Beach Vibes, Hollywood Haunts, and Buzzy Restaurants

Art history greats like Monet, Rembrandt, Titian, and Van Gogh are well represented within this museum, whose design has its own wow factor. Richard Meier’s 110-acre, billion-dollar masterpiece sits high above Los Angeles with sweeping views. Factor in gorgeous gardens, and this is one of the best art museum experiences in the country.

Buy your tickets at tickets.getty.edu.

To marvel at LA below and ponder the sky and space above, head to the free Griffith Observatory on the slopes of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park (griffithobservatory.org). There are exhibit halls, live planetarium shows, and many telescopes that will inspire your inner astronomer. Hiking trails lead to one of the best vantage points to view the Hollywood Sign – and if you time it right, you can join monthly guided sunset walks or public stargazing parties.

Get the morning off to a virtuous start at this cheery café, which features local artwork and sources produce from California-based farmer partners. It turns up in smoothie bowls, toasts and scrambles, and the many gluten-free and vegan all-day menu options. Drinks range from green juice and probiotics to coffee and tea to natural wines. 

Keep the feel-good vibes going Facile, a three-in-one resource – spa, dermatology office, and beauty boutique – for healing and beautifying the skin. While facial skin is a focus, there are treatments targeting a variety of issues and services that include vitamin shots, cryofacials, and microneedling in a serene environment. 

Buy your spa treatment at facileskin.com.

It’s fun to size up the funky-meets-posh shopping scene along Melrose Avenue. Begin at JF Chen, Joel Chen’s 30,000-square-foot flagship full of art, furniture, and lighting collections (jfchen.com), and carry on to Blackman Cruz for handmade craft pieces and antiques (blackmancruz.com). While you’re in the area, pop into Various Small Fires, a hypermodern art gallery (vsf.la).

While LACMA may be the biggest art museum on the West Coast, it’s so well done that it doesn't feel overwhelming. The collection spans 6,000 years, dozens of countries, and 147,000 objects; some 20 Van Gogh paintings, iconic Diego Rivera works like Dia de las Flores, and sculptures by Giacometti are among the treasures. LACMA often hosts temporary exhibitions with leading present-day artists such as Ai Weiwei. No matter the day or time, you can admire Urban Light, Chris Burden’s installation of 202 historic southern Californian streetlamps that stand watch by the entrance.   

Buy your tickets at lacma.org.

During LA’s Pleistocene Era, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and huge mammoths roamed freely – until gooey crude oil began bubbling up and trapping them. Fast-forward thousands of years, and scientists are actively excavating the animal and plant fossils within the asphalt at La Brea Tar Pits. You can observe the still-bubbling goo during interactive museum tours and catch a 3D educational film. 

Buy your tickets at tarpits.org.

Miracle Mile Toys & Gifts

This shop on South La Brea Avenue celebrates the wonder of childhood with its stock of award-winning brands such as Meri Meri from the UK and Japanese Kiko & gg (miraclemiletoysandgifts.com). Browse shelves filled with board games, soft toys, educational sets, vintage wooden toys, and more to pick out gifts for the little ones in your life.

If you know, you know that this is the best beach in Malibu: El Matador is peaceful and relaxed, with powder-soft sand and mild waves. Make your way along the trail that leads to sandstone rock towers jutting out of coves with impossibly clear waters and explore the caves and tidepools at low tide. Remember  to bring your own food, water, and supplies as there are no services at this beach. 

Greek eats and sweets await. Taverna Tony offers a little piece of the Mediterranean amid the Malibu beach scene. Traditional delicacies feature fresh seafood, poultry, and lamb dishes, though for some, the best part of the menu is the flaming cheese. More than a Greek restaurant, Taverna Tony is an experience, complete with live music and belly dancers on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Although there is a 3-mile sandy beach, Venice Beach is most famous for the people-watching. Stroll the boardwalk and street market and take in the eclectic mix of body builders, aspiring stars, hippies, tattoo artists, and all others. You can also compare beach scenes – and take in all the scenery – on a guided bike tour of Venice Beach and Santa Monica.