Some of our favorites...
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory is a staple of the L.A. landscape, and one of Katie's favorite places to visit time and time again. Open daily, Wed- Sun, there are several interesting scientific and astronomical exhibits, as well as nightly viewing of planets or celestial events through the 16-foot rooftop telescope. Its unique architecture and location has also lent the building to several film appearances including Rebel Without a Cause and Transformers.
Filming Locations
In addition to many group tours available for booking in the area, Jeff and Katie have been known to put together their own tours of a few favorite movie and tv filming locations, including Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, The Office, Scrubs, The O.C. and 90210. Let us know if there is anything of particular interest to you, and we can point you to some good sites for info, or help you map out a tour ourselves!
Redondo Beach
There are several different beach towns up and down the coast of California. Redondo Beach simply is the most convenient to the Doubletree Hotel, by taking Torrance Blvd. directly West from the hotel, basically until you hit the ocean! Here you will also find the Redondo Beach Pier with lots of area to explore, several restaurants or walk up eateries to choose from, and many angles from which to view the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and Southern California coastline.
Grauman's Chinese Theater
An iconic Hollywood landmark, Grauman's Chinese Theater is famous for all the of the celebrity hand prints in the cement out front. And the building is surrounded by some of the biggest stars along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But it also still operates as an old-fashioned one-screen movie house. They're currently showing the much-anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II... if you're interested.
Santa Monica Pier
This is where we took our engagement photos! Most of the beaches in the area have a pier, but many are primarily for fishing. Santa Monica has rides, restaurants and all kinds of attractions... including their famous Carousel. The town of Santa Monica has a lot to offer as well, or you could check out their neighbors... Venice Beach and Malibu. The good news is that our guests will avoid Carmageddon, the predicted gridlock in the area caused by the temporary closing of the nearby I-405.
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a great place to visit for any baseball fan. Go see a game and enjoy a Dodger Dog! On our wedding weekend, the team begins their first homestand of the second half with games against the Washington Nationals. If you prefer the American League, you could go see the Angels in nearby Anaheim. They have a series against the Texas Rangers leading up to the wedding weekend.
In-N-Out Burger
When it comes down to it, In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain. But it's also a southern California institution! And, Katie would like to note, serves 100% fresh cheese, veggies, and pure beef. In-N-Out Burger is one of our favorite places to stop for a quick bite when we're sightseeing or otherwise out and about. If you get a chance, give it a try. They have locations all over, so there is bound to be one near you... wherever you might be at that moment.
**Many of these things are FREE**
Please feel free to ask us for more details- we'd be happy to offer more info than will fit here!