• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1430 0

is high-end restaurants. Unless the children are exceptionally well behaved, properly dressed and old enough to appreciate the meal, neither the staff nor other diners are likely be charmed. Think of yourselves too: meals in such places last two hours or more – too long to expect all except the most remarkable little ones to sit without squirming or screaming, especially if it’s late and especially if they’re jet-lagged.

If all else fails, local supermarket chains like Trader Joe’s and Gelson’s have pleasing, wholesome takeout.

Return to beginning of chapter

LOS ANGELES

America’s second-largest city has plenty to please its smaller visitors. This will get you started; see also Click here and neighborhoods listings for more information.

Kids old enough to appreciate movies will love Universal Studios Hollywood ; adjacent Universal CityWalk makes a colorful meal stop. Children also thrill at getting their picture taken beside the star of their favorite star on Hollywood Blvd; the hand-, foot- and wand-prints of the young stars of the Harry Potter movies were the latest additions to Grauman’s Chinese Theater when we went to press. For an extra thrill (and no parking fees or traffic) reach both by LA’s subway line.

Amusements in mountainous Griffith Park include the landmark Griffith Observatory, a merry-go-round and Travel Town for younger tykes. The zoo Click here is popular, though it can’t compare to San Diego’s. Take more athletic kids hiking for fabulous views across the city and the Hollywood Sign.

* * *

Hungry? Los Angeles Family (2006), edited by Jennifer Chang, steers you to the neighborhood restaurants throughout this vast metropolis - from bistros to dives - that won’t torture grown-ups’ sensibilities or palates.

* * *

Downtown’s ethnic neighborhoods allow you to take little sophisticates ‘overseas’ with dramatic savings on airfares. In Chinatown’s Central Plaza, pick up touristy knickknacks or make a wish in a fountain. Stop nearby at Empress Pavilion for dim sum or a streetside shop for boba tea (with black ‘pearls’ of tapioca). Mexican-themed Olvera St, LA’s oldest street, mixes kitsch with quality. Little Tokyo makes for strolling and snacking; older kids can learn about the Japanese-American experience at the Japanese American National Museum.

In Exposition Park, the California Science Center is both great and free, and the Natural History Museum is, among other things, where Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) was first bitten. To see the cast of Ice Age (albeit in their former real-life selves), visit the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Parents also lavish praise on the nearby Zimmer Museum and the new Noah’s Ark installation at the Skirball Cultural Center.

* * *

For family listings in the Los Angeles Times, check out www.calendarlive.com/family. Events for children and families are also listed in the paper’s Calendar section in the Thursday and (especially) Sunday editions.

* * *

For do-it-yourself fun, there are parks in cities around the county, but Pasadena and Santa Monica have some of the best. In Pasadena, start with Kidspace, while Santa Monica Pier is justifiably famous. See local library listings for story hours and children’s collections.

Return to beginning of chapter

ORANGE COUNTY

By golly, they’re right: it is a small world after all. There’s more than just Disneyland to keep kids busy and engaged. Knott’s Berry Farm is more homegrown and lower-key, where Charlie Brown and Lucy sub for Mickey and Minnie; it’s a must for older kids during October’s nighttime Halloween Haunt.

* * *

Fun with the Family: Southern California (2007) by Laura Kath and Pamela Joy Brice features hundreds of ideas for day trips across the Southland.

* * *

If your kids are shoppers, OC will tempt them. The Block at Orange is a contempo-cool mall with its own skateboard park, while in Costa Mesa, the Lab calls itself an ‘antimall,’ with vintage clothing and contemporary art exhibits. Kids with exotic tastes will enjoy the shopping and restaurants in Little Saigon.

*