The Observers

LA is a bit of a funny city in the sense that there aren't many obvious "must go to" places. As a tourist you're kind of grabbing at straws; you can go to Hollywood Boulevard where all the stars are inset in the pavement, or go down to Venice Beach, or take one of those stalkerish bus tours that drive you round the neighbourhoods of where the film stars live. And as LA is so spread out and the public transport system so poor, you can't really just go for a walk and get a feel for the city. But there is one place that is both touristy and great, and that's the Griffith Observatory. Not only can you find out about the planets and the stars, but you also get an unbeatable view of LA, in an extremely photogenic setting. I actually took my best photos from there on my phone (they're all on my Instagram). And if you're a James Dean fan, you get to walk in his footsteps. While we were there I seriously considered studying astronomy (I mean how could you not - it's all so fascinating!), but once I got home and started looking into courses I found out that you have to be very good at maths. Oh well, never mind.