California Vacation: Other Fun Places To Visit

Griffith Park & Observatory is another great place to visit while in the LA area!  I don't have a picture of the park right now but it is amazing.  Every time I am there I think of how beautiful it is for photography, a picnic, or a hike.  It's a great get-a-way from the busy city.

The observatory is another location that is in a lot in movies.

It also provides the best views of the city!  

But, it's another area that you may need a back-up day to visit.  Thankfully, we only ran into a problem once where they wouldn't let people stop to visit due to a movie recording.  Also, I recommend planning your visit on a week day.  Weekends are very busy and hard to find decent parking.  If you are driving up the hill toward the observatory and you start to see many parked cars on the side of the winding road - it's not a good sign that you will get to the observatory without a long walk up hill.  There is a parking lot at the top of the hill and during most week days you can park in the lot.

You can see the Hollywood sign from the observatory too!

You might also want to plan on visiting when the observatory is open to tour.  We finally did that in 2012 and it was amazing!  It's free to explore and great for those interested in our solar system!

How much would you weigh on Saturn?

Beverly Hills is another great place to visit!  My husband is in love with the area so we spend a chunk of time driving around looking at houses.

Another great picture opportunity!

Of course you have to check out the palm tree lined streets.
I photoshopped my husband out of this one.

Other things to see in this area are the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bel-Air, and UCLA.

Sunset Boulevard is full of many well known spots.  I suggest a drive down the road with time for unscheduled stops when you see something you like.  We have visited the Viper Room, and attended a concert at the House of Blues.  Other places you might be interested in:  the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store (owned by Pauly Shore), Sunset Tan (had a reality show), the Hustler Store, Roxy, and Whiskey A Go Go.

Other places to check out in Southern California - but I'm not ready to blog on yet:

• Legoland (http://www.legoland.com/)
• Knott's Berry Farm (http://www.knotts.com/)
• La Brea Tar Pits - Los Angelas (http://www.tarpits.org/)
• Whale watching (December - April)
• SeaWorld - San Diego (http://www.seaworld.com/)
• Hotel Del Coronado - San Diego area (http://www.hoteldel.com/) - beautiful with a rich history.  We have stayed there for a few days but you don't really have to be a guest to enjoy a visit and walk on the beautiful beach!

• Tijuana (Mexico)
• Camp Pendelton (San Diego - Marine base)