There's Plenty of Things You Can Do with 24 Hours in Los Angeles

This article is part of our VICE Weekends summer series, presented by Weis

Even if you're not planning on staying in Los Angeles, if you're flying to the US from Australia then chances are you'll be touching down there. So why not make a day of it and spend the night? Break up that connecting flight and explore this sprawling Southern California city, soak up some sun, sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and eat the perfect taco before you make your way back to LAX.

The Broad in Downtown LA is the city's newest contemporary art gallery and it makes for a really good excursion. Stop past Grand Central Market, a downtown landmark since 1917, get a falafel sandwich at Madcapra and a coffee at G&B, then stroll over and hang out in the standby line if you haven't reserved tickets. It's free, but it gets busy, so arriving early is optimal. Put your name down for Yayoi Kusama's world-renowned Infinity Mirrored Room as soon as you enter the building, it's some of the best 45 seconds you can have.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology is easily the most Hogwarts-like place outside of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. It's a strange, dark place filled with eccentric curiosities relating to art, science, and natural history, and it's completely unique. No description will do it justice, you just have to ring a brass buzzer and step inside.

If the word jurassic piqued your interest, then the La Brea Tar Pits might be for you. Natural asphalt has been seeping up from the ground around Hancock Park for tens of thousands of years and it has trapped and preserved a lot of animal life. Now, you can experience the world's only active, urban Ice Age excavation site simply by taking a 20 minute Uber from wherever it is you're staying. Paleontologists are out there digging up fossils as we speak and you can witness the hammering and dusting with your own eyes at the Pit 91 viewing station.

Venice Beach's Muscle Beach is another worthwhile thing to clock. Stroll along the boardwalk, take in some fresh air, check out some buff bods flexing or some kids doing kickies at the skatepark, then watch a game of pick-up basketball as you eat some pokē. And while you're in that neck of the woods take some time to browse Abbott Kinney. The mile-long strip has fashion, art, and food.

If you're keen to go for a scenic drive then consider heading out to Malibu to visit The Getty's manicured gardens and impressive collection of American and European art. Alternatively, if being in a car sounds like a concrete-paved nightmare after a long flight, then stretch your legs at Echo Park Lake instead. Buy some paletas aka popsicles aka icey poles then rent a paddle boat and calmly cruise around the lake with the turtles. After, make your way to the Griffith Observatory so you can snap pics with the iconic Hollywood sign in the background. There's really pretty views of the city at any time of the day, but when the sun's setting and the sky's turning pink and the light's golden it's extra special.

There's plenty more things you can do with 24 hours in LA, but the best one is eat. Eat pastrami and chicken soup at Canter's, or pupusas at the Hollywood Farmers Market, or Taiwanese-style spicy shrimp wontons at Pine and Crane, or ramen somewhere in Little Toyko, or Korean BBQ literally anywhere in Koreatown, or Indian at Badmaash, or Ethiopian at Meals by Genet, or a bowl of pho in the San Gabriel Valley. Get breakfast at Sqirl, lunch at Gjusta, and dinner at Jon & Vinny's. Find sophisticated tacos at Guerrilla Tacos and bite into the best handmade tortillas at Guisados. Really you can just stop wherever you see a truck, because in LA you can never go wrong with tacos.

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This article is presented by Weis