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7 Things To Do If You Are Staying In Los Angeles Over Thanksgiving Break

Sara Newman |
November 21, 2013 | 12:02 a.m. PST

Executive Producer

Amazing views from the Getty Center (Sara Newman)
Amazing views from the Getty Center (Sara Newman)
If expenses, time constraints, or pure impracticability are keeping you from flying or driving home, wherever that may be, over Thanksgiving break, make the most of Los Angeles. There are hundreds of exciting things to do and places to explore throughout the city. Most people say “be a tourist for a day,” but L.A. has too many wonderful non-touristy gems to fall into the over-word path of Hollywood boulevard and Santa Monica Pier. 

  1. Visit the museums. Just as New Yorkers hardly ever visit the statue of liberty or Coney Island, Los Angelenos rarely take advantage of the amazing museums throughout the city. For the art buffs, scope out the breathtaking views of the Getty Villa and Getty Center, take your photo with the iconic lamps at LACMA lacma.org , or visit the Picassos and Monets at the Norton Simon. To sneak in some cleverly disguised history head over to the California Science Center and picnic in the rose garden then stop by the neighboring Natural History Museum or if you’re in a more somber mood head over to the Museum of Tolerance. If those are too mainstream for you, the Museum of Jurassic Technology or the Craft and Folk Art Museum
  2. Go farmer’s market hopping. On Sunday morning relish in the vastly atmospheres of the different neighborhoods though out the city and take advantage of the fact that Southern California is one of the places that grows plump organic strawberries year round. Plan your itinerary, choosing from the dozens of markets including the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, the Larchmont Farmer’s Market, the Melrose Place Farmer’s Market, the Silverlake Farmer’s Market.  Make a game of seeing if you can spot all of the Los Angeles stereotypes on your day out—hipsters: check, PTA moms: check,actresses: check.  
  3. Have a cronut taste test. Grab a group of friends or head out with your significant other to sample the city’s culinary finest. From Semi Sweet to DK’s Donuts & Bakery, find your pick for the best cronut. If the idea of eating multiple buttery, sugary, fried things simply bike from bakery to bakery—clearly every athlete needs quality fuel. 
  4. Write it out. As a student or a fully-employed—dare I say it—adult, few people have the time to dedicate to writing purely for oneself, but take a few hours over the weekend to replace your Instagram filters and 140 Twitter characters with your own unfiltered thoughts. Maybe your writing will turn into the next Oscar-winning screenplay, or maybe it will stay shoved in the back of a drawer for your eyes only, but grant yourself the luxury of really formulating your thoughts into words. Whether you write a poem, a diary entry, a not-so-short story, or a letter to an ex-lover, let yourself have all the space you need and really let yourself feel the emotions that we so often trample over in the hustle-and-bustle of daily life. 
  5. Enjoy the city’s zany cultural events. If your typical 
    Year-round farmer's markets are a definite plus to living in L.A. (Sara Newman
    Year-round farmer's markets are a definite plus to living in L.A. (Sara Newman
    weekend consists of making small talk with people whose lives you don’t really care about while sipping cheap beer, maybe it’s time to try something new. From tiny music performances at http://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/music/mccabes " target="_blank">MsCabe’s guitar shop to stand up comedy at the legendary Laugh Factory to intimate poetry readings at Beyond Baroque , the variety of artistic and performance events going on throughtout the city is like few other cities in the world. If this is your backyard, make the most of it and go soak of all of the cool things there are to try. If nothing else, you are bound to meet other interesting people, and then have a story to impress your friends with when they come home from Thanksgiving break. 
  6. Leave the city. Even if you don’t want to pay for a hotel room, Los Angeles is surrounded by awesome neighbors just a few hours away. Drive up to Santa Barbara or down to San Diego . Drive inland to do some hiking or westward for to enjoy some chilly fall waves. Make the most of the four (or five) day weekend and make the trek that you wouldn’t feel justified spending time on otherwise. 
  7. Have a gourmet picnic. Los Angeles is undeniably one of the greatest food meccas in the U.S. with some of the greatest weather as well, so what better way to give thanks than to share a delicious meal with loved ones surrounded by the lush natural landscapes? Whether you plan wine and cheese date a la Trader Joe’s or take it up a notch and stop by Joan’s on Third or Clementine for some world class sandwiches and salads, find a hilly spot—maybe near Franklin Canyon Park or one of L.A.’s other beautiful hikes, and enjoy good times with good friends. 

 

 

Contact Executive Producer Sara Newman here. Tweet her here. 



 

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