The best bus lines are the ones that (a) take you to places you want to go; and (2) take you there…read moredirectly, without transfer.
Metro Rapid Line 780 fits the bill.
Going east to west:
-The line starts in Pasadena, at Lake Ave.& Colorado Blvd., then moves its way down Colorado Boulevard, stopping at Paseo Colorado and then the heart of Old Town Pasadena.
-From Old Town it makes a rapid bee line to Eagle Rock and all the places you can go around the corner of Eagle Rock Blvd. & Colorado.
- From there, you make your way to Glendale, stopping at the Americana & Galleria mall.
-A few minutes later, you're entering Los Feliz, with Griffith Park to your right and the Mulholland Fountain to the left as you cross the intersection of Riverside Dr. and Los Feliz Blvd.
-Up the hill along Los Feliz Blvd, you're now making your way towards the heart of Los Feliz, stopping at Hillhurst Ave. and then turning down Vermont Ave. 'till you reach Hollywood Blvd. and make a sharp right.
-Soon you're on your way down Hollywood Blvd, passing a Metro Red Line stations at Western & Vine, and then another at Highland as you gawk at tourists and super heroes posting for photos.
-Another left turn as you approach Fairfax Ave. and you make your way down Fairfax, past Sunset Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Melrose Ave., Beverly Blvd. and then 3rd Street, where you can exit and visit the Farmer's Market & the Grove.
-The line continues on for another couple of miles, ending at Washington Blvd.
There are so many sites to see on this trip.
You can take your time and explore each one and make a day of it. Or, get on and get going to where you need to go. The trip to the Farmer's Market is particularly nice, as you can avoid the parking hassles.
Rapid Buses are usually newer and are the "articulated" or "bendy" buses, so they accommodate many more passengers. Cleanliness levels vary, as do characters you might come across while on board. But, hey, it's public transit in a big city, you gotta roll with it. A book and/or iPod helps to make the time move along.
Fare is $1.25 each way, or you can get a Day Pass for $5, which entitles you to unlimited travel on bus & rail.
Rapid Buses, generally, have less frequent schedules on weekends, so consult the http://metro.net site for a timetable.
Here's a list of attractions along the way:
Pasadena City College
Paseo Colorado
Old Town Pasadena
Norton Simon Museum
Americana at Brand
Glendale Galleria
Glendale Transportation Center
Metrolink, Amtrak, Glendale Beeline
Griffith Park
Hillhurst & Vermont Avenues
Hollywood & Vine
Hollywood & Highland
Kodak Theater
The Grove
Farmer's Market
La Brea Tar Pitts
LA County Museum of Art
Petersen Automotive Museum
West LA Transit Center