Los Angeles has a lot to offer, even if you are only visiting for a short week. Driving is the best way to reach as many of its attractions. If you are not in the mood to deal with traffic, then consider carpooling. Similar to Las Vegas, Los Angeles has multiple lanes on the highway, yet traffic can be horrendous even on weekdays and during non-rush hours. Surprisingly, the carpool lane is often nearly empty. This certainly sheds light on why the city may be so polluted, with the majority of drivers choosing not to carpool. Be prepared for motorcycles whizzing past you, as riders bravely weave between cars. Thankfully, most of the time when we were on the road, traffic moved steadily—day or night. This allowed us to get from place to place more or less on time.
James Irvine Japanese Garden
If you’re looking for some peace and quietness, then take a stroll through the James Irvine Japanese Garden. You can walk through Little Tokyo first to grab a bite and explore its numerous restaurant options before heading over. It’s a nice transition from the busy city noise to the calm of a trickling water stream in the garden. Metered parking is available in the area, so you shouldn’t have to spend too much time searching for a spot. There are hilly parts of town that reminded me of San Francisco, so be prepared as you navigate. You will also notice homeless shelter encampments right in the heart of downtown and along the beach. I suppose the year-round weather makes it bearable enough.
Muscle Beach in Santa Monica Pier
Muscle Beach at the Santa Monica Pier was another one of those places that whisks you straight into la-la land. Perhaps the scene in La La Land—with Ryan Gosling whistling and dancing on a pier—is the best way to paint the picture. Once you step onto the sandy beach, you’ll see the beachfront gym with fitness enthusiasts, alongside the amusement park. Watch out for the seagulls overhead, though—they seem to have impeccable aim.
Natural History Museum, California Science Center
As you make your way to the Natural History Museum, make sure to plan ample time, as you will probably be surprised by the museum’s extensive and comprehensive dinosaur exhibit. This museum is impressively thorough in how it organizes information to support learning. Step-by-step instructions guide visitors through the exhibits, offering many different angles for exploring each subject. Given the clear time and effort spent preparing each display, I felt compelled to match that level of attentiveness when observing the details of each specimen.
The spider pavilion was a temporary special exhibit and a big hit. If you happen to visit on a school field trip day as I did, try not to trip over 
students huddled on the museum floors, working on their assignments. Actually, it brought back fond memories of my own elementary school field trips.
Just steps away is the California Science Center. Don’t miss its Shuttle Endeavor exhibit. 
You will need to head outdoors to witness the enormity of the fuel tank, then enter into an adjacent building to see the full shuttle display.
Broad Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
Our evening was spent touring the contemporary art museums, specifically the Broad Museum and MOCA. There were restaurants all around with diverse cuisines. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the founders of a biomedical and genomic research center organization I once worked for also built this extensive contemporary art collection at the Broad Museum. Even more unexpectedly, I learned that one of my previous employers had contributed materials for the museum’s construction. Exploring The Veil and The Vault at the Broad Museum was certainly worth the time.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Griffith Observatory
The sunset view from atop of the Walt Disney Concert Hall was magical. The Los Angeles city skyline unfolded, framed by the concert hall’s curved silver walls. Navigating the rooftop’s outer edge felt like a maze, but each opening revealed a new view of the city. The spotlights on the rooftop made photographing the scene all the more enjoyable.
To finish the evening, we drove to the Griffith Observatory, a hot spot for both locals and tourists. We were lucky to find a parking space along the street leading up to the observatory, as the main lot was already full. The outdoors parking area was a mess, but once you gaze at the stars and celestial objects—whether through the telescopes or the planetarium show—your worries melt away. You are lifted into another la-la land moment.
Getty Villa – Greek, Roman, Etruscan Antiquities
Plan and book well in advance for your visit to the Getty Villa. Be transported once again to another place—this time, to first-century A.D. Herculaneum, Italy. This charming villa, a replica of an ancient Roman country house close to Pompeii, features four gardens planted with the same types of fruits grown in those earlier days. The architectural design closely resembles that of an excavation site, with walls that appear to reveal layers of sediment when viewed from the ground floor. Walking and audio tours are available, and you can meet your tour guide at the base of the amphitheater near the gift shop. The scent of the flowers is pungent and sweet. Upstairs, an expansive Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, including mummies and mosaics, is on display. The exhibit incorporates multimedia channels to enrich the learning experience.
Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles
If you are into automobiles and their history—including the impact of film on specific car designs— this place will be a knockout for you. Having worked in the automotive industry through the lens of a marketer, I was interested in the evolution of tools and the unique features that were considered cutting-edge in their time. I find the interplay between innovation and imagination intriguing. The exhibit spans three floors, and we were already short on time, as the museum hosted a holiday event for a client that evening featuring Bugatti’s work. We were fortunate enough to see Bugatti’s art on display—not just cars, but also his furniture and musical instrument designs.
If you loved the movies, Cars, Batman, and Back to the Future, you’ll want to search for the originals here at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. You will be astonished to find other interesting car designs, including one built entirely out of LEGO.
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