Schindler House
A protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright and contemporary of Richard Neutra, Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler designed this innovative modern house for himself in 1921 and 1922. It's now home to the Los Angeles arm of Austria's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). The house is noted for its complicated interlocking spaces; the interpenetration of indoors and out; simple, unadorned materials; and technological innovations. Docent-guided tours are conducted at no additional charge on weekends only.The MAK Center offers guides to L.A.-area buildings by Schindler and other Austrian architects, and presents visiting related exhibitions and creative arts programming. Call for schedules.

J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center
Since opening in 1997, the Richard Meier-designed Getty Center has quickly assumed its place in the L.A. landscape (literally and figuratively) as the city's cultural acropolis and international mecca. Headquarters for the Getty Trust's research, education, and conservation concerns, the postmodernist complex -- perched on a hillside in the Santa Monica Mountains and swathed in Italian travertine marble -- is most frequently visited for the museum galleries displaying collector J. Paul Getty's enormous collection of art. Always known for antiquities, expanded galleries now allow the display of Impressionist paintings, truckloads of glimmering French furniture and decorative arts, fine illuminated manuscripts, contemporary photography, and previously overlooked graphic arts. The area that's open to the public consists of five two-story pavilions set around an open courtyard, and each gallery within is specially designed to complement the works on display. A sophisticated system of programmable window louvers allows many works (particularly paintings) to be displayed in the natural light they were created in for the first time in the modern era. One of these is van Gogh's Irises, one of the museum's finest and most popular holdings. Trivia buffs will enjoy knowing that the museum spent $53.9 million to acquire this painting; it's displayed in a complex that cost roughly $1 billion to construct.Visitors to the center park at the base of the hill and ascend via a cable-driven electric tram. On clear days, the sensation is of being in the clouds, gazing across Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean (and into a few chic Brentwood backyards). If you're like me and don't remember a thing from your college art appreciation class, plunk down $3 for a self-guided audio tour that gives a brief overview of the 250-plus works in the collection. The 45-minute architectural tours, offered throughout the day, are also worth looking into. Dining options include several espresso/snack carts, a cafeteria, a self-service cafe, and the elegant (though informal) "Restaurant" offering table service for lunch (Tues-Sun) and dinner (Fri-Sat), with breathtaking views overlooking of the ocean and mountains (reservations are recommended, though walk-ins are accepted; call tel. 310/440-7300 or make reservations online at www.getty.edu).Realizing that fine-art museums are usually dreadfully boring for kids, the center provides several clever programs for kids, including exploratory games such as Perplexing Paintings and The Getty Art Detective; a Family Room filled with puzzles, computers, picture books, and games; mythical storytelling sessions on weekends at 11am, noon, and 1pm; weekend family workshops; and self-guided audio tours made specifically for families.Entrance to the Getty Center is free -- they don't need your money -- but parking reservations are required weekdays (though we've heard of people getting in without one on slow days). College students with current ID and those arriving by public transportation, motorcycle, or bicycle do not require reservations. Reservations are not required after 4pm or all day Saturday and Sunday. Cameras and video cams are permitted, but only if you use existing light (flash units are verboten).

La Brea Tar Pits
An odorous swamp of gooey asphalt oozes to the earth's surface in the middle of Los Angeles. No, it's not a low-budget horror-movie set -- it's the La Brea Tar Pits, a truly bizarre primal pool on Museum Row where hot tar has been bubbling from the earth for more than 40,000 years. The bubbling pools may look like a fake Disney set, but they're the real thing and have enticed thirsty animals throughout history. Nearly 400 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish -- many of which are now extinct -- walked, crawled, landed, swam, or slithered into the sticky sludge, got stuck in the worst way, and stayed forever. In 1906, scientists began a systematic removal and classification of entombed specimens, including ground sloths, giant vultures, mastodons, camels, bears, lizards, a Starbucks, and even prehistoric relatives of today's superrats. Today it's one of the world's richest excavation sites for Ice Age fossils. The best finds are on display in the adjacent Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, which houses the largest and most diverse collection of Ice Age plants and animals in the world. Archaeological work is ongoing; you can watch as scientists clean, identify, and catalog new finds in the Paleontology Laboratory. An entertaining 15-minute film documenting the recoveries is also shown.

Hollywood Express Inn South
Located in Los Angeles near Highway 101, the Hollywood Inn South provides modest accommodations close to many area attractions. Within a few miles of the hotel is downtown Los Angeles, Chinatown, the Staples Center, Dodgers Stadium, Sunset Strip, Universal Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This two story hotel provides 74 guestrooms, each with complimentary high- speed Internet access, refrigerator, and cable TV with premium channels. A complimentary continental breakfast is provided ...

Best Western Royal Palace Inn & Suites
'From: The north. Take Interstate 405 South to Pico/Olympic Boulevard Exit. Make a left at the off-ramp. Make a left turn at Pico Boulevard. Turn right on Sepulveda Boulevard and the Best Western Royal Palace Inn and Suites will be two blocks down on your left. 'From: The south. Take Interstate 405 North to the National Boulevard Exit. Go right at the off-ramp. Make a left turn at the first light onto Sepulveda Boulevard. The Best Western Royal Palace Inn and Suites is three blocks down on ...

Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel
Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel is located on elegant Wilshire Boulevard in the heart of Rodeo Drive, Century City and Westwood Village. The Beverly Hills Plaza offers a garden oasis of tranquility. Whether your stay is short or long, the intimate size of the hotel and its hospitable staff enables the plaza to deliver personalized service. The property is a unique all-suite hotel and the luxurious suites with a modern European d?cor offers a relaxing, elegant atmosphere sure to please both business ...