Los Angeles, Calif. attracts more than 25 million tourists each year, including vacationing families. Boasting warm weather practically year-round, the city offers excellent conditions for outdoor activities and, as a result, promotes a landscape of healthy living. Visitors to the region are just a short drive from the ocean, mountains and desert as well.
Visit a Park
Los Angeles features more than 15,000 acres of parks. Griffith Park, the city's largest park, offers such family-friendly attractions as a carousel, two trains, pony rides, hiking trails, the Griffith Park Observatory, and the Los Angeles Zoo. The park also includes a golf course and a preeminent concert venue, The Greek Theatre. Echo Park, situated near downtown Los Angeles, offers paddle boat rides in the park's lake. Elysian Park plays host to Dodger Stadium and includes picnic facilities and baseball fields for visitors.
Visit the Beach
The Los Angeles area features a host of surrounding beach communities, most of which provide scores of outdoor activities and a large supply of sporting equipment for rent. Visitors can work out at Venice Beach's historic outdoor waterfront gym, affectionately known as Muscle Beach. You can also take advantage of the oceanfront paths reserved for rollerblading and bike riding, not to mention the region's numerous basketball courts. Santa Monica beaches feature excellent surfing conditions and beach volleyball courts, while Marina Del Rey offers various boat cruises and rentals.
Visit a Museum
Los Angeles offers numerous museums, many of which are appropriate for the entire family and promote outdoor living. The Getty Center, situated high above the hills of Brentwood, includes lush gardens and lawns for picnicking. The affiliated Getty Villa in Malibu offers guided tours, including an impressive herb garden. The museum's onsite café features dishes mostly made from local organic ingredients. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, which covers more than four billion years of history, features a massive rose garden with paths for strolling.
Go Camping
Although it may prove surprising to some, Los Angeles features its fair share of campgrounds. Malibu Creek State Park offers camping opportunities in the mountainous Malibu Canyon region. The campsite also features hiking and horseback riding trails. Leo Carrillo State Park, situated on the beach and at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, includes coastal caves for exploring, excellent windsurfing conditions and tide pools. Angeles National Forest, situated north of Los Angeles and in the San Gabriel Mountains, offers more than 50 campsites scattered throughout the park's 650,000-plus acres.
Culinary Tour
Due to its location near the Pacific Ocean, the city features scores of fresh seafood restaurants. Los Angeles also plays host to its fair share of vegetarian, vegan and organic-friendly restaurants. The city also offers multiple farmers markets, most of which sell locally grown products, health-conscious food, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Hollywood, Santa Monica and Westwood are just a few of the Los Angeles-based communities or neighboring cities which feature farmer's markets.
Member Comments