LA - 3 day weekend

January 6, 2006 1:52 PM

So I won a 3-day weekend in LA (pacific palisades) at my bosses house (mansion?) what can i do to ensure this is the once in a lifetime opportunity it has the potential to be?

other mundane specifics like do I need to rent a car to do anything in LA are appreciated

posted by BSummers to Travel & Transportation around Los Angeles, CA (21 answers total)

You definitely need to rent a car.

Anything in particular you're interested in?
posted by I Love Tacos at 2:00 PM on January 6, 2006

is this all expenses paid? what budget are we talking here?
posted by lbergstr at 2:02 PM on January 6, 2006

Without a car (maybe you can just borrow one of the mansion's spares?) you're stuck with walking around Pacific Palisades. True, there's worse places to be stuck at; but I'd get antsy real quick, knowing as I do what's a short drive away. Like, Venice, Hollywood and Santa Monica.
posted by Rash at 2:03 PM on January 6, 2006

Response by poster: i will have 1-4 friends with me so we will probably want to go out at least one of the nights, we are considering "suiting up" and doing it right
posted by BSummers at 2:03 PM on January 6, 2006

Response by poster: they gave me $200 along with plane tickets and a reservation at a as yet unknown restraunt where he knows the chef or something
posted by BSummers at 2:04 PM on January 6, 2006

well, first things first, you absolutely DO need to rent a car. especially if you're going to be staying in the Palisades.

The cool thing about the Palisades is that it's right next to the swankiest areas, like Santa Monica (then Beverly Hills and West Hollywood). I don't know how old you are or what your scene is but you can definitely find some bomb things to do on losangeles.citysearch.com, or la.com, or even the event calendar on craigslist.
posted by menace303 at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2006

if you go out don't wear a "suit"

also rent a movie, my pick would be "Weekend At Bernie's"
posted by dawdle at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2006

Bring ladies back to it and tell them it's yours.
posted by JackarypQQ at 2:22 PM on January 6, 2006

Do you like museums at all?
If so:
LACMA
Getty
Moca
Hammer
Huntington
Norton Simon
And, of course, my personal favorite: The Museum of Jurassic Technology. Really, that one is a must-see.
For these, you must rent a car.
posted by Uncle Glendinning at 2:26 PM on January 6, 2006

Response by poster: i have heard great things about The Museum of Jurassic Technology but nothing specific and it seems like it would be a hard sell to my friends
posted by BSummers at 2:31 PM on January 6, 2006

i have heard great things about The Museum of Jurassic Technology but nothing specific and it seems like it would be a hard sell to my friends

Yeah, seriously. Is that like an in-joke Angelinos play on tourists? Because I've heard tons about it, but nobody says like "look dude, it's just a bunch of bullshit that people made up. I mean, it's pretty cool and all, but you know, whatever". I mean, are there spoilers involved or something?

I'm gonna check it out next time I'm in LA, but i'm just curious.
posted by fishfucker at 2:41 PM on January 6, 2006

Best answer: Being in the Palisades, your options for getting around are Sunset blvd. and PCH.

Taking Sunset blvd. east, you'll hit the following:
The Getty Museum (just north of Sunset off of Sepulveda).
UCLA with the Sculpture gardens and Fowler museum of natural history (kind of a dud).
West Hollywood and the Sunset Strip - if you're going here, I suggest taking a cab, four people can split fare both ways with no problems.

Taking PCH North, not much but pretty coast and the Reel Inn for decent fresh fish and crab. A lot of local fish.

Taking PCH South, you hit Santa Monica with the 3rd street Promenade and Santa Monica pier. Good food to be had around the Promenade and ample parking (though you have to pay in the lots). Staying on PCH, it turns into the 10 freeway which can lead you anywhere.

Definitely rent a car and ask for maps. Know that most places close between 11:00pm and 2:00am.
posted by inviolable at 3:42 PM on January 6, 2006

Know that most places close between 11:00pm and 2:00am

do you have your a and p swapped?!
posted by andrew cooke at 3:51 PM on January 6, 2006

andrew cooke : 'do you have your a and p swapped?!'

yeah, he's right. pretty lame. last call is technically 2am but most places stop serving and start pushing you out around 1:15am
posted by menace303 at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2006

oh. sorry, i misread it. they close at some time between 11pm and 2am, right?

stupidly, i read it as, they are open from 2 am, round the clock, to 11pm, when they close. which seemed odd.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2006

Yeah, seriously. Is that like an in-joke Angelinos play on tourists? Because I've heard tons about it, but nobody says like "look dude, it's just a bunch of bullshit that people made up. I mean, it's pretty cool and all, but you know, whatever". I mean, are there spoilers involved or something?

I'm gonna check it out next time I'm in LA, but i'm just curious.

Ha. Well, I'd known something about The Museum of Jurassic Technology before I went, so, admittedly, I might have had a slight advantage. Technically, not all the exhibitions are totally made up. Some of the displays (at least when I was there) are based on fact, at least tenuously. I confess that I don't have the most standard of tastes, so I may be biased. But I think it's a strange and fascinating place. If your friends aren't into that sort of thing, don't go, because it's easily made fun of.

May either be awesome during a hangover, or horrible. Beware.
posted by Uncle Glendinning at 6:03 PM on January 6, 2006

Yeah, you have to really enjoy weirdness and ambiguity to "get" the MJT. I think it's sheer genius, but it is very much a YMMV thing.
posted by scody at 7:06 PM on January 6, 2006

Here are two previous answers I had about stuff to do on the Westside.

For a car (which ou should definitely get) reserve through priceline. You should be able to get one on the cheap.

The Palisades (as people call it) is a bit outside of "the action". It is a beautiful place though.

If you haven't been to LA before, I would say that a visit to the Sunset Strip is in order. It's a bit cheesey and full of itself, but hey, it's LA. Start with Bar Marmont and have one of their infused vodkas. It's a good place to dress for and not too pretentious. Right down the block is Miyagi's which is this huge monstrosity of a bar but you will be able to do some good people watching. After a couple hours there, you could go down to the Saddle Ranch and watch people ride the mechanical bull.

As for places to eat, there are a ton. If you email me with your likes and dislikes, I guarantee that I can suggest a great place (kosher chinese food? no problem).
posted by jonah at 11:33 PM on January 6, 2006

You'll be close to Gladstones right on the beach in Malibu. If you like fish, try it out. If the weather is good, the sunsets are great.

BTW, I love the Museum of Jurassic Technology. But if you never go to museums, trying some of the more traditional ones might be a better match. The Getty has a great view and will be close to you (oh yeah, and it has good art).

If you really want to get the flavor of ALL that LA is (diverse to the max) drive from one end of Sunset to the other. Start at the Palisades and simply go east. It's maybe 20 miles but will take you through just about every type of ethnic neighborhood LA has. You'll end up at Union Station and close to Chinatown. Good restaurants.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 5:49 AM on January 7, 2006

BTW, how'd you win this trip?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 5:50 AM on January 7, 2006

Response by poster: BTW, how'd you win this trip?

Raffle at the company christas party
posted by BSummers at 8:05 AM on January 10, 2006