For those who have been to Los Angeles many times and can only claim disappointment and disillusion as the outcome, this article is for you.
Visiting a city at the centre of America's quest for notoriety, excess and materialism, it is so easy to be blinded by the lights and thinly veiled veneer of ever-so-close fame and fortune. People spend their lives chasing that dream only ever to sit on the edge of success, a waiter/actress/producer 'til the end of their days (but mainly a waiter). I myself usually clambered out of LA with desperate hopes of rekindling my faith in life in a more human environment - a hopeless quest when the next stop is Las Vegas (but that's a story for another time).
And so this July I tried once again to find the spark in LA. Many people have vouched for this city and of course, TV and movies have always been slightly influential in my view that there may be life on Mars, so to speak. The advantage I had this time was travelling with two friends who had not yet been to LA, so they were totally unbiased and ready to experience it all. I tried my best to shake of my pre-conceived notions and join in their naive journey of Hollywood and beyond.
And it worked.
In less than one week, LA put on a show for me that proved not only had I been overlooking some of the city's coolest tourist attractions but a bite of glitz and glamour does taste pretty good to the regular gal about town. If you've got a few days to kill in LA, here are some of the things that may help restore your faith in this fickle little corner of mankind:
Get your tourist on: La Brea Tar Pits
Actual pits of tar smack bang in the centre of LA which continue to spit out fossilised animals, insects and plants to this day. Excavation is constantly underway and can be viewed at the outdoor sites around the park or inside the museum laboratory. The completely reconstructed skeleton of a woolly mammoth found on site is particularly impressive.
Evening entertainment with a twist: Moonlight Cinema at the Hollywood Forever cemetery
During summer, Hollywood Forever - LA's final resting place for many of the world's biggest names - hosts a nightly movie screening. We went on a Saturday night and saw the Muppet Movie, which was introduced by Gonzo himself. It was kinda weird having a smoking area amongst the tombstones and having them underfoot while waiting for the portaloos but you gotta go when you gotta go.
The best seat in the house: Griffith Observatory
If you're keen to escape the big city and really get a handle on how sprawling LA is, head to the Griffith Observatory. You can hike up or down if you're feeling active, and if you're luckier than me and go there when there are not major fires down the road smoking up the skies, the observatory is available to get an even better view of things. The Hollywood sign is visible from up there too.
So "LA: Roller-skating down Venice Beach
Those summer nights: Free concerts at Santa Monica Pier
Every Thursday during the summer months, Santa Monica Pier hosts free outdoor concerts complete with stalls giving away promotional gifts and a bar. You can also choose to enjoy the music from the beach if you want to BYO alcohol, despite the signs advising otherwise. The pier is located further down the same Venice Beach Boardwalk so it's easy to do it all in the same day.
The 'wow' factor: No Vacancy nightclub
Often in LA it's about who you know, and finding out about this club was no exception. After striking up a random friendship with a man at the moonlight cinema, we found ourselves on the way to a club called No Vacancy. Skipping the lines because we "knew" the burlesque dancer, we were straight in to the amazing house we later found out was formerly Charlie Chaplin's. Without wanting to ruin the surprise if you ever get there, the way you enter the club area is super cool and something I've never seen before. It is a tad pretentious but you can suck it up for one night to add the experience to your "must do's" in LA.
Visiting a city at the centre of America's quest for notoriety, excess and materialism, it is so easy to be blinded by the lights and thinly veiled veneer of ever-so-close fame and fortune. People spend their lives chasing that dream only ever to sit on the edge of success, a waiter/actress/producer 'til the end of their days (but mainly a waiter). I myself usually clambered out of LA with desperate hopes of rekindling my faith in life in a more human environment - a hopeless quest when the next stop is Las Vegas (but that's a story for another time).
And so this July I tried once again to find the spark in LA. Many people have vouched for this city and of course, TV and movies have always been slightly influential in my view that there may be life on Mars, so to speak. The advantage I had this time was travelling with two friends who had not yet been to LA, so they were totally unbiased and ready to experience it all. I tried my best to shake of my pre-conceived notions and join in their naive journey of Hollywood and beyond.
And it worked.
In less than one week, LA put on a show for me that proved not only had I been overlooking some of the city's coolest tourist attractions but a bite of glitz and glamour does taste pretty good to the regular gal about town. If you've got a few days to kill in LA, here are some of the things that may help restore your faith in this fickle little corner of mankind:
Get your tourist on: La Brea Tar Pits
Actual pits of tar smack bang in the centre of LA which continue to spit out fossilised animals, insects and plants to this day. Excavation is constantly underway and can be viewed at the outdoor sites around the park or inside the museum laboratory. The completely reconstructed skeleton of a woolly mammoth found on site is particularly impressive.
Evening entertainment with a twist: Moonlight Cinema at the Hollywood Forever cemetery
During summer, Hollywood Forever - LA's final resting place for many of the world's biggest names - hosts a nightly movie screening. We went on a Saturday night and saw the Muppet Movie, which was introduced by Gonzo himself. It was kinda weird having a smoking area amongst the tombstones and having them underfoot while waiting for the portaloos but you gotta go when you gotta go.
The best seat in the house: Griffith Observatory
If you're keen to escape the big city and really get a handle on how sprawling LA is, head to the Griffith Observatory. You can hike up or down if you're feeling active, and if you're luckier than me and go there when there are not major fires down the road smoking up the skies, the observatory is available to get an even better view of things. The Hollywood sign is visible from up there too.
So "LA: Roller-skating down Venice Beach
Granted, my friends and I are keen roller derby skaters so this was a no-brainer but even for those who haven't packed their own wheels, I would thoroughly recommend hiring a pair and rolling down Venice Beach Boardwalk. The people-watching is some of the best in town and there's some awesome circus performers and artists that reside there, not to mention the beefy boys at Muscle Beach outdoor gym. Every Sunday the original rhythm roller skaters (some from the '70s) gather near the skate park to jam to funk and hip-hop music - it's a really cool thing to witness and if you're game, they'll teach you some moves too!
Those summer nights: Free concerts at Santa Monica Pier
Every Thursday during the summer months, Santa Monica Pier hosts free outdoor concerts complete with stalls giving away promotional gifts and a bar. You can also choose to enjoy the music from the beach if you want to BYO alcohol, despite the signs advising otherwise. The pier is located further down the same Venice Beach Boardwalk so it's easy to do it all in the same day.
The 'wow' factor: No Vacancy nightclub
Often in LA it's about who you know, and finding out about this club was no exception. After striking up a random friendship with a man at the moonlight cinema, we found ourselves on the way to a club called No Vacancy. Skipping the lines because we "knew" the burlesque dancer, we were straight in to the amazing house we later found out was formerly Charlie Chaplin's. Without wanting to ruin the surprise if you ever get there, the way you enter the club area is super cool and something I've never seen before. It is a tad pretentious but you can suck it up for one night to add the experience to your "must do's" in LA.
