Los Angeles Metro Region

Hollywood has the most sites (not including Anaheim, even if it's technically part of the L.A. metro region, it works well as a trip of its own.)

Hollywood is home to many sites: both free and some which are tourist traps.

Quick Tips:

There's this "June Gloom" which I had never heard about. During the month, the sun doesn't come out as early as it apparently does the rest of the year. Therefore I would guess L.A. is better visited at other times of the year.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving seems to be the only option. My trip would have been enhanced greatly if the mass transit system was worthy of use. Instead it's drive to the area, walk a bit (which isn't bad), drive to the next site... All while fighting L.A. traffic.

My original plan was to catch two games, one from the bleachers and one in the main seating bowl. Due to work though, I only was able to make it to one game, and I ended up sitting in only the bleachers. These seats are in the outfield and is actually called "Pavilion" seating. The Pavilion is split in half, with one section in left field and one in right. Amenities are sparse, and ill-maintained. Unlike many new stadiums (Dodger Stadium is actually the fourth-oldest park in the major leagues), fans are not able to go between these seats and the other parts of the stadium.

In each pavilion, there was one counter at which people could buy publications and t-shirts. There was also two food stands, each was fairly speedy, as they were large. They both had mostly the same stuff: 'Dogs, nachos and non-alcoholic beverages. Each had its specialty, with one having Subways and salads and the other featuring pizza, but these items were poorly advertised.

The pavilions are non-alcoholic sections, in hopes that this will calm any possible rowdy fans. It seemed to work, as there were no real incidents, but one can also question if that was due to the sobriety of the fans.

I wish I could report on the main seating areas, as I'm sure there's much more to discuss. Here there is little to report on. However, this stadium focused more on the sport than on other events in the park than the nearby Angels Stadium. As a fan, this place was a better destination, although if you are looking for bang for your buck, Angels Stadium offers more to patrons, as bleacher patrons can go throughout the whole stadium.

First (I believe) came Downtown Disney; as strip of land on Disney property that offered people the chance to spend money on Disney-related stuff without having to pay an entry fee to either of the parks. Universal CityWalk is the same type of scenario, costing only the parking or transportation fees needed to get there.

CityWalk seems larger, with more shops than DTDis, but isn't as airy. CityWalk is like an outdoors, two-level mall, but with little you actually need to buy for home. Instead it's tchotchke-like stuff, such as movie toys (this is, after all, Universal), nostalgia shops and some outlets of things you'll find at your local mall. These seemed to be your more pricey chains, if you catch my drift.

There are a number of bars and restaurants, which is what lured me to Universal in the first place. I wanted to see the Hard Rock Cafe of Hollywood, which is it's own building inside the walk. It sounds like, just as with The House of Blues and Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney, that this is where to go after a night of running around the theme park if you are staying on property or stretching your time before you leave. The selection here though, for shopping, dining and bar hopping, is a bit larger than in Anaheim. One cool night scene I would have liked to experience was Sci-Fi night, where the Sci-Fi channel sponsors free outdoor movies on the big screen, such as Star Wars.

One standout in an otherwise boring trip to this area of Universal City was this water fountain built into the mall walk. The fountains go off in unexpected patterns and visitors are encouraged to walk through the fountain and not get wet.

"Free" is a tricky word here. Unless you are walking or have pre-paid transportation, you will be spending some money. I also highly doubt you can enter this section and not spend money in at least one establishment. Unless you are going to the park itself, steer clear of CityWalk, because, as the cliche goes, "you get what you pay for."