In this book, a Los Angeles expert distills the city's must-sees and only-in-LA sites. It includes Disneyland, warm and wacky beaches, side trips to Santa Barbara, and more. It spotlights Hollywood - celebrity hangouts, driving tour of star homes, scandals and stories. Of the 22 million Los Angeles visitors, 13 million see Disneyland. The City of Los Angeles is the birthplace of the Internet, Mickey Mouse, Barbie, the DC-3, the Mazda Miata, and the Space Shuttle. LA boasts the largest historic theatre district in the USA, with some fifteen working performance houses originating back to the vaudeville era. The city is a multi-cultural melting pot, with over 58 per cent of the population speaking a first language other than English at home! LA has the largest Hispanic community in the whole of North America.
After graduating from college in Chicago, Sara jumped on a plane to the West Coast with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She landed in San Francisco, and today makes her home on the central California coast. She also spent three years living in Japan, after which she followed her wanderlust backpacking around Asia for almost a year before returning to the USA, where she has worked as a teacher, a journalist and a national park ranger. She is an all-seasons outdoor enthusiast.
The author of 50 travel and non-fiction books, Sara's writing has featured in national and international newspapers and magazines, including online content for the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler and Jetsetter. Sara has written for travel guidebook publishers including Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Compass American Guides (Fodor's), Wilderness Press and Countryman Press.
Her top-three favorite countries (so far, that is) are Nepal, Morocco and Cambodia, but Iceland, Namibia and Vietnam are next on her must-see life list. Back in the USA, her favorite places to hang out include California, Hawaii, Las Vegas and just about any national park. And her most memorable travel experience? Falling off a camel at the edge of the Sahara Desert.
To hear more about Sara's travel adventures, visit her blog at http://indietraveler.blogspot.com or her website at www.indietraveler.net. You can also follow her on Twitter (@indie_traveler) or with her digital iPhone & iPad travel app, Viva Las Vegas, Baby! (www.sutromedia.com/apps/viva_vegas).
