LOS ANGELES

THIS IS ALL SO L.A.

The City of Angels has a way of filling life with possibility. Nearly perfect weather brings a certain optimism to the soul despite the madness of the world. With over 10 million people in the greater metro area, Los Angeles has something for everyone. Cultures converge here, blending their flavors, music, art, languages and traditions into something vibrant and uniquely alive. It’s a place like no other. Where else can you surf in the morning and ski in 3 feet of fresh snow later that afternoon? Only in L.A.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

• Learn how to surf some tasty waves

• Shred some gnarly pow pow in the local mountains at Big Bear

• Come on down at The Price is Right

• Fill your night with magic at The Magic Castle. You have to know somebody who knows somebody to get a ticket though. <map>

• Be inspired by the Happiest Place on Earth at Disneyland

• Experience a working Hollywood studio at Universal Studios

• Observe the stars of the universe at the Griffith Observatory

• Observe the stars of Hollywood at the Academy Museum

• See a movie like it should be seen at the Chinese Theatre

• Be inspired by art that’s just as inspirational as its location at the Getty

• Go from 0-100 miles per hour in 5 seconds at the Porsche Experience Center

DO THIS

So many museums, so little time

• Contemporary art at The Broad

• All kinds of art at the LACMA

• Asian art at the USC Pacific Asia Museum

• Cars and more cars at the Petersen Auto Museum

• The art of the craft at the Craft Contemporary

• Museum of Tolerance

• Norton Simon museum in Pasadena

• Fowler Museum on the UCLA campus

• Beautiful gardens with a pretty incredible art collection at The Huntington in San Marino

• Explore botanical gardens covering 150 acres at the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge

• Cool Souvenirs at Galleries Lafayette. Go to the 6th Floor for some unique Paris and France souvenirs…and a really cool ceiling! <map>

• If the kids are in tow...or if you want to experience the best Space Mountain in the world...take the RER A to Disneyland Paris

• Have tea and pastries at the Grand Mosque and a visit to the Institut du Monde Arabe <map>

• Go to les Catacombes. Get here early and make sure they’re open the day you go. <map>

• Experience the Notre Dame Choir Performance at night

• See a movie at Le Grand Rex - the largest movie theater in Europe <map>

• Explore Montmartre <map>

• A boat cruise along the Seine river at sunset that ends at the Eiffel Tower so you can see it up close and personal at night

• Watch Zac Efron’s Down to Earth episode where he goes to Paris and discovers the tasty Parisian tap water and sparkling water…that’s free all over Paris!

• Read David Lebovitz’s blog about food in Paris and find some wonderful local pâtisseries, boulangeries and restaurants (click on the Paris drop down menu)

• Go see How to Become a Parisian in One Hour by Olivier Giraud. See if Parisians think you’re Parisian after going to the show. :)

FOOD

• Dos Besos has incredible Spanish tapas in Pasadena

• In-N-Out = Classic SoCal burger joint

• California Fish Grill (all kinds of sustainable fish) <map>

• California Chicken Cafe (inexpensive and healthy chicken dishes) <map>

• Tocaya (organic Mexican food)

• MB Post (farm to table California cuisine)

• Great sandwiches here at Bay Cities Deli

• Get a praluline (brioche) from Maison Pralus…sooooooo good!!!…they also have great chocolate

• One of my favorite boulangeries/patisseries in Paris is Nelly Julien Douceurs et Traditions. LOVE their almond croissants (croissant aux amandes)…sometimes with chocolate. (Near the Eiffel Tower/Invalides) <map>

• Also, some more great pastries are at La Maison d’Isabelle. They won best croissant in Paris in 2018. <map>

• Crepes from street vendors - ones that make them fresh with the batter…not just warm one up that was made last week in some back alley - the area around Centre Pompidou and Chatlet/Les Halles has a ton of them…just be careful around this area at night. Cherain's favorite is une crêpe avec banane et Nutella. Mine is une crêpe avec beurre et sucre (butter and sugar)

• Get a bottle of wine, a baguette and some French cheeses and sit in the park that's on the island that Notre Dame is on…at the very western-most tip of the island, facing west, watch the sunset

• You can get tasty macaroons from Ladurée (if you’re on/near the Champs-Elysées - go to the back of the restaurant to the tea room…they call it Bar Lincoln…you can enter in the door off of rue Lincoln…and you shouldn’t have to wait in line and still get macaroons/pastries…it’s a great little tea room that also serves a wide range of drinks and desserts) <map>

• Head to the Ile St-Louis for ice cream at Berthillon (29-31 rue saint Louis en l'ile) <map>

• A great cheese shop also on the Ile St-Louis is La Ferme Saint-Aubin (76 Rue St Louis En L'ile). Super friendly owner so don’t be afraid to speak French to him! <map>

• Two great places to get tea for home are Kusmi Tea and Mariage Frères. They have stores located throughout Paris.