(Los Angeles Times photo collage; photos by Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times; Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times; Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times; Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
25 terrific things to do in L.A. before summer ends
You were going to do so much in Los Angeles this summer. Then life happened.
But there’s still time — hills to be climbed, waves to be caught, cocktails to be confronted, Dodger Dogs to be consumed.
Planning your weekend?
Stay up to date on the best things to do, see and eat in L.A.
Take on a few of these adventures and you can be proud you made the most of this season (which, around here, continues far beyond the moment Starbucks starts making pumpkin spice lattes). And if you’re looking to explore beyond the city, check out our guide to the 101 best California experiences.
Showing Places
(Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times)
Touch a sea creature at the Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach Aquarium
Although it teems with all manner of marine life, the undisputed star attractions here are the many and varied species of sea jellies that float about like living lava lamps. There are tanks full of pale-blue blubber jellies swirling about like animated mushrooms; smacks (yes, that’s the word for a group of them) of bell-shaped warty comb jellies twinkling like Christmas lights; majestic-looking, tentacle-trailing Pacific sea nettles; and fringed Frisbee-like moon jellies fluttering like gelatinous pie tins.
Although the aquarium is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day), it’s worth paying a visit on a weekend between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. so you can pop by the Moon Jelly Touch Lab on the Harbor Terrace and hand-feed some of the Aurelia labiata yourself. Buy a condiment cup or two of brine shrimp (one for $3, two for $5; I highly recommend the latter), pour it into the water next to a jelly and watch tiny pink blobs appear inside its translucent bell, indicating its stomachs are filling with lunch.
At this point you should take the opportunity to reach out and lightly touch the moon jelly’s bell (you won’t get stung — its venom is too weak for humans to feel) so you can tell all your friends about that time you petted a jellyfish. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Advanced reservations required. Adult tickets cost $44.95.
Although the aquarium is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day), it’s worth paying a visit on a weekend between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. so you can pop by the Moon Jelly Touch Lab on the Harbor Terrace and hand-feed some of the Aurelia labiata yourself. Buy a condiment cup or two of brine shrimp (one for $3, two for $5; I highly recommend the latter), pour it into the water next to a jelly and watch tiny pink blobs appear inside its translucent bell, indicating its stomachs are filling with lunch.
At this point you should take the opportunity to reach out and lightly touch the moon jelly’s bell (you won’t get stung — its venom is too weak for humans to feel) so you can tell all your friends about that time you petted a jellyfish. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Advanced reservations required. Adult tickets cost $44.95.
Route Details
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Flee by sea to Catalina Island
Los Angeles County Attraction
When you need an island escape with creature comforts and Hawaii is too far, here is your answer. The ferry ride is about an hour (about 22 miles) and you may encounter playful dolphins or a breaching whale on the way. In tiny downtown Avalon, traffic is a matter of bikes and golf carts. Back in the day, Zane Grey wrote westerns here and chewing gum potentate William Wrigley Jr. built a mansion (Mt. Ada, with room rates at potentate prices). Nowadays there are just enough options to fill a weekend: submarine tours, snorkeling, miniature golf, cycling, Descanso Beach Club and the Catalina Zipline Eco Tour, which will set you zinging above eucalyptus trees. Round-trip ferry rides for adults with Catalina Express to Avalon from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point cost $84-$88.
Route Details
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Creep through the greenery at Descanso Gardens
La Cañada Flintridge Public garden
Think of Descanso Gardens as part chameleon, part sanctuary. Walking through its towering oak woodlands and ancient forest is kind of a religious experience — silent, awe-inspiring and very intimate. But then there are the flower gardens, starting with 5 acres of roses — more than 1,600 varieties — and a Japanese Garden with a teahouse and delicate blooms from cherry and plum trees and other plantings native to Asia. There are also the California Garden, designed by native plant advocate Theodore Payne; masses of blooming tulips in the spring; and one of the country’s largest collections of camellias, blooming best in January and February, when most flowers are resting.
Descanso’s Sturt Haaga Gallery has rotating exhibits throughout the year, and the gardens often host original compositions and performances, sometimes with music piped through the trees. The garden, which is owned by L.A. County, also hosts popular seasonal events such as the Halloween-season Carved, featuring hundreds of pumpkins intricately carved by artists, and the annual Enchanted holiday light show. Visit often to check out the changing gardens because there’s always something blooming at Descanso. This is a garden you can visit according to your mood. Whether you’re feeling reflective or joyous, it will always be uplifting.
Adult admission is $15. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25. Members can enter at 8 a.m. (Annual memberships start at $70 for individuals and $99 for families.)
Food can be purchased on-site daily at the Kitchen at Descanso from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No pets permitted except trained service dogs.
Descanso’s Sturt Haaga Gallery has rotating exhibits throughout the year, and the gardens often host original compositions and performances, sometimes with music piped through the trees. The garden, which is owned by L.A. County, also hosts popular seasonal events such as the Halloween-season Carved, featuring hundreds of pumpkins intricately carved by artists, and the annual Enchanted holiday light show. Visit often to check out the changing gardens because there’s always something blooming at Descanso. This is a garden you can visit according to your mood. Whether you’re feeling reflective or joyous, it will always be uplifting.
Adult admission is $15. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25. Members can enter at 8 a.m. (Annual memberships start at $70 for individuals and $99 for families.)
Food can be purchased on-site daily at the Kitchen at Descanso from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No pets permitted except trained service dogs.
Route Details
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Capture a prized firepit at Dockweiler State Beach
Playa del Rey Beach
This beach, wedged between Los Angeles International Airport and the Pacific Ocean, is a prime place to spend a sunset gathered around a fire pit.
It’s a wide, sandy beach, with an RV park handy to the beach’s roughly 40 fire pits (first come, first served). Beyond the usual swimming, surfing, volleyball, running and lolling on the sand and picnicking, you’ll find people hang-gliding here, and you’ll see cyclists passing on the adjacent Marvin Braude Bike Trail, which runs 22 miles between Torrance to the south and Pacific Palisades to the north.
Also, Dockweiler has about 2,000 spots in its five parking lots, far more than most beaches in the region. (If you’re headed to the fire rings, they’re closest to lots 1, 2 and 3.) Though this is officially a state beach, it’s run by Los Angeles County.
The main drawback here is the sound of LAX air traffic passing overhead.
It’s a wide, sandy beach, with an RV park handy to the beach’s roughly 40 fire pits (first come, first served). Beyond the usual swimming, surfing, volleyball, running and lolling on the sand and picnicking, you’ll find people hang-gliding here, and you’ll see cyclists passing on the adjacent Marvin Braude Bike Trail, which runs 22 miles between Torrance to the south and Pacific Palisades to the north.
Also, Dockweiler has about 2,000 spots in its five parking lots, far more than most beaches in the region. (If you’re headed to the fire rings, they’re closest to lots 1, 2 and 3.) Though this is officially a state beach, it’s run by Los Angeles County.
The main drawback here is the sound of LAX air traffic passing overhead.
Route Details
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Catch a game at Dodger Stadium
Elysian Park Los Angeles Dodgers
This is another exciting year to be a Dodgers fan, and seeing a game in person is nothing like watching from your couch.
Yes, it costs more. But it delivers so much sensory input and (unless you land in the wrong seat) sense of community. The team has been in and out of first place all year, and has plenty of home games coming in late summer — 10 in the second half of August, 13 more in September, with the playoff situation as yet unknown.
Dodger Stadium opened in 1962 and seats about 56,000. Cheapest seats: $28. Hot dogs: $6.99 and up (which makes the Dodgers’ concession operation about average among major league venues). Whether or not you’re ready for a Dodger Dog, you’ll likely love the astute noodling of organist Dieter Ruehle.
Also, several Major League Baseball rule changes this year have resulted in more scoring and shorter games. An MLB study found the average game now lasts 2 hours and 37 minutes, down from 3 hours and 4 minutes in 2022.
Yes, it costs more. But it delivers so much sensory input and (unless you land in the wrong seat) sense of community. The team has been in and out of first place all year, and has plenty of home games coming in late summer — 10 in the second half of August, 13 more in September, with the playoff situation as yet unknown.
Dodger Stadium opened in 1962 and seats about 56,000. Cheapest seats: $28. Hot dogs: $6.99 and up (which makes the Dodgers’ concession operation about average among major league venues). Whether or not you’re ready for a Dodger Dog, you’ll likely love the astute noodling of organist Dieter Ruehle.
Also, several Major League Baseball rule changes this year have resulted in more scoring and shorter games. An MLB study found the average game now lasts 2 hours and 37 minutes, down from 3 hours and 4 minutes in 2022.
Route Details
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Take to the water in an Echo Park Lake swan boat
Echo Park Experience
On a warm days, it’s hard to beat a ride on the swan boats of Echo Park. You’re surrounded by water, greenery, ducks, geese and hillsides full of quirky Angeleno architecture (including Aimee McPherson’s century-old Angelus Temple).
Also, you’re traveling by foot-powered paddles, and the pedaling is easy because you’re in no hurry and you don’t have far to go. Maybe you’ll want to do a circuit of the lake (really a man-made reservoir). Maybe you’ll sidle up to the towers of whitewater rising from the mid-lake fountain. Maybe you’ll eat at the Boathouse Bistro next to the dock. Maybe you’ll wait until after dark (because the swans light up).
The boats are managed by Wheel Fun Rentals. Hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through Sept. 4. Rentals are $12 hourly per adult, $7 for those under 18. Reservations required. The small boats can seat two adults and two children under age 10. The large boats can seat up to five people. Hand-crank boats are also available.
Though there’s a public lot at 1149 Echo Park Ave., you may well end up seeking street parking. Try Laguna Avenue, just east of Echo Park Avenue. As in many areas of the city, you may expect to see tents belonging to unhoused people — but a lot has changed around the lake. In March 2021, city officials temporarily closed the park, removed a large homeless encampment, arrested more than 180 protesters and later reopened the park. Walking around the lake on Aug. 1, I saw a few troubled souls, a few anglers, two maintenance workers cleaning up, many happy families, a dozen turtles next to the lotus flowers at the south end of the lake and zero tents.
Also, you’re traveling by foot-powered paddles, and the pedaling is easy because you’re in no hurry and you don’t have far to go. Maybe you’ll want to do a circuit of the lake (really a man-made reservoir). Maybe you’ll sidle up to the towers of whitewater rising from the mid-lake fountain. Maybe you’ll eat at the Boathouse Bistro next to the dock. Maybe you’ll wait until after dark (because the swans light up).
The boats are managed by Wheel Fun Rentals. Hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through Sept. 4. Rentals are $12 hourly per adult, $7 for those under 18. Reservations required. The small boats can seat two adults and two children under age 10. The large boats can seat up to five people. Hand-crank boats are also available.
Though there’s a public lot at 1149 Echo Park Ave., you may well end up seeking street parking. Try Laguna Avenue, just east of Echo Park Avenue. As in many areas of the city, you may expect to see tents belonging to unhoused people — but a lot has changed around the lake. In March 2021, city officials temporarily closed the park, removed a large homeless encampment, arrested more than 180 protesters and later reopened the park. Walking around the lake on Aug. 1, I saw a few troubled souls, a few anglers, two maintenance workers cleaning up, many happy families, a dozen turtles next to the lotus flowers at the south end of the lake and zero tents.
Route Details
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Introduce a kid to a Disney classic at El Capitan
Los Angeles County Venue
Hollywood Boulevard still houses more blight and desperation than any visitor or resident wants to see. Yet there is showbiz history here, and if you pick spots carefully, the boulevard is doable and rewarding for grownups and kids alike. The kid-friendliest address on the boulevard — and one of the most comfortable places to be on a sweltering summer day — is El Capitan Theatre.
It was built for live stage shows in 1926, used for the premiere of “Citizen Kane” in 1941 and revived in the 1990s by Disney, which opens many new films here and often features characters like Belle and Moana “live on stage” before animated features begin. Keep an eye (and ear) out for the venue’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which rises from beneath the stage, gleaming like gold, and sends its sound through more than 2,500 pipes. Movie tickets typically cost $21-$25 for adults, $20-$25 for children ages 3-11.
It was built for live stage shows in 1926, used for the premiere of “Citizen Kane” in 1941 and revived in the 1990s by Disney, which opens many new films here and often features characters like Belle and Moana “live on stage” before animated features begin. Keep an eye (and ear) out for the venue’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which rises from beneath the stage, gleaming like gold, and sends its sound through more than 2,500 pipes. Movie tickets typically cost $21-$25 for adults, $20-$25 for children ages 3-11.
Route Details
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Juggle art, science and history in Exposition Park
Los Angeles County Park
Think of this USC-adjacent compound as a sampler, with all the culture, science and beauty you can absorb in the space of a few hours. The California Science Center offers various kid-captivating displays, including the space shuttle Endeavour (which will disappear from display Dec. 31 so that the science center can put it in a new home (an addition to the center). There’s also the Natural History Museum of L.A. County. And the California African American Museum, mostly closed since April, reopened Aug. 4 with multiple new exhibitions.
Route Details
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Linger in shade at the Getty Center Gardens
Brentwood Public garden
The Getty Center is one of L.A.’s most renowned art museums, with exhibitions this summer that include 18th century Italian painter Giacomo Ceruti (through Oct. 9); fashion photographer Tim Walker (through Aug. 20); porcelain from Versailles (through March 3, 2024); European pastel portraits (through Sept. 17); and identity and place in 19th century Danish art (through Aug. 20).
That said, the Getty’s four surrounding gardens are worth a visit all by themselves. Most spectacular is the large Central Garden, a kind of living artwork designed by California artist Robert Irwin that involves paths that follow and cross a fast-moving stream that ends in a waterfall into a pool at the bottom of the hill. Brilliant bougainvillea cascade out of tall iron trellises like colorful giant umbrellas, and the foliage and plantings change with the seasons to live up to Irwin’s statement about the garden: “Always changing, never twice the same,” carved into one of the steppingstones.
The gardens also include a variety of cactuses and succulents and sculptures, all framed by the Getty’s austere, otherworldly architecture. Admission is free but parking is $20 per vehicle. Closed on Monday.
That said, the Getty’s four surrounding gardens are worth a visit all by themselves. Most spectacular is the large Central Garden, a kind of living artwork designed by California artist Robert Irwin that involves paths that follow and cross a fast-moving stream that ends in a waterfall into a pool at the bottom of the hill. Brilliant bougainvillea cascade out of tall iron trellises like colorful giant umbrellas, and the foliage and plantings change with the seasons to live up to Irwin’s statement about the garden: “Always changing, never twice the same,” carved into one of the steppingstones.
The gardens also include a variety of cactuses and succulents and sculptures, all framed by the Getty’s austere, otherworldly architecture. Admission is free but parking is $20 per vehicle. Closed on Monday.
Route Details
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Eat globally at Grand Central Market
Los Angeles County Food market
Grand Central Market, which dates back more than a century, gives you a quicker, slicker view of L.A. diversity than just about any address in town. Gentrified in recent years, the space offers quick food from around the world and gives visitors a chance to rub elbows with downtown locals.
It’s a happy place, with about 40 food stalls and several craft vendors in the less-trafficked bazaar downstairs. Recent departures: Horse Thief BBQ and PBJ.LA, which specialized in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Recent arrivals: Ghost Sando Shop (hot and cold sandwiches) and Bastion Bakery (serving croissants, baguettes, whole-grain bread and more). The big neon display near Hill Street is turning into one of the city’s most common meeting places, right up there with the clock tower at the Original Farmers Market and the Santa Monica Pier.
Also, just across Hill Street you’ll find the Angels Flight Railway, a funicular that dates to 1901. Its two orange cars charge $1 one-way for a short, steep ride (298 feet) to California Plaza atop Bunker Hill.
It’s a happy place, with about 40 food stalls and several craft vendors in the less-trafficked bazaar downstairs. Recent departures: Horse Thief BBQ and PBJ.LA, which specialized in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Recent arrivals: Ghost Sando Shop (hot and cold sandwiches) and Bastion Bakery (serving croissants, baguettes, whole-grain bread and more). The big neon display near Hill Street is turning into one of the city’s most common meeting places, right up there with the clock tower at the Original Farmers Market and the Santa Monica Pier.
Also, just across Hill Street you’ll find the Angels Flight Railway, a funicular that dates to 1901. Its two orange cars charge $1 one-way for a short, steep ride (298 feet) to California Plaza atop Bunker Hill.
Route Details
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
See a concert up close at the Greek Theatre
Griffith Park Amphitheatre
The Greek isn’t quite quite as old or famous as the Hollywood Bowl, but it goes back to 1931 and it’s more intimate — just 5,900 seats. The Greek, set in Griffith Park just below the observatory, focuses on contemporary pop, rock and Latin music, which leaves plenty of room for variety (and legacy acts). Santana has played the Greek more than three dozen times. Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra performed here, and Neil Diamond recorded his “Hot August Night” album here in 1972. That’s Olivia Rodrigo, who played the Greek in 2022, in the photo.
August’s scheduled performers include Ziggy Marley, Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Gipsy Kings, Los Lonely Boys, Chicago, Darius Rucker and Cigarettes and Sex. And there will be many more; shows continue through Oct. 30.
Parking is $30-$100.
August’s scheduled performers include Ziggy Marley, Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Gipsy Kings, Los Lonely Boys, Chicago, Darius Rucker and Cigarettes and Sex. And there will be many more; shows continue through Oct. 30.
Parking is $30-$100.
Route Details
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Scan the sky from Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles County Experience
Griffith Observatory, the slope-clinging architectural star of Griffith Park, is open Tuesdays through Sundays with a variety of exhibits and programs, some free, some not.
Free public telescopes are available on the roof and lawn, usually beginning about 7 p.m., on nights when the observatory is open and skies are clear. The view of the twinkling city grid below is available to all and best just after sunset.
The facility’s 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium Theater offers shows ($10 per adult) every 60 to 90 minutes. The most frequently presented show is “Signs of Life,” a 35-minute “astronomical detective story” that examines prospects of life elsewhere.
Free public telescopes are available on the roof and lawn, usually beginning about 7 p.m., on nights when the observatory is open and skies are clear. The view of the twinkling city grid below is available to all and best just after sunset.
The facility’s 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium Theater offers shows ($10 per adult) every 60 to 90 minutes. The most frequently presented show is “Signs of Life,” a 35-minute “astronomical detective story” that examines prospects of life elsewhere.
Route Details
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Explore the Hammer Museum's art and the UCLA campus
Westwood Art Museum
Summertime, when the student hordes are away, is a fine moment to check out the most sought-after four-year university in the country, UCLA. (The fall quarter doesn’t begin until Sept. 25.) And you can begin with the yarn, lasers, paint and wit deployed at the just-expanded, university-affiliated Hammer Museum.
In less than 35 years, the Hammer has morphed from an oilman’s vanity project into an esteemed contemporary showcase — a free showcase.
Step inside and you are surrounded by a red yarn installation by Chiharu Shiota (through Aug. 27). Approach Rita McBride’s laser beam array “Particulates” (through Nov. 5) and you find yourself in the middle of a James Bond title sequence. Provocative works from the Hammer’s permanent collection (on display through Aug. 20) include artists Mark Bradford, Noah Purifoy, Chris Burden and John Baldessari. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays with parking underground.
For a sense of the UCLA campus (which has 31,600 undergrads and drew about 145,900 freshman applications in 2023), walk a 2-mile loop from the Hammer. Head north on Westwood Boulevard to Bruin Plaza (where a big, bronze Bruin bear statue awaits your selfies). Climb Election Walk to Shapiro Fountain. The big brick behemoth to your right will be Powell Library. To your left: Royce Hall, host to many a concert. Now circle back. You’ll pass the Fowler Museum (which explores global arts and cultures) on your right.
Back at the Hammer, try lunch in the courtyard at Lulu, a restaurant by California cuisine pioneer Alice Waters and David Tanis. It serves lunch (Tuesday through Sunday) and dinner (Tuesday through Saturday).
In less than 35 years, the Hammer has morphed from an oilman’s vanity project into an esteemed contemporary showcase — a free showcase.
Step inside and you are surrounded by a red yarn installation by Chiharu Shiota (through Aug. 27). Approach Rita McBride’s laser beam array “Particulates” (through Nov. 5) and you find yourself in the middle of a James Bond title sequence. Provocative works from the Hammer’s permanent collection (on display through Aug. 20) include artists Mark Bradford, Noah Purifoy, Chris Burden and John Baldessari. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays with parking underground.
For a sense of the UCLA campus (which has 31,600 undergrads and drew about 145,900 freshman applications in 2023), walk a 2-mile loop from the Hammer. Head north on Westwood Boulevard to Bruin Plaza (where a big, bronze Bruin bear statue awaits your selfies). Climb Election Walk to Shapiro Fountain. The big brick behemoth to your right will be Powell Library. To your left: Royce Hall, host to many a concert. Now circle back. You’ll pass the Fowler Museum (which explores global arts and cultures) on your right.
Back at the Hammer, try lunch in the courtyard at Lulu, a restaurant by California cuisine pioneer Alice Waters and David Tanis. It serves lunch (Tuesday through Sunday) and dinner (Tuesday through Saturday).
Route Details
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Listen up (and maybe sing along) at the Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles County Venue
The Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has been hosting performances since the early 1920s — before the Hollywood sign went up. And there’s plenty of action remaining in the summer schedule, including Gladys Knight (Aug. 16), Tchaikovsky with fireworks (Aug 18-19), Boy George and Culture Club (Aug. 25-26), Buddy Guy (Sept. 6) the perennially popular “Sound of Music” sing-along on Sept. 16.
Shows continue into the first week of November, when Kiss and Hozier are scheduled.
One more bowl note: What’s more summery than picnicking before and during a show here? Picnics at the Bowl have become a treasured civic tradition in a city that could use more of such rituals. You’re allowed to bring your own food and drink for many shows but alcohol is forbidden at some. Read up in advance.
Shows continue into the first week of November, when Kiss and Hozier are scheduled.
One more bowl note: What’s more summery than picnicking before and during a show here? Picnics at the Bowl have become a treasured civic tradition in a city that could use more of such rituals. You’re allowed to bring your own food and drink for many shows but alcohol is forbidden at some. Read up in advance.
Route Details
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
See a movie or hear a concert at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Los Angeles County Attraction
This studio-adjacent graveyard combines film screenings and other pop culture programming with a long roster of show business gravesites.
Show up early for one of the events offered on the Fairbanks Lawn and remind yourself that Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille, Judy Garland, Dee Dee Ramone, Rudolph Valentino, Burt Reynolds and many others repose here. Others might rest elsewhere, but are honored with cenotaphs, including Jayne Mansfield, Hattie McDaniel and Johnny Ramone.
Among the coming cemetery movie screenings presented with Cinespia: “Kill Bill” (Vols. 1 and 2, Aug. 19), “Poltergeist” (Aug. 26) and “Scarface” (Sept. 16). Tickets are typically $20-$32 per adult. Live music is often booked at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.
(If you’d rather explore by daylight, management hosts pay-by-donation yoga classes daily.)
The cemetery’s Day of the Dead celebration — a spectacle for more than 20 years, usually featuring costumed visitors, dancers, musicians on multiple stages and altars honoring the dead — takes place Saturday, Oct. 28.
Show up early for one of the events offered on the Fairbanks Lawn and remind yourself that Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille, Judy Garland, Dee Dee Ramone, Rudolph Valentino, Burt Reynolds and many others repose here. Others might rest elsewhere, but are honored with cenotaphs, including Jayne Mansfield, Hattie McDaniel and Johnny Ramone.
Among the coming cemetery movie screenings presented with Cinespia: “Kill Bill” (Vols. 1 and 2, Aug. 19), “Poltergeist” (Aug. 26) and “Scarface” (Sept. 16). Tickets are typically $20-$32 per adult. Live music is often booked at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.
(If you’d rather explore by daylight, management hosts pay-by-donation yoga classes daily.)
The cemetery’s Day of the Dead celebration — a spectacle for more than 20 years, usually featuring costumed visitors, dancers, musicians on multiple stages and altars honoring the dead — takes place Saturday, Oct. 28.
Route Details
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Roam Huntington Library inside and out
Los Angeles County Museum
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a cultural triple threat. To beat the summer heat, start with the gardens in the morning — opening time is 10 a.m. (but some areas open as early as 8 a.m. for members).
Depending on where you roam, the gardens evoke the desert, the jungle, China, Japan and a dozen other themes on 120 acres.
Indoors (and air-conditioned), the museum is showing through Sept. 4 “Gee’s Bend: Shared Legacy,” a series of prints made by members of the Gees Bend Quiltmakers’ Collective in Alabama. Also on display through Dec. 4 is an exhibit celebrating the library’s oldest book: “Printed in 1085: The Chinese Buddhist Canon from the Song Dynasty.”
Depending on where you roam, the gardens evoke the desert, the jungle, China, Japan and a dozen other themes on 120 acres.
Indoors (and air-conditioned), the museum is showing through Sept. 4 “Gee’s Bend: Shared Legacy,” a series of prints made by members of the Gees Bend Quiltmakers’ Collective in Alabama. Also on display through Dec. 4 is an exhibit celebrating the library’s oldest book: “Printed in 1085: The Chinese Buddhist Canon from the Song Dynasty.”
Route Details
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Drive through and order big at In-N-Out Burger
Los Angeles County Fast food
A burger is a burger — unless you belong to the cult of In-N-Out. If you do, then a visit to the flagship In-N-Out is in order. It’s in Baldwin Park, 18 miles east of L.A. City Hall. You can drive through, as most customers do. Or you can eat inside, then browse mountains of merch at the company store (open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday) and perhaps matriculate at In-N-Out University, where managers train.
You might also head to the nearby replica of the chain’s first tiny, red-and-white burger shack, open for photo ops 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 13766 Francisquito Ave., Baldwin Park.
Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first In-N-Out in 1948, which put them among the first to try a drive-through restaurant. (The kitchen was about 10 square feet.) The company’s ties to car culture have remained strong through the decades, but fans say the burgers are what matter most. To taste what the fuss is all about, order a Double-Double, Animal-Style — a double cheeseburger with extra spread and grilled onions, basically — which has fueled the company’s growth to more than 330 outlets in seven western states. (The first outlets in Colorado opened in 2020, but there are still no In-N-Outs east of Texas.)
By the way, if you’re still a bit hazy on In-N-Out’s off-the-menu options (not just Animal Style, but Protein Style, 4x4 and more), the company now explains them on its website.
You might also head to the nearby replica of the chain’s first tiny, red-and-white burger shack, open for photo ops 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 13766 Francisquito Ave., Baldwin Park.
Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first In-N-Out in 1948, which put them among the first to try a drive-through restaurant. (The kitchen was about 10 square feet.) The company’s ties to car culture have remained strong through the decades, but fans say the burgers are what matter most. To taste what the fuss is all about, order a Double-Double, Animal-Style — a double cheeseburger with extra spread and grilled onions, basically — which has fueled the company’s growth to more than 330 outlets in seven western states. (The first outlets in Colorado opened in 2020, but there are still no In-N-Outs east of Texas.)
By the way, if you’re still a bit hazy on In-N-Out’s off-the-menu options (not just Animal Style, but Protein Style, 4x4 and more), the company now explains them on its website.
Route Details
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Take a walk above the water on Malibu Pier
Los Angeles County Attraction
This is as polished as a pier can get while still selling bait. With no Ferris wheel or thrill rides and a 9 p.m. closing time, Malibu Pier, built in 1905, is content to offer sea views, a jewelry vendor in a 1949 Airstream trailer (Miansai, Wednesday through Sunday) and upscale dining. Malibu Farm restaurant stands at the base of the pier, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and a full-service bar. The casual Malibu Farm Cafe (breakfast and lunch daily, early dinner Wednesday through Sunday) stands at the ocean end. You can fish here without a permit, and the bait shop rents rods.
Route Details
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Graze at L.A.'s Original Farmers Market (and check out the Grove)
Los Angeles County Farmers' market
The Original Farmers Market, founded in 1934, is old-school Los Angeles, a place that holds its charm through daily tides of tourists. It includes more than 100 eateries, markets and shops. That’s one for every screenwriter schmoozing on the patio, or so it seems some days.
Hungry? For all things French, try Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market. For tacos, Trejo’s or Granjero Cantina. And for pie, Du-par’s (since 1938).
The market’s Thursday evening summer live music series (6-8 p.m.) wraps up on Aug. 31, the west patio area features rock tribute bands every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., near EB’s Beer & Wine.
If you’re traveling with teens, or craving some 21st century vibes, head next door to the Grove shopping center, whose burbling fountain, circling trolley and piped-in Sinatra vocals have become part of L.A. DNA (even though the mogul behind the mall, Rick Caruso, couldn’t quite get elected mayor last year). The Grove includes more than a dozen restaurants, and 14 movie screens don’t hurt. The Grove, which opened in 2002, has more parking and foot traffic but the market has seniority.
Hungry? For all things French, try Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market. For tacos, Trejo’s or Granjero Cantina. And for pie, Du-par’s (since 1938).
The market’s Thursday evening summer live music series (6-8 p.m.) wraps up on Aug. 31, the west patio area features rock tribute bands every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., near EB’s Beer & Wine.
If you’re traveling with teens, or craving some 21st century vibes, head next door to the Grove shopping center, whose burbling fountain, circling trolley and piped-in Sinatra vocals have become part of L.A. DNA (even though the mogul behind the mall, Rick Caruso, couldn’t quite get elected mayor last year). The Grove includes more than a dozen restaurants, and 14 movie screens don’t hurt. The Grove, which opened in 2002, has more parking and foot traffic but the market has seniority.
Route Details
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Hit the beach at Paradise Cove
Malibu Restaurant
For an L.A. beach experience that’s more Gidget and less Gucci, think about Paradise Cove, eight miles west of the Malibu Pier.
The cove isn’t cheap, but it’s just about ideal for entertaining out-of-towners. The Paradise operation includes a sequestered beach with a lively restaurant, beach gear rentals, lifeguards, reclining seats on the sand and servers fetching burgers and rum drinks. Yes, you can swim. Be sure to spend more than $30 in the restaurant and less than four hours at the cove, however. Otherwise, your $10-$15 tab for parking will inflate to as much as $65.
Also, if you have an out-of-towner along, be sure to point out the upscale mobile homes of the Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park next door, often described as “America’s priciest trailer park.” And if your out-of-towners remember any ’70s television, remind them that this is where Jim Rockford lived.
The cove isn’t cheap, but it’s just about ideal for entertaining out-of-towners. The Paradise operation includes a sequestered beach with a lively restaurant, beach gear rentals, lifeguards, reclining seats on the sand and servers fetching burgers and rum drinks. Yes, you can swim. Be sure to spend more than $30 in the restaurant and less than four hours at the cove, however. Otherwise, your $10-$15 tab for parking will inflate to as much as $65.
Also, if you have an out-of-towner along, be sure to point out the upscale mobile homes of the Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park next door, often described as “America’s priciest trailer park.” And if your out-of-towners remember any ’70s television, remind them that this is where Jim Rockford lived.
Route Details
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Hunt vintage treasure at the Rose Bowl Flea Market
Los Angeles County Flea Market
The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena happens only 12 times a year — the second Sunday of every month. Which means that the last markets of summer will be Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.
To avoid the midday heat, arrive promptly at 9 a.m., the general admission opening time. Or pay extra for VIP admission as early as 5 a.m.
These events draw as many as 2,500 vendors and 20,000 buyers and browsers. One Sunday last year I found Fiesta ware, siesta wear, disco balls, antique awls, molas, colas, Elvis on velvet, Buddha on a pedestal, Jesus on a cross, Jell-O molds, foam fingers, maps, caps, stones, phones, pliers, flyers, carpenters’ tools, costume jewels, two old seats from the L.A. Coliseum, hot dogs for $2 and (this was no bargain) water for $5.
It’s $12.66 per person for buyers, or $21.10 for early admission. The most convenient parking lot costs $15.
To avoid the midday heat, arrive promptly at 9 a.m., the general admission opening time. Or pay extra for VIP admission as early as 5 a.m.
These events draw as many as 2,500 vendors and 20,000 buyers and browsers. One Sunday last year I found Fiesta ware, siesta wear, disco balls, antique awls, molas, colas, Elvis on velvet, Buddha on a pedestal, Jesus on a cross, Jell-O molds, foam fingers, maps, caps, stones, phones, pliers, flyers, carpenters’ tools, costume jewels, two old seats from the L.A. Coliseum, hot dogs for $2 and (this was no bargain) water for $5.
It’s $12.66 per person for buyers, or $21.10 for early admission. The most convenient parking lot costs $15.
Route Details
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Pedal the Strand (a.k.a. Marvin Braude Bike Trail)
Pacific Palisades Bike path
The Strand runs for 22 miles, mostly along the shoreline of Santa Monica Bay, and is arguably L.A.’s most popular bike path. And for good reason: It leads past piers, crowds of beachgoers on busy days, marine creatures (including surfers) and sailboats. On a clear day, you might even see Catalina Island in the distance. Or a movie star or two riding their bikes. (I swear I saw actor Tim Robbins riding a beach cruiser on one outing.)
Also known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, it starts at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades and continues to Torrance Beach, passing through Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.
Along the way, check out Muscle Beach in Venice, once the hangout of bodybuilders Lou Ferrigno and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. And don’t forget to take a moment to admire Santa Monica’s pier, where you can ride the Ferris wheel, take a spin on a nearly century-old carousel, go fishing off the west end or cool off with a snow cone. If you need a quick cool down, you could even go for a swim.
Also known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, it starts at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades and continues to Torrance Beach, passing through Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.
Along the way, check out Muscle Beach in Venice, once the hangout of bodybuilders Lou Ferrigno and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. And don’t forget to take a moment to admire Santa Monica’s pier, where you can ride the Ferris wheel, take a spin on a nearly century-old carousel, go fishing off the west end or cool off with a snow cone. If you need a quick cool down, you could even go for a swim.
Route Details
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Tip a tropical cocktail at the Tiki-Ti
Los Feliz Bar
It’s always a tropical summer night in the Tiki-Ti.
The place dates to 1961, when veteran barkeep Ray Buhen took over his father-in-law’s violin shop and starting mixing rum drinks and hanging blowfish from the ceiling.
Buhen, who came to California from the Philippines in 1930, had worked more than 20 years in tropical bars throughout Southern California and his place prospered as others faded.
Now the Tiki-Ti, all 12 stools and five tables of it, is run by Ray’s son and grandson, Mike Buhen and Mike Buhen Jr. Tropical doodads everywhere. Gentle island music. Plenty of regulars and easy banter. No beer, no wine, just a list of about 90 stiff tropical drinks, often in colors more lurid than a drag queen’s tube top.
If you arrive on a Wednesday, order a Ray’s Mistake (a $9 special) and be ready at 9 p.m. for the weekly Tiki-Ti toast to Ray. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
The place dates to 1961, when veteran barkeep Ray Buhen took over his father-in-law’s violin shop and starting mixing rum drinks and hanging blowfish from the ceiling.
Buhen, who came to California from the Philippines in 1930, had worked more than 20 years in tropical bars throughout Southern California and his place prospered as others faded.
Now the Tiki-Ti, all 12 stools and five tables of it, is run by Ray’s son and grandson, Mike Buhen and Mike Buhen Jr. Tropical doodads everywhere. Gentle island music. Plenty of regulars and easy banter. No beer, no wine, just a list of about 90 stiff tropical drinks, often in colors more lurid than a drag queen’s tube top.
If you arrive on a Wednesday, order a Ray’s Mistake (a $9 special) and be ready at 9 p.m. for the weekly Tiki-Ti toast to Ray. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Route Details
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Admire the Venice Venus
Los Angeles County Beach
Venice and its Ocean Front Walk start arguments all the time. The walkway there is youthful, bohemian, sometimes desperate and reliably squalid around the edges. Some Angelenos will urge you to get there, but by daylight. Others will tell you to stay away from the risk of crime and blight. Still others will send you there on a Sunday evening around sunset to check out the Venice Electric Light Parade, a free bicycle-based spectacle that’s been happening since 2015. Another option: Walk on a weekend morning with a concealed fistful of dollar bills for tip-seeking street performers. And don’t miss Rip Cronk’s mural of Venus on roller skates (near Speedway and Windward Avenue) or the dangling VENICE letters at Pacific and Windward.
Take in the careening teens at the Venice Skate Park, the body builders, the absurdly large number of vendors peddling sunglasses. Save time (or another day) for the canals just south of South Venice Boulevard and the upscale restaurants, galleries and shops along Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Depending on the block, and on the latest chapter in the city’s struggles to help house the homeless, you may find many tents or not.
Take in the careening teens at the Venice Skate Park, the body builders, the absurdly large number of vendors peddling sunglasses. Save time (or another day) for the canals just south of South Venice Boulevard and the upscale restaurants, galleries and shops along Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Depending on the block, and on the latest chapter in the city’s struggles to help house the homeless, you may find many tents or not.
Route Details
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Munch and sip with abandon at the 626 Night Market
Los Angeles County Food market
There’s no telling what you’ll end up eating or drinking at a 626 Night Market.
The event, created by Taiwanese American Jonny Hwang in 2012, is inspired by the varied after-dark marketplaces that thrive throughout Asia and named for the area code of the heavily Asian San Gabriel Valley. But it’s not just traditional street food. It’s also a sort of snack lab, full of hybrids and experiments (though not so full of places to sit down). On my last visit — to a mini spring version of the market in Santa Monica — I wound up trying macadamia nut ice-brew coffee, which nicely washed down the bulgogi dumpling from a stand nearby. The pho tacos, snorkel-shaped Hawaiian honey cones and red velvet cake infused with red wine? Maybe next time.
In its early years at Arcadia’s Santa Anita racetrack, the market grew to include as many as 250 vendors and 100,000 guests in a long weekend, then paused, shrank and rearranged itself to endure the pandemic.
It happens in Santa Anita Sept. 1-3 and Sept. 8-10 (admission: $5-$9) and Costa Mesa Aug. 25-27. There are also mini market weekends Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 26-27 in Santa Monica).
The event, created by Taiwanese American Jonny Hwang in 2012, is inspired by the varied after-dark marketplaces that thrive throughout Asia and named for the area code of the heavily Asian San Gabriel Valley. But it’s not just traditional street food. It’s also a sort of snack lab, full of hybrids and experiments (though not so full of places to sit down). On my last visit — to a mini spring version of the market in Santa Monica — I wound up trying macadamia nut ice-brew coffee, which nicely washed down the bulgogi dumpling from a stand nearby. The pho tacos, snorkel-shaped Hawaiian honey cones and red velvet cake infused with red wine? Maybe next time.
In its early years at Arcadia’s Santa Anita racetrack, the market grew to include as many as 250 vendors and 100,000 guests in a long weekend, then paused, shrank and rearranged itself to endure the pandemic.
It happens in Santa Anita Sept. 1-3 and Sept. 8-10 (admission: $5-$9) and Costa Mesa Aug. 25-27. There are also mini market weekends Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 26-27 in Santa Monica).
Route Details
Subscriber Exclusive Alert
If you're an L.A. Times subscriber, you can sign up to get alerts about early or entirely exclusive content.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
