LA

Los Angeles (LA), aka The City of Angels, is one of the most famous cities and popular vacation spots in the world. Aside from being a home to many of your favorite Hollywood celebrities, LA is also the largest city in California, located in Southern California. Due to its size and vitality, there is a wild variety of places to go to and activities to do in this city depending on your mood and the kind of adventure that you are looking for.

From the Bay Area where I live, LA is only 5-6 hours and 373.8 miles away. As such, this place is my perfect getaway spot and probably one of my most favorite places in the world! Fun facts: I’ve only been to LA four times in 2021 and I never flew via airplane to get there. That’s a total of 2,990.4 miles and 40-48 hours of driving! See my YouTube video for snippets from my LA Trip - Anniversary Vlog. :)

Without further ado, here are the top places to go in Los Angeles, CA that I highly recommend

1) Disneyland Park and Disneyland California Adventure

1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802

If you love Disney, you have kids, and you are into theme parks, you should never miss going to Disneyland. I highly suggest going to both parks too. To enter both parks, guests (3 and older) will need a valid ticket and a theme park reservation for the same day and same park. IMPORTANT: Before buying a ticket, you will need to first check the limited availability of the parks. Single day park and Park Hopper tickets follow the same restrictions. The Disneyland app is a great resource to access the map, schedule of activities, hotel needs, and dining reservations. Make sure to download the app before visiting the Disneyland Parks to know what you can expect during your next visit.

MY TOP 5 DISNEyland PArk RIDES: Space Mountain, INDIANA JONES, BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD, MILLENNIUM FALCON: SMUGGLERS RUN, SPLASH MOUNTAIN

MY TOP 5 DISNEyland CA ADVENTURE RIDES: CARS LAND, INCREDICOASTER, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - MISSION: BREAKOUT; PIXAR PAL-A-ROUND (SWINGING!), SOARIN’ AROUND THE WORLD

2) Universal Studios Hollywood

100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

I highly suggest going to Universal Studios as well, especially during Halloween Horror Nights for a fun and spooky experience!

If you are a Harry Potter fan, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is also phenomenal attraction. On select days, the Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios Hollywood still lights up with the "Hogwarts Always" nighttime light show that includes music, celebrating the four iconic Hogwarts Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Show times may not always be displayed in the park or in the Universal Studios Hollywood app, but it’s best to check for the "Latest Park Updates" on the app or or ask a team member at the park.

MY TOP 5 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD RIDES: JURASSIC WORLD, REVENGE OF THE MUMMY, WATERWORLD, TRANSFORMERS, HARRY POTTER

3) Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Boulevard, Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028

How can you say that you went to Los Angeles if you didn’t visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame? This spot is a historic landmark with star-studded sidewalks of not only movie actors, but radio, TV, directors, singers/songwriters, and other well-known personalities. While it is very unlikely to see real stars here, unless you are attending an unveiling ceremony, you never know exactly what you are going to see on the walk of Fame.

4) Lake Hollywood Park

3160 Canyon Lake Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Have you ever watched La La Land? Yup, this is where they filmed the dance scene where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone waltzed through the air under a star-filled sky. Griffith Observatory is a free-admission facility located on the south side of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It is normally open Friday to Sunday. Access to the park itself is free from 5:00A.M. to 10:30P.M. every day, but you will need to pay parking fee. If you are lucky and you go in a good day, you can clearly see the breathtaking view of Los Angeles Downtown and can use telescopes to observe the details. You can also see the Hollywood Sign from here! Inside the Observatory, you can explore exhibits, see live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, and attend other special events. I highly recommend going here around sunset because it is just so beautiful!

6) “Urban Light” at LACMA

5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

LACMA stands for Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is yet another famous tourist spot that most Filipino celebrities visit to take selfie, also Hollywood celebrities who glammed up at the 2021 LACMA Art + Film Gala.

I personally haven’t been inside the museum. But the stunning “Urban Lights” public art, created by artist Chris Burden, is already quite enough. I have been here both during day and night. Honestly I could not get over how beautiful it was at night when the restored 1920s and 1930s street lamps were lit up!

If you are planning on going inside LACMA, please note that all visitors, including LACMA Members, must purchase or reserve an advance timed-entry online ticket. Tickets may not be purchased on site.

7) Beverly Hills

248 Via Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Another home to the rich and famous —social elites and Hollywood stars alike — Beverly Hills. Featuring high-end shopping street of Rodeo Drive and backdropping a few popular TV shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies and Beverly Hills 90210, this is yet another tourist spot to check off your list. Well, that is, if you want to feel young, broke, and dumb then this is the place to be. Just kidding (although that was exactly what I felt going here)!