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Vibrant and eclectic Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the U.S., is much more than movies and beaches. While the entertainment industry, tourism, shopping and parties are important aspects of its identity, L.A. is more importantly a product of its diverse population. From Santa Monica to Hollywood to downtown and beyond, the city is home to people from more than 140 different countries, and as a result, its art, music and food are as varied as those of anywhere else in the world.

With one of the world's largest systems of freeways and a new public transportation system, L.A. is notorious for gridlock. Driving is still the best way to navigate the city, but expect to spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. The Metro Rail ($1.25; $3 day pass) has four different lines that head far out into the suburbs, west to the Valley, east to Pasadena and south to Long Beach.

There are also five major airports in the area, with Los Angeles International (LAX) - 15 miles southwest of downtown - by far the biggest and busiest. There is a shuttle from the airport to Metro Rail's green line, as well as regular city bus service, and taxi fare will run in the neighborhood of $25 to $35 depending on where you're headed.

Join the Celebrity Fans at Staples
Jack Nicholson sitting courtside is a familiar sight at Lakers games, but he's usually not the only famous face taking in the action. Steven Spielberg, Ed Norton, Denzel Washington and others can often be found rooting on the purple and gold. For a more low-key (and lower-priced) atmosphere, check out a Clippers game, although there you still might find longtime fan Billy Crystal.

Get a Dodger Dog at Chavez Ravine
There's one absolute must for any fan heading to a Dodgers game - eat a foot-long Dodger Dog, the most popular hot dog in baseball. For more major-league action in a newer, more comfortable park, head 30 minutes south to see the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and their famous Rally Monkey at Angel Stadium.

See College Football at the Rose Bowl
Best known for hosting its eponymous college bowl game - "the Granddaddy of them all" - the 92,000-seat Rose Bowl is also home to UCLA football, which competes with mighty USC for the attention of L.A. fans who have no professional team. One of the largest and the most well-known stadiums in the U.S., the Rose Bowl has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Bet On the Ponies at Santa Anita
Set against a backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, beautiful Santa Anita Park holds daily horse races from late December through April. The track is home to the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap and even hosts family fun days on weekends during the season, with pony rides, games and activities in the infield.

Catch a Wave at Surfrider Beach
Up the coast from Santa Monica and Malibu are some of Southern California's best waves. If you're a total beginner, though, you might want to get a lesson or two from the local surf shop operators before you hang ten.

Strut Down to Venice Beach
You better be ready to show off if you want to join the flexing hulks at Muscle Beach or get in a cutthroat pickup hoops game on the courts. Otherwise, strap on a pair of inline skates and cruise down Ocean Front Walk for a tour of the most spirited, eclectic and downright bizarre characters L.A. has to offer. For a more recreational vibe, head further down the coast and get some volleyball going at Manhattan or Hermosa Beach.

Watch the Shredders at The Cove Skatepark
The Z-Boys who skated empty swimming pools in the 1970s and helped revolutionize the sport would never have predicted this: An amazing terrain park operated by the city of Santa Monica. The all-concrete facility features a street course, rails, vert ramps and a variety of bowls that mimic even the old backyard kidney pools.

Sunset Blvd./Sunset Strip
Hollywood Palladium: 6215 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
To drive these 20 miles, west from the Hollywood Palladium to the Pacific Ocean, is to take in the essence of Los Angeles. The Palladium is where the Dorsey Brothers performed. Down the road is the Chateau Marmont, where John Belushi died. Just beyond is the 1 3/4 mile stretch known as the Sunset Strip. You'll pass the Comedy Store, where Robin Williams and David Lettermen made their names. Tower Records, the world's largest music store. The Whiskey A Go-Go, where the Doors played. The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Jimi Hendrix's launching pad. Continue west, through chi-chi Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Brentwood, where the homes grow increasingly opulent, till you reach Pacific Palisades and the ocean.
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Streets/SunsetBlvd.shtml

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-857-6000
The LACMA is in the top tier of American art museums. The 110,000-piece collection includes prized works by Degas, Rembrandt, Matisse, Magritte and Monet, among others. Don't miss the treasure trove of Japanese Edo paintings. It's said that only the emperor of Japan possesses a more valuable collection. The museum is located 10 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. There is ample parking. Or take a cab.
http://www.lacma.org/

La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
These primordial pools of oil have been bubbling to the surface for 40,000 years, fatally trapping mastodons, giant vultures, camels, bears, ground sloths - more than 125 animal species in all, many of them now extinct. The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, next door, houses the largest fossil collection of Ice Age plants and animals in the world, all pulled from the pits. The Tar Pits are located 10 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. There is ample parking or hail a cab.
http://www.tarpits.org/

Warner Bros. Studio Tour
3400 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank, CA 91522
818-972-8687.
Universal Studios also offers tours. Take this one. The 2 ¼-hour tour escorts you to working film and TV show sound stages, back lot streets, sound studios where you can watch editors add sound effects to film, to a wardrobe building, to the craft shop where carpenters build sets. The guides take you where the action is. No tours are ever the same. Keep an eye out for actors crossing the grounds. The studio is located 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. There is ample parking or take a cab.
Tickets: Online or call 818-972-8687.
http://www2.warnerbros.com/vipstudiotour/

J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-440-7300.
It is, without question, the most dramatic museum setting you'll ever experience. Take a tram from the parking lot to the top of a hillside. Alight at a post-modern campus of Italian travertine marble and glass, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The artworks are from Getty's personal collection - and they are stunning. Pre-20th century European paintings, drawings, sculpture and decorative arts. A small, but exquisite collection of antiquites. Don't miss Van Gogh's Irises, for which the museum paid a reported $53.9 million. The museum is located 17 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Parking is sometimes difficult, so arrive early or share a cab.
Tickets: Admission is free, though parking costs $7.
http://www.getty.edu/

2009 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Orlando Magic, 4 games to 1).
2004 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
2003 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
2002 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 0).
2001 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1).
2000 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 2).
1995 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers (defeated Oakland A's, 4 games to 1).
1988 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Detroit Pistons, 4 games to 3).
1987 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2).
1985 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2).
1984 Los Angeles Raiders (defeated Washington Redskins, 38-9).
1982 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2).
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers (defeated New York Yankees, 4 games to 2).
1980 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2).
1978 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1975 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1974 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1973 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1972 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1972 Los Angeles Lakers (defeated New York Knicks, 4 games to 1).
1972 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1971 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1970 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1969 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1968 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1967 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1967 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (defeated Minnesota Twins, 4 games to 3).
1965 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1964 UCLA (NCAA Basketball National Championship)
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers (defeated New York Yankees, 4 games to 0).
1962 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1959 Los Angeles Dodgers (defeated Chicago White Sox, 4 games to 2).
1954 UCLA (NCAA Football National Championship)
1951 Los Angeles Rams (defeated Cleveland Browns, 24-17).
1939 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1932 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1931 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)
1928 USC (NCAA Football National Championship)