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)
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