Los Angeles: famous for entertainment.
Los Angeles is not only the second largest city in the United States, but it's one of the great cities of the world. With a temperate Mediterranean climate, mountains running through the city and surrounding it, beaches, and a huge physical size, Los Angeles is a treasure trove of possibilities. Books exist on what L.A. has to offer, but there are few can't-miss, don't-leave-town-without-doing choices.
Beaches
Los Angeles is known for its fun in the sun. And that includes numerous beautiful ocean-side locations.
The Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica has an amusement park complete with rides and games, an arcade, aquarium, restaurants, carousel, fishing and more. Ride the ferris wheel in Pacific Park and overlook the entire L.A. coast from what feels like the top of the world.
Point Dume and Zuma Beach in Malibu are a cliffed peninsula followed by a long, sandy county beach. Enjoy beautiful views and gentle winds up on Point Dume, world-famous surf and dolphins, and see where "Baywatch" was filmed down on the Zuma sand.
Venice Beach, famous for its "muscle beach" is where counterculture, yuppie culture and hippie culture collide on the sand. Venice's eclectic mix of tattoo parlors, pizza-slice stands, organic restaurants, spas and medical marijuana clinics form a unique neighborhood on a beautiful beach.
Amusement Parks
Because Los Angeles is home to the entertainment industry, it's also the original multi-amusement park city.
Disneyland is the original Disney theme park is just south of L.A. in Anaheim. Next to Mickey's home in the Magic Kingdom with its roller-coasters, storybook rides and captivating shows is Disney's California Adventure, which has rides and features related to its home state.
Just a few miles down the road from Disneyland is Knott's Berry Farm, home of Western-themed rides and country-style cooking
In Valencia, just north of L.A. is Six Flags Magic Mountain, a collection of some of the most adrenaline-inducing rides in Southern California. It also hosts summer concerts and has neighboring water park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.
Right in the middle of Los Angeles is world-famous Universal Studios Hollywood, on the original Universal back lot. Besides the modern-day fun rides, the studio tour tram takes visitors to the actual sets of the movies and TV shows of yore, and teaches about movie making.
Sights
Whether you're traveling to L.A. for the first time or rediscovering the often forgotten famous highlights of your native town, L.A. is full of interesting landmarks.
Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame let you walk right over the starts on the way to Mann Chinese Theater, where you can see the handprints and footprints of the famous.
Griffith Park and The Griffith Observatory boast the largest park within a city in the world. The Observatory, which now hosts laser light shows instead of astronomers is known for its use in numerous movies, including "Rebel Without a Cause" with James Dean.
And the Los Angeles Farmer's Market is home to some of L.A.'s best eating with fresh produce, a variety of gourmet and down-home food stands and unique gifts. Next door is one of L.A.'s premier outdoor malls, complete with everything from Nordstrom to Coffee Bean. If you want to sample some of L.A.'s best, but less-touted cuisine, the Farmer's Market will not disappoint.
And at night, check out L.A.'s famous Sunset Strip in West Hollywood for some of the most famous nightclubs, bars and comedy clubs in the world. From The Whiskey-A-Go-Go, birthplace of moon boots and cradle of The Doors, to The Laugh Factory and The Comedy Club, some of L.A.'s best nightlife is lined up on Sunset between Fairfax and Doheny.
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