THE CLASSIC WEST COAST SUMMER EXPERIENCE

Fly into: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Check out: Los Angeles

The lure: California sunshine, city sophistication, and those lovely Pacific beaches

The experience: L.A. is best experienced in snack-sized bites—taking in a bit of beach and sun, a bit of Hollywood hoopla, and a dash of Angeleno "culture." L.A.'s rule is that everything takes a half hour to reach, so we suggest staying at the just-opened Hotel Palomar in Westwood; its central location will save you at least some driving. You can reasonably hit both Venice Beach (pictured) for beach time and Santa Monica for people-watching in a single afternoon. And there's always window shopping (and gawking) on Rodeo Drive and at the Getty Center's masterpieces.

Oh, and: The Westwood neighborhood itself is home to many of the city's movie premieres, at theaters such as the Mann's Village Theatre and Bruin Theatre. Ask the concierge if there's anything going on while you're in town. Even if you can't score tickets, it's a treat to watch the red carpet roll out, the searchlights scan the sky, the limos line up. Often, bleachers are set up for the onlookers, and the stars will glad-hand with fans before ducking inside. Hooray for Hollywood, right?

Hotel Palomar Los Angeles-Westwood
Tel: 800 472 8556
Doubles from $229

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