Melrose Cafe

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.

Learn about the Ice Age at the La Brea Tar Pits near the Page Museum. One of the world's most famous attractions for fossil localities, the La Brea Tar Pits provide a window into the past through plant and animal fossils. The Page Museum displays the collection of found specimens (including giant mammoths and saber-toothed cats), and offers the opportunity to watch bones being cleaned and repaired in the Laboratory.

The Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Culture Center, or the Hammer Museum as it is more commonly referred to, is an art museum specializing in key single-artist and thematic exhibitions of historic or contemporary work. Originally created to house Armand Hammer's personal art collection, the museum is now operated by UCLA's School of Arts and Architecture and has expanded to include the Billy Wilder Theater.

Opened in 1993 and partially owned by Johnny Depp until 2004, the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip was known as a popular nightlife hangout for young celebrities and is noted for being the site where actor River Phoenix died. This smaller venue continues to be well known for its excellent acoustics and Hollywood atmosphere.