I visited Los Angeles with my 60-year-old mom. Here are 4 things I'd do again and 2 I'd skip next time.

My mom and I opted to stay at the Best Western Sunset Plaza Hotel for the majority of the trip. A five-night stay cost about $1,100, which we thought was a good deal compared to other hotels we looked at and because of its proximity to so many attractions.

Staying on the Sunset Strip also meant we were located by a bunch of restaurants and bars, and we didn't have to pay for Ubers when heading out for a drink or dinner.

I would stay on the Sunset Strip again.

We were also staying close to the historic Sunset Tower Hotel, which has accommodated celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Frank Sinatra. My friend recommended stopping by The Tower Bar, located within the hotel, for a bite to eat.

The bar had a strict no-photos policy so I couldn't snap any pictures of my Aperol spritz or club sandwich. However, I realized this policy was probably put in place for good reason when I looked over and saw a guy who appeared to be Chris Hemsworth sitting next to us.

Though my mom didn't know who he was, we were excited to tick a celebrity sighting off of our LA bucket list.

The bar's food and cocktails were delicious, and the ambience and decor were stunning. It gave off the old Hollywood vibe we'd been searching for.

As huge fans of TV and film, we of course had to embark on a Warner Bros. Studio Tour, which we booked through the studio's website.

The tour was very informative and interactive, and we loved learning some behind-the-scenes facts about our favorite films. My favorite part was visiting the "Friends" Central Perk set, and my mom enjoyed seeing the filming locations for "The Waltons."

Each Studio Tour Plus ticket cost $150 and included a welcome reception, four hours worth of tours, and lunch in the Central Perk Cafe. We'd definitely do this tour again, especially as Warner Bros. adds elements from newer productions into the tour.

We spent a day in Beverly Hills and did a little window shopping down Rodeo Drive, a 2-mile-long stretch known for being one of the most expensive streets in the world.

We loved seeing the luxurious-looking stores and high-end labels like Prada, Gucci, Dior, and Cartier. As we walked down the street, we imagined all of the expensive things we'd buy if we won the lottery.

Rodeo Drive's statues and art pieces also provided plenty of fun photo opportunities.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was going to Grauman's Chinese Theater, a notable movie palace, and looking at the celebrity footprints and handprints that line the sidewalk outside the building.

I made a beeline straight for the handprints from the "Twilight" cast, though I also saw markings from George Clooney and the cast of the "Harry Potter" franchise.

The stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were also near the theater so my mom snatched the opportunity to take a photo with the Osmond family's star.

Unless we were visiting Los Angeles with someone who had never been, my mom and I agreed that we'd skip the bus tour of Hollywood homes next time.

During the tour, our guide talked about Los Angeles landmarks and celebrity homes as we passed them. Most of the homes we saw seemed to belong to reality stars and American game-show hosts who, as British tourists, we weren't familiar with.

At one point, we saw the Hollywood sign from afar. The famed Mulholland Drive was blocked off due to roadwork during our visit, so our bus couldn't go the usual route and we missed out on seeing some additional special spots.

For $60 each, we didn't think the bus tour would be worth doing again.

One evening, we headed to Venice Beach to watch the sunset.

Though we were really looking forward to seeing Venice Beach, as it's known for being a popular area full of cool shops and great sunset views, we ended up being quite disappointed.

The Venice boardwalk area didn't feel the cleanest, especially compared to the other parts of Los Angeles we'd visited. There were also tons of shops selling weed along the boardwalk, which I noticed seemed to intimidate my mom.

I'm sure some people would enjoy Venice Beach, but it wasn't really our vibe and we wouldn't go back.

We also went to Madame Tussauds Hollywood, a wax museum filled with figurines of celebrities. However, we thought it was quite underwhelming, as we spent only an hour in the museum and left once we got our photos with the figures.

The museum was smaller than I expected and, in my opinion, felt too cramped and busy.

I've been to the Madame Tussauds in New York City and think it's far superior, with several floors and more one-off exhibitions.

Overall, my Los Angeles trip was a wonderful adventure and I'm glad my mom came along. We made some great memories and I already can't wait for our next trip.

Though we missed out on some major tourist must-dos like the Hollywood sign hike and a beach day in Malibu, we still saw a lot in eight days.

Next time, we'd likely spend a long weekend in Los Angeles and head to another city in California like Laguna Beach or San Francisco.