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" With its mix of old and new, Los Angeles can seem like time travel to those just passing through. The sun-drenched sprawl often feels surreal as you drive around the city, gliding between eras and downshifting the gears of memory between the reality of modern L.A. and the fantasies depicted on film. One of the best ways to make sense of it all is to confront that tension head-on: by seeking out your pop-culture memories\u2014and then terminating them. Fans of the two James Cameron\u2013directed Terminator films will enjoy learning about Los Angeles through a tour of locations used in the 1984 original and its pumped-up 1991 first sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day. With Cameron and the Governator himself as your guides, what could go wrong? Trust us: You&amp;#039;ll be back.      Griffith Observatory 2800 E. Observatory Rd. When a very naked Arnold first appears in The Terminator, he doesn&amp;#039;t really get a chance to explore the scenic Griffith Observatory. He&amp;#039;s mostly focused on getting some clothes and beating up a blue mohawked Bill Paxton. But hopefully you&amp;#039;ll arrive at the Observatory fully clothed, so you can take advantage of all the beloved institution, which opened way back in 1935, has to offer. Plus, with public telescopes, special events for eclipses and &amp;quot;star parties&amp;quot; held every month, you might even make some friends there. Just bring your own clothes. Carrows Restaurant 815 South Fremont Ave., South Pasadena Before she became a muscle-bound doomsday-prepper, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) worked as a waitress at Big Jeff&amp;#039;s Cafe, the type of diner where the tips are crappy, the outfits are silly and you might find yourself hunted by a killer cyborg from the future. Unfortunately, the restaurant featured in the film must exist in some alternate timeline because the location is now the site of a Carrows, the California chain of casual dining restaurants. If you&amp;#039;re traveling with your son who may or may not be the future leader of the human resistance movement in a war against the machines, try the kid&amp;#039;s menu.      Tech Noir Bar 724 South Hill St. Like Big Jeff&amp;#039;s, the Tech Noir bar was not an actual business\u2014though it certainly should be. Before Michael Biehn&amp;#039;s Kyle Reese starts shoving all the dancers around and shooting at Arnold Schwarzenegger, the place has a pretty great vibe. Killer soundtrack. Smoky ambiance. Weirdly fenced-off entrance area. Now the location appears to be surrounded by a bunch of jewelry stores, so we suggest buying a cool &amp;#039;80s item to wear to your own private Tech Noir party later in the night. Tiki Motel 7301 Santa Fe Ave., Huntington Park In the Terminator mythos, the Tiki Motel is a sacred location. It is where Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor make sweet predestination-paradox-creating love, conceiving a child that will go on to lead the resistance and look like Christian Bale. This is an essential stop on any Terminator road trip, even though it appears the motel has now closed. You can still visit the location and pay your respects on the motel&amp;#039;s odd Facebook page. The future depends on it.  Terminator 2: Judgement Day Elysian Park 835 Academy Rd., Los Angeles Founded in 1886, Elysian Park is one of Los Angeles&amp;#039;s many beautiful historic parks. There&amp;#039;s really no better place to throw a frisbee, walk your dog or warn innocent bystanders about the impending nuclear holocaust. Ok, so you&amp;#039;ll probably only do that last one if you&amp;#039;re Sarah Connor, but it&amp;#039;s still an option. Besides, what park couldn&amp;#039;t use a little trimming via giant plumes of fire? San Fernando Valley street Intersection of Hayvenhurst &amp;amp;amp; Plummer Knowing that bigger is, in fact, often better, James Cameron designed the chase sequences in Terminator 2 to feel like child Hot Wheels play-dates brought to life on a massive scale. Hence, the truck barrelling over an embankment into the empty concrete river as a whiny boy in a Public Enemy shirt rides away on a motor bike. There&amp;#039;s a reason fans are still re-creating this scene in video games over 20 years later. Bring a toy truck with you and make your dreams come true. Cyberdyne Systems 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont Before Facebook, Google or Uber, there was Cyberdyne Systems, the original evil tech company. With the technological advancements of Silicon Valley wizkid Dr. Miles Dyson, Cyberdyne developed Skynet, the Candy Crush of its time, and his research lead to the fall of humanity. The company plays an essential role in the Terminator story, but in the real world the building is home to Mattson Technology. According to its website, the company&amp;#039;s mission is, &amp;quot;To improve the quality of life and create value for all our stakeholders by providing the tools to enable the continuous advancement of the information revolution.&amp;quot; Not evil sounding at all. Right?      Kaiser Steel Mill Fontana, California Give yourself a big thumbs up: you made it. Celebrate the end of your journey at the Kaiser Steel Mill, the setting of Terminator 2&amp;#039;s final confrontation between the liquid metal T-1000 and the slightly more organic Arnold model. But don&amp;#039;t shed any tears like Edward Furlong does at the movie&amp;#039;s conclusion; this is only the beginning of your California road trip. The Kaiser Steel Mill was also used to film scenes for Mortal Kombat, Stargate and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy&amp;#039;s Revenge. You know what that means? I smell a sequel. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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