Kevin's Gems

Aside from an extensive collection of rare books, manuscripts and art, the Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical Gardens also contain 120 acres of landscaped gardens. Of the dozen principal gardens open to the public, the Children's Garden is most popular for the younger visitors. Children can learn about plants and different elements of nature through fun, hands-on activities.

Missed a Farmer's Market? Head over to Tom's Farms for fresh produce, homemade sweets, a variety of wines and beers, cheese and even a furniture store. You might want to grab a bite to eat while you are out there as well, at the hamburger or Mexican restaurants. On the weekends, be sure to stop by the crafts fair for some live music and local vendors. There is even a petting zoo for the kids.

LA is known for filmmaking; so you shouldn't be surprised to learn dozens of film festivals occur in the LA area every year. The Los Angeles Film Festival is one of the largest, screening over 100 films during its 10-day festivities. The festival showcases independent, international, feature, documentary and short films and draws in a crowd of more than 90,000 to its special events and premieres.