As travel costs and complications rise, the most rewarding summer adventure might be right here at home. And it’s easy to be a tourist in Los Angeles County, which comprises 88 cities and dozens of enchanting neighborhoods rich with unique foods, shopping, history and culture. 

I encourage you to explore some new-to-you parts of our region this season. Here are a few local ideas to help you introduce the kids to the deeply diverse range of cultures right here at home.

A Taste of Japan: Little Tokyo

Starting off with one of the more popular areas, Little Tokyo Japanese Village Plaza is an obvious choice. Most people hit J-Town (as longtime denizens call it) because it is one of L.A.’s most walkable districts.

My daughter and I frequently make our way over to Little Tokyo, where we usually grab  a milk tea boba or matcha. If we’re hungry, we’ll order ramen, yakitori or sushi. There are dozens of tasty restaurants on First and Second streets, including Monzo Udon and Daikkokuya. To satisfy our sweet cravings, we order confections at Fugetsu-Do Bakery, a legacy business on First Street that’s been there since 1903.

For shopping, check out Japangeles, a clothing boutique in the village founded in 2010. It quickly became legendary for its sleekly designed shirts, hats, jackets and hoodies. For anime lovers, the village boasts several stores selling anime-themed merchandise. 

For anyone who loves to take photos of iconic Angeleno scenery, the 150-feet tall Shohei Ohtani mural painted by Robert Vargas on the eastern side of the Miyako Hotel towers high over First Street. Titled “LA Rising,” the two-year-old mural has become one of our city’s most photographed images. Though the Japanese American National Museum is currently being renovated, you can still embed a history lesson into your visit by stopping to read J. Matsukuma’s history mural at the entrance of the village plaza and the “Home is Little Tokyo” mural on the corner of 1st Street and Central Avenue. It depicts more than 130 years of Japanese American history. 

Where L.A. Began: Olvera Street & Union Station

Less than a mile north of Little Tokyo lies the birthplace of Los Angeles, El Pueblo de Los Angeles, where the city was established in 1781. Within three short blocks, experience some of the city’s oldest brick buildings in a bustling Mexican marketplace, a historic fire station, the Avila Adobe, (which is one of the oldest houses in the city), La Placita Church, a Catholic house of worship from 1814, and América Tropical, the mural painted by David Alfaro Siqueiros in 1931.

The Siqueiros mural was whitewashed shortly after it was painted in the early 1930s because of its political content, but it was restored by the Getty Conservation Institute and Los Angeles city officials and reopened to the public in 2012. Considered one of the most important murals ever painted, it is tucked above the marketplace upstairs but is easily accessible. There are also several museums nearby, including La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and the Chinese American Museum. 

Of course, there is no shortage of scrumptious Mexican food in the pueblo, including Cielito Lindo, which has been serving taquitos, tamales and burritos on Olvera Street since 1934. 

If all of this is not enough, Union Station stands nearby in all of its Spanish architectural glory. Inside, you can enjoy a nice variety of public art and take Metrolink or the Metro Rail to another corner of Southern California or hop on an Amtrak to explore another major city.

Arts & Rhythm: Leimert Park

Leimert Park is one of my family’s longtime favorite neighborhoods, and now with a Metro stop in the village along the Crenshaw Line, it’s more accessible than ever.

Dating back to 1990, The World Stage is Leimert’s longest lasting space and is renowned for its jazz and poetry events. Round out a visit with a stop inside Ora Cafe, where you can grab coffee, smoothies and vegan food, Harun Coffee, a coffeehouse and hangout by day and a speakeasy at night, and a bookstore called Lore Leimert Park. 

Throughout the year, Leimert Park is home to a variety of street festivals, including the annual Juneteenth festival. Many people flock here for the Sunday drum circles. As the new massive public art project, Destination Crenshaw, prepares to open, there are several murals and sculptures along the Crenshaw Line, just a few blocks south of the village. 

A World Away: Little India & Cerritos

Located about a mile apart, Little India in Artesia and the Cerritos Millennium Library are two underrated places in southeast L.A. County. Artesia’s Pioneer Boulevard is the heart of Little India and boasts the highest concentration of Indian restaurants and businesses in California. Aside from being a foodie’s dream with eateries such as Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India and the vegetarian favorite Jay Bharat, there are many shops selling Indian fashions, jewelry, spices and sweets. Whether you come ready to eat or shop, you will find spots you won’t see anywhere else.

The three-story, state-of-the-art Cerritos Millennium Library is one of the most monumental libraries anywhere. In addition to being the first building in America to have a titanium-clad exterior (six months before the Disney Concert Hall), the architectural gem holds a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium and a 40-foot replica of a T-Rex fossil near a space shuttle model, a quaint kids’ theater, an art studio and a lighthouse. Called the world’s first “experience library,” it contains more than 300,000 books and museum-quality displays of local maps, abstract paintings, sculptures, an art deco multimedia room and a skyline room on the third floor, where the library hosts readings, workshops and receptions. 

Little Osaka Vibes: Sawtelle

Sawtelle in West L.A. is sometimes called “Little Osaka” because of the many Japanese restaurants, boutiques, nurseries, art galleries and small Japanese markets dotted along Sawtelle Boulevard, but the area is also home to the Nuart Theatre, one of America’s best independent movie houses for foreign film, avant-garde cinema and a weekly screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

On the northern end of the district, you’ll find several eateries and shops on Santa Monica Boulevard, including a delicious Peruvian restaurant, Qusqo Bistro and Gallery. Sawtelle is also home to my daughter’s favorite ice cream spot, Somi Somi.

To plan the perfect summer staycation, dive deep into these neighborhoods and many more — and consider weaving in some dynamic day trips to places like Solvang, Ojai and even Riverside. You can hop in the car or ride the rails for an incredible destination only an hour or two away. There’s no shortage of magic sites to play tourist in and around home.

Mike Sonksen is an educator, father, author of “Letters to My City” and native Angeleno. He and his daughter, Eka Sonksen, love exploring the city together and sharing their stories.