The zoo takes the, er, lion's share of our Griffith Park bookings. We'd probably visit more frequently, were the trip a bit easier: the only transit line serving the Griffith Park interior is the MTA #96, which runs every half hour Monday - Saturday, and only once an hour on Sunday. The trip from downtown takes a little over thirty minutes.

(Groups also can board the #96 at the Universal City Red Line station.)

Griffith Observatory

You want a good field trip for an astronomy unit? Boy, have we got a good trip for an astronomy unit ... plus a chance to take in some of the best views in Southern California. A half-hourly DASH shuttle serves the Observatory on weekends from the Sunset-Vermont Red Line station. For a weekday trip, put in a request for hiking boots; the uphill climb from Hollywood-Western would take at least an hour.

Los Angeles Zoo

What can we say? It's the zoo, and a big one: over one hundred acres and about a million and a half visitors yearly. We sometimes can book guided tours, and always can stop by perennial favorite attractions like the twice-daily World of Birds show and Reptile House.

Autry Museum of Western Heritage

From the Chumash Indians to the Wild West to Buffalo Bill Cody, this lovely site offers a complete education in the history of California and the West. If you visit with children, be sure to include a stop at the Chinatown exhibit downstairs. This includes a costumes section for children; the kids love playing dress-up. Directly across the parking lot from the zoo, and served by the same #96 stop.

Page 3:  Downtown