Los Angeles

It is really difficult to summarize my L.A. trip in 400 words or less, but I suppose I can provide a few highlights. When I think back to the trip, I realize that my favorite moments of the trip didn't cost much at all. My favorite thing of all was just driving around enjoying the lights and scenery and trying to spot a celebrity or two. Although I was afraid I might not spot any, on my last night there I ran into Ryan Cabrera at a Boston Market.

Of course the shopping is superb. It's fun to go to Fred Segal and all the Rodeo Drive shops. However, for more affordable prices I highly recommend the Grove shopping center. They have excellent stores and dining and I hear Paris Hilton hangs out there a lot (when she's not in jail that is).

Finally, my biggest tip is to enjoy the talent L.A. has to offer by visiting a play or comedy club. I went see stand up at L.A.'s Comedy and Magic Club and improv at the Groundlings. Both shows were outstanding!

Quick Tips:

Los Angeles is great fun and has great shopping, eating, and recreational activities. I certainly enjoyed my five days there and I look forward to going back whenever I get a chance. For my first tip, I highly recommend going watch a television show taping. Tapings are free and all you have to do is find a website, such as tvtix.com, and make ticket reservations in advance. Then, show up at the studio at the appropriate time with your printed tickets. I went to a Two and a Half Men taping and it was great fun. We had a great time providing the laughter as part of the live studio audience. They even fed us pizza and had the audience participate in different contests. Once again, it was completely free! My biggest tip, though, is no matter what time the ticket says to be there, get there much earlier! They often give out tickets to more people than they can handle.

Another suggestion is to pick up an L.A. guidebook or two. They provide information on lots of attractions and eateries. In addition, they will tell you what activities happen during specific months. We went in January, so we found out about different concerts and parties associated with the Rose Bowl.

Finally, there are so many great places to eat in L.A. We liked the Spaghetti Factory, the Geisha House, and the Cheesecake Factory the best. We also found out about a great cupcake place, Sprinkles, that many celebrities enjoy.

Best Way To Get Around:

Los Angeles is unlike New York City and many other big cities in that it doesn't rely on mass transit. In New York it's easy to find a subway, train, or cab to take you where you want to go. In L.A., it is best to rent a car or, in my case, find someone who knows the area to drive you around!

Since I was fortunate enough to have my friend chauffeur me around, it's difficult for me to offer too many tips about how to get around. However, I have a few recommendations. First, don't think you'll be able to drive around aimlessly and find what you're looking for. Find a map or print one off of mapquest and make sure you have the exact address before departing. Also, I found some street names were used for more than one street, and that some streets were actually broken into two separate pieces. Be aware of this beforehand, as it can make things a little difficult.

If you are flying in, you can certainly choose the LAX Airport, or you can use the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. For me, this was smaller, quicker, and closer to where my friend lived. The only problem is that plane tickets are often a good bit more expensive than the LAX airfare.

Overall, there are a few major streets and highways in L.A., and once you learn them finding everything else is quite easy. Finally, be safe and be aware that L.A. drivers are pretty aggressive!

In past years, I've watched the Rose Parade on TV every New Year's Day. This year, I had the pleasure of viewing the Parade in person. I found that the floats, made entirely of flowers and organic materials, are even more beautiful in person. I had a front row view of the entire parade and it was certainly one of the best travel experiences I have ever had.

If you're not familiar, the Rose Parade is a huge event that takes place every New Years Day in Pasadena. People flock from all around to view the parade and often camp out on the street hours before. The Parade is free to the public if you watch from the street, but you must pay if you want to view it from the bleachers along the parade route. In addition, another cost is parking. Thousands occupy the parade route, so it is extremely difficult to find a place. It is best to arrive early and pay a small fee to park in one of the lots or garages that provide security.

Next, you must decide what view of the parade you are after. If you don't mind standing in the back, it is possible to arrive only a few hours before. However, if you want to be in the front row, it is absolutely necessary to camp out overnight. You are allowed to occupy the streets beginning at noon the day before the parade. Reserve your spot shortly after this time. From my personal experience, I found that it is best to get a spot near portable toilets (no businesses will allow you to use their toilets) and a coffee or snack shop. Also, be sure to bring pillows, blankets, lawn chairs, and anything else to make you comfortable. If you have one, a small heater is also helpful. It gets extremely cold during the late hours of the night, but if you can endure it, you will be rewarded in the morning.

Finally, the parade arrives in the morning and you will be pleased to see the gorgeous floats right before your eyes. Enjoy yourself and take lots of pictures. My final tip is this: get a parade route map before you camp out. Pick a spot near where the parade begins. The parade is over two hours and, after spending hours on the street, you will want the parade to get to you as soon as possible!

Disneyland is certainly a happy place to be, but I'm not sure that it is the happiest place on Earth. Prior to this trip, I had visited Disney World four times. I must say that Disneyland pales in comparison. It is charming, cute, and classic, but it just does not have nearly as many attractions, hotels, and restaurants to offer. Nevertheless, it amounts to a good time, especially if you have kids.

Disneyland can easily be done in a single day. The best piece of advice I can give is to arrive at park opening. The park is small, so it gets very crowded by the afternoon and the waits for many attractions become unbearable. Hit Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first. After that, visit the outdoor attractions like the Jungle Cruise. Save the indoor shows, like "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" for later, so you can spend the hottest part of the day inside.

Overall, the Disneyland experience varies greatly. It is not nearly as overwhelming as Disney World, so take the time to browse the shops, mingle with the characters, and enjoy your day. Be sure to take lots of pictures and enjoy yourself!

The Groundlings is a great place to go to view improv comedy at its best. In fact, I think this was my favorite part of my entire Los Angeles trip. The Groundlings is unlike any other comedy club you would visit. It's not regular stand up comedy, but rather it's more of a mixture of "Whose Line is it Anyway" and "Saturday Night Live."

The shows and prices vary depending on when you go. When I went, I saw "The Crazy Uncle Joe Show." It takes place on Wednesday nights and the admission was $10. This show is one hour-long of form improv. Basically five or six actors act out a few brief skits based on suggestions and comments from the audience. They spend the rest of the hour adding on to and combining all of the skits together. Since it is improv, the show differs greatly every time. However, the cast is extremely talented so I couldn't imagine there ever being a dull show. I would go see it every single week if I could.

In addition to putting on shows, the Groundlings also has classes and workshops to teach the art of improv comedy. Tons of celebrities were trained here. Jennifer Coolidge, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, and Lisa Kudrow are just a few of the people who used to perform with the cast. Although no celebrities came by when I was there, my friend went the next week and saw Chris Parnell there. I have heard that celebs drop by very often, so you may have a good chance of seeing one.

This really was a great experience for me and I highly recommend it!

When you think of Hollywood you often think of the Hollywood letters in the hills, the cement hand and footprints of celebrities in front of Grauman's Theater, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame featuring dozens of stars commemorating famous entertainers. Luckily, all of these exciting landmarks are in the same place!

Park your car in one of the parking garages in the Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. The cement footprints are directly in front of Grauman's Theater. Also, right in front of the theater is where you can sign up to take one of those bus tours around Hollywood. Not far away is a shopping center which has a few shops and eateries. It also has a great elevated balcony which, when standing on it, gives you a great opportunity to take pictures of the HOLLYWOOD letters in the hills. Also, attached to the center is the Kodak Theater, the place where the Oscars are held every year. Signs listing all of the Oscar winners for Best Picture even hang from the ceiling.

The only thing that involves a little walking, as the name suggests, is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Prior to visiting it I didn't realize how many stars there were and how much space they spanned. With more than 2,000 stars, they line both sides of the Boulevard and go down for quite awhile. It's quite fun taking the walk and spotting different stars. However, if you really want to find a specific star I highly recommend you research its exact location in advance. Lots of websites, list the exact addresses of many of the stars. There are often people dressed as celebrities lining the walk. While I was there I got to take pictures with Mickey Mouse, Spider Man, and Marilyn Monroe.