The Los Angeles Diaries: The Tourist Trap

These are the things that didn't quite fit into any of my other posts, and mostly are part of a real tourist experience of LA. It might be worth it to you to visit a few of these though, so I included them here:

The Disney Concert Hall - modelled after the Bilboa Guggenheim Museum. DTLA. You can take a free self-tour if you're a real music junkie, like my brother. Frankly, after seeing the real deal myself in Bilboa, I wasn't easily impressed.

Take a car-free trip around downtown LA with this guide.

Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour - my brother and I went on this tour while he was visiting. You actually get a lot of bang for your buck, and see quite a bit of interesting stuff! The tour guide was very knowledgable, and it was fun to see the inner workings of Warner Brothers. PS - there is no non-VIP tour, they just call it that to make you feel fancy.

Pink's Hot Dogs - a Hollywood institution. Road side, every possible combination. Not overly palatable though.

Universal Studios - worth a visit after your stop at the Warner Brothers tour - they're reasonably close to each other, and there's a large section that you can wander around without actually having to go in to the Universal Studios park - which is a giant theme park. I've heard good things, but I've never been.

Disney Land - we were lucky enough to visit Disney World on our road trip across the US, and as such have not felt the need to visit Disney Land out here in California. But once again, I've heard good things. Disney World was friggin incredible, even for us mostly-grown-up adults, and it's one of those proper American experiences.

LACMA - The LA museum of contemporary and modern art, or some such. I'm so sophisticated. I've explored the grounds, but never been in. You need to get a photo under these lights, no matter what.

La Brea Tar Pits - on the same property as LACMA. A good dose of history, and actual bubbling tar pits.

Pann's Diner - feeling a bit peckish after your long flight? This diner is right by the airport, and was where they shot Pulp Fiction. A good intro to Hollywood.

The Grove - the ultimate mall experience. At least this one is mostly outdoors, and actually visually pleasing. But you can get your shopping on, grab some lunch, watch a movie, die of a sugar over-load at Sprinkles Cupcakes (a right of passage, you have to try it), and even visit The Grove Farmers Market - which is quaint, and a little more off the beaten track. I particularly like The Grove at Christmas time, they sure do know how to make it pretty. If you're staying over on the east side of LA (which I'd highly recommend), the Americana at Brand, in Glendale, is our very own version of The Grove, just without the farmers market. (Picture from the Google.)

In N Out Burger - don't miss out. Get it animal style.

Still want more?

Here's Trip Advisor's 350 Things To Do In LA.

'Where LA' racks up the Twenty Top Venues for watching live music in LA. And, the 10 best LA bars and restaurants to listen to live music.

Also, you can see my other guides here: Silver Lake, Hollywood, Downtown, LA & Surrounds, and Tourist-ville.