Those arriving in Los Angeles for the first time can find themselves lost and confused pretty quickly. The sprawling city lacks a clear center, and the fact that it is huge does not help either. What does begin to clarify matters is to realize that what is commonly referred to as "LA" is really "LA County," a grouping of 88 cities of which LA is just one. With people from 160 countries speaking 96 different languages, the diversity can be overwhelming. Four thousand square miles make up Los Angeles County, an area divided into five distinct regions: Downtown, Hollywood, The Valleys, Westside and the Beaches.

The choices of activities are endless, especially if you have brought your family along with you to study in LA. Beach-lovers will enjoy coastal hikes, tide-pools, swimming, surfing, diving, fishing and (clothing-optional) sunbathing. Getting out of the city to the surrounding mountains allows for hiking and rock climbing or skiing depending on the season. The county at large also has more than 200 miles of bike trails. Of course the city itself is known for shopping and celebrity-spotting.

Several major attractions include: Beverly Hills, Disneyland, downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Malibu, Santa Monica and Universal City (just to name a few). These no-doubt-familiar names bring with them images that the studios have stamped across our minds. To try to summarize all that glitz and glamour here would be pointless; you should get yourself a good guide book to the stars and have fun!

However, here are just a few random suggestions that may not be the first ones you would think about when discussing LA activities:

American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre
This state-of-the-art movie theater features rare and unusual films with live organ accompaniment. The American Cinematheque is a nonprofit cultural organization that works to provide a public presentation of the Moving Picture in all its forms.

La Brea Tar Pits
These pits form one of the world's most important paleontological sites, and archaeologists continue their excavations today. They have excavated more than a million bones from the pits since 1906, and many fossils are displayed in the natural history museum. Replicas of some of the fossils are available as well.

Knott's Berry Farm
Formerly a simple berry farm and chicken eatery, this establishment has grown tremendously into another theme park. Often overlooked in the shadow of Disneyland, Knott's still maintains much of its "Old West" influence, and if you are tired of Mickey Mouse, you can come here to see Snoopy and his friends instead.

Pasadena
Visiting Pasadena is akin to stepping back to the "golden years" of Los Angeles. Many of the houses in this area of the city are from the turn of the century, including a few famous buildings: the Millard House, La Miniatura (Frank Lloyd Wright), Gamble House (Charles and Harry Greene's Craftsman bungalow) and even "Wayne Manor" from the original Batman TV series. Old Town Pasadena is a 14-block historic district brimming with restaurants, coffeehouses and little shops. The Norton Simon Museum is also located there where you can view a large collection of European art including Rodin's "The Thinker."

LA is a melting pot of ethnicities, and the food favorites are also different. The latest trend in LA restaurants is for "New American Fare." This culinary style is based on generous portions of familiar favorites, along with some foreign or exotic extras to add some flare to the meal.

Here are some things you and your family will not want to miss:

Museum of Tolerance
The Museum of Tolerance uses unique interactive exhibits to challenge visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historic and modern contexts. Since its opening in 1993, it has hosted 3.5 million visitors from around the world, and nine heads of state including King Hussein of Jordan, three Prime Ministers of Israel and the Dalai Lama. The Museum receives 350,000 visitors annually including 110,000 children.

Museum of Jurassic Technology
The Museum of Jurassic Technology is a small, plain storefront on Los Angeles' Venice Boulevard. Hidden inside this plain exterior is an unexpected and unusual delight. The museum's holdings have to be seen to be believed (and even then discerning visitors might take a skeptical view of what is being presented to them). The museum's odd but fascinating holdings tend to be from the areas of natural history and history of science. To describe just two items in the museum-one collection titled "Garden of Eden on Wheels" is devoted to trailer park culture and another presents micro-miniature paintings and sculptures (including, for instance, a sculpture of Pope John Paul II carved from a lone human hair and situated within the eye of a needle.) Museum creator David Wilson has been collecting these unique exhibits for the last 15 years.

The Getty Center
The Getty Center is actually a collection of museums. The center's European and photography and numerous other collections are now on display at the stunning 110-acre Center in the Santa Monica mountains. It opened in 1998 following 14 years of planning and construction costs of $1 billion, and features hands-on activities for parents and kids. Admission is free, making this one of the best bargains in town.

Griffith Park
One of the largest city parks in the world, Griffith Park offers more than 4,000 acres of activity and entertainment. It features the LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens for animal lovers, and those who love trains will find much to relish in the Travel Town trains and LA Live Steamers in the park. The Griffith Observatory is a museum of astronomy and earth science. The park also offers pony rides, a carousel, train rides bike rentals and picnic areas.

Venice Beach Boardwalk
The boardwalk is five blocks of year-round action, and a great place to shop and people-watch. Bicyclists and rollerbladers do demonstrations, along with magicians, fortune-tellers, a chain-saw juggler and mermaids. Muscle Beach is an outdoor gym where you can watch bodybuilders.

Guinness World of Records
This museum brings the Guinness Book of World Records to Life with models, videos and special effects. There are many hands-on exhibits to see, such as the World's Tallest Man at 9 feet, and the World's Smallest Woman at just 26 inches. You can return again and again, because someone is always breaking another world record.

The following is a link to a list of museums that are open free-of-charge on select days and times... free always being a wonderful thing on a student budget: http://www.experiencela.com/freemuseumdays.htm. This website also has a fascinating array of "Themed Metro Adventures" that give you history and trivia about places that can be reached by metro and explored on foot.

Sources:
(http://www.los-angeles-travel-services.com/)

(http://www.lonelyplanet.com)