You'll love L.A. despite itself

By KEVIN JONES

Most people who visit Los Angeles for the first time arrive by plane and the reaction is universal, especially if the arrival is at night. The place is mind-bogglingly big and the sight of the urban lights as Los Angeles's suburbs and satellite cities stretch out for mile after mile is one that will always stay with you.

It is precisely this immensity that can make LA an overwhelming prospect for the tourist. Put simply, if you don't drive, you will see next to nothing unless you are prepared to waste vast amounts of time on the city's inadequate public transport system.

They may romantically call it the City of Angels, but in reality, the city of freeways, the city of smog or the city of wheels and deals would be far better. If you're talking about Downtown, try city of violence.

Unless you're loaded and can afford taxi rides around the place, your driver's licence and a credit card with which to hire a car are the first two things you should pack in your bag.

Let's get all the negatives out of the way right at the start: LA is dirty, smoggy, sleazy in parts and basically full of itself. Some Californians, especially those in Los Angeles, are rarely impressed by you. They believe you are there to be impressed by them.

Having said all that, there are enough world-class tourist attractions in LA to make up for the city's relative lack of soul and only occasional scenic beauty.

After leaving LA International airport (known to all locals as LAX), which may one day be complete, head north and pretty soon you'll be in Hollywood.

It is important you do not arrive in the movie capital of the western world with any pre-conceived notions. Unless you carry enough in your wallet to allow you to stay at the Beverly Hills Hilton and eat at Spago's or L'Hermitage, you will quickly discover that Tinseltown is actually a grubby, sleazy place, with a sizeable drugs and street crime problem.

It does have some fun places to see, however, such as Universal Studios, Mann's Chinese Theatre (formally Grauman's Chinese Theatre), the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Hollywood Museum and the Hollywood Bowl.

Universal is a must-see, especially if you're a film fan, as is Mann's Chinese Theatre, with its world-famous hand and footprints of movie legends in the pavement outside.

Fill up the car for a 35-kilometre drive south-west and you'll find yourself in the city of Anaheim, a sprawling satellite city of LA famous for little other than being the home of Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, two of the world's leading theme parks.

Disneyland is the original Walt Disney theme park. It was improved upon by Disney World in Florida and Euro Disney outside Paris began the spread of the cutesy Disney message to the Old World.

Disney has taken on Japan but now the organisation has returned its focus on to Anaheim and is building a huge extension to the original Disneyland. Even if you don't have kids, you can have yourself a lot of fun here.

Knott's Berry Farm was America's first theme park and is now the newest member of the Cedar Fair amusement family.

Knott's is 150 acres of rides, live shows and family attractions celebrating California and the American Wild West. Hours of sick-making fun here.

Don't try some of the rides if you have a medical condition, unless you're feeling suicidal!

LA, of course, is the land of Baywatch and the Beach Boys and all the sun, sea, sand and sex that goes with it.

To the north of LAX, you find the surf culture of Malibu, where movie stars' estates are tucked in the hills above the ocean.

Further south, you can take in the entire bay from atop a lighted Ferris wheel at the famed Santa Monica Pier, which is only a couple of blocks away from the Third Street Promenade, a browsers' heaven of bookstores, boutiques and cafes.

Keep strolling and you're soon in Venice, thus named for its canals. South of the airport offers a vast array of attractions, such as the legendary and glamorous cruise liner Queen Mary and the new, nearby Long Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific.

You can watch the volleyball players in Manhattan Beach, or soak up some Old World-style charm in San Pedro. If you have decent sea legs, try a ferry ride to Santa Catalina, 26 miles off the coast.

Santa Monica is probably the most well-known beach community in the country. Set along three miles of Pacific Ocean beachfront, it is often featured in television shows (like Baywatch) and movies, Santa Monica enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year.

From beach volleyball to biking, roller-blading, and jogging along the incredibly popular 22-mile-long beach bike path, Santa Monica encourages an active, outdoor lifestyle.

It is also one of the few places in the L.A. area where you can park your car and walk to just about anything you need. Sample from among Santa Monica's 400 restaurants, all within walking distance of one another. Traffic is light - you can walk just about anywhere within Santa Monica. You can enjoy street performers, festivals, fairs, arts and crafts shows, and exhibitions. Other popular attractions are the weekly farmers' markets held on the city streets.

Santa Monica is only 10 miles from the world-class Getty Museum, 13 miles from downtown LA, 45 miles from Disneyland, and eight miles from LAX airport.

So, you can see that LA has plenty going for it. It is just a shame that it lacks a soul. You don't realise this fully until you head north to San Francisco, but more on that in another part of our road trip around California. Click here if you are interested in accommodation in the greater Los Angeles area.

Santa Barbara and Highway One
Big Sur
Monterey and Carmel
San Francisco
Yosemite
Death Valley