3 days, 3 adventures: Montebello, Downtown & Long Beach

Last weekend our family hosted some friends who dropped in for a visit on their way up north to Tahoe. This wasn't their first time in L.A., so they were itching to see something new. Past trips included Hollywood, the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica and Venice beaches, Beverly Hills, the Getty and the Original Farmer's Market.

We decided our daughter would be the factor in determining some interesting sites to take them. Finding family-friendly things to do in L.A. has become one of our favorite challenges, as we're always delighted with our discoveries and generally pleased with our experiences.

Our itinerary for the long weekend: a picnic and visit to the Montebello Barnyard Zoo at Grant Rea Park in Montebello; breakfast Downtown and a stroll through Little Tokyo; and a day in Long Beach at the harbor and Aquarium of the Pacific.

Anime Expo 2010 Recap: Day 1 & 2

Day 1: I started my AX 2010 early riding on the Blue Line to the Pico Station and walking over to Nokia Theater for the red carpet event before Opening Ceremonies. The sides were already crowded with fans and photographers, but I got my shot of J-rock band Sophia (excited fan moment #2!) plus I was thoroughly impressed with Beni's fashion-sense. Oh wait! She has her own fashion show in Japan! Beni was born and raised for 8 years in southern California before moving to Japan and this was her first time back. She opened for Sophia on Saturday (Day 3) with her own Jpop hits topping the Oricon chart in Japan.

What are you doing on Sunday? Meet Me @ Metro (Traveling Theater)

It's a given that we like to support our local art and theatre. We like even more to support events that are family-friendly, low-cost, let's people experience something new in LA, and promotes the use of public transit.