A century of movie-making means nowhere blends science fiction and reality quite like Los Angeles – as I discovered from the back of a driverless taxi – hours after seeing KITT from Knight Rider in a museum.
Seeing the steering wheel spin of its own accord was as nerve-racking as watching a London cab’s meter spinning… But as the Waymo (an app like Uber, but no driver) safely navigated the streets, it gave a surreal taste of the future.
And like any traveller landing at LAX for the first time I had plenty of preconceptions. But no matter if your movie taste is more Barbie than Blade Runner, LA is full of surprises.
Thought the City of Angels was too big or busy for your little angels? Think again. It has entertainment for kids of all ages. Even big kids like me in their mid-40s. Ironically the home of the silver screen is perfect for a screen break, as it offers enough stimulation for even TikTok-addicted teenagers to put phones away.
LA hosts the World Cup next year and the Olympics in 2028. For sports-loving families, catching a game while in LA is a great option. LA Clippers-owner Steve Ballmer sank £1.5billion into the Intuit Dome basketball arena – and boy, can you tell. The former Microsoft CEO wanted the world’s best arena for his NBA team. Befitting a tech titan’s toy, it is completely space-age.
For starters, after booking a seat online, you upload a selfie on to the Clippers’ app and your face acts as your ticket – you literally just walk in. Want a drink, hot dog or jersey? Pick one up from any bar or shop and stroll away. Facial recognition is also linked to your Google or Apple Pay. Pretty cool.
I also caught the Lakers at the downtown Crypto.com Arena. Murals of late Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant can be found all over LA and there are always A-list celebrities courtside.
The short trip to Anaheim for the original Disneyland will be on most family agendas. Mickey, Minnie and co have entertained generations there since 1955 and the park marks its 70th in July.
In truth, every day at Disneyland is a celebration, particularly for younger visitors. The clear ride highlight was the incredible Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Space Mountain also continues to wow and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride was exhilarating.
Top tip, download the Disneyland app before arriving for live updates on queues, navigation and details of when popular parades take place. Viewing the fireworks displays from Main Street is a must.
Of all the insider movie trivia gained during (ace) tours of Universal Studios and Warner Bros, the most jaw-dropping was that the latter employs gardeners to pick individual leaves from trees so Mafia sets convincingly replicate New York (the Big Apple has an autumn, LA doesn’t).
Warner Bros is a working studio and the 90-minute tour is unmissable. TV fans can sit on famous sofas from Friends and The Big Bang Theory, and seeing the tricks performed to create your favourite shows is eye-opening.
As well as an equally informative tour – including sets from Psycho, Jaws and King Kong – Universal Studios is a full-blown theme park too. The coolest ride is the immersive MarioKart: Bowser’s Challenge in Super Nintendo World.
Imagine playing MarioKart with friends, while wearing 3D goggles and simultaneously spinning around in a dodgem car and you’re not far off.
Theme-park tickets, food and merchandise mount up, so it is a relief some top attractions are free. California’s golden sands are legendary, and Venice and Santa Monica beaches are easy excursions. The 2.5 mile walk between Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach Skatepark is a gem. And where else could you join posers pumping iron on Muscle Beach, watch skaters flip epic tricks, and barter for souvenirs with the merchants of Venice boardwalk?
Another fab free excursion is to Griffith Park – named after a Welsh mining magnate who donated it to LA, though on the negative side of the ledger he later shot his wife. That nugget was a line from our guide from Bikes and Hikes LA, who as an actor played a doctor on ER. Before you ask, no, it wasn’t a down-on-his-luck George Clooney…
While Griffith Park is totally free, the guide (Michael) elevated the experience.
The massive park on Mount Hollywood has brilliant views, hiking trails and is a great vantage point for photos of the Hollywood sign. Griffith Observatory is another free and fun way of learning about the stars. Checking how much you’d weigh on different planets is interactive amusement, at least until you get to Jupiter and the needle rockets.
As well as celestial stars it regularly hosts cinematic ones, appearing in scores of movies, including La La Land.
The Petersen Museum on Wilshire Boulevard is impossibly striking and home to not only Michael Knight’s KITT and Herbie, the Batmobile and Lightning McQueen, but 250 other significant vehicles.
LA is also well served by art museums for those after culture. The Broad in downtown boasts a stunning collection of contemporary works by Warhol, Basquiat and Koons and is also free.
The magic cast by tacos in LA is intoxicating and I was enchanted. Angelenos insist LA dining doesn’t get more authentic than at its 4,000 roadside taco trucks. I can honestly say I didn’t have one mediocre taco – they were uniformly excellent and a bargain option for family dining.
To push the taco boat out a little, head to Holbox inside the Mercado la Paloma in south LA. There aren’t many Michelin-starred restaurants where you just turn up and join the queue. The 20-minute wait was rewarded by a counter seat where I could watch chefs expertly assemble spankingly fresh seafood tacos.
Octopuses, scallops and Baja California Kanpachi with a bewildering array of salsas were among the delights I dived into. A final bill – including tip and tax – of $44 was an absolute steal.
LA is a seriously exciting food city, though prices can seem high. For those staying downtown, Asterid by Ray Garcia is a swanky option where the short rib lives long in the memory.
In the Arts District, De La Nonna is great value and a cut above most Italians, with its salads and vegetable-led dishes enticing, not to mention a killer cocktail list. On Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Gjelina is a celeb magnet. By LA standards it’s affordable and the Mediterranean-inspired food really lets the Californian produce sing.
LA has more than 1,000 hotels to suit all budgets, but I definitely backed a winner at the W Hollywood. Having recently undergone a £38million refurb, it is a glam choice, right on Hollywood Boulevard (Katharine Hepburn and Doris Day have Walk of Fame stars outside).
The stylish rooms are huge, with great design touches. A rooftop pool offers breathtaking views and was a stunning spot for a dawn dip to defeat jet lag. Downstairs the Living Room is the sort of grand lobby bar American hotels do so well – great for first-rate drinks and people-watching. Breakfast, while pricey, was spectacular and sets you up until dinnertime.
I also stayed at the Omni, located at California Plaza, near the Grand Central Market and downtown attractions. My comfortable room was massive and overlooked Angels Flight, the funicular railway – a staple movie backdrop.
The service at the Omni stood out and the breakfast avocado toast at its Noé restaurant put UK versions to shame and was almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
LA is famously vast and everything you have heard about its rush-hour traffic is true. Unlike London, where tourists rarely leave Zone 1, LA’s attractions are spread out. Pre-planning which attractions can be visited on the same day is key.
Most visitors – particularly those enjoying a wider Californian trip – will hire a car. For part of my stay I did without and found a combination of public transport and ride-hailing apps worked well. (LA’s public transport doesn’t have a great reputation locally, but I personally found it OK).
The $11billion rail line from LAX to downtown is due to open for the World Cup and Metro extensions to Beverly Hills are being built. The bus network is more comprehensive than Metro, but unlike Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Speed, you definitely won’t stay above 50mph for long…
Movie directors know a great ending sets up the sequel by leaving the audience wanting more. It is just the same with holidays and on that score LA absolutely delivered.
There is so much to see and do that you can only really scratch the surface in one trip.
And in the immortal words of former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – “I’ll be back”.
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