Nicolas List of Top Places in California

Nicolas Wawiluk Summer 2010

Contents
!! Maps !! Transportation !! Cars !! Busses !! Trains !! Planes !! Restaurants !! Westside !! Los Angeles !! Orange County !! Fast food !! Groceries !! Shopping !! Museums !! Gardens !! Walks !! Tourist Destinations !! Southern California !! Further afield !! Golf courses !! Travel resources

Attractions nearby UCLA

HANNAH CARTER GARDENS GETTY CENTER MUSEUM ANDERSON

ROMA

RODEO DRIVE (SHOPPING) CAFF

WEYBURN TERRACE
IN-N-OUT

WESTWOOD VILLAGE
TRADER JOES GELSONS

HAMMER MUSEUM BUS 720 & 920 (ON WILSHIRE BLVD.)

SUPER TOCHAL

CENTURY CITY MALL

TEHRANGELES (PERSIAN)

WAHOOS FISH TACOS

NIJIYA

! SANTA MONICA

SAWTELLE (JAPANESE)

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS

TO S. FERNANDO VALLEY

Westside Attractions
HOLLYWOOD HILLS
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

HOLLYWOOD
WA

THAI TOWN RUEN

PAIR

BEL AIR (MOVIE STAR MANSIONS) GETTY CENTER MUSEUM UCLA

WEST HOLLYWOOD LA FARMERS MARKET AND THE GROVE

PINKS

PASADENA " LA METRO RED LINE GRIFFITH PARK DODGER STADIUM

TOMMYS PHILIPPES

SONA

BEVERLY HILLS
LACMA MUSEUM

LA METRO GOLD LINE

WESTWOOD BUS 720 & 920 (ON WILSHIRE BLVD.)

CHOLADA SAWTELLE MARSHALLS

LA METRO PURPLE LINE

KOREATOWN GALLERIA

KOREATOWN UNION STATION (TRAINS) DISNEY CONCERT HALL DOWNTOWN

! MALIBU
! MALIBU SEAFOOD

SANTA MONICA
SANTA MONICA PLACE MALL

USC
MITSUWA

SANTA MONICA PIER

UCLALAX FLYAWAY BUS

CAF BRAZIL

MARINA DEL REY (SAILING)

NORDSTROM RACK

LAX AIRPORT

! Reagan Library

99 RANCH

Burbank Airport Universal Studios

Norton Simon Museum The Huntington

Big Bear & Lake Arrowhead (Skiing & Hiking) "

ASANEBO NOZAWA

LEES SANDWICHES DIN TAI FUNG

! Malibu Getty Villa

Ontario Airport

LAX
Nixon Library

MARUKAI

Long Beach Airport

Knotts (Amusement Park)

Old Town Orange Disneyland

WATSONS

Palos Verdes

Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific

Bowers Museum
LEES SANDWICHES CHONG QING MEI WEI 99 RANCH

South Coast Plaza MARCH Huntington Beach (Surf City) Newport Beach Balboa Peninsula
MODERNE IKKO

OC Airport

Fashion Island
SOL COCINA

Corona Del Mar

242 SUSHI

! Catalina Island

Tourist Attractions

Laguna Beach

Pageant of the Masters Mission San Juan Capistrano

Dana Point

IZZA PIZZA

San Clemente

Armenian

Thai Town Japanese Little Osaka Koreatown East LA Mexican

Chinese/Taiwanese San Gabriel Valley

Little Tehrangeles Ethiopia Little Brazil

(Iranian)

Japanese

Little India

Hmong & Lao Little Saigon (Vietnamese) Taiwanese Japanese

Irvine

Ethnic Neighborhoods

San Juan Capistrano

Mexican

Top Nearby Trip Spots

To San Francisco, Monterey To San Francisco, Sacramento To Las Vegas

!! Catalina Island
Santa Barbara

!! Palm Springs !! Santa Barbara

CAMARILLO OUTLETS

Regan Library

!! Orange County !! Laguna Beach !! Dana Point !! San Juan Capistrano !! Newport Beach !! San Diego !! La Jolla !! Del Mar !! Coronado
Catalina Island

Palm Springs

Orange County

To Phoenix

QERO, JAMROC

San Diego

MEXICO

TransportationCars
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LA is a car-centric city. Almost everybody, rich and poor, drives a car, as many areas are hard to reach by public transportation. Gas, car tax and insurance are relatively cheap by world standards. Gas prices vary widely by neighborhood and by brand Cars can be rented for as little as $20 per day. Enterprise is often the cheapest and offers good service. Used cars can be bought for as little as a few hundred dollars. You need valid insurance, and if you are driving in California for more than one month, need a valid California drivers license. If you have a license from another US state, you can exchange it for a California one without retaking the driving test. LAs freeway system is very large and traffic-prone, so be sure to plan your route and alternatives before you make a long trip All Southern California roads and bridges are free to drive on (except for three freeways in Orange County and one in San Diego) Many drivers in poorer neighborhoods are uninsured and drive without US driving licenses, so there is a risk of them fleeing after hitting your car, so always drive defensively Unlike in many countries, it is legal to turn right on red lights after coming to a complete stop, unless a sign states otherwise.

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If the police pull you over to give you a ticket, they will flash their lights behind you to get your attention. Pull over to the right hand side of the road, roll down your window and stay in your car until they approach you. If you get out or approach them, they may perceive this as a threat, and you could get into trouble. LA has many stoplights with no left turn lane and arrow, or stoplights with a green left turn arrow but no red left turn arrow and lane. At such lights, when turning left, pull 1/3 of the way into the intersection, then turn left when safe to do so, even if it means waiting until the light has just turned red. Talking on your cellphone is illegal if you dont have it on speakerphone mode or use a hands-free device. According to a recent law, it is now mandatory to turn on headlights whenever it rains. Most drivers speed on roads, which may make it difficult to observe the posted limit. However, police often strictly enforce limits with large fines, so it is important to watch for police. There are no speed cameras in California. Many stoplights, particularly in Beverly Hills and Culver City, have red light cameras, which issue expensive tickets. These lights often have very short yellow phases and issue tickets as soon as the light turns red. Also, many cameras have motion sensors and issue tickets to drivers who do not stop for at least 3 seconds before turning right on a red light. If your car breaks down on a freeway, try to get it to the shoulder of the road. If you dont have your cellphone with you, look for the yellow call boxes, which are at the side of the road every ! mile.

TransportationBusses
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There are several extensive networks of busses serving Southern California. Most of these busses travel slowly, do not follow a fixed schedule and make many stops. !! Metro !! LA city bussesSlowest, go all over LA, $1.25 per trip !! Metro Rapid !! LA city busses operating along high-density routes making few stops and operating with high frequency. Same price as regular busses. !! Bus 720 goes from Downtown LA to Santa Monica along Wilshire Boulevard, stopping in Koreatown, Beverly Hills and UCLA on the way. It costs $1.25 per trip !! Culver City Bus !! Green local busses that mainly go to Culver City and other neighborhoods to the south of UCLA, $1 per trip !! Big Blue Bus !! Busses operated by the city of Santa Monica that serve UCLA and points west and LAX, 50 per trip !! Flyaway Bus !! The easiest way to get to LAX airport from UCLA with public transport, goes directly to the airport from UCLA Parking Lot #32 for $5 each way The city of LA calls all of their transportation Metro, both busses, trams and subways, while locals refer to the trams and subways as the metro. If you plan to use public transportation frequently, it is worthwhile to get the TAP Transit Pass from the UCLA Central Ticket Office, which costs about $50 per quarter and allows unlimited rides on Metro busses and subways. Greyhound inter-city busses are cheap, but are not always safe, as the prison system often puts prisoners on these busses when they release them

Metro Bus

Metro Rapid Bus

Culver City Bus

Big Blue Bus

Flyaway Bus

TransportationTrains
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LA has extensive train service extending from Union Station (LAs central train station in downtown LA) to suburbs and other cities in America.
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Metrolink trains serve destinations nearby LA. Many lines only operate around peak commuting times. Amtrak is Americas national railway company. Service is notoriously slow and expensive (though foreigners can get large discounts), but many trains travel through very scenic areas of natural beauty
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Pacific Surfliner regional Amtrak route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, stopping in Orange County, LA, the San Fernando Valley and Santa Barbara on the way Coast Starlighttourist train to Seattle that is very slow goes through scenic forests and mountains along the US West Coast Sunset Limitedtourist train to New Orleans that is slow, but goes through scenic deserts and bayoux (swamps on the US Gulf Coast) Southwest Chieftourist train to Chicago that is slow, but goes through scenic Rocky Mountains

UCLA

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Transport Air

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LA is served by several airports

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LAXThe largest by far, closest to UCLA and generally the cheapestserves destinations around the world. Terminals do not connect !! and many airlines use more than one terminal, even for the same destination, so be sure to go to the right one. Security queues are notoriously long, so be sure to leave extra time. BurbankThe second closest to LA, it serves a few domestic destinations and is quick to get through. Long BeachA hub of domestic carrier Jet Blue, it is a small outdoor airport that is very quick to get through. Orange CountyAn smaller, modern airport with service to destinations across the US and Toronto. Close to beaches and

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Travel

shopping in Orange County. Airfares are often more expensive out of here. OntarioFar from UCLA, service to US and Mexico. Student fares, including those sold by the oncampus travel agency, are supposed to be cheaper, but are normally no different than any other fares sold by airlines Kayak.com is a good site that searches airfares on most airlines at once. Southwest Airlines is a low-cost domestic carrier that is often the cheapest. You can only see their fares on their website, southwest.com Flights to Mexico are often much cheaper if you leave from Tijuana airport across the border in Mexico, 2 hours south of LA

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Restaurant Tips
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While other cities such as NY, DC and SF have better high-end European cuisine, Southern California has arguably the best Asian, Latin American, Persian and other ethnic food in America in its many ethnic neighborhoods, and is also famous for snack foods and fusion cuisine. Many of these restaurants are cheap, so you can eat well under any budget. California produces the majority of fresh produce in America and is nearby rich fishing grounds and cattle ranches. LA is notorious for restaurants opening, closing and changing chefs and ownership in very short periods of time. Many of these restaurants may now be different than when I last visited them, and it is a good idea to not rely on restaurant guides more than a few years old Many people in LA love hype and atmosphere more than food. Lots of famous restaurants with celebrity chefs are famous just for being famous and giving people brag power: you dont always get what you pay for in terms of food quality.

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Californians frequently like to cook and eat at home, as high quality groceries are still cheaper than restaurant meals. It is customary to tip restaurant staff 15-20% of the price of the bill. The amount is up to you, and should depend on how good a job you feel they did to serve you. There is no need to tip if you feel the service was particularly bad, or if service was already included in the bill. It is not usually necessary to make reservations for most restaurants (and many restaurants do not take reservations). However, famous high-end restaurants may fill up weeks in advance. Cheaper restaurants are generally open all day without an interruption. More upscale restaurants are frequently open from 11 to 2 and from 5 or 6 until 10 or 11, while some smaller restaurants are frequently open only for dinner. Many restaurants commonly close on Mondays.

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Top Westside LA Restaurants

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Caff Roma
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1106 N La Cienaga, West Hollywood LA-style Japanese cuisine My favorite in LAworth the high price Dinner: $100 per person (order omakase) 350 N. Can Dr, Beverly Hills
Italian cuisine (pizza cooked by Italians)

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Lots of stars go here Dinner: $30 per person 401 N. La Cienaga, West Hollywood Contemporary California cuisine
I havent been here, but many people have told me that this place is one of the best in LA Very popular, so reserve long in advance

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Sona
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Dinner: $150 per person 11736 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City Brazilian cuisinenot fancy but very good Dinner: $10-15 per person
Thai cuisine in a very casual beach shack Was my favorite Thai place in LA, though quality was not so good the last two times I went I dont know whether this is a temporary thing or whether they have changed ownership or cooks Dinner: $20 per person

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Caf Brazil
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Cholada
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Top LA and SD Restaurants

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Studio City (Ventura Boulevard) !! Asanebo

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Sushi Nozawa

11491 Ventura Blvd, Studio City One of the most famous restaurants in LA LA-style Japanese cuisine Dinner: $150 per person (order omakase) 11288 Ventura Blvd Ste. C, Studio City Warm-style nigiri-zushi with very tender fish made in a sloppy-looking, home-made fashion. The chef personally selects every fish he uses each morning at LA Harbor Warning: known as the Sushi Nazi, the famously grumpy eccentric chef only cares about food (i.e. zero ambiance), kicks out anybody he thinks is impolite, decides what you will eat and insists you eat each piece quickly after he makes it. He is nearing retirement and may stop cooking soon Dinner: $80-100 per person (omakase)

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Hollywood (Thai Town) !! Ruen Pair

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San Gabriel Valley !! Din Tai Fung

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5257 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood Authentic, spicy Thai cuisine Watch out: many waitresses there mix up your order and speak broken English Dinner: $10-15 per person

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San Diego County (Encinitas) !! Qero

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1108 S Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia (East of LA) Chinese food (Shanghainese dumplings) Not quite like the original branch in Taipei, but the best xioalongbao Ive had in SoCal

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Jamroc 101

564 S. Coast Highway, Encinitas (San Diego) Traditional Peruvian cuisine Picturesque Peruvian dcor Dinner: about $50-75/person 101 N. Coast Highway, Encinitas (San Diego) Very casual Jamaican restaurant Dinner: about $15-20/person

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Top OC Restaurants
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Orange County
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242 Caf Fusion Sushi 242 N. Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach Also a branch in Manhattan Beach Experimental California-style Japanese fusion food great hand rolls, uses flowers and fruits when in season from her garden to flavor food !! Funky beachy + artist studio atmosphere eat off wakeboards with surfers a true California experience !! Dinner: About $75-100/person, $20 for lunch prix fixe offered from time to time March Moderne !! In South Coast Plaza mall (near Nordstrom, 3/ F, off Bear Street in Costa Mesa) !! French cuisinemixture of bistro and nouvelle cuisine !! Great $25 lunch prix fixe (changes daily): one of the best bargains in SoCal !! Dinner: about $75-100/person Chong Qing Mei Wei !! Authentic numbingly spicy Sichuan food !! Very cheap and friendly !! 5406 Walnut Ave, Irvine !! Dinner: about $10-15 per person Sol Cocina !! California-style Mexican foodlighter, smaller portions !! View of yachts in Newport Harbor, family friendly !! Dinner: about $20-25/person, $15/person at Happy Hour time (3-6pm) !! 251 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach Izza Pizza !! Pizza restaurant which makes authentic Neapolitan-style woodfired pizzas according to Italian government DOC standards !! Dinner: $15/person !! 376 Camino De Estrella, San Celemnte Ikko !! My favorite Japanese restaurant. Creative, large selection of less common fish. !! Dinner: $80+/person (order omakase) !! 735 Baker Ste. C, Costa Mesa
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Top Fast Food

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Inn-Out
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Closest is 922 Gayley in Westwood Village Very cheap ($<5/meal) but very good hamburgers Has a secret menu with the best food ask a local Very cheap ($<5/meal) Closest is 1900 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica LAs most famous chili hamburgers Greasy and spicy French dip sandwiches (beef sandwiches au jus (dipped in meat juice)) 1001 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles Ive never been there, but everybody tells me it is great Surfer-themed fish taco restaurant popular with teenage surfer culture very SoCal experience Interiors are covered with surf stickers Fish tacos are a famous Californian/Baja dish not commonly eaten in other parts of the US
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Tommys
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Philippes The Original

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Wahoos Fish Tacos

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Corn tacos with fried fish, shredded cabbage, tomato salad and citrus mayonnaise sauce Chain from OC with locations across SoCal Closest branch to UCLA: 11911 Wilshire, LA

Top Fast Food

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Pinks Hot Dogs

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Californias most famous hot dog stand 709 N La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles One of the oldest pharmacies with a diner and soda fountain in California, with dcor and a menu that have not changed in several decades like a trip back in time Visited by presidents, featured in many movies 116 E Chapman Avenue, Orange (Orange County) Famous for hamburgers, milkshakes and phosphates (old-fashioned soft-drinks from the early 20th century) If you dont want to go so far, visit Rubys or Johnny Rockets, two fake 1950s era diner chain restaurants

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Watsons Drugs
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Malibu Seafood
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Some of the best fish and chips in America, served in a rustic shack close to the beach and a hiking trail in Malibu 25653 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

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Lees Sandwiches
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Best Vietnamese Banh My sandwiches (baguettes with pickled carrots, daikon and jalapeos with BBQ pork/fish/etc.) Great milkshakes with tropical fruits All over California, but, sadly, not on the Westside.

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Top Grocery Stores

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Western food
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Trader Joes (Closest branch: 1000 Glendon Avenue, Westwood Village)

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Very cheap food from around the world, big organic food selection My favorite for western food Lots of international food and organic food, but expensive

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Whole Foods (Closest branch: 1050 Gayley (other branches have more selection))
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Japanese food
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Nijiya Market (Sawtelle Avenue north of Olympic): small and limited selection but closest to campus Marukai Forum (1740 W Artesia Blvd, Gardena)
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Wholesale food warehouse, cheap, lots of Hawaiian food Great place to buy Japanese furniture (on second floor)

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Mitsuwa Marketplace (small shop with less selection at Venice and Centinela, larger and newer shop near South Coast Plaza: 665 Paularino, Costa Mesa (1 hour south of UCLA))
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Moderate price Great meat and fish selection Great place to buy Japanese china, books and videos as well Great seasonal food fairs from different prefectures in Japan

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Korean food
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Koreatown Galleria Market (3250 W. Olympic Blvd., LA): large selection of food, moderate price, in the basement of a mall with many Korean shops, restaurants and fast-food 99 Ranch Market (Closest branch: 6450 Sepulveda Blvd, Van Nuys): moderate price, carries other Asian food as well. I havent been to this branch. Super Tochal (1418 Westwood Blvd, Westwood): Persian food, some Middle Eastern and Indian items

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Chinese food
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Persian food
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Top Shopping
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Westfield Century City

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Best shopping mall near UCLA on Santa Monica Blvd and Century Park West, about 5 min by car or 45 minutes by foot
Newly remodeled mall nearby the Third Street Promenade pedestrian shopping district nearby the beach in Santa Monica, I havent been here yet, but I have heard that there are many nice shops and restaurants there. Located at 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica (between Broadway, Colorado, 2nd and 4th Streets) at the end of bus line 720

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Santa Monica Place

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South Coast Plaza

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Costa Mesa, Orange County (between Bristol St. and Bear St. north of the 405) Third biggest mall in the US Largest selection of designer boutiques in California Newport Beach, Orange County (between Macarthur and Jamboree just north of Pacific Coast Hwy) Upscale outdoor shopping mall with ocean views Great Christmas decorations World-famous ultra-luxury shopping street with designer boutiques In Camarillo, about !1 hour west of UCLA on the 101 (Ventura Fwy) Large collection of outlets (stores run by major brands and stores that sell items often over 50% off) Clothes and housewares that stores dont want any more, sold for big discounts (sometimes 90% off)

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Fashion Island
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Rodeo Drive (in Beverly Hills between Wilshire Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd, accessible by bus 720)
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Camarillo Premium Outlets Marshalls (Sawtelle and Pico)

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Nordstrom Rack (6081 Center Dr, LA): items from Nordstrom department store sold at big discounts IKEA
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Swedish furniture chain with cheap houseware items600 N San Fernando Ave, Burbank or 20700 S Avalon Blvd, Carson

Top Museums
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Norton Simon
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MOCA

My favorite art museum in California Impressive collection of Renaissance, Baroque, Realist, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary art One of the largest collections of South and South-East Asian art in the world One of the top modern art museums in the USA, with an impressive collection of art from the 1940s to 1980s of diverse styles Free and easy to get to from UCLA Stunning modern architecture, gardens and views of LA Not as significant a collection as some other museums, but a few great pieces Free admission (but you need an advance reservation from their website) Beautiful Roman-style seaside house turned into a museum One of the best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities in the USA

Getty Center Getty Villa

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Hammer Museum LACMA

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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

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The largest art museum west of Chicago, with a diverse and impressive collection of 110,000+ artworks from the Renaissance Huge collection of Japanese, Latin American and Contemporary art Check out the La Brea Tar Pits next door to see fossilized animal remains of saber-toothed tigers and other extinct animals A museum commemorating the presidency of Ronald Reagan, one of two Californian presidents, with a huge collection of presidential memorabilia, including a real decommissioned Boeing 707 Air Force One, a piece of the Berlin Wall, a replica of the Oval Office, a presidential car and more. Located at 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley. The smaller Nixon Library in Yorba Linda commemorates Richard Nixon. It includes an old house where he was born. Small museum in Orange County with not much in its permanent collection, but frequently hosts world-class visiting collections of antiquities from top museums around the world Collection of several notable museums and the San Diego Zoo all in one place

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Bowers Museum (Orange County)

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Balboa Park (San Diego)

Gardens
!! Huntington Gardens (Pasadena) !! Quail Botanical Gardens (Carlsbad, San Diego) !! Hannah Carter Japanese Garden (run by UCLA

in Bel Air (north of campus), reservations required)

!! Santa Barbara Botanical Garden !! Desert Botanical Garden (Palm Springs)

Walks
!! Torrey Pines (Del Mar, San Diego): state park with beautiful pine

landscape with dozens of naturally-occurring cactus and succulent species on the top of a huge yellow and orange sandstone cliff, with a long, secluded beach below with great waves for surfing (warning: the far end of the beach is a nude beach) Laguna Beach in Orange County): rugged slopes with beautiful ocean views

!! El Moro/Newport Coast (mountains between Newport Beach and

!! MalibuSanta Monica Mountains and beaches near Point Dume !! Catalina Island Interior !! Rugged mountainous terrain covered with unspoiled natural California vegetation, with some plants seen nowhere else in the world !! Big Bear !! High in San Bernardino Mountains, alpine scenery thats great for skiing in the winter and great for walking in the summer

Catalina Island
!Plants, animals unique in the world !Best in CA for hiking, fishing, diving !Laid-back, small-town California !Town of Avalon
!Casino building (not for gambling)
!World-famous Art-Deco style movie theater !Ballroom dancing

!Wrigley Botanical Gardens

!Great place to see cacti and unique native plants

!Catalina Country Club

!9-hole golf course is one of the oldest in California

!Rest of the island

!Rent a fishing boat for the day !Dive in kelp forests (clearest water in California) !Hike anywhere outside of Avalon for miles !See plants and the Catalina Island Fox which

occur nowhere else

!Getting There
!CatalinaMarina Del Rey Flyer Ferry
!90 minutes (Marina Del Rey ! Avalon) !$85 roundtrip

!Island Express Helicopter

!15 minutes (San Pedro ! Avalon) !$170 roundtrip

!Cruise ships often stop here

!Staying There
!Rent a condo in Hamilton Cove (hotels are ugly)
!Hamilton Cove Real Estate !Catalina Island Vacation Rentals

Palm Springs
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Desert, oasis, mountain landscapes all in one spot Tons of golf courses and spas Often 20+ warmer than LA Take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to glide in the sky from the sands of the low desert to snowy pine forests Go to Indio to visit a date palm plantation and see camel races Shop in the outlet (discount price brand-name) stores in nearby Cabazon 23 hrs east of LA on the 10 Fwy

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Santa Barbara
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Beautiful Spanish-style architecture everywhere, very walkable town center Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has one of the best collections of California plants Santa Barbara Museum of Art: tiny, but very diverse collection of everything from Egyptian friezes to Hokusai to Monet to Close! Santa Barbara Mission is one of the best places to see Spanish colonial history Great place to sample California Cuisine Santa Ynez Valley vineyards an hour north Solvang: fake Danish town an hour north Bacara Resort is one of Californias most famous spas and has great golfing too Great place to stop on the way up Pacific Coast Highway when driving to Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel and San Francisco Stop at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley and walk inside the old Air Force One Camarillo Outlet Mall is on the way 2 hours west on the 101 Fwy (Ventura Fwy)

Orange County
!! Just 1-2.5 hours south of UCLA on the 405 !! Best shopping malls in California (South

Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa) and Fashion Island (Newport Beach)) !! Great place to experience surfer culture !! Laguna Beach
!! Walkable town with an artsy feel and lots of

little, secluded beaches

!! Pageant of the Masters (July/August) is the

worlds largest tableau-vivant performance (actors stay still recreating famous paintings) !! Tons of places to go hiking

!! Dana Point
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whales, dolphins, etc. in California yearround !! See the old ship (The Pilgrim) in the harbor

!! San Juan Capistrano !! See one of Californias oldest buildings, the Spanish Mission (1776)

San Diego
!! About 2-3 hours south of UCLA on the

405, then the 5 !! Del Mar

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Visit Torrey Pines State Park and see some of Californias most beautiful coastline !! Best place to watch horse racing in CA

!! La Jolla !! Picturesque seaside town !! Famous Torrey Pines Golf Course !! See dozens of baby seals at the main beach in the spring !! San Diego !! Old Town !! Great place to see California history reenacted !! Balboa Park !! Lots of great museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo !! Coronado !! Huge beach and famous Victorian-era Hotel Del Coronado

Top Trip Spots in North America

Vancouver

2.5 hrs

New York

Carmel Napa Valley

San Francisco

5.5 hrs 1 hr
Santa Fe

2.5 hrs

5.5 hrs
Hawaii

Top 5 Golf Courses

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I dont golf, so these are recommendations from friends. Please let me know if you know anywhere better or if this is inaccurate. 1) Pebble Beach
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Carmel (far away) !! 2 hours south of San Francisco !! 6 hours north of LA !! Expensive, but the best La Jolla (near San Diego, 2.5 hours south of UCLA) Very cheap if you know a San Diego resident Pacific Palisades (30 min west of UCLA) Expensive but famous Newport Coast (Orange County, about 1.5 hours south of UCLA) Catalina Island (2 hours away from LA by boat) Not as big (9 holes only) or beautiful as other courses but very cheap and lots of history

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2) Torrey Pines
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3) Riviera Country Club

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4) Pelican Hill
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5) Catalina Country Club

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More Resources
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Zagat Guide
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One of the biggest food guides, with restaurants at all price points, but readers rate the restaurants so not always consistent
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Watch Californias Gold or Visiting with Huell Howser TV shows on PBS (KCET, KOCE, KLCS) to see lots of places to visit in California that often arent in guidebooks. Wikitravel (www.wikitravel.com)
Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) !! Website for booking hotels with many comments from people whove stayed there

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Michelin Red Guide

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One of the best guides for food and hotels, but doesnt cover cheap places or places in outlying areas

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Michelin Green Guide

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Great guide for tourist sites Great for cheap and less famous places

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Google Maps (maps.google.com)

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Lonely Planet Guide

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DK Guide
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Not as complete, but great for tourist sites, with lots of photos and in-depth descriptions
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Most detailed online maps Driving, walking, transit and bicycle directions Traffic shown for both surface streets and freeways Street View (drag man icon onto the map to see photos taken along the streets

SigAlert.com
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Most accurate website for freeway traffic