firecat

I'm at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott for a NAAFA convention.

I drove here. Once I hit LA I realized that although I've visited neighboring areas a number of times and have spent a day or three in LA proper here or there, I've never been here for a solid week.

I probably won't have much time to do anything other than conventioning, but if I were to do something around town, what do you think it should be?

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From:

fauxklore

My usual recommendation for the coolest place in L.A. is the Museum of Jurassic Technology. This is a storefront on Venice Blvd. in Culver City and is, essentially, a parody of a Victorian natural history museum. The exhibits include stuff like a bat that can fly through solid objects by getting up into ultrasound, for example. The last time I was there, they had expanded a lot and had a great exhibit on string figures, including video demonstrations. It's very weird, but that's what I like about it.

If the Thursday night dances on the pier at Santa Monica are still happening, they often have great music.

You could go up to the Thai mall in Hollywood and eat great food in the food court, accompanied by a Thai Elvis impersonator.

On weekends, the L.A. Conservancy does interesting walking tours downtown.

From:

selki.livejournal.com

That museum sounds really nifty!

I liked the Burke Williams spa when I went there for a massage, though I don't remember which location it was. Nice massage ($70 at the time), great big hot tub (20 people-ish?) with tubside pitchers of water w' orange slices), etc. http://www.burkewilliamsspa.com/

Also, the Huntington Library, Arts, and Botanical Gardens near Pasadena.
http://www.huntington.org/

From:

fauxklore

The Huntington is also a fine place to go. I highly recommend their afternoon tea, followed by a stroll through the rose garden (or the cactus garden or the Japanese garden, depending on your tastes).