Griffith Park
The Griffith Observatory
The classic Hollywood letters, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Griffith Observatory are all located inside one of the largest municipal parks in the nation, Griffith Park. While all of these attractions are fun to visit, they are by no means the extent of what the park has to offer. Guests can also enjoy playgrounds, sports fields and miles of hiking trails.
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 913-4688
www.lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithpk/griffith.htm
Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
A mammoth statue in a tar pit.
It's almost impossible to imagine Los Angeles in its pre-civilization state, but millions of years ago, the City of Angels was inhabited by mammoths, American lions, ground sloths and other prehistoric animals. Many of these animals fell victim to the sticky tar found in what is now known as the La Brea Tar Pits, and their fossilized skeletons can be examined in great detail by visitors to the Page Museum inside the La Brea Tar Pits park. You can also explore the pits themselves by traveling through the grassy park, but watch your feet because not all of the smaller, bubbling pits of tar have been fenced off.
The Page Museum (La Brea Tar Pits)
5801 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 857-6311
www.tarpits.org
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest sign
The beautiful mountainous area of the Angeles National Forest offers all types of recreation activities, so no matter what you or the kids enjoy, there's something for everyone. Common summer activities include camping, hiking, cycling, swimming, canoeing and sailing. In the winter, cross-country skiing and sledding are popular in the high mountains of the park.
Angeles National Forest
Supervisor's Office
701 N. Santa Anita Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 574-5200
www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/recreation
LA Beach Biking
Bikers on the shoreline.
If you and the children enjoy bicycling, then bike some of the most beautiful beaches around. Cycling beside the beaches provides you with excellent scenery along a well-developed and safe bike path. Start out at Marina Del Ray and head south all the way to Manhattan Beach. Try to not go too far south or you may end up in Redondo Beach, which may be a beautiful area but is notoriously unfriendly to bicyclists as police are eager to ticket anyone who fails to follow the many "walk your bike" signs.
If you didn't bring a bike, Daniel's Bike Rentals and Sales offers affordable rentals right in Marina Del Ray.
L.A. Beach Bike Path
62nd at Pacific Ave. to The Strand at Manhattan Beach Blvd.
labikepaths.com
Daniel's Bicycle Rentals & Sales
13737 Fiji Way
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 980-4045
danielsbikerentals.com
