Top destinations in Travis Newport Beach? The Balboa Peninsula is a neighborhood in Newport Beach named after the famous Spanish explorer, Vasco Nunez de Balboa. Sometimes referred to as “the Peninsula” or as “Balboa,” it is a residential neighborhood with many attractions and events. The three mile stretch of land is bordered on one side by the harbor and on the other side by sandy beaches and the Pacific Ocean.
It might seem morbid for a cemetery to feature in a list of must-visit sights, but the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is undoubtedly one of LA’s top attractions. This cemetery is known for its famous permanent residents, including director Cecil B DeMille, actress Judy Garland, and The Beatles’ George Harrison. Johnny Ramone of The Ramones was cremated after his death in 2004, but a bronze statue stands as a memorial to the musician in this cemetery. The burial ground comes into its own in the summer when Hollywood Forever regularly hosts concerts, film screenings and other events for the living to enjoy. Designers Charles and Ray Eames – the husband-and-wife duo who gave us the Eames chair – built the Eames House in 1949 as part of the Case Study House Program. The couple lived in this home (also known as Case Study House No 8) until their deaths in 1978 and 1988, respectively. Since 2004, the Eames Foundation has managed this landmark of mid-20th-century modern architecture. Visitors can see the home’s striking exterior for $10 (reservations required 48 hours in advance) from 10am to 4pm daily, with the exception of Wednesdays and Sundays. Interior tours are $275 for up to two people.
The Sherman Library and Gardens are public botanical gardens located in Corona Del Mar. Covering an area of 2.2 acres, the garden was established in 1955 when Arnold D. Haskell bought a plant nursery property. Mr. Haskell named the library and garden after his mentor, M.H. Sherman. The garden features conservatories, fountains, patios, seasonal flower beds, and more. One of the conservatories houses tropical plants including gingers, heliconias, and orchids. Some of the gardens include the Cactus and Succulent Garden, the Fern Grotto, the Herb Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Rose Garden. The library contains materials related to the history of the Pacific Southwest. See more information on Travis Newport Beach.
Bordering Los Angeles to the south, about 20 miles from downtown LA, Long Beach extends along San Pedro Bay. This is another community in the Los Angeles area that you can easily spend a day exploring. Worth visiting here are the historic Queen Mary ocean liner, now converted into a hotel and museum, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Museum of Latin America. You can also catch the Catalina Express from Long Beach for a trip over to Catalina Island. In Hancock Park, La Brea Tar Pits were formed 40,000 years ago, when oil seeped through the rock. The Tar Pits would entrap passing animals, which would get stuck in the substance. The tar then preserved the fossils throughout the ages, leaving behind an incredible glimpse into another age. The Page Museum shows reconstructed fossils of prehistoric animals found in the giant tar-craters of La Brea, as well as the process of fossil recovery. You can see bones being worked on and learn what takes place behind the scenes, before bones and skeletons are able to be displayed. The museum displays fully reconstructed fossils of a variety of mammals including mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and others, all dating from between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago. An outdoor area in Hancock Park displays replicas of extinct animals.
Tobacco magnate Abbot Kinney gets the credit for transforming a marshy stretch of shoreline south of Santa Monica into the “Venice of America.” In 1904, Kinney turned a series of drainage channels into scenic canals and constructed a Venetian-inspired arcade on the beach. While the canals remain one of the community’s top tourist attractions in Los Angeles, most visitors head for the beach’s world-famous boardwalk where eccentric street performers compete with shops, stalls and food stands for attention. The beach’s volleyball courts, skating plaza and body-building Muscle Beach area are crowd-pleasers as well.
The prominent Buddhist sacred site and temple complex is situated on the cliffside of the upper Paro valley. This beautiful site in its dramatic location is also known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’. The temple complex, properly known as Taktsang Palphug Monastery, was built in 1692 around the cave Paro Taktsang, where the man credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan, Padmasambhava, spent three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours meditating in the 8th century. Discover extra information on Travis Newport Beach.