10 cool things to do in LA

Forget Jaws and Mickey Mouse for now. If you're going to Los Angeles this year, try other fun sights waiting to be discovered in the City of Angels.

 This is what we did when we attended the 2012 International Pow Wow in Los Angeles last month. We were eager to be wowed as always by LA — our favorite city in the USA aside from New York — a place visited by an estimated 43 million tourists last year. LA ranks third behind Orlando and New York City as one of the United States' leading tourist destinations.

1. Feel and hear Bob Dylan, the Beatles, heavy metal and Michael Jackson at the Grammy Museum.

Upon entering my cozy hotel room at Luxe City Center on Figueroa Street, the first thing that greeted me was the colorful floor-to-ceiling mural showing Steven Tyler with his signature look: huge screaming mouth, skinny pants, layers of chains on his neck and his tasseled hair flying in all directions. Thank goodness it was not the usual boringly predictable hotel room painting. A week before, I had just finished reading Tyler’s autobiography (Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?) which I saw at National Book Store, and flashes of his certainly-not-boring life (read: music, drugs, love and sex) came to mind.

Iconic landmark: You know you've reached the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) when you see this cluster of urban lights by artist Chris Burden .

I opened the window curtains, and saw an inviting view right across the hotel: the Grammy Museum! I easily succumbed to the $12.95 invitation and got transported through different decades of music. A traveling exhibit on Boy Dylan focuses on his role in American folk music revival centered in Greenwich Village, New York with a collection of photographs by Daniel Kramer, and original instruments from icons like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. 

A lot of production instruments and original costumes are shown in “The Beatles Love” on the third floor, which is actually a glimpse of the permanent show at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

I got to better appreciate my son’s kind of music (when he was in his heavy metal phase) as I saw the interactive exhibit on “The History of Heavy Metal,” complete with tutorials and a scream booth, artwork and costumes.

 A few of Michael Jackson’s sequined gloves and beaded jackets are on display also in an exhibit that pays tribute to this music idol on the second anniversary of his death.

The Grammy Museum is at 800 Olympic Boulevard, corner Figueroa Street. There’s a discounted $8 entrance fee after 5 p.m.

A life of pain: Frida Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait with a Necklace of Thorns”

 2. Enjoy art and lifestyle exhibits at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art).

It is so easy to find LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard. Just look for the cluster of urban lights by artist Chris Burden right in front of it. This art installation, now an iconic landmark, has appeared in movies (like No Strings Attached), music videos and fashion shoots.

I was so happy to view an exhibit at LACMA which I had ached to see but missed on a trip to Mexico some years ago: artwork by my favorite artist, Frida Kahlo. Luckily a few of her paintings were part of an exhibit of the surrealist women artists in Mexico and the US. Of course, for me, Kahlo’s was the best and most painfully stirring.

Also showing at LACMA is “Living in a Modern Way,” an exhibit on California design from 1930 to 1965, featuring furniture, fashion, ceramics and graphic designs of the period. Examples are chairs by Charles and Ray Eames, and bowls by Gertrud and Otto Natzier. The admission fee is $15 but as in most museums and galleries, entrance is free if you have a press ID. Admission is also free if you’re below 18; and $10 for seniors and students.

 3. Be amazed at the Annenberg Space for Photography.

Now showing at Annenberg Space for Photography: Photo by Pierre Betelle

This was a big “Wow” in my Los Angeles PowWow trip! Truly amazing surreal photographs on display by artists from the US, UK and France jolted my perception of reality and confused my mind. But I enjoyed the experience. Long before Photoshop, there were many tricks in the darkroom used by artists.

On exhibit are 17 artists but my top favorite is Jerry Uelsmann. A short film takes viewers behind the scenes. There is also a room featuring 3D works with terrific imagery.

Located at the Avenue of the Stars, entrance to the Annenberg Space for Photography is wonderfully free. “Always free,” their postcard emphasizes.

4. Shop for beautiful bargains at Santee Alley.

   If you like 168 in Chinatown and the tiangge market in Greenhills, you will like Santee Alley even more. It is less chaotic and more trendy. Located within two blocks between Santee Street, Maple Avenue, Olympic Boulevard and 12th Street, and open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Santee Alley has 150 stores which offer everything from shorts to formal gowns. And yes, you can test your bargaining skills here.

Better than 168: Santee Alley shops are more trendy and orderly.

   I found shoes à la Louboutin, evening bags with skull rings à la Alexander McQueen and clothes à la Miyake. Thank goodness, this market does not scream with cheap Vuitton fakes.

 5. Have a dinosaur experience at the Natural History Museum.

You must include this in your must-see list, because it is one of the most awesome state-of-the-art dinosaur exhibits in this part of the planet. If you were an avid follower of the TV sitcom Friends where Ross the paleontologist talks dinosaurs and fossils, you will most likely appreciate the 25-foot-long Triceratops, and the world’s only T-Rex, and a Stegosaurus-fighting predator, Allosaurus, here. The Dinosaur Hall of the NHM features 20 full-body dinosaur specimens. The  NHM is located at 900 Exposition Boulevard. Oh yes, US Travel Association president Roger Dow welcomed the PowWow media with a delicious brunch amid beautiful flowers and shady trees at the NHM Gardens.

6. Get a fashion fix at the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising).

Fresh is fashionable: Organic veggies and the freshest produce at the Beverly Hills Farmers' Market

Our very own Monique Lhuillier is one of the most notable alumnae of FIDM,located at 919 Grand Avenue. The FIDM museum features a collection of more than 10,000 costumes, accessories and fabrics from the 18th century to modernity.There’s a special section on menswear by Versace .Clothes on display include vintage Carolina Herrera, Dior,Galanos and Yves Saint Laurent. Costumes will remind you of scenes from old films and theatrical shows.

7. Watch a new take on cinema by Cirque du Soleil.

Pow Wow attendees at the LA Convention Center were treated to glimpses of  “IRIS: A Journey Through the World of Cinema,” a major new show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. “IRIS” combines acrobatics, dance, projections and live music. Isn’t it heartening to know that Cirque du Soleil started with 20 street performers in 1984, and this Quebec-based group has performed before 100 million spectators in 300 cities around the world!

8. Enjoy glam shopping — and celebrity watching — on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Duh: Gina, Millet and Liberty Pinili of Sunstar Cebu with Lisa, Homer, Marge and Bart Simpson at Universal Studios

   In this playground of the stars are the best of the best luxury brands, from Armani to Dolce & Gabanna to Lanvin to Prada to Vuitton to Rimowa. Our group was given a walking tour by the vivacious Joe Katz, the in-house stylist of Beverly Hills’ newest hotel, Montage Beverly Hills. Too bad we didn’t get to catch any celebrity doing any panic shopping or sitting at the sidewalk cafes. We had to be content with photographing glamorous residents walking their bejeweled poodles.

9. Shop healthy, eat healthy at Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market.

Our tour guide said this market on the 9300 block of Civic Center Drive, is where the likes of Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Sharon Stone shop for fresh produce. Never mind if we didn’t see any celebs here either, because the organic fruits and veggies, the foods cooked on the spot (crepes, panini, grilled fish and barbecues) were enough of a treat. Open every Sunday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., this market also sells flowers, soaps, lotions and oils. They also have live entertainment from a band, cooking lessons and pony rides for children.

This is where Katsuo Suguira, executive chef of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and reigning executive chef for the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards, goes shopping for the freshest produce to satisfy the most finicky tastes.

Transformed into a fan: Author Millet Mananquil poses with Optimus Prime.

10. Be a child once again at Universal Studios Hollywood with the Transformers and King Kong.

Universal Studios was closed to the public for one night as it was booked exclusively for the Pow Wow attendees who were treated to free popcorn, free dinner, free rides, free everything! The current major offerings are the Transformers (giant robots walk around for photo-ops) and King Kong, and both rides are 3D! The revolutionary Transformers ride allows visitors to “live” the movie using state-of-the-art technology. The King Kong ride onboard the studio tram brings you to Skull Island where you get caught in a ferocious fight between King Kong and a giant T-Rex.

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A most comfortable and convenient way to fly to Los Angeles is offered by Delta Airlines which flies daily via Narita to Los Angeles.For reservations, call 814-8800 and 814-9800 , visit www.delta.com or drop by 9/F Athenaeum Building, 160 Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati.

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NEXT WEEK: How President Obama put the “wow” at the 2012 International Pow Wow in Los Angeles.