Moon Metro Los Angeles, 3rd Edition

From Argentina to Cancun to New England, Moon Maps are available online and through guides like Moon Metro Los Angeles. The slender book is thick with fold-out maps of the City of Angels so you can conduct a self-guided tour. It’s not an “LA for Dummies,” but makes the effort to be accessible to first timers, as well as those who are map-challenged, like me.

Moon Metro Los Angeles divided Los Angeles up into eight specific areas, which are color coded to help the tourist quickly identify where they’re going. You may own a navigator that will get you around even as you walk, but a map can often give a wider view of what’s ahead in an area; at least, that’s been my experience with my navigational system and its 3.5 inch screen.

The guide also offers advice on tourist traps, which can be fun if you want to tell people you saw or experienced, but really aren’t the best value. Case in point are the “star tours” or “star maps” that lead you to think you’ll see the stars at their homes. Remember just how high those greens were when Ozzy Osborne threw a ham over his shrubbery? Map authors point out that homes may be recessed far enough from the street that you can’t see them taking out the trash, or (again with the shrubbery) with landscaping that is designed to cloud your view.

Hot "star spots" are mentioned: places you might not expect to see them at, such as delis or coffee shops. Bank on the fact they may love one place, but switch to another if the shine gets too bright from fans’ smiles.

Restaurant price ratings and other expected data are included in the map as well. It’s worth a pickup prior to your visit, so you can program destinations in your navigator, data phone or other electronic accessories, but is a good backup in case any of your electronics fail, and you’re still rarin’ to go.

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