At the top of Mulholland Drive, there's a tiny parking lot with an overlook 20 paces up a path that reveals the Hollywood Bowl about a mile away, with Capitol Records just beyond, the freeway to the left and downtown in the distance. The house on the cliff above the overlook was built by basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. He put a roll-back roof on the master bedroom so he could see the stars at night. Director Ron Howard now owns the home — and uses it to write movie scripts. This is a regular stop on the tours of the stars' homes, with the best of Los Angeles (the Bowl), and the worst (the freeway) on display. It's also a fabulous first-date drive to a superior spot for making out. (Do people still call it that?) Mulholland Drive on the hairpin turn between Outpost Drive and West Park Glen Drive.

—David Futch