Los Angeles Getaways

Hello, and welcome to Getaways.

-The show where we go...

-Where you want us to go.

We're on a mission to check out some of your most popular holiday destinations.

CAMERA CLICKS

You've been sharing your top travel tips,

-telling us where to go...

-And what to do when we get there.

This week, we've come to the West Coast of the USA.

That's right, we are in Los Angeles, California.

You can now fly directly to Los Angeles from Dublin.

Aer Lingus offers four flights a week, all-year round,

with the bonus of pre-clearing Customs at Dublin airport.

Our destination is Santa Monica - a 30-minute transfer from the airport.

Joe, LA, we're here.

-LA, baby!

-Mmm.

-Do you know, I've been here before,

but I kind of based myself mainly in Downtown LA.

I didn't get out to Santa Monica, and everybody responded and said,

Santa Monica is the best way to see this

-place and base yourself.

-It is.

-What are you looking forward to?

-OK, the beaches, obviously,

they're beautiful. Shopping, plenty of it.

-Oh, yeah.

-And I really want to do a studio tour as well.

-Absolutely, got to do that.

-Yeah?

Cheers.

Los Angeles, the City of Angels is huge,

sprawling over an area more than ten times the size of Belfast or Dublin.

Greater Los Angeles is divided up into cities.

Some of them you will probably have heard of,

like Hollywood and the uber-exclusive Beverly Hills.

One of the first things you're going to do in Santa Monica,

especially for a family holiday, is hit the beach.

Yeah, and if this beach looks familiar,

then you're showing your age because this was the backdrop to the hit

'90s TV series Baywatch.

Maybe it's the Baywatch link,

but LA has got a reputation for being the home of the body-obsessed.

And to be fair, they do seem to have a bit of a fitness fixation.

So if you like to work up a sweat on holiday,

then you've come to the right place.

And we're doing a bit of gentle exercise ourselves.

Lauren Hodgson recommended that we hire a bike and take a ride along

the world's longest coastal cycle path.

And it's not just for bicycles.

Skateboards, roller-skates, tricycles, jogging or walking, and, er,

dog-boarding, are all OK in LA.

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail, to give it its official title,

runs for 22 miles along the Los Angeles coastline.

And there are places to hire bikes all along the route.

First stop on your bike ride has to be the famous Santa Monica Pier.

For a lot of people, this is the end of the road.

Because right here is the official ending to the legendary Route 66.

And as the song goes, Joe?

# Winds all the way from Chicago to LA

# Get your kicks on Route 66. #

Don't give up the day job, Joe.

This iconic pier has been a mecca for tourists flocking to the

West Coast for over 100 years.

It's a bit of a mashup of styles.

The original pier has been extended over time, to include shops,

restaurants, amusements and entertainment.

And I've bumped into the Connelly sisters from Monaghan.

So you only got here a few days ago.

What have you been up to so far?

We got a bit of shopping done. We went to the outlets just outside.

Lovely.

And yeah, just had a walk along the beach.

Went to Venice Beach, it's really cool.

Nice. So what are the plans over the next few days?

Do you want to try and do some Kardashian spotting, is that right?

Yeah, Calabasas. We're going to Calabasas, trying to spot the Kardashians.

Because you're kind of Monaghan's answer to the Kardashians yourselves.

LAUGHTER

-Keeping up with the Connellys!

-Keeping up with the Connellys!

You know, Mairead, coming to LA, I thought it was going to be glamour,

-the glitz.

-Mm-hmm.

-You know, Tinseltown.

-Yeah.

-It's a bit more like Bray, isn't it?

There is nothing wrong with Bray, Joe.

No, no. Amusements!

Pacific Park is a classic old school fairground built over the ocean,

and it features the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel.

All right, it's not Disneyland.

But the kids will still love it.

And if you've come this far,

you may as well shell out for a ride on the Scrambler.

A 20-minute bike ride south of Santa Monica Pier

brings you to Venice.

Apart from its great surf and wide sandy beach,

it's a cool hang-out for creative types, as well as surfers and skaters.

And it's also had some famous residents, including Julia Roberts,

Kate Beckinsale and Nicolas Cage.

Zoe Rainey said, "Joe, get yourself along to Venice Beach,

"you'll love the characters."

You know me too well, Zoe.

The Venice Boardwalk is a 1.5 mile pedestrian walkway.

It's a great place to soak up the atmosphere and maybe pick up a souvenir.

But the real attraction here is people watching.

And one thing you've got to do when you're here is take a gander about and appreciate the

street art. We think we've got great murals back home.

We've got nothing on what you see over here.

"You shoved my man into the meat grinder."

Some of the murals along the boardwalk are as tall as two storeys,

which have just become part of the landscape.

A bit like this skatepark,

which is now a permanent feature on the Venice beachfront.

Venice Beach was the birthplace of the skateboarding phenomenon.

Nearly half a century later, it's still a huge scene here.

Look at this skatepark - amazing.

Santa Monica is a great location to base yourself for exploring LA.

And of course, it has lots of accommodation options.

It is, however, one of the more expensive areas to stay.

And it also has a whopping 14% hotel room tax.

So it's worth shopping around.

We found the Travelodge Santa Monica on Pico Boulevard.

It's a ten-minute drive from the beach,

and it does have free parking, which is a big deal in LA.

There are accessible guest rooms and prices also include

a continental breakfast.

But if you're looking for some quirky, old school Californian style,

then the Palihouse is a boutique lodge with a real homely feel,

and only a short walk from the beach and shops.

You can stay at one of their 17 studio residences,

which include a well-equipped kitchen.

Or for a bit of luxury, you could stay at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel on Ocean Boulevard,

right across the road from the beach.

The hotel has over 300 guest rooms and suites.

But the unique feature here is the 31 luxury bungalows beside the pool.

And I caught up with the hotel's manager and chairman of the

Santa Monica Tourism and Travel Board, Ellis O'Connor,

who happens to be from Hollywood.

County Down, that is. So, Ellis, how long have you lived in Santa Monica?

I've been here now - 20 years next month.

I like what you've done with the place.

-The bungalows?

-Yes.

They are a unique selling point, they really are.

This hotel was built in 1928.

And in those days it was the location where Greta Garbo moved, when she was

moving from Sweden and trying to make it in film.

-Get out!

-We had President Clinton...

Used to stay in the bungalows over there when he was President.

I can't say who stayed with him, but he stayed over there.

LAUGHTER

We have... Sally Field is a local.

Anthony Hopkins shot a movie here. We were used as part of Remington Steele.

We were used for Dallas, the TV series.

-Wow.

-Most recently, Entourage came in and used us.

And the bungalows represent the authentic way to live in Santa Monica.

If you had three things to recommend to someone coming to Santa Monica,

Los Angeles, what would be the three things you recommend?

You have to go to the promenade for your shopping,

the pier for your recreation,

and I would go probably into Venice for the dining.

That's it, succinct.

-I love it.

-And you can get there all on the same bike.

Ha-ha. That's a killer line. He's done this before.

LAUGHTER

It's fair to say that this is a city that likes its cars.

They say that there is approximately one car for every two people in LA.

And while most cities are built around rivers or a harbour,

LA is built around its giant freeways.

And the traffic jams are legendary.

Now, they say the only way to get around Los Angeles is by car.

But I assure you, you really don't need that kind of hassle.

There are other alternatives.

Like that, for instance.

A current campaign to encourage Angelinos to walk,

cycle and to use public transport has had some success.

In fact, a brand-new multi-million-dollar rail service has just opened,

taking passengers from Santa Monica to Downtown LA.

This is it, the Expo.

Now I know what you're thinking - it's just a train.

But here in LA,

getting people to move from their cars to public transport is a big deal.

For me, the best way to get around Santa Monica is on foot.

Everything is within short walking distance of your hotel.

Including some great shops.

The Third Street Promenade in the heart of Santa Monica is a

pedestrian precinct that has all the shopping you would ever want.

But if you're prepared to travel beyond Santa Monica,

there are plenty of other shopping options.

About 30 minutes away is the open-air shopping mall, The Grove,

where you can browse the shops and enjoy the dancing fountains and

street vendors.

For top-end designer stores,

there's the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

But I'm taking a gander along Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood,

known for cutting-edge labels and designer boutiques.

When you're out shopping in LA,

there's tonnes of stores that are out of most people's price range.

But do you know what? It's still fun to look.

The Kelly Wearstler store oozes LA style,

and the interior designer has an impressive client list, including

A-list celebrities Cameron Diaz, Gwen Stefani and Ben Stiller.

And if you can afford it,

you could bring home a little piece of LA style to your living room.

Well, I've decided this is my favourite piece in the whole store.

And it's all mine for 6,500.

Chocolate - now I always have enough money to buy chocolate.

And here at Compartes on Melrose Place,

they combine great design with great chocolate.

It's tasteful, and tasty.

Not only is all the packaging here just gorgeous,

but check out the chocolate itself - look at that!

It's almost too pretty to eat.

So they're very LA-centric, which is what's so great about them.

Palm trees, cactus.

This one's coffee with the palm trees on it.

-Mm-hmm.

-Do you like peanut butter?

-I love peanut butter.

-This is my favourite. You know what, I'm going to have one with you.

-So, cheers.

-And peanut butter's good for you.

-Uh-huh.

-So, you know.

Mmm!

You are a real-life Willy Wonka, and I've met you.

HE CHUCKLES

OK, let's face it.

If you come to LA,

it's unlikely you're going to bump into any A-list movie stars.

So the only way to get close to them is by stalking them.

And there are people who can take you to where they live.

Do you feel like a movie star, or you look like you a movie star?

Elizabeth Taylor married husband number four, here on the left, everyone.

And that was Eddie Fisher that she married.

-Oh!

-Husband number five and number six, the love of her life,

-does anybody remember?

-Richard...

-Richard Burton.

-There you go, very good.

-I like the quiz element to this.

-Yes, me, too.

Our expert guide to the stars is Lisa,

who is giving us a VIP ride around Beverly Hills.

So, welcome to Beverly Hills 90210.

You're on one of the most iconic streets in all of LA.

In just a little bit, we're going to see where one of our favourite

actors lives. Al Pacino. He lives up here on the right-hand side.

-Who-hah!

-Who-ha! Yes.

-Both of us are big fans.

-You're going past Al Pacino's house.

I'm going past Al Pacino's house.

We're all going past Al Pacino's house!

Right here, everyone.

Green gate, white house.

Oh, the front door's open. Is he expecting us?

It is, his white Range Rover's right there.

This is Al Pacino's house, everyone.

On the right-hand side would be the former home of Jackie Collins,

everyone. English author and actress, right here on the right.

-It's so big.

-Huge.

-It's like a football field.

There's money in airport novels, isn't there?

Wow.

To the right, this was the last home of Elvis Presley.

When he bought it in 1960, he paid a whopping 28,000.

My God. Quickly look left, coming up,

this three-storey home is the house that Michael Jackson rented for

100,000 a month rent. If you look,

you'll see the balconies where we would see the King of Pop with his family.

He would wave, he would say hello.

That's the house on our left.

If a long-haul flight isn't for you,

then check out Mairead's culinary short break in County Fermanagh.

Themed breaks have become really popular, from wild and adventurous

outdoor breaks, to relaxing spa retreats.

I'm in Fermanagh on a break that's themed all around food and cookery.

I mean, what's not to love?

I'm joining my guide for today's culinary tour of the Fermanagh Lakes,

-Barry Flanagan. How are you doing, Barry.

-How are you?

Nice to meet you. Woo!

Barry's water taxi offers a variety of tours on the lough.

I'm taking his food trail, to learn about some of the produce from

Fermanagh, and to taste some of its celebrated foods.

The lough features a maze of islands,

many of which are havens for fishermen and holiday-makers during

the summer, and others which are used for farming.

So we're just coming up to Devenish island here now.

-Yeah.

-And this is where Morris Kettyle, who owns Kettyle Meats,

keeps some of his rare breeds.

They have the whole island to themselves,

and they're foraging for different herbs,

-and they're eating the grass that's on the island here.

-So all that flavour goes through.

-It comes out in the meat.

-It goes through the meat.

Yeah, absolutely.

To give me a taste of Fermanagh,

the tour includes a picnic that is full of local produce.

A perfect stop-off point is Crom Estate on the edge of Lough Erne.

So what we have here is some local breads.

We've got local jams, local beers.

And some cheeses here with a port jelly.

We have also Fermanagh black bacon on the pan here.

And we've got some locally-sourced ice cream.

-Brilliant.

-So what we have here is some Kettyle Irish beef,

which we saw... The cows earlier on Devenish Island.

Lovely.

Mmm!

Next up on my culinary boat trip is Belle Isle Castle,

where I'm staying the night.

But before I check in, I'm checking out the Belle Isle Cookery School,

where chef Joe Kelly is giving me a quick lesson in how to make...

'brown bread.' OK, so roll it?

'Something I haven't tried to do since school.

'And it's all coming back to me.'

So, very simply, what we want to do... We're going to give this kind of

a little press down. We want to deflate it.

-Mm-hmm.

-OK? So what you're doing is you're kind of stretching the dough

on the underside a little bit.

Flip it over. Perfect.

OK, so here we have one in the oven,

all ready to go. That's great. That looks really, really good.

That's looking pretty good. What do you think?

-Oh, I'm in heaven.

-That's great. You did well.

Very well.

There are several accommodation options at Belle Isle.

For a special occasion,

you can hire the castle, which sleeps up to ten and has beautiful bedrooms

overlooking the lake. It comes with a fully-equipped modern kitchen.

Or if you prefer someone else to cook for you,

you can dine in the grand banqueting room.

There are also self-catering accommodation options on the castle grounds,

which are great for families,

including eight courtyard cottages,

which can sleep between two and eight people.

For a perfect finale to my gourmet boat trip,

Barry is dropping me off at the Watermill restaurant.

It was built by award-winning French chef and passionate fisherman,

Pascal Brissaud, who has prepared some more local produce with a French twist.

Pascal, talk to me about what you've prepared for me today.

Yeah, what we've prepared today is really something very local.

-Mm-hmm.

-We have here - a nice Fivemiletown goat's cheese tartlet

with red beetroot in three ways.

-And what about this one?

-That is a pouch of local duck.

The sauce is a nice port and creamy sauce with mushroom.

So while I'm tucking in, why did you choose Fermanagh?

-Why here?

-Because of the fishing.

Because the lough here, it's obvious, it's just a paradise for me.

This water has one of the best pike and trout and perch fishing in the world.

I can see why this is the end of the food trail.

This is a great place to end.

Yeah, OK.

We're on a getaway in Los Angeles, California,

taking advantage of the direct flights from Ireland.

So far, we've been biking on the beach in Santa Monica.

Stalking the stars in Beverly Hills.

And shopping in Hollywood.

Here in the heart of Hollywood is the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Home to many a red-carpet movie premiere,

the entrance to the theatre has iconic status.

Nearly 300 movie legends have left their hand and footprints on what

has become known as the Forecourt of the Stars.

And the TCL Chinese Theatre has also provided a backdrop for some

legendary cinema.

The Chinese Theatre was established in 1927 by acclaimed

Hollywood showman Sid Grauman.

Ha-ha, Travolta's shoes!

Fantastic.

The story goes that Grauman accidentally stepped in the wet concrete while the

theatre was under construction.

And that gave him the inspiration for what we see today.

No matter who or what kind of genre of cinema you love,

you're going to find at least five people that you adore here in the

Forecourt of the Stars.

Like, for example...

IMITATES CAINE: Down here we have Michael Caine.

And you will find that Michael prefers a surprisingly

sensible pair of shoes.

If you're in need of some culture,

you'll be happy to know that LA has more museums than any city in America.

The Getty Museum is based at two locations.

The Getty Centre holds one of the world's largest art collections.

Founded by billionaire philanthropist J Paul Getty,

it attracts over one million visitors each year.

But today, I've come to check out the Getty Villa,

which he built in the style of an ancient Roman villa.

J Paul Getty began collecting Classical antiquities in the 1930s,

and it became his lifelong passion.

He commissioned this property,

inspired by a house uncovered from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius,

and the tranquillity of the gardens is a complete contrast to the hustle

and bustle of LA.

Entry is free, although you do need to book online.

Eric, tell me a little bit about the man, J Paul Getty.

He made his money primarily inheriting the oil business from his father,

Getty Oil.

Then expanding it in the Middle East.

And in the 1950s he was called one of the richest men in the

world, if not THE richest man in the world.

So this place, these beautiful gardens that we're walking around,

was essentially his summer residence, or one of them.

Yeah, he had four residences in Los Angeles.

-He purchased...

-That's plenty in one place alone to have.

-It's a big city.

-OK, so you're in Santa Monica,

or just outside Santa Monica,

and you can be in a place like this that is so peaceful and relaxing.

Yeah, it is. When you enter the museum, when you enter the grounds,

it is amazing how the rest of Los Angeles seems to melt away.

It does, yeah. And you know what,

you don't even hear the sounds of LA here.

Right.

A big city like LA needs a big city park.

And this is it -

Griffith Park is one of the biggest urban parks in North America,

covering over 4,000 acres in the Santa Monica mountains,

overlooking Hollywood and Downtown LA.

The big attraction up here is the Griffith Observatory,

which opened in 1935.

It was donated to the city of Los Angeles by Welsh philanthropist

Griffith J Griffith.

Its Art Deco domes contain working telescopes,

and inside there's a science museum.

You can learn about the stars, and admission is free.

You know what? It's worth even coming up just for the views.

Unsurprisingly, the spectacular setting has caught the attention of

many Hollywood film-makers.

And you might recognise it from films like Terminator,

Charlie's Angels, and Transformers.

Probably the most famous film shot at Griffith Observatory was the 1955

Rebel Without A Cause. It made a superstar out of James Dean,

and the observatory itself.

Another iconic Hollywood landmark is Bob's Big Boy Restaurant.

Its classic 1950s diner look has made it the perfect location for

some memorable movies.

Well, the one that sticks in my mind most is its use in Austin Powers

International Man Of Mystery.

When the cryogenically-frozen Dr Evil and Mr Bigglesworth escape into space.

Look at his little face!

You come to LA, you have to come to Bob's Big Boy Burger and get the

classic combo and a couple of milkshakes.

Love this. Have you tried yours yet?

In a little minute. Do you know who came here,

who sat at this actual booth?

-The Beatles.

-What?

The Beatles came here. Jimmy Dean used to come here.

Do you know who comes here now?

-Vanilla Ice.

-I wonder, does he order...?

-Vanilla shake?

-With...

BOTH: Ice, ice, baby!

But come here on a Friday and the

big treat is outside in the car park.

Because Bob's Big Boy is where Los Angeles car enthusiasts gather every

Friday afternoon to show off their classic American automobiles.

This is Paul, the creator and owner

of this fine, very cool automobile.

Paul, tell me about this. What make of car was this originally?

Well, originally, this is a 1951 Mercury-Style.

I purchased it about three years ago and decided to give it kind of a

-Mad Max treatment.

-This seems to be quite an LA, California thing.

-Oh, absolutely.

-So why is it such a big kind of car culture thing here,

-the custom thing?

-California, especially Los Angeles,

it's all roads and freeways.

And the car culture is huge in general.

-You want to take it for a spin?

-Oh, yeah, you want to go?

I'll get you up in the gun turret.

VINYL SCRATCHES

'Hang on, did he just say he'd get me up in the gun turret?'

HE LAUGHS

MIMICS GUNFIRE

Hell, yeah! Come on.

A huge draw for families coming to LA is, of course, the theme parks.

Disneyland, the original Disney theme park,

is still Southern California's most popular amusement park.

And it continues to add new attractions.

Its latest venture - Star Wars.

There's also Universal Studios, Hollywood,

with lots of rides inspired by the movies,

along with the Universal City Walk and the ever-popular studio tour.

But Meghan McArdle from Armagh told us to check out the studio tour

right here at Warner Brothers.

Hi, guys. I'm John, your tour guide.

-Hi, John. How are you?

-Hi, John.

-Nice to meet you. Are you ready to see the lot?

-We sure are.

-Hop in, let's do this.

Brilliant.

Some of the best-known classic films have been made here over the years.

Casablanca, Dirty Harry, Batman, The Matrix, Harry Potter,

and TV shows like Friends and Big Bang Theory.

So, John, are productions actually being filmed while we're sort of

-driving through the lot?

-It's the best part of this tour,

is that you're taking a tour of a real working production facility.

-That is unreal.

-Yeah.

This is Hennesy Street.

This is one of many backlot sets that we have here at Warner Brothers Studios.

-Brilliant.

-Originally built in the 1930s, this one.

I recognise this as Friends.

-This is Friends!

-You are good.

This is New York. Any time you saw the cast of Friends doing a scene

outside, walking around the streets of New York, it was here.

-All in LA.

-All in LA.

This is also Gotham City from three Batman movies.

Oh!

BATMAN IMITATION: Hooray! We're in Gotham.

-He's getting in character.

-He is.

-Let's get out of here. Let's go see something else.

-Yay.

OK, while you boys go off and play Batman and Robin,

I'm going to meet Friends for a coffee.

Oh, I love this!

Could I be on a more iconic TV set?

Always knew myself and Rachel were meant to be friends.

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ECHOES: So, John.

Here we are in a really big room filled with Batmobiles.

I know, it's the coolest thing of all time.

This is the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!

Look at this - this is every single Batmobile, apart from the 1960s one.

This is every single Batmobile, Batcycle, Batplane.

They're all here. This is the Holy Grail.

Even if you're not the biggest Batman fan,

if you don't know the storyline very well,

you can appreciate the construction and the look.

They're like little masterpieces.

Yeah. And if you're not a Batman fan, we pity them.

I know.

It's not just about the cars.

Just about everything else that is used in the movies is here in the

props store.

It's an Aladdin's cave of stuff that is used in films and TV shows

all over Hollywood.

My favourite? President Frank Underwood's desk from House Of Cards.

So, Mairead, what did you make of Los Angeles?

I loved it. I've loved the beach, the pier, just general

-people watching, really.

-Yeah, same here. I mean, it's movie town.

I love it. It's like a living, breathing Madame Tussauds.

-Yeah.

-And here we are underneath the greatest selfie spot in the world.

-Give us your phone.

-I forgot it.

I'm joking, come on. Here we go.

Love it!