California Gardening: visiting LA and Palm Desert, 1 by amethystsm

amethystsm wrote:
Hello, Californians!

i am a regular on the NE forum, and have "met" some of you there, or in the chat room...

Next week, i get to escape the NE for a while, and visit LA and Palm Desert. My DH and i will be in LA Tuesday night - Thursday afternoon/evening, drive to Palm Desert for Thurs night - Sunday morning, when we will drive back to LA, and fly home on Monday.

I am looking for interesting things to do, particularly in the Palm Desert region - he will be working most of the time there. Has anyone been to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens? It looks nice from the website. What else is there to do out there for an extremely unwealthy person with a rental car?

Is it worth driving from LA to San Diego for the zoo? How long does it take to get to Mexico? (i would love to get to say i'd been to another country!)

What have i just GOTTA do in LA? (well, i want to go see the Hollywood sign, cause i am so uncool - but what else?) Any restaurants anyone is dying to recommend?

i eagerly await your suggestions!

amy
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(on my only other LA visit, for one day on the way to NZ, on the Santa Monica beach, june 2006. That water was COLD.)