Getty Center Museum - Los Angeles, California

In its billion-dollar in-the-clouds perch high above the city, the Getty Center presents triple delights: a stellar art collection (Renaissance to David Hockney); Richard Meier's cutting-edge architecture; and the visual splendor of seasonally changing gardens. On clear days, you can add breathtaking views of the city and ocean to the list.


Even getting up to the museum aboard the computer-operated tram is fun. From the sprawling arrival plaza, a natural flow of walkways, stairs, fountains, and courtyards encourages a leisurely wander between galleries, gardens, and outdoor cafes. Must-sees include Van Gogh's Irises, Monet's Wheatstacks, and Rembrandt's The Abduction of Europa.

When not wandering the galleries, take time to visit the lovely Cactus Garden for those amazing Los Angeles city views. Sunsets create a remarkable alchemy of light and shadow and are especially magical in winter, when the orange orb drops straight into the Pacific.

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Griffith Park - Los Angeles, California

One of the largest urban green spaces in the country, Griffith Park is a wonderful playground for all ages and interests. The park embraces an outdoor theater, the city zoo, and observatory, two museums, golf courses, tennis courts, playgrounds, bridle paths, hiking trails, Batman's caves, and even the Hollywood sign.


For astronomy buffs, the landmark Griffith Observatory opens a window on the universe in its planetarium with the world's most advanced star projector; the Big Picture, a floor-to-ceiling digital image of the universe bursting with galaxies and stars; and rooftop telescopes. At the Los Angeles Zoo, you can wander among some 1,200 finned, feathered and furry friends, which promises to enthrall the kids.

Also here is the delightful Travel Town Museum, with its displays of dozens of vintage railcars and locomotives; the Bronson Caves, where scenes from Batman and Star Trek were filmed; the Museum of the American West.

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Santa Monica Beach & Pier - Los Angeles, California

You'll instantly recognize it from film and TV: the neon-lit arch of the Santa Monica Pier. Feel the ocean breeze as you stroll past snack shacks, a game arcade, lively entertainers, and anglers to the far tip where the entire arc of the Santa Monica Bay, from Malibu to Palos Verdes unfolds before you.


Kids get their kicks at Pacific Park, with its solar-powered Ferris wheel, kiddy rides, and midway games. Near the pier entrance, nostalgic souls and their offspring can ride the colorfully hand-painted horses on the vintage merry-go-round.

Just below the carousel is Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, where sea stars and sea urchins can be scooped up and petted. And then there's the wide and long sandy expanse that is Santa Monica Beach. Here you’ll find sunbathers, families, volleyball players, and roller skaters.

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Venice Beach - Los Angeles, California

Southern California’s quintessential bohemian playground, Venice Beach is a haven for artists, New Agers, homeless people, and free spirits of all stripes. This is where Jim Morrison and the Doors lit their fire, where Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped himself to stardom, and where Julia Roberts and Dennis Hopper make their homes today.


Life on Venice Beach moves to a different rhythm and nowhere more so than on the famous Venice Boardwalk, officially known as Ocean Front Walk. It’s a nonstop Mardi Gras of fortune tellers, street musicians, and characters of all colors, shapes, and sizes. This is where to get your hair braided, your karma corrected, and your back massaged qigong–style. 

Encounters with hoop dreamers, a Speedo-clad snake charmer and a roller-skating Sikh minstrel are pretty much guaranteed, especially on hot summer days. The Sunday-afternoon drum circle draws hundreds of revelers for tribal playing and spontaneous dancing.

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