Lost Angeles

First up, head to West Hollywood, grab some breakfast on Sunset Strip and get your shoppin' shoes on, ready for some hardcore retail action on Robertson Bvld and Melrose Ave. After lunch, book in for a tour of Paramount Studios. Spend the evening living (and spending) like a celeb by dining at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Pay your respects to your favourite dead legends at Westwood Memorial Park then spend the afternoon thrilling to the live ones at a taping of the Tonight show with Jay Leno. Afterwards, work up a bit of an appetite by working out with the stars at Crunch Gym in Hollywood before feasting on gourmet cuisine with a bird's-eye view of city lights - restaurants on or above Sunset Blvd are the best choices.

Rent a convertible and careen (carefully, of course) along Sunset Blvd from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean. Take in the magnicent view then weave your way to the Venice Boardwalk for the SoCal beach scene and even a henna tattoo, transcendental massage or tarot card reading. Head back in to town and take in a movie at the famous Mann's Chinese Theatre. Top it all off with a debauched drink at the Sky Bar. Now that's LA livin'!

A Top Day in Los Angeles

For an action-packed day in LA, I've got to rouse myself and get out of bed early. I start off stuffing myself silly with sugary pancakes at the Griddle Cafe in West Hollywood or I have a power breakfast at the classic Polo Lounge inside the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel. Then I cruise east into the heart of Hollywood, paying my respects to the stars along the Walk of Fame and outside Mann's Chinese Theater. I stop and snap a photo of the famous Hollywood sign inside the Babylon Court at glitzy Hollywood & Highland mall, then grab a fresh lemonade and french fries at punk Skooby's hot-dog stand. The afternoon is for browsing the unique boutiques and vintage shops in bohemian Los Feliz, at Silver Lake's Sunset Junction or along famous Melrose Ave. Cruising back west down Sunset Blvd, I can't resist detouring to the hilltop Getty Center for an infusion of arts and culture in a postmodernist architectural setting. Timing it just right, I arrive at Santa Monica Pier as the sun sinks into the Pacific Ocean while I take a breezy walk along the beach or a solar-powered Ferris wheel ride. Then I grab dinner with friends on Santa Monica's eclectic Main St or at funky Venice Beach. After dark, we all line up for a comedy or live-music show on the Sunset Strip and afterwards groove at the Hollywood's Cahuenga Corridor dance clubs till the wee hours of the morning. Finally, we finish up at the Standard hotel's late-night lounge or maybe 24-hour Canter's Delicatessen, open since the 1930s in Mid-City's Fairfax District.

Author: Sara Benson

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