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The Santa Monica Pier is a good place to spend some time but not a lot of money. There are attractions, foods, you can fish off the end of the Pier and there's an amusement park too.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=santamonicapier.o...

Griffith Park is an adventure in natural beauty with 4,000 acres of park. There are 54 miles of hiking trails, terrific picnic areas, spectacular views of the city and a world-class (free admission) observatory.

http://www.griffithobservatory.org/

Olvera Street in downtown is inexpensive fun and a look at L.A. hisotry/Mexican culture at the same time. The atmosphere is like a fiesta on Saturdays with mariachi music, folk dancing, lots of good Mexican food, cool souvenirs too. There are free walking tours of the historic area from the Visitor's Center.

http://www.calleolvera.com/

The opulent Getty Center has equisite artwork, educational programs, a good cafeteria and wonderful views of the city. Fantastic place to spend an afternoon.

http://www.getty.edu/

A "Hollywood Day" can be fun, stroll Hollywood Blvd. look for your favorite celebrity's star on the Blvd.

compare foot/hand prints with those of the stars in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater, have lunch/coffee/tea in the Hollywood and Highland complex and browse the shops there, visit the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (they serve terrific burgers) you can even visit the final resting places of many stars in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

http://www.walkoffame.com/

http://hollywoodandhighland.com/

You can tour the landscaped grounds of the famous Greystone Mansion and they encourage picnics in designated areas of the lush grounds.

http://greystonemansion.org/

They all listed it, but I will say it.

Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park.

It has 4 levels of exhibits:

The Roof - Great views of DTLA, Hollywood, Century City, Santa Monica, and on clear days, Catalina Island!!! oh yeah, theres a Telescope you can look through in the evenings if its a clear night!

Main level with the Planetarium Theater... ($7/adult ticket, $5/student) Amazing to watch! you can see EVERY star, constellation, etc. in the Northern Hemisphere!

Lower Levels have comets and great facts on all the planets in our solar system!

BEST OF ALL, PARKING AND ADMISSION ARE FREE! (aside from the planetarium of course)

Astronomy not your thing? Take a hike on any of the numerous Trails in the Park. There is a Trail for every level. Or take a ride on the merry-go-round, or check out the Old (abandoned) Zoo, Travel town..."Californians" sign in the maintenance yard. so much to do ... just gotta be adventurous!

Los Angeles has all the major tourist traps like Disneyland, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios, but try and take in some sights like the Getty Center. The Getty Center is one of the most impressive architectural achievements in the United States and it also contains some of the finest works of art in the world. Because if it's large endowment, it's free. You'll find Renaissance paintings, 20th-century American photography, graphic arts, Baroque sculptures, Byzantine illuminated manuscripts, and more, all amidst a sprawling, modern campus in the Santa Monica Mountains. The museum also offers spectacular views of Los Angeles on clear days. The gardens are beautiful in the Spring. It also has one of the best restaurants in LA

http://www.getty.edu/index.html

Museums are great - The Getty center, the internet site Museum the l. a. Zoo strolling on boardwalk in Venice Santa Monica Farmers marketplace on Sundays Griffith Park Observatory The KidsSpace Museum, Pasadena

There are literally hundreds of things to do here in LA. Here is my list of “must sees”. Visit as many as you have time for:

Even if you don’t visit Disneyland or Universal Studios Tour, Downtown Disney District and Universal City Walk are very fun places to visit for shopping and eating. And they’re free to visit. If you’re adventurous, try the indoor skydiving (www.iflyhollywood.com). It’s a blast!

Hollywood: Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Chinese Theatre and more. The Hollywood & Highland complex has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater. The El Capitan theater, right across the street, is where Disney shows their movies. And the Hollywood Bowl is a GREAT place to listen to concerts outdoors.

Other theme parks include Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain, which are both more geared towards the fast-ride teen crowd.

Olvera Street/Union Station: Olvera Street is the birthplace of LA, and it emphasizes our Mexican heritage. In addition to the Avila Adobe (oldest building in LA), you can eat at some pretty good Mexican Restaurants, do a little shopping, and taste a churro. If you don’t want to go to Tijuana, this is as close as it gets without going there

Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.

Venice Beach: Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore. Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste.

Santa Monica: Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach.

Sunset Boulevard began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way.

Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, It is right next to CBS. They are currently shooting “Extra” here, M-F 9:00-2:00, so stop by and you might see a celebrity.

Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage. You can even go to Sunset Stables and ride the trail underneath the Hollywood Sign.

Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art, architecture, or view better, the Getty is sure to please. Free.

Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, tvtix.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the Tonight show.

Places to eat:

In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone.

Pink’s Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. You might even see a celebrity. Maybe.

Tommy’s Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. The original location is at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown.

Canter’s Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, you might spot a celebrity.

Phillippe’s: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station and Olvera Street.

Tito’s Taco’s: Voted best tacos in LA, even though it’s in Culver City. King Taco is a good alternate if you can deal with East LA.

The Pantry: Corner of Figueroa and 9th, downtown. Huge portions, they never close, GREAT steak and eggs.

Medieval Times and/or Pirate’s Dinner Adventure: Dinner and an adventure show, both are on Beach Blvd in Buena Park, you get to eat with your hands.

Places to Stay:

Since LA is so spread out, there is no single place that is close to EVERYTHING. Most people who come here tend to stay in Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Anaheim. In Hollywood, I recommend the Orchid Suites, Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, or Hollywood Heights (formerly Holiday Inn Walk of Fame), all near Hollywood and Highland. In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced. In Anaheim, I recommend the Howard Johnson (HoJo) Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. There is also a nice place in Burbank called the Best Western Media Center, very close to Warner, NBC, and Universal Studios.

Places to Shop:

Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

The Grove, Los Angeles

Americana @ Brand, Glendale

Beverly Center, Los Angeles

Citadel Outlets, Commerce

Brea Mall, Brea

The Block at Orange, Orange

South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa

Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Santee Alley, Los Angeles