My Fourth of July Weekend

I had a fabulous time in L.A. this weekend. My son and I went down for the King Tut Exhibit at the LACMA. It was very well-done and well-staged by the museum. I would urge all to see it, but be prepared for long lines. Line-up at least 30 minutes prior to your stated time, if buying tickets in advance. I parked on the next steet over, parallel to Wilshire, which was free. BTW, the exhibit is in the LACMA west building, which is a block down from the main building. We visited the main museum%26#39;s permanent exhibits, housed a block away, which are free after 5:00 p.m, a real deal, and very few people there. Just get your free tickets from the ticket booth. My son was thrilled with the Tim Hawkinson exhibit, which was amazing, witty, and provocative. Great for kids.

My son and I also went to the LA Brea Tar Pits. The Excavation Pit, Pit 91, is free and is behind the main LACMA building, in a nice little park. The Page Museum, nearby, however, is still nice to visit as you can see actual fossils of mammoths and saber cats and they have quite a few, hands-on demonstrations.

My son and I had a great breakfast at the Farmer%26#39;s Market on the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire. They have every kind of cuisine you can think of. And open for dinner, too. I recommend the French Crepe place, which was easily the busiest stand at the Market and the only one with a line of people. The folks there, however, are very fast and the crepes are quite reasonably priced. Parking is problematic. The market validates the parking on their lot if you make a purchase. The street parking is for one hour. DO NOT PARK ACROSS THE STREET AT THE WHOLE FOODS PARKING LOT, AS THEY WILL TOW YOUR CAR FAST.

We also went to the Santa Monica Pier and the nearby Third Street Promenade at night. Parking is awful. I did not want to pay the $8, so I parked on a short term lot (max. 2 hours for $2) about two streets beyond the main entrance to the Pier. The parking lot is small, but ends up right by the Pier Carousel. We did this for the Pier one night and for the Promenade, another night.

There is a makeshift memorial on the beach right next to the Pier called ';Arlington West'; where there are wooden crosses and names and pictures representing all the women and men who died in Irag so far. We came upon it as the sun was setting down and the candles by the row upon row of wooden crosses on the sand was haunting. The memorial allows you to write the name of a fallen soldier and place it upon an empty cross. I don%26#39;t know how long it is supposed to be up.

I also visited the Hollywood Cemetery on Santa Monica Blvd. It has quite a few old-time hollywood stars interred there, most notably Rudolph Valentino, Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Sr., Cecil B. DeMille. It%26#39;s a good place to go while waiting for other sights to open. It opens at 8 am. A map can be bought at the flowershop for $5.

My two restaurant recommendations are:

Versailles: a plain, no-frills Cuban restaurant on La Cienega and alos one on Venice. Wonderful garlic chicken plate which comes with white rice and black beans that is big enough for 2 (under $10). My son loved the arroz con pollo and their lemonade. I had the mango shake which was wonderful. Fast service and a little parking lot.

Swingers: an all-day and all-night diner place on Beverly Blvd.. Great challah french toast and waffles. They serve Vegan fare and use organic ingredients as well. Breakfast for two cost $18. Great atmosphere, good jukebox, and frequented by locals.

I had a great time and I hope that people find my report useful.

My Fourth of July Weekend

Thanks for this great trip report!! Glad you enjoyed your time here!!! We%26#39;ll also be going to see the King Tut Exhibit at the LACMA and heard it was fab!

My Fourth of July Weekend

Your review is very useful...Thank you

Thanks for your informative review. I wonder if you have ever been to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County? I%26#39;d like to know how that compares to the La Brea Tar Pits. We%26#39;re planning a visit and don%26#39;t have time to visit both.