Rollaboard Travel - Tips on Traveling Light

By Barbara Wade © 2010, All Rights Reserved

There’s more to Los Angeles than movie premiers and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. A playground for the rich and famous, LA boasts world-class shopping, art and the finest weather on the West Coast. A vacation to southern California provides entertainment for the whole family, no matter what their individual tastes. Plan your trip around a stay in a Los Angeles luxury hotel for the ultimate in extravagance and you’ll get a first-hand glimpse of the riches this great city has to offer.

Art and Culture

Los Angeles is known as the “creative capital of the world” and with good reason. Artists, writers, dancers, actors and musicians make up a large percentage of the population, and for visitors, that means ample opportunity to experience art and culture.

The city and surrounding areas are home to more than 800 museums, including the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum. The Getty Museum boasts such famous artists as Van Gogh and Rembrandt, while the Museum of Contemporary Art is home to thousands of creations in all media, all produced after 1940. And the Los Angeles County Museum of Art houses more than 100,000 pieces spanning virtually all of art history from around the globe. Whether you fancy the classics, or prefer to interpret art in your own way, you’ll find plenty of famous – and not so famous – works to admire.

On the campus of UCLA is the Armand Hammer Museum, where fine art and free concerts combine to provide a truly varied cultural experience. Impressive art collections, informative lecture series and musical performances are just some of the ways the museum, together with UCLA, enriches the lives of locals and tourists alike.

Music aficionados won’t want to miss seeing the world-renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic. The symphony performs in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, where a wood-paneled main music hall provides stunning acoustical quality. Even if you don’t attend a performance, be sure to stop by for a look at the complex. Dramatically curving stainless steel panels make this venue a work of art both inside and out.

Sun, Sand, and Shopping

For beach lovers, Los Angeles is a true paradise. From the surfing hotspot Manhattan Beach to picture-perfect Paradise Cove to funky and fun-loving Venice Beach, Los Angeles has no shortage of sand and surf. The sub-tropical climate means every season has the potential for beach weather, but the hottest activities take place in the summer months. Volleyball tournaments, fireworks, surfing and live music are just some of the entertainment options available on the many beaches of Los Angeles.

Of course you can’t hang out at the beach without the proper attire. And in Los Angeles, there are plenty of places to buy yourself a new bikini – or whatever else you desire. Perhaps the most famous shopping district in the world, Rodeo Drive sports many high-end boutique shops catering to celebrity clientele. In the three short blocks between Wilshire and South Santa Monica Boulevard, you’ll find designers from Armani to Versace, jewelry by Cartier and Tiffany, and shoes by Jimmy Choo.

Whether you choose to stay on the beach, downtown, or near UCLA, hotel accommodations are as plentiful as the attractions. Beaches, shopping, amusement parks, museums and more await you in Los Angeles, and in true Hollywood fashion, your vacation will be anything you dream it to be.

Author Bio

Barbara Wade writes for Hotel Palomar, a Los Angeles luxury hotel near the UCLA campus. Visit them online at http://www.hotelpalomar-lawestwood.com.