An awesome place : Travis Newport Beach? Known by locals as “The Back Bay,” Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserves is a large coastal wetland or estuary. Consisting of approximately 1,000 acres, it is one of the largest coastal wetland areas in southern California. The preserve is a popular place for bird watching because it is an important stopover for some 35,000 birds that are traveling on the Pacific Flyway, the major north-south migration path that extends from Alaska to Patagonia. In addition to bird watching, other popular activities include biking, hiking, and horseback riding. The park also features the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center which is a great place to visit with kids.
Those seeking a raucous time may like to drop by Jumbo’s Clown Room. This small, red-and-black bar has been around since the ’70s and has become something of a Los Angeles institution. These days, it’s famous as a bikini bar, with talented dancers and contortionists conquering the stage nightly. Performers choose songs on an old jukebox, with song selections including metal, ’90s alt-rock, and ’70s and ’80s throwbacks. Guests may not take pictures, and tips for dancers are expected. It’s hard to explain what the Museum of Jurassic Technology is exactly. It isn’t organized in any logical way, and some of the information may not be entirely true. Yet it’s one of the most fascinating museums in LA, containing a surreal assemblage of seemingly unrelated objects. There is a collection of very, very tiny sculptures, each made from a strand of hair; a room full of letters sent to the Mount Wilson Observatory; a gallery consisting solely of paintings of dogs who were involved in the Soviet Space Program; decaying dice from magician Ricky Jay; and a Russian tea room where human guests share the space with unusually tame birds.
Newport Beach is a five mile long municipal beach located on Balboa Boulevard at Oceanfront & 21st Street and is owned by the city of Newport Beach. It lies on both sides of the Newport Beach Pier and it extends from the Balboa Pier Beach on the south as far north as West Newport Park. The beach consists of fine soft sand which makes it a popular place for sunbathers. Water activities include boating, fishing, surfing, and swimming; non-water activities include biking, skating, volleyball, and walking. There is a paved trail called the Newport-Balboa Bike Trail that runs behind the beach for several miles. Find extra details at Travis Newport Beach.
Griffith Park, in the eastern part of the Santa Monica Mountains, and covering an area of 4,210 acres, is the largest state park in California. The park is home to the Los Angeles Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, a planetarium, a Greek theater, a riding center created for the 1984 Olympic Games, golf courses, tennis courts, hiking trails, and other attractions. Walking trails and scenic drives through the mountains offer views over the city and beyond. The Griffith Observatory is one of the city’s most interesting experience-based attractions, and it’s all free to the public. On the grounds are exhibits and telescopes. The main highlight is a look through the Zeiss telescope, used for viewing the moon and planets. You can use the telescopes free each evening the facility is open. Also on site are solar telescopes used for viewing the sun. The park and observatory are named for Griffith J. Griffith, who donated the greater part of the parkland to the city in 1896 and willed funds to the city for the creation of the observatory.
A pool of black tar in the middle of a green city park is an unexpected sight in Los Angeles, but the famous La Brea Tar Pits have provided a treasure trove of archeological finds for the nearby George C. Page Museum. Excavations of the prehistoric site have resulted in one of the largest collections of Ice Age fossils in the world. The oldest of the approximately 100 tons of bones hauled out of the pits date back 38,000 years. Complete skeletons of animals like saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and mastodons are on display in the museum. In the Paleontology Laboratory, visitors can watch scientists working on the latest finds.
Griffith Park opened in 1935 and remains America’s largest municipal park that includes true wilderness. It offers miles of trails and some of the most famous Los Angeles landmarks. The Griffith Observatory, newly recognizable to non- Angelenos thanks to its starring role in La La Land, is perched 1,135 feet high on Mt. Hollywood’s north slope, so its views over the city are unparalleled. On clear days, you can see to Catalina Island. Inside, the Griffith Observatory is a fascinating astronomy museum with educational space-themed exhibits and the 9,000-pound Zeiss telescope, which lets visitors see comets and other galactic phenomena. Every hour, a 20-minute film recounts the observatory’s history. Also in Griffith Park: the Los Angeles Zoo, train rides for kids, and hiking access up to the Hollywood sign. Read extra details at Travis Newport Beach.