While Rodeo Drive, Disneyland and studio tours beckon tourists every year, there's much more to the Los Angeles area than shopping and theme parks. This diverse and immense city and its suburbs offer a myriad of unique hidden gems. From the quirky to the delicious, there are wonderful spots to discover all over the place. Here are just a few of the best spots in L.A.
There's really no shortage of great food in the L.A. area, but if you are looking for something cool, fun and historic, drive over to Alameda Street in the city's downtown area to Philippe's. This restaurant has been a downtown staple since 1903, and is known as the spot where the French dip was invented. This sandwich happened by happy accident when a customer's bread was dropped into the meat juices. The customer loved the sandwich so much, he came back to Philippe's the following day with several friends in tow. It quickly became a favorite at the restaurant, and soon the sandwich was famous nationwide.
You can get coffee anywhere, but for a truly fantastic cup of coffee, Island Monarch Coffee is absolutely the place to go. You won't find a fresher cup of coffee anywhere in the Southland. The finest beans from Hawaii and Latin America are shipped in still in their green state. Beans are freshly roasted and used within a few days of roasting at most. Coffee is freshly ground for each order and the water is filtered multiple times to reduce the salt and any impurities. There is a full menu featuring everything from just a regular cup of coffee to a variety of lattes, mochas and much more.
For some quirky fun, Southern California offers some interesting venues. There are two zoos in the City of Los Angeles, the current L.A. Zoo and the Old Zoo. The Old Zoo is empty and abandoned, but you can still explore the grounds and walk into cages and through various enclosures. The Old Zoo is located in Griffith Park and if you were heading to the current zoo, you would look for a sign that says, "Old Zoo Picnic Area." Park in that lot and then you walk up the hill, across a field and you will find this old relic.
There are museums to suit anyone's interest in Los Angeles. You can see mammoth bones, a Space Shuttle and wax figures of famous actors. In addition, there are two impressive car museums. The Petersen Automotive Museum is an excellent option, but it is pretty well known and centrally located on Museum Row (also known as Wilshire Boulevard). Another option would be to head out to Sylmar and check out the Nethercutt Museum. Historic cars, mostly dating from about 1910-1935, abound at the museum. Row after row of restored automotive gems can be enjoyed, and you also can tour a historic train car and locomotive. If you book a guided tour, you'll gain access to the Nethercutt Collection, which includes everything from a large collection of music boxes to grand pianos to rare hood ornaments.
There are plenty of other great places to visit in the Los Angeles area, from the antique stores located in the City of Orange down in Orange County to the donut shops that are shaped like giant donuts. There are hikes that take you to waterfalls, historic missions, whale-watching adventures and many other exciting options. You could fill weeks with great food and activities and never once pay an entrance fee to a theme park.
There's really no shortage of great food in the L.A. area, but if you are looking for something cool, fun and historic, drive over to Alameda Street in the city's downtown area to Philippe's. This restaurant has been a downtown staple since 1903, and is known as the spot where the French dip was invented. This sandwich happened by happy accident when a customer's bread was dropped into the meat juices. The customer loved the sandwich so much, he came back to Philippe's the following day with several friends in tow. It quickly became a favorite at the restaurant, and soon the sandwich was famous nationwide.
You can get coffee anywhere, but for a truly fantastic cup of coffee, Island Monarch Coffee is absolutely the place to go. You won't find a fresher cup of coffee anywhere in the Southland. The finest beans from Hawaii and Latin America are shipped in still in their green state. Beans are freshly roasted and used within a few days of roasting at most. Coffee is freshly ground for each order and the water is filtered multiple times to reduce the salt and any impurities. There is a full menu featuring everything from just a regular cup of coffee to a variety of lattes, mochas and much more.
For some quirky fun, Southern California offers some interesting venues. There are two zoos in the City of Los Angeles, the current L.A. Zoo and the Old Zoo. The Old Zoo is empty and abandoned, but you can still explore the grounds and walk into cages and through various enclosures. The Old Zoo is located in Griffith Park and if you were heading to the current zoo, you would look for a sign that says, "Old Zoo Picnic Area." Park in that lot and then you walk up the hill, across a field and you will find this old relic.
There are museums to suit anyone's interest in Los Angeles. You can see mammoth bones, a Space Shuttle and wax figures of famous actors. In addition, there are two impressive car museums. The Petersen Automotive Museum is an excellent option, but it is pretty well known and centrally located on Museum Row (also known as Wilshire Boulevard). Another option would be to head out to Sylmar and check out the Nethercutt Museum. Historic cars, mostly dating from about 1910-1935, abound at the museum. Row after row of restored automotive gems can be enjoyed, and you also can tour a historic train car and locomotive. If you book a guided tour, you'll gain access to the Nethercutt Collection, which includes everything from a large collection of music boxes to grand pianos to rare hood ornaments.
There are plenty of other great places to visit in the Los Angeles area, from the antique stores located in the City of Orange down in Orange County to the donut shops that are shaped like giant donuts. There are hikes that take you to waterfalls, historic missions, whale-watching adventures and many other exciting options. You could fill weeks with great food and activities and never once pay an entrance fee to a theme park.
About the Author:
Debrah Elliot likes reading coffee blogs. For further information about the best coffee Culver City or to find where to get Hawaiian coffee Culver City, please visit the IslandMonarchCoffee.com site now.
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