Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and other Los Angeles, CA Things to Do Tips

My first visit to Disneyland was many many years ago, so long ago that they were still using lettered tickets for the rides instead of all day admission. My most recent visit to Disneyland was in 2002 when I visited with my sister in law and two nieces, Caroline and Olivia. I still love Space Mountain, the teacups, the Haunted House (done up with Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas design back in 10/02) and Pirates of the Caribbean.

It is more convenient to stay in Anaheim, we stayed right across the street at a Best Western and were able to walk to the park.

Depending on how many days you want to go for, there are park hopper passes that allow you to go to both Disneyland and California Adventure. We bought a 2 day park hopper at our hotel that I hadn't seen advertised anywhere else.

Two of the best websites with info on Disney are Mouse Savers and Disboards

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Address: Anaheim, Harbor & Katella Blvds.
Website: http://www.disneyland.com

The Getty Center was finished in 1997 and although I've been to LA a couple of times since, this was the first time it fit in my schedule. I went with my dad and Grandma on a Friday and although the guidebooks all say you need parking reservations I found that wasn't the case anymore.

Parking is $7 per car, admission is free. After parking, you catch a tram to take you to the top of the hill where the Getty is located.

The Getty's art collection is not the most outstanding that I've seen (and I've read that the collection at LACMA is better) but the Getty is still worth visiting for the beautiful views over the area, the lovely Central Garden, the large section of decorative arts. There are also special exhibitions, I really enjoyed the one that is there currently of Roger Fenton's photographs from the 1850s taken abroad in England, Wales, Scotland and Russia.

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Address: 1200 Getty Center Drive, LA, CA 90049
Directions: Exit the 405 onto Getty Center Drive. Follow the signs.
Website: http://www.getty.edu/

Although a bit of a tourist trap, Olvera Street is still a lovely place to stop for a short visit if you find yourself in downtown LA. Olvera Street is a pedestrian only street that is only about a block long, stuffed full with Mexican eateries, both sit down and take out, and Mexican craft stores. You can't walk down the street smelling that delicious food and not stop to have a taste. A lot of people on chowhound recommended Luz del Dia so I stopped there to have a meal on my recent trip in April 2007.

Olvera Street is also home to the Avila Home, built in 1818, considered the oldest building in LA. Admission to the house, decorated as it might have been in the 1840s, is free.

There are several parking lots in the area, I didn't feel like trying to drive around and find a free space so I used one of the lots, the lot I found was a flat fee of $6 on a Saturday (April 2007).

While in the area, be sure to also visit Union Station, it's an easy walk from Olvera Street and Chinatown is also close by although I've never wandered over there.

Please see my travelogue for a few more photos of the area.

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Directions: El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park, 845 N. Alameda Street
Website: http://www.olvera-street.com/olvera_street.html

After visiting Olvera Street, be sure to also pay a visit to Union Station about a block away.

Union Station was built in 1939, it's Spanish/mission style architecture has a much different feel than the grand main rail stations in other cities like New York's Grand Central Terminal built in 1913 or the Chicago's neoclassical Union Station built in 1913-25.

Since the station is in Los Angeles, it's not surprising that it has been used in many films including The Way We Were, Blade Runner and Guilty By Suspicion

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Address: 800 N. Alameda
Directions: within walking distance of Olvera Street in downtown LA

The stretch of Sunset Boulevard from Highway 405 going east is a lovely stretch of winding road that goes by fabulous mansions, the UCLA campus and the delicious confection of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Unfortunately I was driving and the winding road really requires you to pay attention so I only got a few peeks at some of the mansions.

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Directions: Sunset Boulevard from 405 east to the Sunset Strip

After leaving the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that is littered with fabulous mansions, you will come upon what used to be the hip strip in LA although I understand it isn't quite as hip as it used to be. But you can still see some of the landmarks such as the Viper Room, formerly owned by Johnny Depp and where River Phoenix met his untimely end, Whisky a Go-Go, the Comedy Store, the Roxy and Chateau Marmont, the hotel where John Belushi died from an overdose.

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Address: Sunset Boulevard
Directions: between Crescent Heights Boulevard and Doheny Drive

I headed over to Hollywood late on a Monday morning, the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater was crawling with tourists mixed in characters such as Spiderman (we had a nice little chat about the Chicago Bears), Batman and a very scary transvestite alien that I failed to recognize and people trying to give away tickets to sit in the audience of various TV and talk shows.

Graumann's opened in May 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's King of Kings. The guidebooks say that it was at that premiere that actress Norma Talmadge stepped in concrete, giving birth to the tradition of celebrities making hand and footprints that people flock here to see although the first prints are listed to be Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks on this list of the celebrities currently immortalized in concrete.

If you want to see the interior, you need to buy a ticket as this is still an active movie theater.

I suppose Grauman's could easily qualify as a tourist trap but it's so well known that you almost have to go see it and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Phone: (213) 464-8111
Address: 6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Directions: Hollywood, between LaBrea and Highland
Website: http://www.manntheatres.com/index.htm

Along this mile stretch of Hollywood Boulevard around Grauman's Chinese Theater lay a couple thousand pink stars embedded in gray terrazzo. The star contains one of five symbols to help identify the honoree: a motion picture camera, a television, a record, a radio microphone or theatrical masks.

The first stars were installed in 1960, I understand that the stars (or their movie studio) fronts the cost for the placement of the star after they have been selected to receive a star. Among the honorees are at least two dogs-Rin Tin Tin and Lassie and at least two fictional characters-Big Bird from Sesame Street and Godzilla. Most celebrities show up for the installation of their star although I'm inclined to believe that Godzilla was a no show.

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Address: Hollywood Boulevard
Website: http://www.seeing-stars.com/Immortalized/WalkOfFame.shtml

When you think of Hollywood, what comes to mind? Celebrities dripping in jewels and fur coats emerging from their limos? Well, that Hollywood may have existed in the days of Clark Gable and Greta Garbo but that is not the Hollywood that you will find on Hollywood Blvd.

Although some may say that Hollywood is a tourist trap, it does have some interesting history which is quite well marked on signs next to the landmarks. Sure, you should stop and see Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame but if you have a little extra time, take a walk up Hollywood Boulevard past the throngs of tourists to see the Egyptian Theater, El Capitan Theater, the Roosevelt Hotel.

The street gets a little seedy once you get past the major sights but I didn't feel uncomfortable wandering around on my own in the daytime.

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Address: Hollywood Boulevard

Of the places I've visited in and around LA, Pasadena is one of my favorite places. If you are spending more than a couple of days in LA, you will want to make the trip up to Pasadena for at least a day if not two.

The highlights of Pasadena include the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Garden, the Norton Simon Art Museum, Old Town Pasadena and the Gamble House

If you are visiting on the 2nd Sunday of the month, you can check out the huge flea market held at the Rose Bowl or if you are visiting around New Year's Day, you may want to check out the Tournament of Roses Parade. There's a terrific Bungalow Heaven tour every year in April should you enjoy architecture or you can drive through the neighborhood on your own.

Please see my Pasadena page for more information

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Directions: northeast of downtown LA