8 Tips For Playing Pokemon Go in LA! | Pokemon Go Tours of Southern California

the-lax-limo-service-and-airport-transportation-in-los-angeles-sedans-buses-taxis-limos-at-laxTHE Pokemon Go fever has arrived with full force in the City of Angels. And downloaded over 10,000 times, the game has already surpassed Twitter and Instagram in the number of users.

With so many clients calling for Pokemon birthday outings or Poke-tours with our limo services, we have made an article, particularly for all you Pokemon fans out there. Do you for example know the best places for playing the game? The areas where rare types are most often spotted, or where you can enjoy three PokeStops at one single location? Or what beautiful LA restaurant by the ocean is also home to a gym and a PokeStop? Or how about the fact that so many venues and eateries are offering discounts exclusively for Pokemon Go players?!

Hang on as we explain some of the best tips and ideas for playing Pokemon Go in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

1. Best LA Hot Spots for Pokemon Players

limos-for-rent-and-limousine-rental-by-the-malibu-limo-service-2016In such a gigantic metropolis as LA has become, there are hundreds of great places to play the game. But still, some areas stand out. Did you for instance know that the Santa Monica Pier has three PokeStops as well as a gym? With its close proximity to the ocean, water-type Pokemons are abundant here and many have reported seeing extremely rare Pokemons here (see number 3). What’s better than strolling the pier and enjoying a dinner, while taking advantage of the many rare water types found in the area, as well as the gym and three PokeStops for refilling PokeBalls!

Another popular Pokemon Go Los Angeles destination for us has been the Cheesecake Factory in Marina del Rey, where you can enjoy a gym, PokeStop, and water Pokemons, or maybe LA’s number one place for Pokemon: the many theme parks. Take Universal Studios for instance with its twenty PokeStops and many gyms! The adjacent Universal CityWalk in Universal City is a great place to explore even more gyms and PokeStops. So for the kids’ birthday party outing, why not go for an LA party bus to one of the region’s many world-class amusement parks. Disneyland is also said by many to be SoCal’s top destination for playing Pokemon!

2. Take Advantage of Pokemon Discounts

popular-malibu-wine-tours-from-la-limo-top-rated-winetasting-in-los-angelesMany of our LA and LAX limousine rental clients have made us aware of the many places that offer great deals exclusively for Pokémon players. An example could be the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA), one of the West Coast’s largest museums and one of L.A.’s most visited attractions.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) is also one of the many additional museums offering discounted pricing for Pokémon gamers. The L.A. Zoo has recently introduced its PokéWeek, which will take place July 25 through the 29th where attendees can save $3 on their admission if they have a Pokémon Go app installed. Bragging over 30 PokeStops, catching Pokemon is easy at the L.A. Zoo.

Numerous bars offer Pokémon discounts, including the Hilton L.A. bar in Universal City and the Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier which offers cocktails for $5 for all Poke-gamers. Tag yourself on Instagram with a Pokémon at the Skirball Cultural Center and get the chance of winning four free admission tickets!


3. How To Catch Rare Pokemons in LA

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Malibu Family Wines

Many bookings from our Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara limo services ask us what the actual best place is for catching rare Pokémons. While there may be many places for rare types, many Pokémon themed birthday parties have taken place at Santa Monica Beach and the Pier where numerous rare Pokémons have been caught. Some include Electabuzz, Magnemite, Kabuto, and various water-type Pokemon.

We recently also had clients catching a rare Hitmonchan on a Malibu wine tour to the great Malibu Family Wines. Visitors here can take advantage of their two PokeStops, a gym, and numerous Pokemons! The winery also has a safari with its own PokeStop and offers guided Pokemon tours throughout its safari grounds, where camels, alpacas, zebras, bison, and countless other animals roam the gorgeous Malibu Canyons. Searching for Pokemons at nighttime will increase your chances of catching rare and desired Pokemon types. See number 5 for further info on making catching Pokémon easier.

4. Control the Evolving of Eevee

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A PokeStop at Malibu Family Wines. Photographer: Carine Charlotte Andersen.

Most of the enthusiastic Pokemon Go crowd booking limos for rent for Poke-hunting grew up during the 1990s during the tremendous success of the Pokémon TV series, cards, toys, Gameboy video games, and so much more. They will also recall that the Pokémon, Eevee, was the only Pokémon with the possibility of evolving into several Pokemons.

While in previous video games, Eevee evolved into Vaporeon with a water stone, Flareon with a fire stone, and became a Jolteon with a thunder stone. These Pokemons are still around in the new game – one water type, one fire type, and one electric type. In the new game, however, there are no fire- and water stones, but you may still control the evolution of the Pokémon. Name the Eevee you want to become a Vaporeon as the name “Rainer.” Want a Jolteon? Name the Eevee “Sparkly.” And if you want a Flareon, rename the Eevee to “Pyro.”

LAX sedan service clients told us recently though that by not naming it, it will still evolve, but you have no say in what Pokémon it evolves into. In other words, you can end up with two Vaporeons instead of a brand new Pokémon. Time will tell whether we will see more recent evolutions such as Espeon, Sylveon, Umbreon, and Leafeon Gladeon in this game’s version.

5. Make Catching Pokemon Easier

universal-studios-hollywood-with-a-los-angeles-limo-service-for-transfers-july-2016Many have ordered limos for rent in order to have a vehicle drive slowly around so all the Pokemons can get caught. All Pokémon Go players will know the frustration of seeing desired Pokemons and PokeStops pass as you’re driving down the freeway. A limousine rental will eliminate these issues and your chauffeur may drive as slowly as needed. Gamers have given us many tips on catching Pokemons while moving, Pokemons fighting back, and Pokemons with high combat power (CP).

For instance, using Razz Berries will ease the Pokemon, making it friendlier and easier to catch. While Pokemons seem to relatively easy be able to get out of the normal Poké Balls, use the Great Ball or even the Ultra Ball for the highest chance of catching the most desired ones you encounter. Use the Incense in order to attract Pokemon to your location, or use the Lure Module by any PokeStop for more Pokemon to appear. Combine the Lure Module and Incense, while hanging out at a place such as the Malibu Café or Malibu Family Wines on a late Malibu wine tour.

The rarest Pokemons seem to appear after night, and these and many more wineries and restaurants offer PokeStops to refill on Poké Balls, Potion, Revives and other necessities.

6. Start With Pikachu

the-2016-malibu-lmo-services-and-wine-tours-in-malibu-by-american-luxury-limousineMany 90’s Pokémon fans will recall the original first two Gameboy games – the Pokémon Blue- and Pokémon Red Versions, – while some also remember the later Pokémon Yellow which was released in 1999, three years after the original Gameboy games. While you got the starter Pokémon options of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander in the original games, Pokémon Yellow added Pikachu as an alternative starter Pokémon.

While many mistakingly believe your options are limited to three – Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander – in Pokémon Go, there is also the Pikachu option in this game as well. Santa Barbara limo clients on a birthday Pokémon hunt told us how you can choose Pikachu: simply by being patient. Ignore the first three as they appear the first time you’re playing, and eventually, Pikachu will appear as your fourth choice for a starter Pokémon.

7. Optimize Egg Hatching

Many mistakingly believe you have to actually walk in order for your eggs to hatch, but as LAX sedan service customers told us: “the quickest way is by driving.” First, you will need to go by a PokeStop or two to pick up Poke-eggs. There are three types of eggs: the ones requiring 2 km of “walking”, the 5 km eggs, and the 10 km eggs.

Hatching the eggs while hiking isn’t just tiresome and unnecessary: eggs will hatch quicker when driving. Why? Because the game actually not only looks at the distance traveled but also looks if you actually traveled in a straight line! In other words, walking in circles around the house might not work! Remember to get additional incubators to begin the hatching process and see the distance remaining before hatching.

8. Curveball Bonuses

Did you know there are different ways of throwing Poke Balls? While a “nice” catch will only give you 10 XP, an “excellent” throw will reward you 100 XP, and a “great” throw will give you 50 XP. But what many don’t realize is the curveball bonus, not only gives you a higher XP, but also a throw that increases your chances of catching the Pokémon!

There are several ways of throwing a curve ball, but holding your finger at the Poke ball while spinning it clockwise or counter-clockwise might be the most common (the super spin). Spin ’til the phone vibrates and sparkles, then throw the ball. The other curve ball, known as the “Arc” is said to have the highest chance of succeeding in capturing the Pokémon. It may take some time to master this throw but begin by swinging your finger in a curve that ends at the Pokémon itself.

A group of friends on a Pokémon Go party with our LA party bus services told us how this throw doesn’t just give you the best-catching bets, but gives you the highest XP per catch and recommended the curveball throws particularly for Pokemon that are relatively far away. Another way of gaining double XP while playing is the use of lucky eggs, especially recommended when battling at the gym or when evolving several Pokemon at once. Evolving while using a lucky egg will double the XP you will receive when a Pokémon evolves.

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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Your Californication

best-attractions-for-LA-limo-services-attractions-landmarks-Los-Angeles-limousineOne of the most fascinating and mysterious places in America, the City of Angels is where you may encounter world-famous movie stars at the local convenience store. The restaurant waitress might be a part-time actress, and the salesman at the shopping center might just as well be a screenwriter.

You will feel like you are in a movie yourself when maneuvering the city with the sun on your face and palm-lined boulevards in all directions. Maybe the most exciting part about LA is its unique diversity. At the first glance, you may feel L.A. is a superficial glossy paradise. The women may look like Barbie dolls in certain areas, and the men may spend more time at the gym or beach than at work.

But Los Angeles is truly the one place that has everything. The city not only boasts 22 Nobel Prize winners and major research centers but is home to world-class museums, famous galleries, high-caliber art collections, and lively theaters. Let the number one limo rental service present to you the city of contradictions: from Hollywood glamour to earthquakes, New Age bastion, and the Gang Capital of America. Eternal sunshine and blue clear skies to El Niño rainstorms with major mudslides. Beach fun and gigantic forest fires.

An intro to City of Angels

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Amy Poehler at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The mega-metropolis of LA is an experiment that redefines itself each and every day. Offering limos for rent throughout all of Southern California, we serve Los Angeles County’s 10.1 million residents and the more than eighteen million people living in the Greater L.A. Area and its suburbs.

LA’s population comes from more than 150 different countries and speaks over a hundred languages where English or Spanish is the first language for nearly 85 percent of the city population. Other larger languages include Tagalog, Mandarin, Armenian, Farsi, Russian, Cantonese, Korean, and over a hundred others. With over 300,000 Native Americans, the State of California has a higher native population than any other state. While there were over 100 spoken native languages in California in pre-colonial times, the most common native languages today include Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux, Apache, and Choctaw.

Wanna learn more about the native history of the state? A Thousand Oaks party bus ride to the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks can be an educational and exciting experience! Clients can also enjoy seeing ancient Chumash pictographs on various of our Santa Barbara- and Malibu wine-tasting tours. Santa Barbara’s Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is a particularly interesting stop where you can interpret and nearly touch 1,000-year-old Indian pictographs!

Quintessential LA

los-angeles-international-airport-at-night-by-la-limo-services-and-lax-limousine-service
LAX’s iconic Theme Building.

For countless years, LA has been the place where people cut off from the shackles of their old lives and put everything behind with destination Los Angeles in mind.

As the former mayor Tom Bradley has told LAX sedan clients arriving at LAX and other L.A. airports: “If you’re looking for the place to be free, where you can do the things that are impossible elsewhere, you should head to the City of Angels.” Whether you’re heading here with the hope of making money, as a refugee from persecution, or just here on your Californication, limo services can make your California adventure memorable, luxurious, and adventurous.

We’ve even heard countless times from foreigners arriving and renting LAX sedan rentals services that tell us: “Even flying into LAX is an adventure, especially after dark!” This monster of a widespread metropolis is wider and bigger than most, and with over seventy miles of beaches, the views can be pretty spectacular when you fly in at LAX or other Southern California airports. Limousine rental customers flying into LA can see the more than 6,000 square miles mega city of crisscrossing avenues and boulevards, with patches of green parks – such as America’s largest urban park, Griffith Park.

From Griffith Park, you can also enjoy unbeatable panoramic views of Los Angeles and you can go for a stroll in nearby Griffith Park for the chance of spotting a wild mountain lion in the midst of the metropolis(!)

Giant Size

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Wine-tasting in the Malibu Canyons.

While many don’t realize, LA County is in fact compromised of 88 independent and integrated cities, divided by two larger mountain ranges and connected by various networks of crisscrossing highways. The most scenic drive might be the coastal drive up to the City of Malibu, a beloved destination for everything from dining to Malibu wine-tasting tours to beaching on some of the region’s most scenic beaches.

Enjoy a dinner at Nobu Malibu, Geoffrey’s Malibu, or the Carbon Beach Club Restaurant at Malibu Beach Inn for an unbeatable view of the Pacific Ocean and the even bluer skies. You can also spread out the towel for some sunbathing among the surfers at Zuma Beach, or head to the quiet El Matador State Beach and you might just get a glimpse of the dolphins playing in the Pacific’s waves. From taking a morning bath in the sea you can go for limos for rent heading to Big Bear Mountain for skiing or snowboarding the very same day.

Always take the heavy traffic into consideration. Often caused by the long distances and lack of public transportation services, traffic can often be a pain in LA. Further expansions of highway networks rely on costly earthquake-resistant buildings, but a limousine rental can make your time stuck in traffic more tolerable with state-of-the-art speakers and a full bar, even gaming devices and dancing poles in larger party bus vehicles.

Downtown LA

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Olvera Street in Downtown.

The City of Angels started small. Originally named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula, Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, in “the Bay of Smoke” (today’s San Pedro Bay, LA’s main harbor). The founders were approximately forty settlers including two from Spain, numerous Native Americans, African-Americans, and mestizos.

Today, Downtown LA is the best bet if you’re looking for a place to experience authentic Los Angeles. Here you can visit the oldest part of town, known as the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument, or go for a stroll along Olvera Street to hear mariachi bands, shop from the Mexican markets, and enjoy signature Mexican cuisine. Cruising Downtown LA with luxury limo services is guaranteed to give you the “big city” feel.

Enjoy a dinner or drink at one of the many skyscraper restaurants here (the Rooftop Bar is a popular choice) before venturing to the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall for a classical performance or LA Live for some of today’s biggest pop music. Wherever you go, the revitalization of Downtown is apparent. From a sleepy office district of town, Downtown’s increasingly becoming a favorite for people riding with limousine rentals in the state.

LA Nightlife

Downtown-LA-limo-and-limos-for-rent-Los-Angeles-LA-Live-complex
Downtown’s L.A. Live Complex.

The center of L.A. nightlife can be found in the Hollywood area, centered around the Sunset Strip on Sunset Boulevard. The elegance and extreme wealth of places such as Beverly Hills and Bel Air are always interesting to explore. Why not pretend you’re Julia Roberts and go window-shopping on Rodeo Drive as in Pretty Woman (1990)?

In 2010 there were over 270,000 millionaires in L.A. County, and the surrounding suburbs have some of the wealthiest communities in the United States. An example could be Thousand Oaks’ Newbury Park, which boasts America’s 4th largest median household income. No wonder why so many book Thousand Oaks party bus services for their trips to San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and other out-of-state cities.

Booking an LA to Vegas limo for your excursion to Sin City might be worth it. Imagine not having to care about the boring long drive, and instead enjoying a party with champagne in the back of stretch limos… But then again, why leave for America’s desert state when you can enjoy the Pacific Ocean’s beauty in the City of Angels?

All the larger boulevards lead to the ocean, including Sunset-, Santa Monica-, Mulholland-, Wilshire- and Venice Boulevards! Enjoy a dinner overlooking the sea at the Santa Monica Pier or take a stroll along the Venice Boardwalk to see the hippies, skater dudes, surfers, and fortune tellers. There’s a spectacular view from the Ferris wheel at the Pacific Park on the pier where you can see miles and miles of ocean as well as beautiful homes and mountains.

Getting in touch with limo services while in Southern California might be the best decision you’ve made in a long time. Being the entertainment capital of the world, cruising the avenues and boulevards by limos offer truly the iconic LA experience. Why not allow yourself a treat and live the life of your favorite celebrity in this fascinating and mysterious mega-town.