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Parks - Los Angeles Hotels .com

For all its concrete and traffic congestion, the Los Angeles area offers plenty of tranquil space, by way of its parks, to take a deep breath and relax. Perhaps the most famous park in the city is Griffith Park and Observatory, which covers more than 4,000 mostly wild acres in the Hollywood Hills, making it a perfect destination for hiking or picnicking.

On a clear day, from the perch of the landmark observatory at Griffith Park, you can see over the expanse of the city all the way to the Pacific Ocean -- which may inspire you to take a trip out to any of the Los Angeles County beaches.

Here you'll find plenty of beaches to the north and to the south, with every kind of beachside activity you can think of, including exploring tide pools at Leo Carillo State Beach, surfing at Malibu Lagoon State Beach, tanning at Santa Monica State Beach, or ogling toned rollerbladers on the Venice Beach boardwalk.

Garden lovers will find plenty to love in LA as well. One of the most famous public gardens is found at the Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens in San Marino, which features acres of artfully ingenious landscaping: Go there just to walk through the grove of breathtaking giant bamboo.

Exposition Park in South Central LA is home to a beautiful seven-acre rose garden, but its main draw is its cultural institutions, including the Natural History Museum of LA County, the California Science Center, and the California African American Museum.