Los Angeles Travel Forum

I'm planning on a short trip to LA, just 2 days. what are the places that are a "can't miss" attraction. I'm not too crazy about the museums...:)
Till now I have:
1. Universal Studios
2. Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Drive thru' Beeverly Hills & Hollywood (I'd like suggestions on which areas to drive by in both areas)
4. Any good beach in / near LA (Need suggestions here too :))

I'm sure there are many other interesting places, but don't know which ones. Are there any such that I'm missing out on?

Also, I have shortlisted two areas to stay
a. Econo Lodge in Hollywood on Vine st. (since it's close to Hollywood & of course, economical!!)
b. Hilton near Beverly Hills (depends on the deal I get here)

I'd like to know if the Econo Lodge location is a safe place, also, if anyone has any experiences please let me know.

Also which is a good restaurant near the Beverly Hills / Hollywood area.

All your suggestions are highly appreciated.

Santa Monica is my favorite part of Los Angeles and has a great beach scene.

Hollywood Walk of Fame will take maybe an hour max.

For Beverly Hills, drive to Rodeo Drive, takes about an hour max.

If you have been to the Universal in Florida, skip the one in Los Angeles and go to Knotts Berry or Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Check out the Venice Beach boardwalk.

I have quite a few suggestions on my LA travel page. Not knowing what your interests are is difficult to suggest things to do. If you like art and culture, we have some wonderful museums to see. Currently, the Body Worlds 3 exhibit at the California Science Center is just awesome! The Griffith Observatory is also very cool. I think the JPL tour is very well worth it but you have to make reservations in advance. And, if you go to JPL, I would definitely visit Old Town Pasadena, one of my favorite places to hang out at. Santa Monica is nice but I think Venice Beach is a great place to see all kinds of people from all walks of life.

The Econo Lodge is not that great when it comes to accomodations. I know it's cheap. I would look at Embassy Suites, Howard Johnsons or Radisson which is slightly more. But my preference would be Hilton, Marriot or Westin.

Hollywood & Vine is a neat place to be. But realize, tourists are here all the time and therefore, the pick pockets/thieves are here as well. So, be careful, especially roaming at night. I'm mostly speaking of just this area. Other areas of SoCal are very safe.

Hope you enjoy your visit.

I've stayed at that EconoLodge - it was several years ago, but I remember it as being slightly funky, but a decent value. It's not a grossly bad neighborhood, but don't leave anything valuable visible on the seat of your car. The Beverly Hilton is much nicer (I stayed there once on someone else's nickel). Their pool is really fun.

When I'm anywhere near Hollywood I ALWAYS make a trip to Cantor's on Melrose. It's an old-fashioned deli with wonderful food. It's open all night and it's a not a bad spot for celebrity spotting.

I like Disneyland better than Universal Studios, if you want to spend a day at an amusement park. It's the great granddaddy of amusement parks.

I agree with the vote for Santa Monica beach. You can walk down to Venice beach from there, if you like wandering. You can take Sunset Blvd all the way to the beach from Hollywood. It takes you past some awesome mansions.

Thanks all for your suggestions, I'll definitely keep your tips in mind and would proably go to the Observatory and Santa Monica beach and the Deli Place too. Would check Rodeo drive also... Much Thanks once again..

just waat to say hope you have fun here in LA

I stayed in that Econolodge when I first moved here and I agree that it isn't terrible, but I did eventually leave because of the Econo-scent that permeated pretty much every corner. It's not a phenomenal neighborhood, but it is a convenient one, since it's right on Vine which is a major bus route. I would think the Hilton might be a better choice, depending on how much it is.