Hollywood known for its cinematic glamour in Los Angeles, California
Hollywood
is a region west of downtown Los Angeles, known around the world as the
home to the American film industry.
Hollywood is all about celebrity. You can visit your favorite Celebrity
Grave, take a tour of Celebrity Homes, walk down Sunset Strip, Hollywood
Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, shop along the celebrity-studded Rodeo
Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills or take a stroll down the
Walk of Fame. No trip is complete without a visit to the Hollywood
Entertainment Museum or a tour of the Hollywood Studios.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, on Hollywood Boulevard, was opened in 1927 and
received historic-cultural landmark status in 1968. He needed government
permission to import the pagodas, stone Heaven Dogs and temple bells from
China.
Nearby is the Hollywood Entertainment Museum where you can see how movies
and TV shows are made, or sit in Captain Kirk's chair or Norm's seat on
the set of Cheers.
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the 'resting place of Hollywood's
immortals', LA's answer to Pere Lachaise in Paris, where pilgrims can
visit the tombstones of everyone from Rudolph Valentino to Johnny Ramone.
Among the palm trees and mausoleums, there are even video screens that
show Life Stories. Occasionally in the summer, the public is invited to
charity screenings when you can take a picnic dinner and watch a film in
the graveyard.
Los Angeles is an outdoor enthusiast's heaven. Nobody walks in LA, but
they do hike. There are great trails along the Santa Monica Mountain
bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and the forested Angeles Crest. Or
you can just walk uphill into Hollywood's Runyon Canyon, where somewhat
disheveled celebrities can be glimpsed walking their dogs off-leash.
Venice Beach is still quintessential California, with street performers,
outdoor cafés and lots of life. Hire a bike and ride the cycle path south
to Redondo Beach. Take a trip to Santa Monica's pier or stop by Zuma
Beach up the Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu.
Catalina Island in Anaheim is where the Angelenos go to scuba dive. Skip
the tourist-ridden Avalon and explore the wild side of the island with
its excellent hiking, camping, fishing and kayaking.
There are many other excellent ways to pass the time in Los Angeles, such
as the LA County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art. This
relatively small museum is devoted to postwar art and has a permanent
collection of 5,000 works. If you like great art, stunning architecture,
peaceful gardens and wonderful views (smog permitting) then the Getty
Center is not to be missed.
And of course, no trip to LA is complete without spending a day at
Disneyland, just a 45-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles
enjoys year-round sunshine, but the most beautiful weather is in early
spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.
