Discover Los Angeles: YouTube Video

Several months ago I came across this wonderful visitor promotional video for the city of Los Angeles. 

Appropriately entitled "Discover Los Angeles" this VERY professional 3 minute video does a great job highlighting and experiencing L.A. 

Highlights include several of the things covered over the years on this site - including the Hollywood Sign ... 

Chris Burden's Urban Light at LACMA on Wilshire Blvd ... 

The California Science Center in Exposition Park ...

And Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier ...

The nightlight and sports clips were never really our family's "thing" ...

... but the video also packed in the Getty Center, Venice Beach, Downtown, Hollywood, Warner Brother Studios, Olvera Street, Chinatown, the Autry National Center, The Grove, the Beverly Center, Union Station, the Hollywood Bowl, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory, and the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. 

Click on any of the links above for more photos and information from pervious posts. 

Unlike the visitor in the video (who took a cab) I would recommend renting a car. Los Angeles' public transportation system is significantly better than it was 20 years ago, but it would be difficult to impossible to explore everything highlighted in the video without a car, unless you were very adventurous - and traveling without kids.

Certainly one of the most influential cities in the world. 

Worth exploring - and experiencing. 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com


-
-

Welcoming Space Shuttle Endeavour to Los Angeles

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Last weekend the Space Shuttle Endeavour made it's final journey from LAX along the streets of Los Angeles to the California Science Center. 

Allen J Schaben - Los Angeles Times

So cool: as we no longer live in Los Angeles, I appreciate 
these photographs I was able to find on the internet. 

Don Barletti/Los Angeles

Hundreds of thousands of Angelenos flocked to see the amazing 

site of the shuttle crawling at 2 miles an hour along the 12 mile route. 

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Past famous and quirky landmarks, like Randy's Donuts. 

AP Photo/Patrick T. Fallon

Past massive and enthusatic crowds. Wish I could have 

been there. 

Perhaps the last time Angelenos turned out en mass 

like this was for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. 

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

One of the most surreal sites was seeing the shuttle 

cruise past apartment buildings through a residential 

neighborhood. 

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

With the moment not being lost to a local resident. 
Imagine looking out your bedroom and seeing this!

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

This is one of my very favorite pictures, which I also 
posted on my Facebook profile. Here's a link to additional 
photographs from The Atlantic. 

Not to be missed is Matthew Givot's INCREDIBLE 
time-lapse video of the 12 mile journey from LAX to 
the Science Center. Outstanding work. 

Wally Skalij - Los Angeles Times

A final salute: hats off to photographer Wally Skalij and 
his colleagues. Here's a link to additional photos on the 
Los Angeles Times web site. 

photo credit: Reuters

And a final picture of Endeavour's earlier fly-by of 
the Hollywood sign. 



blog text © 2012 www.experiencingla.com 

Top Ten Things To Do With Kids in Los Angeles

Four years ago I came up with a "Top Ten" list of things our family enjoyed doing in Los Angeles. Now that my kids are older, I decided to update that list - asking them what they'd put on it.

Whether you've lived in L.A. all your life, or are just visiting for a few days, hopefully this list of things we've done as a family will give you some ideas as well. We tried to steer clear of things that cost a lot of money - most everything here is free, or fairly inexpensive. 

Each of these ten things is linked to a previous post to provide more information. I also tried to mention additional places close by. 

This is by no way an exaustive list: if we missed anything, feel free to leave a comment. 

10 - THE BEACH There's really no bad time to visit. Parking can be tricky if you show up after 12:00 noon on a summer weekend. Best beaches with kids are either Manhattan Beach (south of LAX) or - pictured above - Ocean Park beach, south of the Santa Monica Pier. 

9 - THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS The Santa Monicas are a large mountain range that literally cut through the heart of the city of Los Angeles, dividing the city from the San Fernando Valley. Good places to go with kids include Malibu Creek State Park, or Topanga State Park. Above are my kids playing along the creek in Santa Ynez Canyon, in Topanga State Park. 

8 - CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER The California Science Center, located next to USC, just south of downtown Los Angels is totally free. Above, my neice in the fantastic new eco systems section. Next door is the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. 

7 - THE GETTY CENTER The Getty actually has two locations: the larger Getty Center, located in Brentwood just off the 405, and the original Getty Villa, located about 10 miles beyond that in Pacific Palisades. Both are amazing, have special areas of kids, and worth a visit. 

6 - THE SANTA MONICA PIER While a visit to the pier is free, there small Pacific Park amusement zone does cost. But if you purchase an unlimited ride wrist band on-line, it's a good value. My daughter celebrated her 9th birthday with family and friends here - great time. 

5 - NOAH'S ARK AT THE SKIRBALL CENTER Reservations are highly recommended at the ever popular Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball Jewish Cultural Center, located just north of the Getty Center off the the 405. Every Thursday is free - which is great. This is a MUST SEE for anyone with kids 10 and under. 

4 - TIDE POOLS If the conditions are right, you can see a bit of God's handiwork normally hidden from sight. There are tidepools in San Pedro, Palos Verdes, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu. The saying, "take only photographs, leave only memories" is a good one. 

3 - THE AUTRY CENTER The Gene Autry Western Heritage Center is fantastic. Our kids and their cousins love it, especially Chinese restaurant kids section downstairs. The Autry Center is located across the street from the Los Angeles Zoo. Nearby you'll also find Travel Town, the Los Angeles Live Steamers, and the Griffith Observatory. 

2 - ICE SKATING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES Our favorite time to go downtown is for the annual "Downtown on Ice" around Christmastime. During the rest of the year, we've taken our kids to the downtown library, in and around the Bonaventure Hotel (amazing elevators), Olvera Street, and Philippe's in Chinatown. 

1 - TOURNAMENT OF ROSES You'll have to wait until January 1st (or 2nd if it's a Sunday) but it's worth it. The Rose Parade is one of best things to see and so in Southern California. I've you've never been, by all means GO. And you don't need to get there at the crack of dawn. We found a great place to watch just north of the 210 Freeway underpass. 

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com

California Science Center, Los Angeles

The California Science Center is an outstanding public science museum adjacent to USC in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It has dozens of state of the art exhibits for all age groups.

Best of all - it's free.

Two Saturdays ago we were in Los Angeles for a send off for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their three three kids, whose job has taken them to Shanghai, China (!).

We were down for the weekend to say good-bye, but also to provide some needed childcare as they got some last minute things done. First stop with "the cousins" - the California Science Center.

Stars? Molecules? Well, it looked cool. This is looking up at the entrance pavilion.


While the Science Center is often crowded during the week with school groups, we got there when it opened at 10am on Saturday, and it was virtually empty. Kind of nice.


Unlike other places where the "suggested donation" really isn't "suggested" - it's an admission fee, the California Science Center really is free.

If they were smart, they'd put in a credit card machine or two. If Los Angeles can have parking meters that accept credit cards, surely a museum of this calibre can, too.

Just a suggestion.


First stop: the Eco System Exhibit upstairs.


The Eco System exhibit opened last year - and is very impressive.

It features various ecological environments: desert, forest, rivers, the L.A. cityscape, and oceans.


My niece inside the kelp forest display - part of the oceans.

There is a twenty-five foot deep salt water tank with kelp, marine life, and (when we were there) divers explaining it all. Very cool.

A Garibaldi - the official California salt water fish. Had to take a pic - even in low light.

My kids and their cousins enjoying the 15 minute program.

The University Park neighborhood is in the heart of the city and a good 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean - all this salt water had to be hauled in via trucks.

I also kept thinking: this reminds me of the Aquarium in Long Beach or the one in Monterey. Except that this is free.

Afterwards kids came up to touch the 11" thick Plexiglass and say "hi" to the divers.

There were several other displays but I thought the L.A. Zone was fairly unique: it gave the kids a chance to see how people as well as plants and animals survive and often thrive in a urban environment like Los Angeles.


There was an enormous, HUGE map on the floor - stretching from LAX and the Marina del Rey all the way to the inland empire. My nieces and nephew were able to find their house near USC.


My son and his cousin doing a faux news broadcast.


TV monitor, the whole bit.

Lots and lots of displays all over the museum. We've been there dozens of times and there always seems to be something new.


The five cousins.

My in-laws lived a mile northwest of USC for 15+ years, so our kids have been going to Science Center with their cousins since they were little, and have many great memories.

WIth us now out of the area, and their family heading overseas, this visit was bitter sweet. Really, the end of an era.

Here's their website: www.CaliforniaScienceCenter.org

Parking is $8 in the adjacent structure. Admission is free, although there is a suggested donation of $5.

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com

.