# My Older Daughter Is Going To Los Angeles Next Month - What Should She Know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [May 12, 2025, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283 "2025-05-12T09:13:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/141 "2025-05-24T22:06:35Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > - I wouldn’t expect them to, and in fact, I’m always surprised when restaurants/stores in other countries take US dollars. The US dollar is (or at least until recent events come to fruition, has been) the world’s reserve currency, and in many places with high inflation and domestic price fluctuations it is a more stable and valued currency. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/142 "2025-05-24T22:35:04Z")
I could possibly understand that situation in some countries - but Canada and Aruba and Bermuda? It’s more likely that they accept USD to be attractive to American tourists but I’m still kind of surprised that it’s apparently not a huge hassle to do their banking etc when they accept American dollars. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/143 "2025-05-24T23:39:19Z")
I actually know of a currency exchange booth in downtown San Francisco, so they definitely exist, at least in the big cities that get a lot of foreigners. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/144 "2025-05-24T23:42:03Z")
The Bermuda dollar is exactly equal to the US dollar, and both currencies exist there on an equal basis. When I was there i was just as likely to receive my change in American coins as Bermuda coins. Admittedly this is a very unusual arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/145 "2025-05-24T23:49:25Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > Also, they were never expected to pick her up at the airport. I am still astounded they wouldn’t pick her up. I do not care what the “expectation” is from the organizing group. IMHO you go and pick her up. I am amazed they wouldn’t think to do that. Just my $0.02 If she ever comes to Chicago I will pick her up and drop her off wherever she wants in the city. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/146 "2025-05-25T00:44:23Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I am still astounded they wouldn’t pick her up. I don’t believe it was stated that the host family _would not_ pick her up. Rather, the issue was that an arranged shuttle was available and OPs daughter declined it for reasons. This all happened before the host family and location was even identified. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/147 "2025-05-25T02:16:36Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > thanks, but not necessary.” I’m guessing that some combination of Big Data, AI algoritms and Big Brother are watching… I don’t travel much, but I’m told that for some of the major providers here (Aus), the answer is “Thanks, but we don’t act on that. Big Data and AI algorithms automatically block your card when used overseas, you have to call us to have it reset _after_ that happens.” ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/148 "2025-05-25T04:25:29Z")
Maybe. I guess I do not understand how these exchange programs work. I can’t imagine not meeting her at the airport. I’d be standing as close as I could legally get to the disembarking passengers with a big sign welcoming her. Even if there was a shuttle. That’s just me though. Apparently others are content to do less. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/149 "2025-05-25T09:05:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > > > > [@chappachula](#): > > > > > > “Cash—don’t leave home without it.” > > > > Carrying a modest amount of cash is a wise precautions but the $800 of cash the o.p. suggested his daughter would be carrying > > Sorta depends on what we mean by “carrying”. > > Having $800 whether EUR or USD on your person all day every day for the whole two weeks would be both silly and risky. OTOH, having that much in your suitcase stored in a private home and carrying enough cash for a meal or two and an incidental purchase every day is much more reasonable. That’s what I always do, have cash spread in various bags/suitcases/jackets so that if one gets lost/delayed/stolen, I’m not completely SOL. She’s seen me do this ever since she was a toddler, so she knows the drill. Whether she follows my advice or not is her call of course. In theory, I would favour cards, but I really want to have all my options open when I’m abroad. Plus, my recent experience of having both my cards, credit and debit, declined randomly has certainly made me very wary of the card-only approach. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > For the OP: if you haven’t already noticed from your NYC travels, here in THE USA _nowhere_ except an international airport can take your weird furrin money. Most bank ATMs can dispense USD using your foreign card, but glitches are possible and fees are certain. I suspected as much, which is why I had exchenged euros for dollars before going to New York last summer. > [@suranyi](#): > > The Bermuda dollar is exactly equal to the US dollar, and both currencies exist there on an equal basis. When I was there i was just as likely to receive my change in American coins as Bermuda coins. > > Admittedly this is a very unusual arrangement. Luxemburg and Belgium had something similar before the Euro. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I am still astounded they wouldn’t pick her up. I do not care what the “expectation” is from the organizing group. IMHO you go and pick her up. I am amazed they wouldn’t think to do that. The family was not involved. My daughter declined a private shuttle from the organization. I saw her yesterday, and she’s confirmed that she will bring this up when they get in touch online. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If she ever comes to Chicago I will pick her up and drop her off wherever she wants in the city. Ah, that’s really nice! > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Maybe. I guess I do not understand how these exchange programs work. I can’t imagine not meeting her at the airport. I’d be standing as close as I could legally get to the disembarking passengers with a big sign welcoming her. Even if there was a shuttle. I did two exchange programs like this when I was a teenager. For the first one, the family did come and pick me up after a couple of days on a university campus with the organization staff. There was no question of them showing up or not, it was obligatory, but then I was significantly younger than she is now. The second time, I was completely on my own, and barely older than she is now. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/150 "2025-06-18T16:21:54Z")
All right, I have some news. She will be staying in Culver City. What should she see and do around there? She’s already decided to take an Uber, as it looks like it’s only a 40-minute ride from LAX. Her flight is on Saturday, and she’s really excited ! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/151 "2025-06-18T16:40:20Z")
Oh, gosh, Culver City is a lot closer than 40 minutes from LAX. Of course, traffic can always be weird. I’m not sure which part of Culver City she’ll be in, but the “downtown” part of Culver City has nice shops and restaurants. The Museum of Jurassic Technology is there, and it’s a quirky, interesting place. MGM studios (although they’re not MGM anymore) are right in the heart of Culver City, but not much to look at from outside. Sony Pictures apparently has tours. A metric shit-ton of movies and TV shows have been filmed in Culver City since the silent days, but they’re not always recognizable. For example, I love the movie _Grosse Pointe Blank,_ but it wasn’t filmed in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, it was mostly filmed in San Marino and the Westside. The place where the high school reunion took place was inside the Veteran’s Auditorium on the corner of Culver and Overland. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/152 "2025-06-18T17:14:29Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > The Museum of Jurassic Technology is there, and it’s a quirky, interesting place. That’s a must-do, IMO, but I am not in touch with the sort of thing that traveling daughters might like, so take it with a grain of salt. The Baldwin Hills overlook is the high point of a nice park to hike around, and is where a lot of the dramatic pictures of downtown LA are taken. > **[A view of downtown Los Angeles from the Baldwin Hills overlook Stock Photo -...](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-view-of-downtown-los-angeles-from-the-baldwin-hills-overlook-84652833.html)** > > Download this stock image: A view of downtown Los Angeles from the Baldwin Hills overlook. - EWM7FD from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. She’ll also be very close to Venice, with both the beach walk and the hipster shopping district centered on Abbot Kinney Boulevard being fun. The Santa Monica Pier is just up the beach too. Also not far from LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) a museum much better than its name, the Peterson Automotive Museum (my old guy interests leaking out but still cool for many) and the La Brea Tar Pits which I thought were cheesy but fun. The window shopping at Santa Monica Boulevard, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Drive is close and kind of fun. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/153 "2025-06-18T17:42:51Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > the La Brea Tar Pits which I thought were cheesy but fun I love the wall of dire wolf skulls! And if you’re there when the people are working in the lab, it’s fun to watch them. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/154 "2025-06-19T00:35:16Z")
There is an In-N-Out on Venice, so that’s convenient. Another nice scenic (and trendy) hike is Runyon Canyon. That’s about a half hour drive from Culver City with no traffic, but from the top she can see the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory and downtown LA skyline and maybe even a sweaty hiking celebrity or two. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/155 "2025-06-19T07:04:54Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Oh, gosh, Culver City is a lot closer than 40 minutes from LAX. Of course, traffic can always be weird. That’s what Google Maps told me but she has confirmed that it’ll be quicker than that. > [@carrps](#): > > I’m not sure which part of Culver City she’ll be in, but the “downtown” part of Culver City has nice shops and restaurants. She will be staying near Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard. > [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > The Baldwin Hills overlook is the high point of a nice park to hike around, and is where a lot of the dramatic pictures of downtown LA are taken. It looks like this is close to where she will be. > [@zbuzz](#): > > Another nice scenic (and trendy) hike is Runyon Canyon. That’s about a half hour drive from Culver City with no traffic, but from the top she can see the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory and downtown LA skyline and maybe even a sweaty hiking celebrity or two. I’ll tell her about this. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/156 "2025-06-19T16:49:55Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > She will be staying near Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard. What happened to Westwood? ---
**Author:** ![Awb78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Awb78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Awb78)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/157 "2025-06-19T16:55:34Z")
If she goes to In-N-Out, don’t let her forget to ask for stickers (free), and a paper hat like the employees wear (free). It will make a nice memento of her trip! ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/158 "2025-06-19T23:13:02Z")
so what’s the issue with her “host” family? ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/159 "2025-06-19T23:22:26Z")
or is your daughter so sure of herself that she can navigate LA by herself? turning down transportation from LAX? ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283/160 "2025-06-20T07:07:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > What happened to Westwood? I… don’t know. She was supposed to get the host family’s contact information two weeks ago. She only got it on Wednesday. I imagine that the organization had made plans with another family who ultimately cancelled, so they had to find a replacement at short notice. This is not a rare phenomenon in exchange programs, I knew a guy who had that very problem. Twice. While he was already in the host country. What’s the Washington Boulevard-Jefferson Boulevard area like? > [@fedman1](#): > > or is your daughter so sure of herself that she can navigate LA by herself? turning down transportation from LAX? She’s taking a Uber. She definitely can manage that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-older-daughter-is-going-to-los-angeles-next-month-what-should-she-know/1018283.md?page=9)