Must Go Places in LA, LA County, and Nearby areas!!

Best PLACES to GO!!

The Tram at The Grove

Universal Studios

Huntington Library

BrightWood Mountain

Eaton Canyon

Here are some places that I have went to and really liked in the areas in and near Los Angeles and LA County. Here are the favorite places that I liked. 

Los Angeles:

Transformers: The 3D Ride on the lower level in Universal Studios Hollywood.

1. Universal Studious Hollywood- buy tickets, enjoy the rides and attractions that they have, like The Simpsons, Transformers, Despicable Me Ride, there are many more to ride! In the Studio, everywhere signs show the time wait for a ride or attraction. Also don't miss out on the new Harry Potter ride, or the legendary Water World show! Some rides are at the bottom layer of the Studio, like the Transformers Ride. Scattered across the Studio, are never able to find restaurants, restaurants that are common, and restrooms, are all over in Studio. Tip: Get there early, because at the afternoon, tons of people would be there and the waiting times can be an hour long. Also, you can buy the VIP pass if you are arriving at the time with a lot of people, because that means that you go in the rides faster than those that didn't buy the VIP, except the VIP costs a lot. Regular price for 3 days are $115 per ticket (A few years ago only $75 for one ticket and for almost the whole year!!).
                                      

USS John F Kennedy jet on the back of the museum.

2. California Science Center- go there and see the space shuttle and the external rocket ET-94! Buy tickets to play the rock climb, or the high bicycle ride, and enjoys yourself doing those activities! Go to many areas in the building and try out their displays, and learn something about science and flight. There is even a gift shop where you can shop there amazing things, that they have. Tip: Get the membership where you can get discounts and many special offers! If you do get the membership, you could watch movies that only members can!

THE GROVE tower.

3. The Grove- a shopping mall where there are a lot of stuff you can buy. There are two towers that light up and turns with the words: THE GROVE. There are even a See's Candies, Apple Store, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, and Cheese Cake Factory there! In the middle of the place, there is a water area, where at times they do beautiful water dances at the first minute of an hour, but not as good as the Bellagio in Las Vegas. At other times, it just dances, but does not perform. At certain times, there is a tram that runs through the whole place. Tip: Arrive at night, where the water performance is cooler, but not too late, or else all the shops would close. Ride the double-deck tram, which drives slowly, not fast, the speed is like running.

The whole Observatory.

4. Griffith Observatory- park there or go park lower and hike up. If you are parking more near the Observatory, you need to pay for parking. Or you can park lower and hike up. You can also ride the bus up to the Observatory. The only time you don't have to pay for parking is when you arrive before the Observatory opens. This place teaches you a lot about Astronomy including the sun, Earth rotation, stars, and seasons. When you get to the Observatory, you can also hike there, but beware of rattlesnakes and lizards. On special occasions, they open their telescope and you can see the star or planet that they set up, but you have wait a long time. Tip: Come early, the parking lot gets filled up fast, and perfect to view sunrise and sunsets. There are other attractions you will see before reaching the Observatory, be sure to check them out!

Los Angeles County:

                                   

Turtle in the Garden's pond.

1.  Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden- go to there and see amazing animals, and maybe even feed the animals! There is a lake area where you can see Koi, Turtles, and birds, and you can feed them. Another area has a garden where you see lizards, butterflies, beetles, caterpillars, and many more! It is not really far from Manhattan Beach. Tip: You can hold a piece of food in your hands, and see let the birds eat the food from your hand. Also you can take your time to look at these amazing animals that are there, because you might never get to see them again!

Basking lizard in the Library (a collection of plant museum).

2. The Huntington Library- visit there and pay there to get a visitor's pass, and explore the area! There you can find plants from all over the world! The area is really big so maybe you would want to go there three or four times. Sometimes they sell the cacti they have to the public. Also on the first Thursday of each month people can come in for free! Tip: Don't come on the first Thursday, because a lot of people will be there. Be a member, you can go there for free, but the membership just costs a lot. 

The beautiful waterfall in the end of the trail of Eaton Canyon.

3. Eaton Canyon- hike there and enjoy the weather. Just be careful of the rattlesnakes and the poison ivies that are there. many people hike there, and if you follow the safe trail, you can get back safely. If you follow a trail along a river, soon you would reach a stop, where you see a beautiful waterfall. Also there are no water fountains nor restrooms. Also there are little or no reception there, so you can't use your phone. Tip: Bring water to drink so that you wouldn't be too thirsty from the hike. Go with at least a partner, so if something goes wrong, you would have a witness, that could might save your life. 

Out of Los Angeles and LA County

The big windmill in Solvang.

1. Solvang- a place that is in the Santa Barbara County and has many shops and restaurants that you can go to. Also they have a bike rental where you can rent the bikes. If you are lucky enough, you can ride on a horse carriage. Solvang is basically just a place were you shop, like a really large mall, but with the size of a city. A lot of tourist bus go there, so it is a really good attraction that tour buses would take you to. In the middle of the city there is a really big windmill, where it mainly attracts people, and it turns with the wind. Tip: Rent the bike and go around the city! Explore the city and don't go anywhere that are off-limits or onto big streets.

The pure white snow on the Wrightwood mountains.

2.  Wrightwood- an area in the mountains in the San Bernardino County, where you can play in the snow, but it is mostly for those that had bought tickets to go on the amazing things that they host. It is also a residential area, so it means that people live there. Follow the trails and don't go anywhere that are prohibited, or else you will pay the ticket. Tip: Have tires chains so your car won't slip, and make sure that your engine are properly maintained, so that your engine can last the trip.