D isneyland, Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Santa Monica Beach are classic venues that can liven up Rotarians’ photo albums for years to come. But like many great cities, Los Angeles stays vibrant with the birth of new places, such as the 11-story Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels or Walt Disney Concert Hall. Here are a few more sights you shouldn’t miss when you head to the 2008 RI Convention on the California coast.

Ready for a close-up?

It’s not as hard as you may think to spot Hollywood’s elite at work or simply relaxing over a cup of coffee.

Check out the Universal Studios back-lot tram tour. You could see the film director Ron Howard walking between soundstages while you coast over the Red Sea that Moses parted in The Ten Commandments, pass the pond used in Jaws, and stop at the eerie hotel from Hitchcock’s Psycho. Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. offer studio tours with less of Universal’s amusement-ride feel but equally rich production lore.

Your chances of seeing a warm-blooded movie star are higher if you head to one of the city’s top hotels. Celebrities often relax at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Four Seasons, Hotel Bel-Air, and the Roosevelt. Sean Penn can sometimes be sighted inside the dimly lit lounge at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills.

Actors and writers also tend to show up at certain coffee shops and eateries. Quentin Tarantino, of Pulp Fiction fame, has said his favorite place to work is the Thai restaurant Toi on Sunset Boulevard. Dustin Hoffman has been known to mill around the Literati Cafe on Wilshire.

If you don’t catch the stars in person, you can stroll past their handprints and footprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, stars of the early silver screen, are immortalized outside the landmark, and newer inductees include Kevin Costner, Johnny Depp, and Samuel L. Jackson. The theater itself is also an attraction: Its curved bronze roof and temple bells make it one of the most photographed places in the city.

So many museums, so little time

Gene Autry fans, rejoice: At the Museum of the American West, part of the Autry National Center, you can take in the cowboy legend’s movies and TV shows, as well as the Western regalia worn by Autry himself. Artwork by Albert Bierstadt, George Catlin, and Charles Russell grace the galleries, and the store is a treasure trove of souvenirs, including Navajo rugs, handmade jewelry, and baskets.

The museum allows visitors to explore the myth and reality of the West. And the center’s vice president of institutional advancement, Tina Johann, is a member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles.

During the RI Convention, the center will premiere “Cowboys and Presidents,” a traveling exhibit that examines the intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics from Teddy Roosevelt to George W. Bush.

If art is more to your taste, make time for the Getty Center in the northern part of the city, just 15 miles from the Los Angeles Convention Center. (If traffic is light, it’s less than 30 minutes away.) Besides an eclectic collection, the museum offers stunning views from its hillside location. Or visit the Getty Villa in Malibu, which honors the ancient cultures of Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Look for antiquities sorted by themes such as gods and goddesses or stories of the Trojan War.

For a family-friendly day, head to Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific. It’s home to more than 12,500 marine animals and a lagoon where you can actually touch a shark in a pool (under supervision, of course). Then picnic at Griffith Park, one of the largest city parks in California. Its newly renovated observatory features a 300-seat planetarium that uses a digital laser projection system for better image resolution of stars and celestial bodies.

Eat your heart out

For a good meal to suit any craving, the L.A. dining scene is tough to beat.

Let’s start with the meat and potatoes and Lawry’s The Prime Rib. Did you know that the enterprise’s first restaurant was in Beverly Hills? The family-owned business grew from a single store on La Cienega Boulevard in 1938 to today’s chain, which stretches as far as Singapore. Several members of the Frank family, the restaurant’s cofounders, are in the Rotary Club of Los Angeles.

Lawry’s specializes in roasted prime rib, sliced tableside on a silver cart. “It’s memorable, it’s different, it’s making a big production out of it. Frankly, no one has had the courage to imitate us,” says CEO and Los Angeles club member Richard R. Frank.

The Pacific Dining Car restaurant is another worthwhile stop. In 1921, Fred and Grace “Lovey” Cook built a custom-made dining car that was slightly larger than a normal train car to serve as a stand-alone restaurant. In 1927, they bought a curing box and had prime beef sent directly to the Pacific Dining Car to achieve just the right flavor and tenderness.

“We seem to be one of the only steakhouses in the country that age and cut our own beef,” says Wes Idol III, president of the restaurant and a member of the Los Angeles club. Popular dinner items include the lobster appletini, Cajun ribeye, Cajun cowboy (a bone-in ribeye), filet Oscar, and maple-glazed salmon.

Once you’ve had your fill of filet, L.A. is ripe with places that offer fresh organic ingredients. (California grows much of America’s produce in its valleys.) For a menu heavy on macrobiotic fare, try the M Cafe de Chaya on Melrose Avenue or the Le Pain Quotidien Belgian bakery cafe. Their organic breads are delicious and wholesome.

For Italian, there are several famous spots, including Vincenti Ristorante in Brentwood and Trastevere and Valentino in Santa Monica.

For good Chinese food, head to Monterey Park, just east of downtown Los Angeles. That’s where you’ll find 888 Seafood and Sam Woo Seafood at San Gabriel Square. Both have wonderful dim sum.

If you crave something south of the border, there’s nothing more authentic than Olvera Street, home to L.A’s traditional Mexican markets and restaurants. But El Coyote on Beverly Boulevard also commands big crowds for its rustic atmosphere and generous portions.

Sushi lovers should head to Little Tokyo West, a strip of Sawtelle Boulevard about 20 to 30 minutes from the Los Angeles Convention Center (again, assuming light traffic).

Year-round outdoor sports

From Simi Valley north of Los Angeles to Palm Springs in the desert, you’ll find fairways galore. And it’s a good thing, because golf is virtually an all-year sport in California.

On the high end is Trump National Golf Club in Palos Verdes, about 40 minutes (26 miles) south of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Formerly known as Ocean Trails and designed by architect Pete Dye, the course became famous when the 18th hole collapsed in a landslide near the ocean. Rest assured, all is well now – except for the glut of arroyos, water hazards, and sand traps. The fairways are as thin as Trump’s necktie and wedged tightly next to each other, so if you prefer a more forgiving layout, Trump National is not for you.

If you’re willing to spend more than five hours for a round of 18, don’t mind fivesomes (that’s right, fivesomes), and want to experience classic L.A. golf, then try one of the star municipal courses. One jewel is Los Verdes in Rancho Palos Verdes, 45 minutes from downtown. A weekend round on what’s playfully called “poor man’s Pebble Beach” costs $28, prompting some locals to camp overnight in the parking lot to get an early tee time. The front nine is an obstacle course of trees, undulations, and doglegs, and the back offers gorgeous ocean views. The 11th hole is a gem: It runs downhill from elevated tee boxes to a large green with the Pacific in the back. If you hit a straight 250-yard drive, you might bounce it onto the green for a chance at eagle. All putts slope toward the sea.

Also visit Lost Canyons in Simi Valley, where you’ll see wildlife and feel far away from bustling L.A.; the Harding and Wilson courses at Griffith Park, where Tiger Woods once won the city junior championship event; and Rancho Park, where Arnold Palmer carded a 12 on the 18th hole.

If you didn’t bring the clubs but still want to get outside, you’ll be pleased to know that Los Angeles is also home to a vast network of mountain parks and hiking trails, many within an hour’s drive of LAX. Don Robinson, president of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, says his favorite is Malibu Creek State Park, which was a studio site for Hollywood films until the mid-1970s. He’s also excited about a 70-mile stretch of fire roads and paths known as the Backbone Trail. It reaches from Will Rogers State Park in Santa Monica to Point Magu right off the Pacific coast and offers plenty of breathtaking views.

“I think it will be the most-often used hiking trail in the United States,” says Robinson, who serves as head of the California State Parks Foundation advisory board. One reason: It’s open not only to hikers but also to mountain bikers and horseback riders.

Silver screens

Though L.A. is more than just movies, you can’t leave them out. To experience the city’s best is to sit in its grandest movie theaters. Check out the Egyptian, the Silent Movie Theater, and the Cinerama Dome, a vestige from the days when panoramic movies were hot. The newly opened Landmark Theater for independent films boasts a wine bar and a top floor of small, cozy rooms with sofas and love seats for small-group viewing.

Stop to shop

For the brands that the stars crave, Rodeo Drive at Wilshire Boulevard is a good start. Century City’s outdoor mall, the Grove, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards) stand out for their lively atmosphere and eclectic offering of shops.