Southern California in one day
Del Rey
Del Rey, an off-the-radar Westside enclave sandwiched between Marina del Rey and nouveau hip Culver City, is neither glitzy nor scenically stunning. Which is exactly why you should take star-struck out-of-towners here for quiet pleasures and little discoveries.
Settled by Japanese Americans who fled the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Del Rey was farmland for decades and then, after World War II, a planned community. Now it’s a loosely defined neighborhood of modest-size homes, small businesses and a stir-fry (or taco salad) of Asian and Latino cultures.
Pictured: A great blue heron perches on a shore rock at Ballona Creek, part of a wetlands wonderland. The heron, which can stand 4 feet tall or higher, is the largest in North America and has a 6-foot wingspan. (Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times)
Dodger Stadium is always a fine way to introduce out-of-town visitors to the real L.A., but for the surreal L.A. the L.A. we kind of wish were more prevalent and affordable I’ll take Manhattan Beach.
Turn down Highland Avenue into that main drag and admire the pier glistening in the surf. I’ve had relatives gasp at the sight. Wow. Awesome. Now that’s California.
Pictured: Two of Manhattan Beach’s many celebs: Dodger Nomar Garciaparra and his wife, soccer great
Claremont Village
When it comes it L.A., there’s the expected: star-gazing at the Ivy for brunch and re-creating the opening scenes of “Entourage” along Sunset Boulevard at night. The “surprise” celebrity sighting is so ... expected. Where to go for the unexpected? How about a little R&R in a quaint little college town?
Tucked away off the 10 Freeway in a quiet swath of suburbia lies downtown Claremont. Adjacent to six of the seven institutions that comprise the Claremont Colleges, these strips of tree-lined tranquillity are more whimsical than Westwood.
Pictured: Instruments of all shapes and sizes line the walls of the Folk Music Center in
Bunny Museum in Pasadena
There is a fine line between a museum and a collection of worthless knickknacks. We’ll leave it to you to decide which category fits for the Bunny Museum in Pasadena, home of the world’s largest collection of bunny-related stuff. By “stuff” we mean more than 24,000 bunny collectibles, such as bunny phones, bunny pillows, bunny spoons, bunny pot holders and way too many stuffed bunnies. The museum is the private home of Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski, who have been collecting these items for 15 years and have been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the world’s largest collection. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles east of downtown
Are you AWOD, as in always west of downtown? Sure, that side of L.A. has Hollywood, the beach and Griffith Park, but you’re depriving yourself of an essential part of Los Angeles if you’re AWOD. You’re missing out on Pasadena’s antique shops, San Gabriel Valley’s cheap eateries and Santa Anita’s hiking trails. To entice you to venture eastward, here’s how you can experience the east side for half off or less. Keeping your Thursdays free helps.
Pictured: A grand staircase leads from the main hallway of the Huntington Art Gallery’s first floor, now a sequence of period rooms. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
