Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
210
WINDSURFING
Invented and patented b y H oyle Schw eitzer of Torrance in 1968,
windsurfing, or sail-boar ding, is a fun spor t that 's much mor e difficult than it looks.
Long Beach Windsurf & K ayak Center,
3850 E. O cean Ave., Long B each (
&
562/
433-1014;
www.windsurfcenter.com), offers lessons and rentals in Alamitos Bay. A $180
learner's package includes instruction from 8am to noon, and use of board and wet suit.
Kayak and in-line skate rentals are also available.
10
SPECTATOR SPORTS
BASEBALL
The
Los Angeles Dodgers
(
&
866/DODGERS
[866/363-4377]; www.
dodgers.com), winner of eight N ational League championships and fiv e World S eries
titles, play at D odger S tadium, located at 1000 E lysian P ark near S unset Boulev ard.
Watching a game at this old-school ballpar k is a gr eat way to spend the day , chomping
on Dodger Dogs and basking in the sunshine. Tickets are reasonably priced, too . And
even if you can't score tickets, you can still take a 90-minute
“Championship Tour” of
Dodger Stadium,
including access to the field, the D odger Dugout, the Dugout Club,
the pr ess bo x, and the Tommy Lasor da Training Center . Tours ar e offer ed Tuesday,
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10 and 11:30am thr ough October. The cost is $15
for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and childr en 14 and under. You can reserve and
purchase tour tickets online at www
.dodgers.com (click on “D odger S tadium,” then
scroll down to “Stadium Tours”).
The
Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim
(
&
888/796-HALO
[888/796-4256]; http://
losangeles.angels.mlb.com) play American League ball at Anaheim S tadium, at 2000
Gene A utry Way, in Anaheim, about 30 minutes fr om D owntown L.A. The r egular
Major League baseball season runs from April to October. Log on to either team's website
for ticket information.
BASKETBALL
Los Angeles has two NBA franchises: the
L.A. Lakers
(www.lakers.
com), who hav e won 14 NBA titles, and the
L.A. Clippers
(www.clippers.com), who
haven't. Both teams play in the
STAPLES Center
in Downtown L.A., 1111 S. Figueroa
St. Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Heather Locklear, and Dyan
Cannon have the best tickets, but this 20,000-seater should have room for you—that is,
if you have the big bucks for a Lakers ticket or the interest in watching a Clippers game.
The season runs from October to April, with 2 months of playoffs following. For tickets
to see either team, call
&
213/742-7340
or log on to www.staplescenter.com.
7
Tips
Another Kind of Spectator Sport
Attention, sports fans: If you want to see your favorite
NBA or NHL players
up
close in their civvies, find out when they're playing the L.A. Lakers, Clippers, or
Kings, and then dress up nice and drive over to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina
del Rey. This is where all the pro teams stay whenever they're playing in L.A. You
don't have to rent a room—just order a drink in the lounge and keep an ey e on
the lobby (you can't miss the huge basketball players). On game nights, they typ-
ically check out around 3pm.
