Esotouric Bus Adventures
So you’ve checked off all the boxes on your must-see list and hit all of the major LA attractions. You’ve toured the back lots at Universal Studios Hollywood, marveled at the superior design of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and ogled the bodybuilders on Venice Beach. Well done. Pat yourself on the back, lace up your shoes and get back out there, because you have more exploring to do.
Los Angeles, the birthplace of so many trends and cultures, offers a gazillion more things to do, and it takes more than a few visits — or even a few years — to really know what it’s all about. In a city as vibrant and dynamic as this one, you have to live here to know the ins and outs. Take Los Angeles museums, for example.
Few tourists know about the Annette Greene Perfume Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Downtown LA, which is the only museum of its kind in the country. Not just a humongous sampling of perfumes, the museum delves into the art, culture and science of (nice) smells.
The Museum of Jurassic Technology — its paradoxical name hinting at what lies in store for visitors — is probably LA’s most zany attraction. Ferns and moss from Napoleon’s tomb, a collection of art from mobile homes, sublime floral radiographs…the list of bizarre and fascinating objects goes on and on. The museum’s lack of a straightforward system throws guests right into numerous exhibitions that adhere to one rule: it has to be interesting.
You could apply that rule to LA’s off-the-beaten path tour service, Esotouric Bus Adventures. These down-to-earth locals redefine sightseeing, focusing on attractions catered to the literary set with tours like “Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s Los Angeles.” It’s one that locals go on all the time.
Bukowski, notorious for his drinking habits, would have appreciated LA’s current collection of places to grab a cocktail. El Coyote has a reputation for the strongest margaritas in town. For something a little more low key, Beechwood in Venice and the other room on Abbot Kinney Boulevard both feature the laid-back atmosphere of a local haunt.
