# Two days in L.A. - what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032 "2012-07-12T18:16:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/21 "2012-07-13T15:10:37Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > The warship your husband is thinking about is probably the [USS Iowa](http://pacificbattleship.com/). They just opened it up down in San Pedro. That’s it, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/22 "2012-07-13T15:18:18Z")
The [Norton Simon Museum](http://www.nortonsimon.org/) is outstanding. It is part of pop culture since you’ll see it every New Years during the Rose Parade. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/23 "2012-07-13T15:19:12Z")
The Museum of Jurassic Technology is… unusual (in the best possible way)! And it’s fairly small so it won’t be too difficult to squeeze it in with a bunch of other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/24 "2012-07-13T16:06:47Z")
> [@Geek\_Mecha](#): > > 3rd Street Promenade. 4th Street is rather dull. 🙂 :smack: LOL … I always think of it as 4th Street because that’s where I turn to park. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/25 "2012-07-14T00:37:38Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Pop culture? Have a hot dog at Pink’s. Have a chiliburger at Tommy’s. Eat a chicken pot pie at Musso & Frank. Compare your feet to the prints of everybody at Mann’s Chinese. Hollywood itself isn’t nearly as gritty as it once was, but still is a bit tourist-trappish, so to speak. Even so, if you are the least bit interested in Hollywood as the cultural metonym, it’s well worth checking out. Where would you be staying? If you want a full service hotel you could do worse than the Roosevelt on the south side of Hollywood Boulevard. You’ll be near the Chinese Theatre and Musso & Frank’s, as well as the Hollywood and Highland Metro station. From there you could take the subway out to Universal City and take the studio tour. I don’t know if Universal still offers the studio tour only, or if you have to pay the general park admission which includes the studio tour. I always thought the studio tour was a lot of fun even before Universal transformed itself into a sort of theme park. For good Mexican food there’s always La Golondrina in Olvera Street, across from Union Station, which you can also reach by subway. Or for another take on pop culture, forget about Hollywood and stay somewhere near Santa Monica if not actually in it; you’ll definitely want a car in this case. Check out the expatriate British pubs in Santa Monica, and spend an afternoon at Venice Beach. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/26 "2012-07-14T00:39:53Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > The Museum of Jurassic Technology is… unusual (in the best possible way)! And it’s fairly small so it won’t be too difficult to squeeze it in with a bunch of other stuff. I’ve done a [blog post](http://wanderinginla.blogspot.com/2010/10/museum-of-jurassic-technology-study-in.html) on this museum. ---
**Author:** ![Cara\_mel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/27 "2012-07-14T06:12:30Z")
Hey, we went on the Dearly Departed tour when we were there - totally worth it, but the fellow who runs it is highly opinionated. We haunted Hollywood Blvd - it’s especially great at night, when all the characters come out. We didn’t worry about the Hollywood sign though. We found the subway to be totally safe, reliable, and cheap. It’s easy to get the train to Universal Studios - you’ve got to go there. We had the best time in LA - have fun! ---
**Author:** ![MrDurden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed655f/32.png) [@MrDurden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDurden)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/28 "2012-07-16T21:29:21Z")
Santa Monica pier for sure, rent a small and fast compact car and drive the Pacific Coast Highway. Marvel at the views, stop at one of the beaches… walk around Hollywood (the walk of fame) for a bit. Stop in a bar and have a few drinks, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/29 "2012-07-16T22:13:48Z")
If you do go down to Long Beach to see the Queen Mary, stop in at the [Aquarium of the Pacific](http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/)- it’s well worth a visit and practically right next door. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032/30 "2012-07-16T23:47:10Z")
Already mentioned, but I’ll add votes for Santa Monica Pier and for Venice Beach. Also, definitely rent a car, but be sure you have a GPS for it. Navigation can be a bitch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-days-in-l-a-what-to-do/628032.md?page=1)