How To Plan a Trip to Los Angeles

The first thing you should do when planning a trip to Los Angeles is to bear in mind how large L.A. is. Los Angeles County covers more than four thousand square miles of real estate, so it would be a good idea to plan in advance where you want to go and what you'd like to see. The geographical diversity of the area offers visitors the opportunity to explore an almost limitless variety of activities, from miles and miles of ocean front, to beaches, to skiing, and winter sports in the San Gabriel mountains. Additionally, side trips to destinations as varied as Palm Springs and Santa Barbara can also be included. So depending on the length of time you're planning on staying, you should plan accordingly.

Los Angeles offers a very wide variety of activities and attractions for the visitor to enjoy, and you'll find there certainly isn't going to be any shortages of things to do. A trip to Hollywood and its numerous attractions is considered a must by many visitors, as is a day spent at Disneyland, the most famous of all amusement parks. Other theme parks that may be of interest are Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, and Six Flags Magic Mountain. A trip to Olvera Street and Chinatown offers a glimpse into L.A.'s past, and while in the downtown area you might want to see the famous Union Station, which you'll most likely recognize as having been the setting of many movies and television shows. The Hollywood Bowl offers outdoor musical concerts during most of the year, and you can put several world-class museums on your list, including the Getty, the Norton Simon, and the L.A. County Natural History Museum.

Winter is a delightful time in Los Angeles. If you plan your trip around the holiday season, you should plan on joining the crowds along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on New Year's Day for the world-famous Tournament of Roses parade, a Southern California tradition for well over a hundred years. Right after the parade, of course, is the Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of all college football bowl games.

There's no shortage of things to do and places to see in Los Angeles, and as we mentioned earlier, L.A. is a big place, so careful planning will help ensure you and your family have an enjoyable and memorable visit to the City of Angels.