc. in that area.
Day 2 :
Universal Studios. This is already booked and paid for, so we will be there all day. For the evening I think there is a separate area with shops and restaurants, or we could head somewhere else in the evening. Any suggestions welcome!
Day 3 :
Griffith Park / Observatory etc. Worth a whole day for this area? I'd quite like to see the view during the day and at night!
Day 4 :
Part of this will be spent driving to Santa Barbara for the next stop but any suggestions for things to do in the morning or stops along the way are welcome!
Many thanks,
Mike
Day 1 :
Hollywood / Walk of fame etc. We don't expect this to take too long, but as we are staying close by might as well go and see it!
Long Beach
Venice Beach + Santa Monica - maybe evening meal etc. in that area.
Day 2 :
Universal Studios. This is already booked and paid for, so we will be there all day. For the evening I think there is a separate area with shops and restaurants, or we could head somewhere else in the evening. Any suggestions welcome!
Day 3 :
Griffith Park / Observatory etc. Worth a whole day for this area? I'd quite like to see the view during the day and at night!
Day 4 :
Part of this will be spent driving to Santa Barbara for the next stop but any suggestions for things to do in the morning or stops along the way are welcome!
Many thanks,
Mike
It's been nearly 20 years since we were in LA but, as interesting as it is, I don't think you'll stretch Griffith Park Observatory to a whole day, or at least we didn't. Might be worth a trip to Hollywood Forever as you'll be over that way - it's a massive cemetery on Santa Monica Blvd and we had a good hour or so there playing spot the celebrity graves. A bit mawkish maybe but the Mrs is a bit of a film buff and she enjoyed it. http://www.hollywoodforever.com/
Maybe a trip to Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive too?
We're planning to visit next year. Have a great trip!
Maybe a trip to Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive too?
We're planning to visit next year. Have a great trip!
Edited by Evil Monkey on Saturday 18th October 13:42
You can walk from Griffith Park via Bronson Canyon towards the Hollywood sign and the Beechwood Canyon Trail. If you go down the hill towards to base of Bronson Canyon you can find the original Batcave and the shooting for numerous Western films with John Wayne as a well as the original Star Trek foreign planets.
That lot will definitely fill your day and you'll need the evening meal. You can get right up to the Hollywood sign from Beechwood Canyon and then there are great views of Lake Hollywood and downtown LA. If it's something you're interested in I can give you more details.
I'm not really a foodie, but if it was up to me I'd have every meal the the Cheesecake Factory. The original one is on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills (near Rodeo Drive) and there's plenty of relatively cheap parking lots.
That lot will definitely fill your day and you'll need the evening meal. You can get right up to the Hollywood sign from Beechwood Canyon and then there are great views of Lake Hollywood and downtown LA. If it's something you're interested in I can give you more details.
I'm not really a foodie, but if it was up to me I'd have every meal the the Cheesecake Factory. The original one is on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills (near Rodeo Drive) and there's plenty of relatively cheap parking lots.
Edited by pushthebutton on Saturday 18th October 14:59
pushthebutton said:
You can walk from Griffith Park via Bronson Canyon towards the Hollywood sign and the Beechwood Canyon Trail. If you go down the hill towards to base of Bronson Canyon you can find the original Batcave and the shooting for numerous Western films with John Wayne as a well as the original Star Trek foreign planets.
That lot will definitely fill your day and you'll need the evening meal. You can get right up to the Hollywood sign from Beechwood Canyon and then there are great views of Lake Hollywood and downtown LA. If it's something you're interested in I can give you more details.
I'm not really a foodie, but if it was up to me I'd have every meal the the Cheesecake Factory. The original one is on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills (near Rodeo Drive) and there's plenty of relatively cheap parking lots.
Sounds really good thanks! Is there a preferred place to park for this?That lot will definitely fill your day and you'll need the evening meal. You can get right up to the Hollywood sign from Beechwood Canyon and then there are great views of Lake Hollywood and downtown LA. If it's something you're interested in I can give you more details.
I'm not really a foodie, but if it was up to me I'd have every meal the the Cheesecake Factory. The original one is on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills (near Rodeo Drive) and there's plenty of relatively cheap parking lots.
Edited by pushthebutton on Saturday 18th October 14:59
Griffith park is great but not worth a whole day. We couldn't get there in the evening by car. They closed the road due to it being so busy so walk if you can.
Drive the full length of Mulholland it's a nice drive with amazing views. It can basically take you all the way to the coast. Malibu is very nice and not that far away.
Hollywood walk of fame is, um, crap. Worth 30mins though. Easy to get there on the tube.
Driving in LA is mental generally. Hollywood to Venice could take you 2 or more hours.
Beverly Hills is worth a visit, just tanned rich people everywhere but again unless you are minted only worth a few hours. Driving there from the Hollywood hills is reletively easy though through I think Laurel Canyon Road. Some days there is unrestricted parking in the palm tree posh roads close by and it's a nice walk in from there.
Universal is great and definitely get a fast pass; queues were well over 90mins by the afternoon. There is a whole 'town' outside with a million places to eat. Do the studio tour bit first it gets packed early.
Have you got any studio tours booked? Warner Brothers is brilliant but may be booked up now. Sony Paramount may have some space left they did in August with a couple days notice. I didn't go but apparently well worth it again.
Drive the full length of Mulholland it's a nice drive with amazing views. It can basically take you all the way to the coast. Malibu is very nice and not that far away.
Hollywood walk of fame is, um, crap. Worth 30mins though. Easy to get there on the tube.
Driving in LA is mental generally. Hollywood to Venice could take you 2 or more hours.
Beverly Hills is worth a visit, just tanned rich people everywhere but again unless you are minted only worth a few hours. Driving there from the Hollywood hills is reletively easy though through I think Laurel Canyon Road. Some days there is unrestricted parking in the palm tree posh roads close by and it's a nice walk in from there.
Universal is great and definitely get a fast pass; queues were well over 90mins by the afternoon. There is a whole 'town' outside with a million places to eat. Do the studio tour bit first it gets packed early.
Have you got any studio tours booked? Warner Brothers is brilliant but may be booked up now. Sony Paramount may have some space left they did in August with a couple days notice. I didn't go but apparently well worth it again.
Edited by vescaegg on Saturday 18th October 15:09
vescaegg said:
Drive the full length of Mulholland it's a nice drive with amazing views. It can basically take you all the way to the coast. Malibu is very nice and not that far away.
Hollywood walk of fame is, um, crap. Worth 30mins though. Easy to get there on the tube.
Cheers, we will do that on the way to Santa Barbara. I'm sure the walk of fame etc. will be crap!Hollywood walk of fame is, um, crap. Worth 30mins though. Easy to get there on the tube.
You can park at Griffiths Park for all of it. I'm not sure about the night time parking closures there, but I know that Bronson Canyon and Beechwood Canyon both close to vehicles at around 1hr before sunset. A police officer comes out to close them. You need to factor in your walking time back to the car. It's only vehicles that are locked out/in; you can still walk through the gates.
Griffith Park Wiki says:
The park is open 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. All hiking trails and mountain roads close at sunset. Ample free parking is available on the south side off of Vermont Canyon Road inside the park; cars can be left parked at the parking lot next to the Greek Theater until 10:30 p.m., even though the park gates close to entering cars at sunset.
The walk from Griffith Park to the bottom of Bronson Canyon is about 2-3 miles and mostly downhill. You could drive there and start the walk uphill through the Canyon, initially toward the Batcave and then on to the Hollywood sign. It's probably, conservatively, a couple of hours from the Car Park of Bronson Canyon to the sign and it's almost all uphill. Funnily, enough it doesn't take as long coming back down.
Griffith Park Wiki says:
The park is open 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. All hiking trails and mountain roads close at sunset. Ample free parking is available on the south side off of Vermont Canyon Road inside the park; cars can be left parked at the parking lot next to the Greek Theater until 10:30 p.m., even though the park gates close to entering cars at sunset.
The walk from Griffith Park to the bottom of Bronson Canyon is about 2-3 miles and mostly downhill. You could drive there and start the walk uphill through the Canyon, initially toward the Batcave and then on to the Hollywood sign. It's probably, conservatively, a couple of hours from the Car Park of Bronson Canyon to the sign and it's almost all uphill. Funnily, enough it doesn't take as long coming back down.
mike80 said:
Cheers, we will do that on the way to Santa Barbara. I'm sure the walk of fame etc. will be crap!
Best time, IMO, for the walk of fame is early morning when the coffee shops are open and nobody else is there. You have it to yourself and there are no street performers. The observation deck at Hollywood and Highland will also be empty. Hollywood Blvd is what it is, but it's nice to see the road that they close off and lay down red carpet on for the Oscars. If you've ever seen the Oscars you'll forever more recognise the red carpet walk and the entrance into the Kodak Theater. Place I enjoyed the most in LA was waiting at the driving test centre whilst my mate took his american driving test.
Had all the yardies with slicked back hair with nets on their heads from Compton trying to chat up the pretty rich girls from Beverly Hills... was comical to watch
and the biggest shock was wandering down Melrose Avenue and two blokes coming out of a shop and started snogging each other.
oddest experience was getting very lightheaded in an oxygen bar on Sunset Strip
Hmmm maybe I need to experience more of LA, only been there 6 times.... time to take a trip back I think
TY PH
Had all the yardies with slicked back hair with nets on their heads from Compton trying to chat up the pretty rich girls from Beverly Hills... was comical to watch
and the biggest shock was wandering down Melrose Avenue and two blokes coming out of a shop and started snogging each other.
oddest experience was getting very lightheaded in an oxygen bar on Sunset Strip
Hmmm maybe I need to experience more of LA, only been there 6 times.... time to take a trip back I think
TY PHmike80 said:
Griffith Park / Observatory etc. Worth a whole day for this area? I'd quite like to see the view during the day and at night!
Griffith Park Observatory is best done when watching the sunset, spectacular views outside over LA and the Hollywood sign. When that is over go inside and enjoy the observatory/museum, see some films etc, then go and look through the telescope.If you need something to fill the day then the Natural History Museum is excellent, as is the Petersen Automotive Museum and the La Brea Tarpits. The California Science Centre also worth visiting (has a Space Shuttle)
pushthebutton said:
Ooh.
Just noticed Long Beach...if you're just planning to go because of the Queen Mary then a quick drive-by will be fine. It probably won't be the only drive-by you're involved in though
^^^thisJust noticed Long Beach...if you're just planning to go because of the Queen Mary then a quick drive-by will be fine. It probably won't be the only drive-by you're involved in though
Long beach is boring - the only interesting bit there is the giant aquarium. That was one of the best i've ever been to.
We've been here since Monday night. Yesterday we did the walk of fame etc before breakfast. Only a short walk from the hotel and enjoyed it more than I thought I would - good for people watching!
Went to the Queen Mary after breakfast and spent some time on there, before heading to Venice. Venice beach is tacky as hell, but some nice shops inland. We were tired by then so headed back to hotel and got defeated by a massive dinner! Universal studios today...
Went to the Queen Mary after breakfast and spent some time on there, before heading to Venice. Venice beach is tacky as hell, but some nice shops inland. We were tired by then so headed back to hotel and got defeated by a massive dinner! Universal studios today...
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