Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
190
VIEWS
It's not always easy to get a good city vie w in Los Angeles. E ven if y ou find the right
vantage, the smog may keep you from having any kind of panorama. But, as they say, on
a clear day, you can see forever. One of the best views of the city can be had from
Griffith
Observatory
(p . 160). The vie w of S anta M onica B ay fr om the end of
Santa
Monica Pier
is also impressive.
Los Angeles is the only major city in the world divided b y a mountain range, and the
road on top of this range is the famous
Mulholland Drive
. It travels 21 miles along
the peaks and canyons of Hollywood Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains, separating
the Los Angeles basin from the San Fernando Valley. The winding road provides amazing
views of the city (par ticularly at night) and offers many oppor tunities to pull o ver and
enjoy the view 1,400 feet above sea level.
Completed in 1924, it 's named after William Mulholland, the engineer of the aque-
duct connecting L.A. and the Valley. Yes, there are celebrities up in them thar hills—
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Costner—but you'll never find them, as most of the mansions
are w ell hidden. You don't need to driv e the whole r oad to get the full effect. F rom
Cahuenga Boulev ard (near the H ollywood Bo wl), take the M ulholland D rive turnoff
heading west. After about a mile, you'll see the scenic view area on your left (look for the
black iron fence). Park at the small pav ed parking lot (which closes at sunset), ooh and
aah over the view of the L.A. basin, and then drive a few miles farther west until you spot
the other scenic vie w area on y our right (dir t this time) o verlooking the S an Fernando
Valley. The whole trip should take you less than an hour.
Tip:
Don't drive here after 3pm
on the weekdays—the rush hour traffic in this area is horrible. Also, no matter what your
map says, there is no Mulholland Drive exit off U.S. 101; you have to get on at Cahuenga
Boulevard.
ZOOS
Los Angeles Zoo
Kids
The L.A. Zoo has been welcoming visitors and busloads
of school kids since 1966. I n 1982, the z oo inaugurated a display of cuddly koalas, still
one of its biggest attractions among 1,200 animals from around the world. Although it's
smaller than the world-famous San Diego Zoo, the L.A. Zoo is far easier to fully explore.
As much an arbor etum as a z oo, the gr ounds are thick with matur e shade tr ees from
around the world that help cool the once-barr en grounds, and ne w habitats ar e light-
years ahead of the cruel concrete roundhouses originally used to exhibit animals (though
you can't help feeling that, despite the fancy digs, all the ceatures would rather be in their
natural habitat).
In 2007, the z oo debuted the $19-million
Campo Gorilla Reserve,
a habitat for six
African lowland gorillas that closely resembles their native West African homeland. Visi-
tors partake in a pseudo-African-jungle experience as they journey along a misty, forested
pathway with glassed vie wing areas for close-ups of the gorillas living in two separate
habitats: one for a family troop of gorillas, led by a silverback male; and a separate habi-
tat for two bachelors. Other highlights include the
Sea Lion Cliffs
habitat, home to the
zoo's five sea lions where visitors can view the saltwater habitat from an underwater glass
viewing area; the
Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains
habitat, where visitors can see
plenty of primate activity; the
Red A pe R ainforest,
a natural orangutan habitat; the
entertaining
World of B irds
show; the
Pachyderm Forest
(climate-controlled digs for
the elephants and hippos, complete with an underwater viewing area); and the
Mandrills
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