Page 98 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

When in LA, do as the celebs do and
start the day in downward dog at Bryan
Kest’s Power Yoga studio in Santa Monica.
Go shopping at Fred Segal, an LA institu-
tion known for cult beauty and makeup
brands. Need an outfit for an awards
show? Head over to Decades on Melrose
Avenue, a couture vintage store where
many stylists choose red-carpet gowns for
their star clients.
Hungry? Eat at The Ivy, a Beverly Hills
institution known for its casual chic
atmosphere and the steady flow of celebri-
ties lunching there. Or chow down on a
Chili dog at Pink’s in Hollywood. Watch an
LA Lakers basketball game at the Staples
Center and see stars on the court and in the
stands. End the day sipping a cocktail at
Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in
West Hollywood, where celebrities meet
their agents and studio execs.
Hollywood
Conceived originally as an outdoor bill-
board promoting a housing development
called “Hollywoodland” in 1923, the Holly-
wood sign sits on the south side of Mount
Lee and Griffith Park—long a symbol that
this is a place where dreams can come true.
The first movie studio, the Nestor Motion
Picture Company, opened in the fall of 1911
in Hollywood on the northwest corner of
Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. It was
absorbed by the Universal Film Manufac-
turing Company, which later became
Universal Studios. By the 1920s, 80 percent
of the world’s films were shot in California.
Learn more about Tinsel Town’s history,
and experience its memorabilia at The Hol-
lywood Museum. Or participate in the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ences events and get swept up in the
pre-Oscar buzz.
The Great Outdoors
Despite its car culture rap, LA County offers
lots of outdoor activities. Rent a bike along
the Santa Monica Pier and ride down the
path that parallels the ocean, through
Venice and on to Marina del Rey before
doubling back. Pack a picnic lunch and
hike Echo Mountain in Altadena or the
Arroyo Seco trail system in the San Gabriel
Mountains. Sign up for rock-climbing
instruction, or take a surfing lesson from
one of the many surfing centers in Santa
Monica. Or lounge around on the sand or
join an impromptu beach volleyball game.
Explore the county’s many and varied
beaches, from the iconic to the little
known but bring a sweater. In the summer,
moist marine air is pulled inland and
forms a misty cover till it burns off by the
afternoon. Start in Malibu and show your
stuff at the iconic “Surfrider Beach” at
DRIVE
»
TOUR
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
offers spectacular views of
the HOLLYWOOD BOWL,
the LA BASIN and
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.
It’s about 24 miles from the
405 freeway to Hwy 101 with overlooks all along the way. Or, drive in a
loop from HOLLYWOOD. Starting at the KODAK THEATER, home of the
Academy Awards, go west on HOLLYWOOD BLVD. in Los Angeles till it
ends. Turn right on LAUREL CANYON BLVD. and at the top, turn left
on Mulholland Drive. Stop at the NANCY HOOVER POHL OVERLOOK
and enjoy a great view of the “Valley.” Return to Mulholland Drive,
going eastbound, past Laurel Canyon Road until you see the
HOLLYWOOD BOWL OVERLOOK on your right. Park and walk up to see
the panoramic views of downtown LA, the Hollywood sign, Griffith
Observatory and the Hollywood Bowl Amphitheater. Continue east
until you reach the bottom of Mulholland Drive. Turn right on
Woodrow Wilson and make an immediate right onto CAHUENGA
BLVD., heading south back to Hollywood.
WAVE ROLLS ASHORE at
Paradise Cove in Malibu, above.
96 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
BART EVERETT/SHUTTERSTOCK