advice on los angeles

Hi can anybody give me advice on what to do in Los Angeles we will be there in October for 1 day before we start our guided tour the following day around the parks, we have already done Universal some years ago somebody had suggested Paramount, the other problem is we will not have a car so would have to get taxi's or check out any tour operators. We will be staying at the crowne plaza close to the Airport

Well, what are you looking for (interested in)? I live in Los Angeles.

You could check out Hollywood Boulevard (in Hollywood), but the Crowne Plaza by the L.A. Airport is at least 10-15 Miles (that's I think about 15-25km) away from a lot of stuff. I think that the nearest somewhat tourist attraction to where you are staying is the Santa Monica Pier and maybe shopping at Santa Monica Place (3rd Street Promenade). There's also Beverly Hills which is known for higher end shopping (most especially Rodeo Drive) and beautiful homes in the Hills.

There's also the World Famous Farmer's Market at 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenues in Los Angeles and next to it is The Grove Shopping Center (an outdoor mall) including Movie Theatres, Restaurants and other stores (including Barnes And Noble Booksellers). These are also not far from the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits (and George C. Page Museum) where there are still (I believe) active excavations of Prehistoric Animals going on.

There are also tours around Hollywood and of Stars' Homes and whatnot, but I think that you may first have to get to Hollywood to get to that.

Maybe check Grey Line Tours or I see that TMZ the gossip tv show seems to have tour vehicles driving around.

RecVPPlayer

Thanks for the info I will check out the site's, what will the weather be like as we will arrive in LA on 9th October ???
Have you done the tour around Paramount Studios I have been on the internet and read good and bad reports ??
My hubbie is not a shopper he gets bored so I think the shopping malls are out unless I can bribe him.
Back in the 90's we went on a conference with Esso as we used to run petrol stations and they put us up at the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey what a place out of our price bracket it was subsidised by Esso they even gave us a trip round the marina on John Wayne's Boat as the hotel owned it, it was fantastic with all the wood work and his cabin had an on suite with gold sink and taps the shag pile carpet must have been 12 inchs high you just sank into it, it was a great trip.

You're very welcome!

As for the beginning of October, it could still be in the 70's or 80's here (although it has gotten up to about 90 before). I was actually born in Los Angeles and have lived here my entire life.

And speaking of Los Angeles, I just remembered that I left out that right by the L.A. County Museum Of Art is also the Peterson Automotive Museum (which is supposed to be nice for car enthusiasts) which I've never been to (although it is a newer museum).

It's interesting to me that you mention being in L.A. on October 9th. I say that because if all goes well, at least at this point in time, I hope to be in Las Vegas at that time (from I think Sunday 10/6 - Thursday 10/10)!

Now as for visiting Paramount Studios, although I know right where it is, I have never been on a tour there. It's not as popular as Universal Studios (although I've only been to Universal twice and the most recent time was in 1996 -- so about 17 years ago).

And as for Marina Del Rey, yes, that seems to be a nice area -- I've only been around there a few times in my life -- but never to the actual Marina itself.

As for Esso, I have heard of that name, but I don't know of any Esso stations around here. Might they go by some other name here (in the Los Angeles Viscinity)?

And as for the National Parks, the only one I've ever been to is Yosemite here in California but that was in 1976 (37 years ago).

Well, enjoy and if you have any more questions, feel free to fire away!

RecVPPlayer

Esso petrol stations in England belong to the ExxonMobil group and also on our convention with them in the 90's they took us to Universal Studios on a tour with lunch on a roof top overlooking the studios we then went onto the Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs but on the way they took us to the Pasadena Rose Bowl they had put lunch out on the grounds and they had players to show us how American Football is played still don't understand it.
After a night spent at the Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs a lot of people about 150 in our group went down with bad stomachs and sickness the news reached the local papers and the Ritz Carlton was not very happy we think it may have been something to do with the food at the Pasadena Rose Bowl it was a very hot day and the food was outside me and my hubbie were ok, they took us to a ranch on the night for a bbq this was the first time we had experienced the huge portions the plates were like trays they needed to be because of the huge steaks they had laid on coach's to take people back early to the hotel because they were dropping like flies due to the outbreak, but we had a fantastic time.
I will let my hubbie know about the car museum he is into Formula 1 racing but as he hates shopping I hate looking round cars when we are in Vegas he goes to the car museum at I.P sorry The Quad.
So we will be having a friendly discussion on were we will end up in L.A and thanks again for the info

You're quite welcome! That was an interesting story! Palm Springs is a nice place!

Oh, and I should add in that I don't have anything negative to say about the Paramount Studios Tour, I've just never taken it and I don't know what it involves. There may also be a tour of Warner Brothers' Studios which is near Burbank which is about 20 Miles from where you'll be staying.

As for the Petersen Automotive Museum, you can check it out online by going to: https://www.petersen.org.

Oh and before I forget, another place you could go to (by tour) would be Disneyland (a major Amusement Park) and Disney California Adventure (another amusement park with a California theme). But this is in Anaheim which is about 40-50 Miles (70km) one way from where you'll be. Maybe your hotel has some kind of a Concierge and maybe you can check into them setting up something (some touring) for both of you. Contact them for more information.

And as for American Football, each team tries to score points by getting to the other team's goal. First of all, one team Kicks Off (Kicks) the ball to the other team and they hopefully run with the ball to advance it to get them hopefully good starting position. A Football field is basically 100 Yards (with about 10 extra Yards behind at each goalline for people to run through or catch a ball to start off play). Each team has four Downs (tries) to advance the ball at least 10 Yards (a Yard is 36 inches -- which is a bit less than a Meter which is 39.37 Inches). The ball is advanced by the Quarterback (the ball thrower) either throwing or handing off the Ball for someone to run with it (throwing the ball is called "Passing" or "Throwing A Pass").

As long as the ball gets advanced at least 10 Yards within the four tries, the team can continue advancing the ball. A score for getting the ball in the Endzone by passing it to a receiver, handing it off, or by the Quarterback running into the Endzone (Goal) is initially 6 Points, plus they can get an additional 1 or 2 points (this is called a Conversion) by either kicking the ball from some specific point or 2 points from running it in from a specific point.

Other ways to earn points are by getting: A "Field Goal" (this is kicking the ball from a point [before the 10 yards is gotten] when the team is close enough to the other team's goal -- which earns 3 points) or a "Safety" where the ball gets taken down in some way in the other team's goal.

And each team does try to get the Quarterback to go down and/or lose the ball. It can be a violent type of game when people of big weights collide into each other when running a play.

A Football game consists of Four 15 Minute Periods (called "Quarters" -- likely because 15 Minutes is a Quarter of an Hour), plus another 15 Minutes for Half-Time (which is a break with other entertainment, such as possibly marching bands and is used as an Intermission period where people can go buy food or other stuff and go to the bathroom, etc.). If the game ends up being Tied at the end of Regulation play, then the teams have to go into "Overtime."

Maybe Wikipedia has more information on it to explain the game, so check that out as well.

RecVPPlayer

For something completely different, but you see lots of LA, you should check out the Dearly Departed Tour. The guide is funny and very informative

Thanks for the info I will look on the site it sure sounds different than the usual Hollywood tours

I do remember seeing something on TV years ago about "Grave Line Tours" (which is the predecessor of the "Dearly Departed Tours") and that is definitely not the typical Hollywood type tour, and so the "Hollywood Tragical History Tour" or the others that that site offers could definitely be something!

RecVPPlayer

Thanks again for the info I have had a look on the site but I am not sure if this would suit my hubbie I wouldn't mind, I have done a guided tour round London called the Jack the Ripper walking tour at night and that was quite scary but interesting , we also have a ghost tour of our city of Lichfield which I did a couple of years ago, that gave us all the history of the old buildings where ghosts have supposedly been seen.