We're going to be in LA for a few days-- what are some of your favorite places that you recommend we see?

Well, LA is so well known that you've probably heard about most of the famous sights to visit, and might have made a wish list already.

But here are some lesser known and really wonderful places near Pasadena and Glendale.

Huntington Gardens- This is a must-see if you're in the area for any amount of time. The gardens are huge, and beautiful, and include a fabulous Chinese Garden (our favorite), a wonderful Japanese Garden with a reconstructed village "head man's" house brought from Japan piece by piece and put together onsite. A glorious rose garden, cactus garden, and so much more. And if that wasn't enough, there's also the Huntington Gallery Art Museum and the Huntington Library with such exhibits as a Gutenberg Bible and medieval illuminated manuscripts. There is a nice restaurant near the entrance, and several smaller ones throughout. The gift shop is fabulous.

Old Town Pasadena- shopping, restaurants, parks. Take a look at the beautiful Pasadena City Hall while you're there. Our favorite restaurants in this area are the Urth Caffe and True Foods Kitchen. Vroman's Book Store on Colorado Blvd is wonderful. Lots to explore.

Brand Blvd shopping in Glendale at The Americana and The Galleria. The Americana is best. It's an outdoor mall with lovely fountains, music, a trolley, great restaurants and wonderful shops. Easy parking. You can also walk to the Galleria from there. More shops. A little less upscale and more youth oriented. For Restaurants we like Frieda (Mexican food) in the Americana, and, across Brand Blvd, the Carousel for excellent middle eastern food with an authentic vibe.

The SRF International Headquarters, or Mother

Center- High atop Mount Washington in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles (where you'll be going for the Wedding Reception) is the SRF Mother Center and its gardens. It's open from 1-5 pm on Sundays, and 10-4 pm on other days, closed on Monday. You can stroll around and see such beauties as the Fish Pond Patio, the Temple of Leaves, and a descendent of Luther Burbank's thornless cactus.

Griffith Park Observatory- A glorious art deco/WPA building with decks for scanning the distant hills and seeing all the way to the ocean, a great close up view of the Hollywood Sign (and hiking trails to get there), an astronomy museum, and regularly scheduled planetarium shows. Parking can be a challenge-- so it's best to park at the Greek Theater and take the frequent shuttle buses up to the Observatory. Great gift shop and basic restaurant, too.

K&B

Wedding Day