3rd street promenade is fun - shopping at midnight appeals to people for some reason. The Pier and Venice should be seen, but to appeal to EVERYONE, not just art buffs (Getty) and nature lovers (Huntington), seeing THE SIGN is a requisite. The Hills are awesome to drive through, the houses eclectic, and views tremendous and in the end, seeing the sign is something worth traveling all the way to Los Angeles.
Pros: free, famous, fantastic
Cons: cannot touch it
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