City guide: Los Angeles

We were checking in to the Westin Bonaventure hotel when the strangest thing happened. A great stallion came marauding through the lobby, the giant figure of Arnold Schwarzenegger handling the reigns. He guided his steed into one of the imposing glass elevators and in seconds they had disappeared skyward. I rubbed my eyes with disbelief. Surely I just imagined that?

This was our first visit to Los Angeles and, while we came with no specific agenda other than to explore a new city, it is impossible to ignore the main association it has with the silver screen. I confess, I’m a bit of an addict. I spent much of my university days in Edinburgh at the Cameo, the quintessential old-school, homely cinema. Nowadays, more often I get my fix when the DVDs arrive through the letterbox. My companion was less of a film buff, but on this occasion able to take the name from the tip of my tongue: True Lies. Arnie rode the horse in True Lies.

In LA, everywhere you turn you see locations from movies, from the iconic to obscure. My companion was disappointed to find out the diner from Pulp Fiction and the bowling alley from The Big Lebowski are no longer standing. But pass through Union Station and you may picture yourself in scenes from The Hustler, Bugsy or The Italian Job (the 2003 version). LA City Hall featured in Die Hard 2 and Speed. Grand Central Market in I Am Sam. The Museum of Natural History in Spider-Man. New movies are frequently shot too so you never know if you’ll sneak into one; we didn’t walk far before we happened across a live set on a street corner.

Certain in the knowledge we needed to embrace the heritage of this city, our first stop was Universal Studios. It is as much theme park as studio tour but great fun for all ages. The Simpsons virtual rollercoaster was a personal favourite, while there were live shows, rides and themed areas aplenty. The studio tour took us through the lots and static sets. You can easily imagine yourself on the steps of the town hall from Back to the Future, or sitting out-front the ranch from The Great Outdoors. We were both a little sceptical as the trolley pulled into Peter Jackson’s 3D King Kong Experience, but were soon converted as the amazingly life-like colossal figure saved us from a rampaging dinosaur. It’s incredible to experience how far film has progressed.

In the afternoon we headed to Hollywood to see where it had all originated. A visit to the Kodak Theatre (now known as the Hollywood and Highland Center, since Kodak is facing bankruptcy) allowed us a moment of indulgence as we pictured our walk down the red carpet to accept our Academy Award, just like Meryl. A fascinating walking tour led us along the Walk of Fame, charting the history of film in Hollywood, ending at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where film stars have left prints of their hands and feet in concrete over the years. Perhaps the most ironic fact we learned was of Marilyn Monroe’s star. Originally placed in front of an upmarket lingerie store, you can now find it marked by a large golden ‘M’, as fast food has displaced elegant hosiery.

Halfway through the tour, we experienced the most surreal event of all, as a scuffle broke out in the street between a couple of girls and SpongeBob SquarePants. In moments, LAPD were on the scene and all three dutifully lined up with hands against the front of a tour bus. I felt sure it must have been a stunt, but the only cameras I could spot were held by the throng of equally bemused and amused tourists. And that is what this city is all about: you could be in a movie at any time, real or imaginary. LA is a place to make your own reality.

After a busy day, we returned to our hotel for a relaxing swim on the deck before dinner, the setting sun glinting off the surrounding buildings. Aside from its part in movie history, the Westin Bonaventure is an iconic landmark in downtown LA, with four circular glass elevators providing a fantastic view of the city as they whisk you up to your room. On the top floor sits LA Prime, the flagship restaurant, offering both an incredible vista and quality steaks. My meal started with a playful sea urchin soup, served in the shell, followed by quite simply the best steak I’ve had. All that was washed down with one of California’s finest reds, from Napa Valley, and delivered in accomplished style by our friendly server – a great way to end our first 24 hours.

Next day we headed to the Farmers’ Market, a real piece of LA history, founded in 1934 as farmers parked their trucks on an empty expanse of land to display their produce. Today, family businesses peddle their wares and there is a delightful community feel. After the difficult task of choosing lunch from the wide variety of fresh delicacies, we couldn’t resist picking up a couple of pastries for afternoon tea.

A few movies have been filmed here too, but these days the camera crews are more often spotted in the adjacent Grove shopping mall, a picture-perfect street with piped music and a solitary tram running its length. Filming usually takes place several times a week, but this time it is the small screen that rules; we may have appeared in a Dr Phil episode as we unwittingly wandered through a take.

We had decided to split our stay in LA between city and beach, so relocated to Santa Monica and the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows for our last couple of days. This has been a favourite of many stars over the years – Greta Garbo called it home for much of the 1920s, Faye Dunaway had a suite through the 1970s and recently it has hosted the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim Robbins. The hotel is warm and elegant, touched with an air of exclusivity that makes you feel you could be rubbing shoulders with your onscreen heroes. Dinner in Fig, named after the hotel’s giant tree, was the perfect way to sample fresh produce the chef had picked up at market.

Santa Monica has a homely feel, with quiet shopping streets and plenty of cafés. The beach offers a long, sandy expanse that stretches past the original Muscle Beach all the way to Venice Beach, with a wooden boardwalk for skaters and cyclists. As we sat on the pier enjoying the view, a heavily bearded man ran up alongside us. Then he just turned and ran off. For some reason, I felt compelled to shout after him: “Run Forrest. Run.”