Have you been to LA?
Growing up in Korea, I used to have a dreamy feeling about these famous places from TV. We could see famous American movies like The Terminator and Home Alone on TV on the weekends or holidays. There were many iconic places in the movies and TV shows: New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, and of course, Los Angeles. It seemed to me like LA is the core of the show business in the US, and the world. Not just that, LA has been well known to us because of the high population of Koreans. But still, for me LA was a faraway places that I only saw on the screen.
A decade later, I visited the famous LA. Over the years of visiting the U.S., I had a chance to visit the city of angels a couple times, but I never had enough time to explore all the glorious attractions. There are so many places to go, so many things to see, and traffic is terrible. When traveling to this town, you want to settle in a hotel in LA that’s located in a central location and prepare well! So I made a list of things to do in LA so that the little Korean girl inside of me will be intoxicated with joy. My memory orbs will only be yellow! There’s a little Inside Out reference for ya.
Hollywood
Hollywood. Where to start? It’s a dream place to visit if you watched American movies growing up. Movies like The Terminator, Home Alone, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids… to name a few. I didn’t know much about the movie business but seemed like Los Angeles was the key place for those movies. I’ve heard there are movie sets you can visit! How about an afternoon stroll through Hollywood; walking down the street and find my favorite actors on the Walk of Fame, sipping a cup of coffee at the Central Perk, or running into a celebrity of two?
LA Dodgers
The love of baseball runs deep in Korean culture. It’s loved by all genders and ages as one of the most popular sports. So you can imagine how proud we were when one of our own was scouted to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994. Major League Baseball was always popular in Korea and it was escalated with Chan Ho Park. He was the first Korean player in the major league history. That was quite a big deal. There were a few Korean players in LA Dodgers after Park, and now a pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu has been playing since 2013. Visiting the Dodger Stadium would be like visiting a holy shrine.
Griffith Observatory
One of the icons in LA, Griffith Observatory is a great place to experience a piece of our Universe. The main audience of the observatory is the general public. It’s one of the most popular informal education facilities in the US, and most visited public observatories in the world. The Observatory is located on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood, which offers a fantastic view of the Hollywood sign.
Disneyland
Who wouldn’t love hanging out with their favorite characters from childhood? I certainly would! I grew up watching Disney cartoons, as many of children around the world. The precise movement of the characters was always intriguing to me. Later I found out there was a place called Disneyland where you can see all the places and characters in person. How magical! Disneyland in Anaheim is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort which opened in 1955. This Disneyland is also the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. They have been expanding as new movies and characters came out, and the new Star Wars theme land is under construction.
Movie & TV Sets
If you are a movie and TV fan, LA is your dream location. LA is not only the center of show business, but also the city itself has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. You can join an organized tour to film and TV sets, or make your own itinerary to visit places that you have seen on screen. There is a lot to see, so plan ahead!
