When guests come into town, there are certain spots that we try to show them. I call them Tourist Traps, mainly because they're spots you won't find many locals hanging out at. There are some great things to see in these spots, but I'll give some warnings along the way.
1. Universal Studios/Universal City Walk: There’s plenty to do at Universal Studios – ride the rides, shop, take the back lot tour, but you may feel cheated afterwards. It’s expensive, and it's not a big park. Universal City Walk is an outdoor mall with flashy signs, big crowds, and chain restaurants. The best part of this is the back lot tour, which takes you through the working Universal Studios lot. If you are interested in going, look for coupons online.
(http://www.universalstudios.com/; Universal City, CA 91608)
2. Hollywood and Highland (featuring: Grauman’s Chinese Theater/The Walk of Fame): New York has Times’ Square, and we have this monstrosity. Planners tried building a Times’ Square west, but instead, they ended up designing a confusing outdoor mall. It is worth stopping by to see Grauman’s Chinese Theater (with the handprints in the cement), the Kodak Theater (where they hold the Oscars), and a block or two of the Hollywood Walk of Fame (once you’ve seen one block, you’ve seen them all). Enjoy/Beware of the freaks dressed as superheroes trying to coax you into taking a picture with them.
(www.hollywoodandhighland.com; 6801 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028)
3. Disneyland/California Adventure Land: Some may consider this the happiest place on earth, but don’t count me as one of them. It’s pricey, there’s a lot of screaming kids, and not enough whiskey to make the pain go away. But, I know many of you would love to visit. If you are planning on going, it takes over an hour with minimal traffic to get down there. Plan accordingly.
(disneyland.disney.go.com; 1313 S Harbor Blvd; Anaheim, CA 92802)
4. The Hollywood Sign: The good news is you can see this from a lot of places in Hollywood. The bad news is you can’t stand next to it. If you ask nicely, Heather and I can give you directions to get pretty close to it.
(http://www.hollywoodsign.org/)
5. The Sunset Strip: Home of wanna-be’s, poseurs, and Motley Crue, the Sunset Strip is...well...a strip of stores, restaurants, and clubs. It just happens to be that sometimes, you may see someone rich or famous walking down these streets. It’s not as notorious as it was in the 1980’s, but it is a sight to see.
(Sunset Blvd., between Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Phyllis Street)
6. Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills: You’ll find swimmin’ pools, and movie stars, but not the Clampetts in Beverly Hills. Take a stroll through Rodeo Drive, and drive through the neighborhood a little bit. There are some great houses to see, but you won't be able to afford anything in the stores.
(Beverly Hills, CA)
7. Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica: Santa Monica is great for a number of reasons – there’s a pier with a few rides, there’s a large beach, there’s water, and there’s the nearby Third Street Promenade for shopping. It’s not my favorite for relaxing because it’s a little too loud and busy, but it’s a great place if you’re looking do a lot at once.
(http://thirdstreetpromenade.org/visitors/index.html)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Visiting LA For the First Time? Tourism Tips, Part 1
Is our wedding bringing you out to Los Angeles for the first time? If so, then we're guessing that you may be doing some touring around the town.
We wanted to let you know that the hotels are approximately 30-45 minutes away from Hollywood and much of the sights of Los Angeles. Plan accordingly to avoid traffic during rush hour drive times. But then again, traffic in Los Angeles is unpredictable, so just be ready to be patient.
There are a few places that we recommend visiting when visiting Los Angeles:
1. In-N-Out Burger: You MUST try In-N-Out Burgers. For guests who have been to Los Angeles before, this will most likely be their first stop, probably on the way from the airport to the hotel. If you haven’t visited LA before, then it’s time to have a burger at In-N-Out. Their menu is simple: burgers, fries, and drinks. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity – there’s a secret menu. Just look it up online and you’ll learn about “animal style.” This is a must for burger lovers…or just people who eat meat. We recommend…well, everything. (www.in-n-out.com; Various Locations Around LA):
2. The Beach: If you're looking for a place to sit in the sand and relax, there's plenty of beach nearby to hit. The hotel is only 20 minutes away from one of our favorite beaches, Zuma Beach. Zuma is quiet, has plenty of space, and reminds me most of the beaches I enjoyed back East. The waves here can be pretty good, so make sure you bring a boogie board and stay close to the lifeguard tower. You can also check out Santa Monica, which is a bit more touristy, and has a great pier with rides for the kiddies.
3. The Freaks: If you want to go to a beach to check out the circus atmosphere, you should go to Venice Beach. This is not a beach for relaxing and swimming. Park in Venice and walk the boardwalk up and down. This is the best place in town to people watch. Muscle Beach, and famous blacktop basketball courts are also highlights. If you have the time, it should be on your “to-do” list.
4. The Getty Center: It’s been dubbed (by me) as the Marble Marvel on the Hill. This museum sits atop a hill just off the 405 freeway. It’s got some great artwork, but the museum itself is the real treat. The views of Los Angeles are stunning on a clear day, and the amazing garden should be in full bloom in May. It’s free to visit, but parking will cost a few dollars. (http://www.getty.edu/, 1200 Getty Center Drive LA, CA 90049)
5. Griffith Park/The Griffith Observatory: The Griffith Observatory is a Los Angeles icon seen in tons of films, but the park that surrounds it is the hidden treasure. There's tons of great spots to relax and picnic, lots of trails that are great for hiking, a zoo, and a museum. It's a pretty amazing place.
(The Griffith Observatory: http://www.griffithobs.org/, Griffith Park: http://www.lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithpk/griffith.htm)
6. Amoeba Music: For the serious music fan, this store is a must. This massive warehouse has new, used, rare, unreleased, and bootlegged music, plus a whole lot of movies on DVD.
(http://www.amoeba.com/, 6400 Sunset Blvd. LA, CA 90028)
7. Arclight Cinemas/Cinerama Dome: Right next to Amoeba Music sits the historic Cinerama Dome and the Arclight Cinemas. These are the best theaters to see a movie in LA. The Chinese Theater may be the most famous, but Arclight takes the popcorn for quality. Tickets are little pricey, but you’ll get a reserved seat, commercial-free trailers, and a polite crowd. If a good movie is playing at the Cinerama Dome, it may be worth it just to check out the giant screen. (Oh, and don’t forget to try the carmel popcorn.)
(https://www.arclightcinemas.com, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd LA, CA 90028)
8. Catch a Dodgers Game: The Dodgers will be in town during the wedding weekend playing the Padres (Thursday, April 30th-Sunday, May 3rd). Dodgers’ Stadium is in our neighborhood and tickets to the game are fairly easy to get and inexpensive. There’s no bad seat in the house. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare, so leave early. (Don't forget to try a "World Famous" Dodger Dog.)
(www.dodgers.com)
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There's more to come!
We wanted to let you know that the hotels are approximately 30-45 minutes away from Hollywood and much of the sights of Los Angeles. Plan accordingly to avoid traffic during rush hour drive times. But then again, traffic in Los Angeles is unpredictable, so just be ready to be patient.
There are a few places that we recommend visiting when visiting Los Angeles:
1. In-N-Out Burger: You MUST try In-N-Out Burgers. For guests who have been to Los Angeles before, this will most likely be their first stop, probably on the way from the airport to the hotel. If you haven’t visited LA before, then it’s time to have a burger at In-N-Out. Their menu is simple: burgers, fries, and drinks. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity – there’s a secret menu. Just look it up online and you’ll learn about “animal style.” This is a must for burger lovers…or just people who eat meat. We recommend…well, everything. (www.in-n-out.com; Various Locations Around LA):
2. The Beach: If you're looking for a place to sit in the sand and relax, there's plenty of beach nearby to hit. The hotel is only 20 minutes away from one of our favorite beaches, Zuma Beach. Zuma is quiet, has plenty of space, and reminds me most of the beaches I enjoyed back East. The waves here can be pretty good, so make sure you bring a boogie board and stay close to the lifeguard tower. You can also check out Santa Monica, which is a bit more touristy, and has a great pier with rides for the kiddies.
3. The Freaks: If you want to go to a beach to check out the circus atmosphere, you should go to Venice Beach. This is not a beach for relaxing and swimming. Park in Venice and walk the boardwalk up and down. This is the best place in town to people watch. Muscle Beach, and famous blacktop basketball courts are also highlights. If you have the time, it should be on your “to-do” list.
4. The Getty Center: It’s been dubbed (by me) as the Marble Marvel on the Hill. This museum sits atop a hill just off the 405 freeway. It’s got some great artwork, but the museum itself is the real treat. The views of Los Angeles are stunning on a clear day, and the amazing garden should be in full bloom in May. It’s free to visit, but parking will cost a few dollars. (http://www.getty.edu/, 1200 Getty Center Drive LA, CA 90049)
5. Griffith Park/The Griffith Observatory: The Griffith Observatory is a Los Angeles icon seen in tons of films, but the park that surrounds it is the hidden treasure. There's tons of great spots to relax and picnic, lots of trails that are great for hiking, a zoo, and a museum. It's a pretty amazing place.
(The Griffith Observatory: http://www.griffithobs.org/, Griffith Park: http://www.lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithpk/griffith.htm)
6. Amoeba Music: For the serious music fan, this store is a must. This massive warehouse has new, used, rare, unreleased, and bootlegged music, plus a whole lot of movies on DVD.
(http://www.amoeba.com/, 6400 Sunset Blvd. LA, CA 90028)
7. Arclight Cinemas/Cinerama Dome: Right next to Amoeba Music sits the historic Cinerama Dome and the Arclight Cinemas. These are the best theaters to see a movie in LA. The Chinese Theater may be the most famous, but Arclight takes the popcorn for quality. Tickets are little pricey, but you’ll get a reserved seat, commercial-free trailers, and a polite crowd. If a good movie is playing at the Cinerama Dome, it may be worth it just to check out the giant screen. (Oh, and don’t forget to try the carmel popcorn.)
(https://www.arclightcinemas.com, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd LA, CA 90028)
8. Catch a Dodgers Game: The Dodgers will be in town during the wedding weekend playing the Padres (Thursday, April 30th-Sunday, May 3rd). Dodgers’ Stadium is in our neighborhood and tickets to the game are fairly easy to get and inexpensive. There’s no bad seat in the house. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare, so leave early. (Don't forget to try a "World Famous" Dodger Dog.)
(www.dodgers.com)
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There's more to come!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Updated Hotel Information
Hi everyone,
Most of our guests will be staying at the Renaissance Agoura Hills. But, for those looking for someplace different, we have reserved another block of rooms at another hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites Agoura Hills. They are part of the Hilton family and, I believe, take Hilton rewards cards. This hotel is across the street from the Renaissance. Their rooms are nice and they offer continental breakfast, but do not have a bar.
We reserved a small block of Standard King or Double Queen rooms from Thursday, April 30th until Sunday, May 3rd. The Thursday rate is $123. The Saturday and Sunday rate is $98.
For reservations, call (818) 597-0333 and mention the McCarthy/Keller wedding. Or, if you'd like to reserve online, go to www.agourahills.hamptoninn.com, use the Group/Convention Code KEL to get the rate.
If you have any problems, please ask for Jason Rutherford, who is our contact at the hotel.
The address is:
30255 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
And rooms are stil available at The Renaissance Agoura Hills Hotel as well, from Thursday April 30th to Sunday May 3rd 2009 for $104. For reservations, call (818) 707-1220 or (800) 933-3970 in the U.S. or online at: http://marriott.com/laxag?groupCode=kelkela&app=resvlink
Please indicate you are part of The Keller/McCarthy Wedding Group, with your arrival date.
Here's their address and more information:
Renaissance Agoura Hills Hotel
30100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills CA 91301
818-707-1220
Most of our guests will be staying at the Renaissance Agoura Hills. But, for those looking for someplace different, we have reserved another block of rooms at another hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites Agoura Hills. They are part of the Hilton family and, I believe, take Hilton rewards cards. This hotel is across the street from the Renaissance. Their rooms are nice and they offer continental breakfast, but do not have a bar.
We reserved a small block of Standard King or Double Queen rooms from Thursday, April 30th until Sunday, May 3rd. The Thursday rate is $123. The Saturday and Sunday rate is $98.
For reservations, call (818) 597-0333 and mention the McCarthy/Keller wedding. Or, if you'd like to reserve online, go to www.agourahills.hamptoninn.com, use the Group/Convention Code KEL to get the rate.
If you have any problems, please ask for Jason Rutherford, who is our contact at the hotel.
The address is:
30255 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
And rooms are stil available at The Renaissance Agoura Hills Hotel as well, from Thursday April 30th to Sunday May 3rd 2009 for $104. For reservations, call (818) 707-1220 or (800) 933-3970 in the U.S. or online at: http://marriott.com/laxag?groupCode=kelkela&app=resvlink
Please indicate you are part of The Keller/McCarthy Wedding Group, with your arrival date.
Here's their address and more information:
Renaissance Agoura Hills Hotel
30100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills CA 91301
818-707-1220
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
