Attractions

You'll need to make a lot of tough decisions if you're touring L.A. for the first time: surfing lessons or a jogging tour? Join the live studio audience at the Tonight Show or Jeopardy!? Go to Disneyland or Universal Studios Hollywood? You get the point; it would take you months to do all the things listed in this guide.

To find out what's going on while you're in town, pick up a copy of the free L.A. Weekly, the monthly magazine Los Angeles, or the Sunday Los Angeles Times "Calendar" section; each has detailed listings covering events and entertainment around town, often accompanied by helpful commentary on which activities might be worth your while. Better yet, plan ahead via the Web and score those hard-to-get tickets in advance.

Also, note that you usually have to drive everywhere in L.A. Be sure you have a map handy and try to plan your itinerary with as little time on the freeways as possible, especially during rush hour.

Money-Saving Tourist Passes -- If you're the type who loves to cram as many tourist attractions as possible in one trip, then you might want to consider purchasing a Hollywood CityPass or GO Los Angeles Card. The CityPass (tel. 888/330-5008; www.citypass.com) booklet includes tickets to four attractions, all within 2 blocks of each other: the Hollywood Wax Museum, Star Line Tour of Hollywood, Redline Tours, and the Kodak Theatre Guided Tour or the Hollywood Museum. Purchase the pass at any of the above attractions, or visit the CityPass website to buy advance passes online. The pass costs $50 for adults ($39 for kids 4-11) and will expire 9 days from the first use. Is it a good deal? If you use all the tickets, you end up saving about 45% over individual, full-price admission.

I think the better deal, however, is the GO Los Angeles Card (tel. 800/887-9103; www.golosangelescard.com). It offers free or discounted admission to more than 45 of L.A.'s most popular attractions, activities, and tours; has far more flexibility (available in 1-, 2-, 3-, 5, and 7-day increments over a 14-day period); and comes with a nifty little full-color guidebook that fits in your back pocket. The 2-day card costs $89 for adults ($69 for kids 3-13), and doesn't need to be used on consecutive days. The 3-, 5-, and 7-day cards include admission to Universal Studios Hollywood (a great bargain). You can purchase the GO Cards via their website or at the Hollywood Visitor Information Center (6801 Hollywood Blvd. at Highland Ave.; tel. 323/467-6412).

Plane Spotting at LAX -- You've undoubtedly heard of train spotters -- those supergeeks sporting a pair of binoculars in one hand and a journal in the other -- but what about plane spotters? The hobby of maintaining meticulous records of every type of commercial aircraft spotted has become so popular that the city of El Segundo recently invested $150,000 into a "hilltop aircraft observation area" near LAX, complete with benches, tables, and telescopes. It's located at the end of the southern runways on West Imperial Avenue between Sepulveda Boulevard and Main Street. For more information, log on to www.planespotting.com.

L.A.'s Top Tourist Traps

Some things are better left unspoken and, in some circumstances, unseen as well. Such is the case with the following schlock-shock attractions, the kind of money-sucking businesses that do a very, very poor job at attracting repeat clientele. Not surprisingly, they're all located in the heart of Hollywood on cheese-laden Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum -- Scale models, photographs, and push-button displays of the world's fattest man, biggest plant, smallest woman, fastest animal, and other superlatives don't make for a superlative experience. 6764 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. tel. 323/463-6433. www.guinnessattractions.com. Admission $13 adults, $6.95 children ages 6 to 13. Daily 10am to midnight.

The Hollywood Wax Museum -- Cast in the Madame Tussaud mold, the Hollywood Wax Museum features more than 120 lifelike figures of movie stars, many of whom are still kicking. A wax replica of Marilyn Monroe I can understand, but Ben Affleck? Eeew. Yes, it's pretty cheesy and overpriced for what it offers, but it can still be good for a corny laugh or two. 6767 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. tel. 323/462-8860. www.hollywoodwax.com. Admission $16 adults, $14 seniors, $6.95 children ages 6 to 12, free for kids age 5 and under. Daily 10am to midnight.

Ripley's "Believe It Or Not!" Museum -- Believe it or not, this tired dog of a "museum" is still open. Its bizarre collection of 300 wax figures, photos, and models depicts unnatural oddities from Robert Leroy Ripley's infamous arsenal. My favorite oddities include the skeleton of a two-headed baby, a statue of Marilyn Monroe sculpted with shredded money, and a portrait of John Wayne made from laundry lint. Right. 6780 Hollywood Blvd. tel. 323/466-6335. www.ripleys.com. Admission $13 adults, $9 children ages 5 to 12, free for children ages 4 and under. Sunday through Thursday 10am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday 10am until midnight.