Mother / teenage son trip to LA

I%26#39;ll be traveling to LA at the end of June with my 15yo african american son. We%26#39;re staying in Hollywood - Holiday Inn Express on N. La Brea. Will get around by bus/rail, etc. Plan to take amtrak to San Diego for a day, and bus to Santa Monica pier/beach and Venice for a day. Will do tourist thing in Hollywood and have 3 days to figure out what to do. Any suggestions to fill other 3 days? Also, should I be concerned about gang activity. Should my son not wear certain colors / avoid certain areas?

Mother / teenage son trip to LA

It鈥檚 too bad you won鈥檛 have a car, because your son would probably enjoy Magic Mountain or Knotts Berry Farm. I have a 14 year old nephew, and some of the things we do when he visits with me is the Peterson museum on Fairfax/Wilshire (Petersen.org), basketball/baseball games, horseback riding (sunsetranchhollywood.com). Since you won鈥檛 have a car I don鈥檛 know how easy it is to get to Dodger stadium and I think basketball season is just about over, but maybe there鈥檚 something else at the Staples Center downtown (staplescenter.com). It might not be too expensive to take a cab up Beachwood canyon to get to the stables. As far as gangs are concerned, since I see you are from DC, it鈥檚 not too different here, you鈥檒l be staying/visiting in the tourist area so you鈥檒l be fine. I ride the buses everyday and although some of those kids look really scary, you鈥檇 be surprised (I know I am) how often they offer me a seat. My kid is also African Amr and she hasn鈥檛 had any problems riding the bus, or going from one neighborhood to another. Just use common sense, as you would in DC.

Also, I bet if you put the things your son is interested in, you鈥檇 get some good recommendations from others.

Mother / teenage son trip to LA

MTA.NET is the website for the buses and metrorail buses. You can type in starting and ending points and it will give you the route and time it takes. It%26#39;s not too bad getting to Dodger Stadium. There is a bus on Sunset Bl that runs right by the stadium but you%26#39;ll have to get to Sunset which you can reach by walking the 2 or 3 blocks to it from your hotel.

If you buy a $3 DAY PASS from any bus driver or from the vending machines at the nearby metrorail station at Hollywood Bl and Highland Av, this will afford you unlimited rides on the buses AND metrorail trains for the day.

Forget about the gang thing.

As far as things to do, there is the California Science Center in Exposition Park (lots of %26#39;hands on%26#39; exhibits including a rock climbing wall and a ';high-wire bicycle';. Go to:

(http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/)

or the LA Zoo (Don%26#39;t miss the live bird shows where birds fly down from the hillsides onto the stage or the reptile house. Bring lots of water:

http://www.lazoo.org/

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. Although he loves amusement parks/rides we probably won%26#39;t do that on this trip. Science museum and climbing wall is definitely something he%26#39;s interested in. We also plan to rent bikes (or roller blades if available) and bike along the beach from Santa Monica to Venice.

Is the San Diego Zoo or the LA zoo a must see (we were planning on visiting the zoo in SD)?

He also loves to dance tap/hip hop/ popping %26amp; locking. I%26#39;m going to try to arrange a class for him at the Debbie Allen Dance Studio (if possible) in Culver City on Hayden Ave. MTA says it%26#39;ll take an hour by bus ( 2 buses) from our hotel in Hollywood. Google says about 15min (7miles). Right now the classes are in the evening/don%26#39;t know if they%26#39;ll change for the summer. .Any idea on what this neighboorhood is like (at night). Will I have difficulty getting a cab both ways. Is the metro near by. Or are there any other recommended dance studios/gyms that are easier to get to.

Not too far from where you are staying is the Grove shopping center, which is connected to the old Farmers Market, also worth seeing. Also not far-- on Wilshire Blvd, between Fairfax and La Brea-- are: LA County Art Museum (LACMA), Page Museum/Tar Pits, and the very good Petersen Automobile Museum, if your son or you like cars. LACMA sometimes has music performances on the terrace at night-- free-- check their website for the dates on that.

Sorry I haven%26#39;t used public transportation in LA much, but these things are all close together, as well as near (by LA standards) where you are staying.

I think these things are perhaps the most teen friendly:

鈥?Page Museum on the grounds of the LA County Museum of Art. This museum features things pulled from the La Brea Tar Pits--stuff like sabre tooth tigers--things you won%26#39;t find anywhere else.

鈥?Go to Hollywood Highland--they can see the foot prints at the Chinese, bowl at Lucky Strike (a very cool bowling alley), shop a little, go to the Hollywood Heritage Museum. Also you%26#39;re just down the street from the Hollywood Bowl.

鈥?Definitely take him to ComedySportz in Hollywood--a great improv comedy theatre that is clean, intimate and family friendly. Teens love it and adults too. www.ComedySportzLA.com 323-856-4796.

鈥?You can go horseback riding over the Hollywood Hills at sunset. They take you over the hill and to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Sunset Hollywood Stable Tel: 213-469-5450.

鈥?Take himm to a tv show taping. There are always shows looking for audiences and often they are signing them up outside the Chinese.

鈥?In addition to the Universal Studio tour and theme park, you should visit CityWalk at Universal. It%26#39;s shops, restaurants, street performers and more. They have a Hard Rock Cafe and everything is larger than life. Fun to walk around for teens.

Have fun!