Planning a road trip or weekend get-away to the greater Los Angeles area?

Here are 10 favorite attractions to check out! I can vouch for all of them - they are well worth experiencing.

1. The Griffith Observatory http://www.griffithobs.org/If you are into stargazing, this is the place to visit! There is no admission charge (except for the planetarium show) and the renovation  left many of the classic exhibits intact.

2. Descanso Gardens http://www.descansogardens.org/site/home.cfm Located at the foot of Angeles Crest National Forest in La Canada, these gardens are the perfect retreat any time of the year. If you are into photo opportunities, this is a must-see place!

3. The Capitol Record Building

http://www.seeingstars.com/landmarks/capitolrecords.shtml

Built back in 1954, this landmark 13 story office buliding resembles a stack of records with a stylus on top. The Beatles, Beachboys, Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, to name a few all recorded on this record label.

4. La Brea Tar Pits http://www.tarpits.org/ If you are a visitor from out of state, this is a must! I have not been there in years, but remember being in awe over the wooly mammoth, sabre-tooth tiger, and dire wolf fossils.

5. The Original Pantry Cafe http://www.pantrycafe.com/ Established in 1924, this place landmark restaurant never closes. Coffee is still $1.35 a cup and the waiters even look like they are from the 40's.

6. The Watts Towers http://www.wattstowers.us/ Made from structural steel and mortor, these towers are amazing! A diverse mosaic of broken glass, sea shells, pottery and tile, they were built without machine equipment.

7.  Aquarium of the Pacific  http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/   If you love the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it, you will love Aquarium of the Pacific.  You can also hand-feed birds and touch sharks!

8. Gene Autry Museum     http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/

9.  Southwest Museum of the American Indian

      http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/southwest/

10. Bob's Big Boy - Toluca Lake     The way to end a perfect day of local sightseeing is to stop at one of the southern California original Bob's.  You can still have car hop service and the burgers are still wonderful !http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/california/socal/socaleats/socalcoffeeshop/bobstoluca/index.htm