The International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission got the full Los Angeles experience on Thursday, playing basketball at the Staples Center, hitting Santa Monica beach and negotiating the city's notorious traffic.
After spending Wednesday indoors hearing presentations from Los Angeles 2024 bid officials, the commission and a media caravan fanned out across the 'City of Angels' for a tour of proposed venues, many of which are already in place.
"On the logistics side there were a lot of 'wow' moments," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters. "The Olympics asked us not to buff the city up.