How to spend a few hours in LA

vandrbrg

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Our family (me, DH, DS10 and DS8) will be arriving in LA by car (from Grand Canyon via Barstow) around noonish on 8/16 and have some time to kill before we need to be at Dodger Stadium for the 7:10 p.m. Dodgers/White Sox game. We leave immediately after the Dodgers game for Anaheim, so we will not have a hotel in LA. This stop is just about hitting Dodger Stadium on the quest to see ALL the ballparks.

Could use advice on where to spend a few hours. DS8 is a huge movie kids and would love to see sites of Hollywood. Is this feasible? What's parking like?

Basically, I know nothing and am not sure how to start the research.

TIA!
Heather
 
Hmm, with such a limited time and your DD's interests I would probably do Hollywood and Highland center. They have a parking structure. From there you can see the Hollywood sign, take some pics, walk out to the street and there are a few of the walk of fame stars, and walk over to the chinese theater, etc.
 
I agree with parking at Hollywood & Highland. Check out the sights and grab lunch (and parking validation). They are also doing Lion King Sing-Along at El Capitan in August if that's something your DS would be into - they have a pre-show with characters and then sing-along during the show.
 


For a quick break, you could get ice cream at the Ghirardelli's right next door to the El Capitan Theatre. There is a small Disney Store inside. Plus, if the boys really like the ice cream, there is a Ghirardelli's in DCA, too.
 
Exposition Park perhaps? My kid loved seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center. There's also plenty of stuff for kids at the museum and other parts of the park. Admission is free except for a small fee if you want to see the Space Shuttle. I think parking is $10.
 
Park at Union Station, take the red line to Hollywood, then back to Union Station and take the stadium express bus. I would reconsider not getting a hotel in LA. Leaving early to arrive by noon, then going to a game that will likely go well past 10 and driving to Anaheim. You could leave your bags at a hotel, drive to the stadium, then back to the hotel, sleep and drive to Anaheim in the morning.
 


As a local, I think the best way to "do" Hollywood is with a very specific plan of what you want to see and where you want to go. It's not a neighborhood that lends itself well to wandering -- things are spread out, it's overcrowded, parking can be a hassle/expensive, and walking around sidewalks in mid-August will be hot hot hot. If you really want to see the Walk of Fame, you might also plan to do the (really great) tour of the historic Egyptian theater on Hollywood Blvd, which is perfect if you're interested in the history of film and Hollywood. If you're not doing a tour, then seeing some handprints in the concrete and looking at the theaters will be a 30 minute experience, at most.

If your kid is into movies, but not interested in history enough for a historic theater tour, I'd recommend the Warner Brothers studio tour over spending time tooling around in Hollywood. It's an in-depth exploration of how movies get made today, including touring backlots, checking out sound stages, and exploring several exhibits of movie props (including Harry Potter), movie-making technology, and history.
 

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