Many of us spend a lot of time thinking about places to visit in the future, but not many of us take the time to sightsee in places around us. It doesn’t have to be in your area–if you have any means of transportation, those places are minutes away. This weekend was a great opportunity for me and a couple of friends to take a break from our stress, and just relax to see new things. Although it’s still cold out, that shouldn’t stop anyone from going to the beach. Our plan was driving to 3rd street and then making our way to Santa Monica Pier. When we reached 3rd street, we walked to the nearest restaurant. As we all took a seat on a table outside the restaurant, there was a perfect view of the busy street filled with people rushing from store to store (all accompanied by friends or family).

A lot of people don’t realize what a great area we live in. Many attractions surround us and we need to take advantage of this opportunity. Santa Monica Pier is beautiful and relatively cheap. Other attractions include The Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign, museums such as LACMA, The Broad, The California Science Center, and many others (many museums offer free admission or discounts if you bring your student ID!). The California Science Center offers a learning experience and a free admission to visit their rose garden. This rose garden is a must-see! With its beautiful rose bushes and fresh air, it’s a great place to relax, and if you’re like me you’re going for the pictures. There’s a lot to see in the city as well (I previously wrote about visiting The Last Bookstore). Because Hollywood gave birth to many successful movies, the Hollywood walk of fame is very well known. Visiting these places gives you not only an experience to remember, but also allows you to open the door to so many new adventures.

It’s very understandable that many of us go out on a budget, and that’s perfectly fine (not everyone is lucky enough to grow money on trees). For people who don’t plan to spend, I would still recommend going out. I must confess, window shopping isn’t too desirable (personally I’d rather window shop than stay home). There’s plenty of other places to visit that are meant for non-spenders (a park). There are many parks around our general area, but if you’re willing to drive a little, I recommend going to Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. It’s a beautiful place to take pictures, have a picnic, take a run or walk, and many other activities. At the very top of this park, is one of the best views of Los Angeles! Los Arboles Rocketship Park is another place with a great view of the city, it even has a metal rocket ship you can climb! Overall, Los Angeles offers many attractions and new experiences that we as residents should take advantage of. Get to know your city; it’s an unforgettable experience.