MUSEUMS The Getty Center. A tram takes visitors to this castle-like museum where panoramic city and ocean views vie with J. Paul Getty's vast, valuable art collection. Museum of Contemporary Art. Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and Susan Rothenberg are among the artists represented in the handsome, red sandstone building known as the MOCA. Museum of Tolerance. Interactive and technological exhibits challenge you to confront bigotry and racism at this moving and thought-provoking museum. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The third-largest museum of its type in the United States has more than 3.5 million specimens in its galleries. Norton Simon Museum. You can view rich collections of Impressionist painters, works by Rembrandt, Goya, Picasso, and Degas, at this Pasadena institution. ONLY IN LA Lake Hollywood. Take a quiet walk on the trail that circles the lake for spectacular views of the Hollywood sign. Mulholland Drive. Take a drive here after dark and the lights of the City of Angels will appear to stretch into infinity. Malibu. When the urban action is too much, escape to El Matador, La Piedra, and El Pescador state beaches, where huge, craggy boulders and spectacular views will bring you back down to earth. Warner Bros. Learn about the inner workings of movie production on a VIP tour of the studios. Television show taping. Watch TV stars at work by attending a television taping at the NBC, Paramount, Sony, or CBS studios. Venice Boardwalk. Be part of the scene where chainsaw jugglers, fortune tellers, street artists and musicians, tattooed weight lifters, and tourists from all over the world converge. Palisades Park. Take a sunset stroll along the seaside bluff in Santa Monica. Sunset Strip. After dark, cruise this West Hollywood street, where clubs jam until the wee hours. Hollywood Bowl. Pack a picnic dinner for an outdoor concert here and join the Angelenos summertime tradition. PARKS AND GARDENS Descanso Gardens. These 165 acres of native chaparral-covered slopes and lush gardens were once part of the vast Spanish Rancho San Rafael that covered more than 30,000 acres. Griffith Park. On 4,100 acres, Griffith Park is the largest municipal park and urban wilderness area in the United States—and a well-used, well-loved backyard for this city of 3.8 million people. Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. An awesome 130-acre garden, formerly the grounds of railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington's hilltop estate, forms the foundation of this cultural complex. RESTAURANTS Aubergine. One of the best restaurants in Southern California, Aubergine's prix-fixe menu is worth both the drive to Newport Beach and the substantial cost. At Campanile Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton—two of the finest modern American chefs in the country—blend robust Mediterranean flavors with homey Americana. Save room for dessert. Patina. The wellspring from which Joachim Splichal's Pinot bistros have sprung, this Hollywood mainstay remains one of L.A.'s best restaurants, with a spare elegance and outstanding contemporary cuisine. Café Blanc. Saffron-marinated scallops, jasmine tea-smoked squab, and lobster risotto are among the novelties you might try at this Beverly Hills bistro. Ocean Star. Fresh, high-quality seafood is the draw at this vast, marble-clad, aquarium-lined outpost of great Hong-Kong-style Chinese cooking in Monterey Park. Angelina Osteria. Authentic but not slavishly so; smart but not pretentious; professional but not stuffy, Angelina is, in other words, the best of Italy, if you're not in Italy. Ita-Cho. Exquisite Japanese cooking is served in a small tech-trendy space on a hot stretch of Beverly Boulevard. [ We love this place—M & D ] The Kitchen. Urbane down-home cooking rocks in this read-your-newspaper café with East Village low looks and equally low prices. Monte Alban. One taste of the dense and complex mole sauce at this West Hollywood café may forever transform your impressions of Mexican cuisine.		City Overviews Fodor's (fodors.com)—the quick suggestions at left were taken from Fodor's excellent website. Tons of information. Frommer's (frommers.com)—good overview of the city, much like Fodor's. The Rough Guide (roughguides.com)—type "Los Angeles" into the destination search for a slightly off-kilter look at the city. Lonely Planet (lonelyplanet.com)—rounding out the Big Four guides is this brash and opinionated site. Fun, but not deep. Dining Guides LA Times Restaurant Guide (calendarlive.com)—the local paper's compendium of restaurant reviews. Hungry City (hungrycity.com)—the companion site for a handy little guide to local eateries. They don't review every restaurant, just the best deals. CitySearch Restaurants (citysearch.com)—a pretty good, pretty complete listing of restaurants, as rated by actual customers. Entertainment Guides LA Weekly Calendar (laweekly.com)—great source for everything happening in the city. The paper's free, so pick one up when you're here. LA Times Calendar (calendarlive.com)—yes, this is a repeat from Dining Guides, but they also have excellent, complete listings for entertainment.