1.     Be a tourist for a day. Take a ride down Mulholland Drive, walk around Sunset Boulevard, or go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Try a Sprinkles cupcake for the first time.  “Sprinkles is the best.  If you haven’t been there, then you’re definitely missing out,” said junior Lauren Sanders.  Or you could wait in line at Diddy Riese and try one of their famous cookies.

2.      Go to a television show taping.  You can sit in on a taping of the Tonight Show, Wendell & Vinnie, or Dr. Phil.  Although Dr. Phil has a minimum age requirement of 18, the Tonight Show and Wendell & Vinnie welcome everyone over the age of 16.  “I went to see The X Factor, and being in the crowd was so much fun.  I’m sure the experience would be different for everyone based on which TV show taping they went to, but I would definitely recommend it regardless,” said senior Kaitlin McKenna.  Get your tickets online.  The shows often give out tickets to more people than they have room for to guarantee that the studio audience will be full, so make sure you get there early to ensure that you will get in.  But best of all, tickets for these show tapings are free!

3.      Let’s not forget Venice Beach.  You haven’t truly seen it all until you’ve seen what Venice has to offer.  You could walk around on the boardwalk, visit their renowned skate park, or just watch the sunset.  There are also street performers, such as magicians, musicians, mines, jugglers, fortune tellers, and other random entertainers. Venice Beach also has a special area known as Muscle Beach, where you can watch bodybuilders show off their strength.  Finally, if you feel an appetite coming along, there is an abundance of food trucks, stands, and restaurants.

4.      Enjoy a fun afternoon tea at the Bazaar in Beverly Hills. According to their website, their tea “combines elements from European and Asian cultures.” They have desserts ranging from mango-passion marshmallows to saffron with edible paper to nitro coconut floating islands (made with liquid nitrogen). If the idea of afternoon tea doesn’t excite you, then you could always stop in for dinner and pick up one of their exotic entrees or just order some cool desserts to go. But regardless of your fancy, the Bazaar has some bizarre, eclectic foods for everyone.

5.      Attend the Vans Warped Tour Kick-Off. For just fifteen dollars, you could see Chiodos, New Beat Fund, Big Chocolate, Beware of Darkness, and other surprise guests.  And if you don’t like those bands, then you could also go to one of the many other concerts around Los Angeles, featuring Elliott Yamin, Danni Rosner, and many more.