A Los Angeles Honeymoons from The World's Greatest Honeymoons

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City of Dreams

"Tip the world over on its side, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles." —Frank Lloyd Wright

City of Angels. Lotusville. The Big Orange. Lala Land. Countless nicknames have been bestowed upon Los Angeles over the decades, but few stick for long. Maybe that’s because, as the world’s movie capital and the stuff of dreams, LA is too magical to wear a label. Or perhaps it’s just too big, diverse, and exciting—and way too changeable—to capture with a single phrase.

The average day in Lotusland is sunny, warm, and kissed by soft ocean breezes drifting across LA County’s 81 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. Primarily a desert basin, the area is surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountain range, divided by the Santa Monica Mountains, and contains three large rivers. LA's Mediterranean climate translates into little rain. Traffic is notoriously bad ("horrendous" is probably a more accurate description). Nonetheless, to get around you need to drive—so be prepared.

Los Angeles Honeymoon Ideas

The Getty Center: Composed of six buildings on 124 hilltop acres affording a 360° view of Los Angeles, the $1.1 billion Getty Center was designed by famed architect Richard Meier. Since the 1997 opening, it's served as a stunning backdrop for the Getty's in-depth collection of European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European/American photography. Always in residence are works by the likes of Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Monet, but a new traveling exhibit, or an exhibit assembled from the Getty's impressive storehouses, is always opening. A research library, archives, performance & lecture halls, educational, and conservation facilities also reside in the complex. Amazingly, entrance to the Getty is...free. ~ The newest addition to the LA museum scene, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, features modern works by the likes of Jasper Johns, Richard Serra, and Ed Ruscha.

Paramount/Universal Studios: Paramount got its start back in the 1920s, making movies with major stars of the day like heartthrob Rudolph Valentino and glamour girl Clara Bow. Today you can take a 2-hour walking tour of the historic, mega-production studio. You’ll learn how major motion pictures are made, visit sound stages of popular TV programs, and tour the New York City backlit. This tour is beloved by serious film buffs. ~ For a tour that's a more akin to visiting a Hollywood theme park, go to Universal Studios. You'll ride a tram and encounter King Kong, Jaws, E. T., Frankenstein, some Jurassic Park denizens, and other scary movie villains while disasters are occurring all around you. Quite thrilling!

Rodeo Drive: Rodeo Drive may be only 3 blocks long, but it’s one of the world’s most famous shopping districts—the kind of place where you’ll spot incognito movie stars ducking into Armani, Coco Chanel, hot boutiques of the moment, and a few stores so exclusive that you need an appointment to walk in the door. Definitely cruise by the store in which Julia Roberts was snubbed in Pretty Woman (just off Rodeo Drive at 9501 Santa Monica Boulevard). Browse the shops in multi-angled, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Anderton Court, created in the 1950s. Take a watch-the-world-wander-by break in lovely Beverly Gardens Park, or enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea at the 1928 beaux-arts Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Downtown Walking Tour: It wasn't all that long ago that LA's downtown was completely ignored by visitors, but no longer. These days the area has plenty to offer. Start with a free docent tour of the authentic adobes on Olvera Street, the oldest surviving section of Los Angeles. Head southeast to the fashion district: block after block—90 in all—filled with major bargains, all centered around Santee Alley. Then walk north, browsing the nation's largest Flower Market at 766 Wall Street. Check out the open-air Grand Central Public Market, where just about any kind of fresh produce, meat, and fish is available from individual vendors at small stands. Finish up with a steaming bowl of shabu-shabu in Little Tokyo or a plate of dumplings in Chinatown. ~ LA's Department of Transportation runs inexpensive DASH buses every 5-20 minutes downtown between popular visitor destinations and buildings.

Weekday and Weekend DASH schedule & maps

Download podcast walking tours and maps from LA DowntownWalks

Hollywood’s Walk of Fame: Even the cynical thrill to the sight of thousands of stars (each honoring a major name in entertainment) embedded in the sidewalks on Hollywood Boulevard and surrounding streets. From Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin to Charlize Theron and Jamie Foxx—not to mention the Simpsons, Mickey Mouse, and Lassie—the gang's all here at the Walk of Fame. And while you're in the area, don't miss Grauman's Chinese Theater. More than 4 million visitors from around the world come here each year to view the small cement forecourt. The limited space means that only mega-stars are invited to leave their prints. Over the years their numbers (hovering around 200) have included Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Griffith Park: At more than 4000 acres, Griffith Park is one of the country’s largest city parks—and it’s crammed with things to do. Hike Fern Dell's waterfalls and redwood trees. Hop on the 1926 merry-go-round. Peer through a telescope or watch a high-tech light show at copper-domed Griffith Observatory. Grab a ride on a live steam scale model train at the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad. Eat lunch in the Golden Spur Café at the Museum of the American West. Visit 113-acre L. A. Zoo in the Park’s northeast corner, where more than 1200 animals from around the world live in natural habitats. Ogle the 1920s milk trucks and railroad steam engines at the Travel Museum. And there's so much more to do and see in this amazing place...

Venice Beach: It’s not the fishing, or the blue sea, or the classic three-mile beach that attracts visitors here, even though all those things are great. No. People come to Venice to gawk at the wild variety of street performers—everything from pony-tailed chainsaw jugglers to tattooed magicians. Of course, there’s also that inviting beach, the boardwalk lined with shops and vendors, the weightlifters, and scads of inexpensive beachfront cafés made for hanging out. And Santa Monica, the classic upscale California beach town, is but a short, pleasant stroll down the beach. »»More about Santa Monica

Hollywood Bowl: Since 1922 the elegant, Grecian-style Hollywood Bowl has been a wildly popular summertime venue—a place to share a picnic and listen to great music under the stars. The country's largest natural outdoor amphitheater is cradled in a small canyon northeast of Hollywood. The Los Angeles Philharmonic spends its summers here, often featuring internationally-famed conductors, soloists, and groups. Past greats have included Sinatra, Stravinsky, the Beatles, Fonteyn & Nureyev, James Brown, and Judy Garland. More recently: Diana Krall, Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson. Tip: Reserve box seats far in advance (and, while you're at it, order a gourmet picnic basket from the resident caterer for delivery to your box).

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All written material ©WGH ~ Photos: Robert Holmes/CalTour (Downtown)