Cheap Santa Monica

You can find some of the best restaurants on the west coast in Santa Monica, and of course, they're often among the most expensive. But you can sample some superb California cuisine at Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar on SaMo Blvd for a bargain on Monday nights. They feature an "Angel Shares" Happy Hour from 4-7 where you can pick up $4 appetizers and $5 glasses of fine wines. Plus, 15 percent of the evening's proceeds go to charity.

Venice on the Cheap

If you really want to get into the spirit of Southern California, you have to visit Venice. This crazy, small beach side community just south of Santa Monica is home to the wealthy and the unwashed, the well-dressed and the undressed, the muscular and the must-sees. A great place to start a tour of Venice is on Abbot Kinney Blvd., which runs through the heart of town. Stores and restaurants on the boulevard have a tradition of First Friday. On the first Friday of each month there are usually specials and discounts available. After having dinner at an Abbot Kinney cafe, head down to Zingara, the local headquarters for bohemian clothing and gifts, and try the smores in their back garden.

Cheap Disney

Maybe you want the Disney experience but not the Disney prices this long weekend? How's this: Head to Downtown Disney the afternoon where you can check out some of the new shops, go to a movie at the on-site AMC Cinema, but be sure to stop at Planet Popcorn before going inside (You get four bags of popcorn for the price of three till June 30). If you plan it right, head back to the giant parking structure before 9:25, climb to the highest level and you'll have a perfect spot to see the Disneyland fireworks.

Cheap Museum

Kids need an education, which is why it's worth taking them down to the California Science Center in Exposition Park near downtown. Parking is around $8, but admission to the main exhibits is free. There's also an IMAX theater with cutting-edge science films with tickets ranging from $5.00-$8.25, and the Exposition Park Rose Garden and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles is within walking distance.

Cheap Horses

If you come to L.A. and you're tired of the glitter and glamour, head over to the Griffith Park Horse Rentals. For $25 per hour you can take a ride through the sage of Griffith Park and feel like you're away from all of those chasing paparazzi. And on Friday or Saturday, you can take one of their famous Dinner Rides. They take you through a winding trail that ends up at Viva Cantina on the Burbank side of the park, and which features some unique country and bluegrass music. ($65 plus dinner).

Cheap Westwood

Westwood in L.A. is an enigma. It's an exclusive, expensive area, surrounded by Beverly Hills, Brentwood and UCLA, and it has a village with lots of shopping, restaurants and bars, but the area doesn't get the love it used to receive. It's a great area to use as a base for your L.A. trip, but not if you're being asked to spend $300-plus at the swanky Westwood W Hotel. Near the fun, but down some side streets are a couple of options: The Royal Palace Westwood Hotel is a clean, free-internet place with king-bed rooms for $119. Up the street is the Claremont Hotel, which offers perhaps the lowest room rates this close to Rodeo Drive: $111 for two people if you can squeeze into a double bed.

Culture on the Cheap

If theme parks make you gag, let's hope you're in town on May 16. That's when there will be five museums open for free in the Pasadena area. These facilities include the majestic Gamble House, Heritage Square, the Lummis Home and Gardens, the Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum and the Pasadena Museum of History.