Kingi's Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute

If you are willing to travel a bit out of the main LA area, be sure to add the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden to your destinations list. This gorgeous, 127-acre garden and outdoor oasis is nestled into the low-key San Gabriel town, near the mountains. The Arboretum houses luscious plant collections from all over the world, including many rare and endangered species.

Get a bird's eye view of the sprawling metropolis by taking a ride with Orbic Air Helicopter Tours. For more than 20 years, Orbic has been Southern California's premiere helicopter company and offers nine distinctly different helicopter tours to choose from. Take a scenic tour or opt for a fancy dinner or even a picnic adventure.

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.

Bring your wild things to the Los Angeles Zoo. Located in Griffith Park, this zoo features plenty of animals and activities that the family will love. Walk around the different exhibits and attractions to see animals in replicated habitats. Have a personal animal encounter at the petting zoo or through the Animals & You Program. Watch a performance by the birds and learn about their behavior in nature.