The Taste of LA Driving Tour - by CJW

Taste of LA Driving Tour

This is a tour for those who want a drive that will encompass an overview or appetizer of Los Angeles. You could take all day or a few hours.

What is good about this is that you will see so many different neighborhoods of all different types on this one drive.

I’ll note places to stop if you want to side track.

Also, use MapBlast to get directions from your hotel or pier starting point.

MapQuest has a tendency to mess up some directions in the LA area.

S

tarting point:

From where you are Mapblast this address to be your start

5500 Hollywood Blvd CA 90027

This will put you on the east side of town, near Los Feliz.

It’s also a good starting point, because you can get here from 3 or 4 freeway off ramps.

(I'm going to have to do this in parts, sp please bear with me, and post questions when I'm finished, please!)

Head West young man (woman)!

This will take you through the older parts of Hollywood.

Once you cross Hollywood and Vine Streets, you can turn right to see or take pictures of the Capitol Records Tower or just keep going…

Andrew Dunn Photo

Back on Hollywood Blvd heading west…

You will now see the nicer stores and restaurants here.

Musso & Frank’s Grill

is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, all the way up to currently George Clooney and Sean Penn hung out here.

Here would be a good detour to The Hollywood Sign...

Previous directions and info in this thread at the clink below:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=404640

At Hollywood and Highland,

it’s a good place to park if you want to see the Chinese Theater.

Park, and walk around.

Back in the car, either at Highland Blvd. Or La Brea head south to Sunset Blvd. And turn right, heading west again.

This will take you through more of Hollywood, until you eventually get to

The Sunset Strip.

Here are some things that you will pass on the way:

The Argyle Hotel

Once the residence of Errol Flynn, Howard Hughes, and Bugsy Siegel, it has been used as a location for Pretty Woman, Get Shorty and The Player.

The Hyatt Hotel (known as the Riot Hyatt for all of the rock and roll antics that have occurred there).

Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and Motley Crue all trashed this hotel at one time or another, threw TVs and other things out the windows, etc.

Next to that is The Comedy Store

Home to almost every major comedian in the world.

A little further down is Sunset Plaza

High end shops and boutiques; and some great restaurants.

Park in the parking lot behind on Sunset and Sunset Plaza Blvd.

Have lunch or dinner at Chin Chin’s some of the best California Asian fusion cuisine; as well as the best people watching in the city.

The Viper Room

Johnny Depp’s nightclub, and Hollywood hangout. Poor River Phoenix, right in front of the door there…

The Whiskey (a Go-Go)

Literally Go-Go Dancers were "invented" here.

The song "Going to a Go-Go" (recorded by The Rolling Stones and The Miracles) was about this place.

People who got their start or were regulars here include:

The Doors, Frank Zappa, Otis Redding, Neil Diamond, The Kinks, The Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Joan Jett, Motley Crue, The Ramones, Van Halen, Blondie, Talking Heads, and Nirvana…

The Roxy

Home to:

The Rocky Horror Show, Guns N’ Roses, Jane’s Addiction, Foo Fighters, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and John Lennon.

The Rainbow Bar and Grill

Former hangout of Vincent Minelli, Judy Garland, Joe Dimaggio met Marilyn Monroe here.

Then frequented by John Lennon, Ringo Star and Elvis Presley.

John Bleushi had his last meal here.

Then became a hangout of Guns N’ Roses (featured in their videos), Motley Crue, and Poison.

Now you’re out of West Hollywood and entering Beverly Hills.

Just note all of the houses and mansions, and how quickly the neighborhoods have been changing throughout this drive.

Look on your right for The Beverly Hills Hotel

(old picture, but the best one in public domain that I could find)

Big Pink building on your right hand side. Featured on the cover of The Eagles’ Hotel California album.

Everyone from The Beatles to Faye Dunway lived here.

Soon you’ll be passing through Bel Air…

Note: watch your driving for the next parts – lots of twists and turns – and police "speedtraps", so just watch your speed limit.

Westwood/UCLA

then Brentwood

then Pacific Palisades

Look for The Village, which is about 3 blocks long, and then Palisades High School on your left.

This was the site of many movies including Carrie, Crazy/Beautiful, Old School and Freaky Friday. Everyday Italian on The Food Network is filmed in a house behind the school.

Finally you will come out at the end of Sunset Blvd. At The Pacific Coast Highway.

Sunset Boulevard was named for the Sunset seen from this point.

If you are hungry here go straight forward to

Gladstone’s

http://www.gladstones.com/

Great food, great views.

If not, you can stop here on the way back from…

Turning right on Pacific Coast Highway, you will now be heading through

Malibu

more Malibu to see

Continue going north as long as your time allows, (just give yourself the same amount of time you need to turn back) and you’ll see sights, similar to:

At some point, turn around and go back south…

When you pass Sunset Boulevard and Gladstone’s keep going

You’ll see The Pacific Palisades on your left, high cliffs overlooking the ocean…

Santa Monica on the right

This is the "home" of Baywatch…

Santa Monica Pier will be coming up on your right…

Another good place to stop if you want to do so…

Stay to the far right if you want to do this.

Parking is there, you can also walk to Venice Beach from here…

Filming location for The Doors, White Men Can’t Jump, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, Million Dollar Baby, Lords of Dogtown, CHiPs, Baywatch, Three’s Company as well as parts of 24, Alias, and The X-Files.

If you don’t want to stop here and are ready to get back to your home base, go into the tunnel on the left.

This is the start of the 10 Freeway going East.

This should get you back to your starting point…

Hope this helps.

I’ll add more to this as I think of it.

CJW

:D This is so awesome. I'm gonna go nuts til May gets here. I just keep bookmarking thread after thread.

Curt Jerome Wild,

Thank you so much for your wonderful travelogue.

We moved to California some 52 years ago for my Dad to work at that Capital Records building, and I spent all of my teenaged days hanging around many of the places you have pictured. I have one question, do you know if the Rainbow Grill used to be a Hamburger Hamlet? It looks familiar, but I don't remember a Rainbow Grill, except at a hotel in Hollywood.......inside.

Also, the first Whisky A GoGo was in New York, but we were mighty excited when the one in L.A. opened, and danced our feet off............ :)

It truly was great fun to see it all again............haven't lived there for many, many years.............and I thank you.

Loved your illustrated travel guide, CJW. We didn't have enough time to do all of it on our October trip. We ended up eating in Gladstones which was mobbed since the chilly weather drove all the patrons inside. Totally different than the Gladstones in Long Beach.

Thank you for all your time and effort!:) You could give tours of LA!

Awesome thread!!

I will definitely be taking advantage of this route in August! All the famous places I want to see all wrapped up into one drive!! THANK YOU!!

Every time this thread pops up in my subscriptions, I think to myself, I WANNA GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

Thanks again to Curt for posting this.:)

Thanks for putting the drive together. I'm marking this!

I live here in LA & really enjoyed the tour.

Hi Curt. Thanks for the tour directions! I'm going to follow most of it in one week! I have a question about getting to the dog park to see the Hollywood sign close up. Perhaps you can help better with directions for me?

I put into mapblast from Hollywood/Vine to the address you stated, and the directions state part of it is "gated". Will I be able to get through?

The directions I have state the following:

Take ramp right for US-101 / Hollywood Fwy North (2.2 miles)

At exist 11A, take ramp right for Cahuenga Blvd E toward Barham Blvd / Burbank (0.2 miles)

Turn right onto Lakeridge Pl, and then immediately turn left onto Wonder View Dr (0.1 miles)

Bear right toward Montlake Dr (0.7 miles) [Gated Road]

Turn right onto Montlake Dr. (0.7 miles)

Turn left onto Tahoe Dr (0.3 miles)

Turn right onto Canyon Lake Drive

Thanks for your help!

Bump... in case anyone can help :D

Hi Curt. Thanks for the tour directions! I'm going to follow most of it in one week! I have a question about getting to the dog park to see the Hollywood sign close up. Perhaps you can help better with directions for me?

 

I put into mapblast from Hollywood/Vine to the address you stated, and the directions state part of it is "gated". Will I be able to get through?

 

The directions I have state the following:

Take ramp right for US-101 / Hollywood Fwy North (2.2 miles)

At exist 11A, take ramp right for Cahuenga Blvd E toward Barham Blvd / Burbank (0.2 miles)

Turn right onto Lakeridge Pl, and then immediately turn left onto Wonder View Dr (0.1 miles)

Bear right toward Montlake Dr (0.7 miles) [Gated Road]

Turn right onto Montlake Dr. (0.7 miles)

Turn left onto Tahoe Dr (0.3 miles)

Turn right onto Canyon Lake Drive

 

Thanks for your help!

You're fine. The road is gated in areas that you are not going to be driving on, as part of it continues around the "lake".

It enters into kind of a "park trail", and that's where there are gates.

You won't be using that part of the road.:cool:

You're fine. The road is gated in areas that you are not going to be driving on, as part of it continues around the "lake".

It enters into kind of a "park trail", and that's where there are gates.

You won't be using that part of the road.:cool:

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!