Page 124 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

TAKING IT ALL IN at the Hollywood Hills,
right; Getty Center, below.
moist marine air is pulled inland and forms
a misty cover until it burns off by the after-
noon. Start in Malibu and show your stuff
at the legendary Surfrider Beach at Malibu
Lagoon State Beach and explore tide pools
and caves at Leo Carrillo State Park. Perhaps
watch filming in progress at Malibu’s Point
Dume State Beach, often featured in movies
such as the Iron Man series (2008-2013). It
also appeared in the final scene of the orig-
inal Planet of the Apes (1968). Or look out for
California gray whales during their migra-
tion from December to mid April. Next,
wind your way down through Topanga
Beach and stop over for a volleyball game at
Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.
Then hop over to Venice and the Strand on
Manhattan Beach to people-watch.
Family Fun
Check out fossils of saber-toothed cats and
mammoths that roamed the LA Basin
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 Highway 101 with overlooks all along the way. Or, drive
in a loop from HOLLYWOOD. Starting at the DOLBY THEATRE, 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.
122 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
during the Ice Age at the Page Museum at
the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. Or if the kids
are tired of trying to spot stars on Holly-
wood Boulevard, take them to Griffith
Observatory. Featured in many movies
including Rebel Without a Cause (1955), the
observatory is set on the southern slope of
Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, with a
view of the Hollywood sign and greater LA
below. View exhibits and events on
Tuesday through Sunday at the Samuel
Oschin Planetarium and Leonard Nimoy
Event Horizon Theater, and attend free
public star parties monthly at the Observa-
tory from 2 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Budding
astronomers and their families are encour-
aged to try out different telescopes and talk
to amateur astronomers about the sun,
moon and planets.
Visit the California Science Center that
houses the Endeavour, the final ship to be
built in NASA’s space shuttle program, after
traveling almost 123 million miles. View
actual space capsules from the Mercury,
Gemini and Apollo-Soyuz missions. Spe-
cial exhibits include the new Science
Behind Pixar, which runs at least until
April 9, 2017. Enjoy the many touch-
friendly exhibits such as the High-Wire
Bicycle, which allows the courageous to
safely bike along a one-inch wire 43 feet
above the ground. The gravitational forces
on the counterweight prevent the bicycle
from tipping over and illustrate the center
of gravity law.
YULIA MAYOROVA/SHUTTERSTOCK; THE J. PAUL GETTY TRUST