California

melcookson
melcookson Posts: 146 Member
in Chit-Chat
My husband and I are visiting California (from England) on holiday in the Summer for 16 nights, and part of the trip will be in LA, we've decided to spend 4n there, but with it being such a huge place we're a bit over awed with the variety of areas there are to stay in. So was hoping for some advice from people who live or have visited there.
Our budget will be $150-200 a night (inc tax), we were wanting to do Universal, go to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and that area, maybe one of the beaches. Any touristy advice on places to visit would be greatly appreciated along with hotel suggestions :)
Thankyou in advance you lovely people x

Replies

  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Six Flags Magic Mountain. Knott's Berry Farm. Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles.
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
    I've always wanted to visit West Hollywood for the sole purpose of drag queens since so many of my favourites perform there on a regular basis, but uh... that's not really for everyone.
  • TheSwoleMinister_deleted
    TheSwoleMinister_deleted Posts: 540 Member
    Doing the hike up to the Hollywood sign is really cool and it's free (http://hollywoodsigntrip.com/hollywood-sign-directions.shtml). Amazing views and photo ops there. Plus you get some fitness in too lol! We also like the Griffith Observatory (http://www.griffithobs.org/), plan on at least half a day there. Disneyland too (if you've got some real $$$$ to spend :tongue: )

    If you wanted to make a day trip out of LA you could always head south to San Diego, (about a 2 hour drive depending on traffic) or you could head east and hit the WARM weather in Palm Springs. There is a really cool tram that goes from the Palm Springs desert floor all the way up to a little resort at the top of Mt. San Jacinto (http://www.pstramway.com/) and it's the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world.

    Of course if you are wine lovers you could head out my way and take a day in Temecula valley wine country. http://www.temeculawines.org/
  • Alyssah09
    Alyssah09 Posts: 357 Member
    San Diego is always nice, I grew up there. SO many things to do! Enjoy your trip!
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    BUY A GUN
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    San Diego is always nice, I grew up there. SO many things to do! Enjoy your trip!

    San Diego in the summertime! :drinker:
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    BUY A GUN

    That would best be accomplished by vacationing in Texas.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    BUY A GUN

    That would best be accomplished by vacationing in Texas.

    QFT
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I went to LA in 2003 with my sister (I'm English) and I was a bit disappointed to be honest. Although we stayed near Venice Beach which was nice, and I also liked Santa Monica. Hollywood was a letdown as was Beverley Hills. I've heard San Diego is worth a visit. We'd driven from San Francisco, and some of the little towns en route seemed really nice.
  • skinnybunny_x
    skinnybunny_x Posts: 449
    Stay in the suburbs, you can easily commute to all of those places and make a day out of it. Palmdale is quite lovely, and not too far from LA.
  • Lift_This_
    Lift_This_ Posts: 2,756 Member
    i am a california girl born and raised...but so cal is so overrated....yosemite national park and everything NORTH of LA is beautiful and worth the travel time!!!!
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    You have to go up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The views of Los Angeles from there are spectacular. Plus, the neighborhood has a lot of big, fancy, old homes. A while ago -- it probably still is -- it was one of the hip places to live in LA. They considered it urban pioneering -- as opposed to the beach house in Malibu. Lots of rock stars. I believe it is the neighborhood were Brad Pitt and Jennifer, um, um, you know, lived when they were married.
    It is just stunning up there.
    If you are adventurous, you could consider Catalina Island for a day (just take the ferry over and back and see dolphins) or, if you are really adventurous, the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia.
  • JEG2012
    JEG2012 Posts: 158
    I grew up and live in the L.A. area, past it up and gor north to San Francisco or even better yet Seattle and to Yosemite. If you stay in the suburbs, you'll spend half your time in TRAFFIC!!! San Diego is very nice for a couple of nights and also Santa Barbara even Lak Tahoe.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Stay in the suburbs, you can easily commute to all of those places and make a day out of it. Palmdale is quite lovely, and not too far from LA.

    Oh come on now . . .

    These people are coming from England and you're going tostick them in the Suburbs?

    Boring . . . . :yawn:
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
    I hear Cali is supposed to fall off the coast soon so a life jacket, care package and a change of clothes...just in case. Have fun!
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    OP, what specifically do you want to do while you're in LA? Shopping, sightseeing, going to clubs? There are sooo many options...you can PM me and I'll help you as best as I can. (I lived in Hollywood for 10 years)
  • aseymour13
    aseymour13 Posts: 767 Member
    I live in Southern California and went to school here. so here is my 2 cents - or 5. The tough part to be honest is driving. There is lots of it no matter what you do! Six Flags isnt what it used to be but if you like Roller Coasters, its awesome. Disneyland is pricey but a pretty good time - look for deals on line. There really isnt a whole lot to see in Hollywood or Beverly Hills in my opinion but the people watching can be entertaining - . Now there could be some good shows or concerts. Also baseball - Go to Anaheim Angels if you want to do that in the LA area. Its less expensive to stay away from downtown or the beach communities between Santa Monica and Redondo Beach (although there a couple of good places down towards Redondo). Universal Studios is a good one). I happen to really enjoy Griffth Observatory. Descanso Gardens in Pasadena is awesome. Getty Museum is pretty good (but compared to what you have, maybe not so much but the views are tremendous) Venice Beach is also fun for people watching but not much else - Catalina can be pretty cool. Spend the night in Avalon and do some hiking. I prefer up the Coast towards Ventura and Santa Barbara for beaches. The Beaches from Newport south are also nice but that's definitely the more expensive area. San Diego is really nice and depending on where you are in the LA area, probably a 3 hour drive. If you like Zoo's , its the best plus Sea World. Great temps and Beaches. I think I would also consider driving up the Coast through maybe Cambria (great wine area between there and Paso Robles) then up to Monterey and even San Francisco. Pretty nice drive. Not knowing where your interests are but there really is a lot to do depending on what you want to do. and let's not forget Lake Tahoe which is Northern California and pretty amazing. It's a 3 hour drive East of San Francisco. Ok I'm starting to sound like a tour book - I'm done.
  • veec0
    veec0 Posts: 33 Member
    There are a lot of places to see in LA but the problem is that they are somewhat far from each other and depending on what time of the day you can get stuck in traffic. Avoid the major freeways 405, 5, 101 during rush hours. Unlike other metro cities, you cannot just go to the street and hail a cab, you need to call the taxi company to have them pick you up unless you are at the airport.

    There are several theme parks like Magic Mountain, Universal Studios/citi walk, Disneyland. Try to watch a game at the staples center and enjoy the rest of the night at LA Live.. Do the hollywood walk of fame, watch a movie at the chinese theater or take a photo with marilyn monroe and chewbacca at the same time, roam around the dolby theater where they do the academy awards.

    You can also do a San Diego to San Francisco thru Pacific Coast Highway. Hit up PalosVerdes, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey. If you like to play golf there are tons of really nice golf courses along the way.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    I live in Southern California and went to school here. so here is my 2 cents - or 5. The tough part to be honest is driving. There is lots of it no matter what you do! Six Flags isnt what it used to be but if you like Roller Coasters, its awesome. Disneyland is pricey but a pretty good time - look for deals on line. There really isnt a whole lot to see in Hollywood or Beverly Hills in my opinion but the people watching can be entertaining - . Now there could be some good shows or concerts. Also baseball - Go to Anaheim Angels if you want to do that in the LA area. Its less expensive to stay away from downtown or the beach communities between Santa Monica and Redondo Beach (although there a couple of good places down towards Redondo). Universal Studios is a good one). I happen to really enjoy Griffth Observatory. Descanso Gardens in Pasadena is awesome. Getty Museum is pretty good (but compared to what you have, maybe not so much but the views are tremendous) Venice Beach is also fun for people watching but not much else - Catalina can be pretty cool. Spend the night in Avalon and do some hiking. I prefer up the Coast towards Ventura and Santa Barbara for beaches. The Beaches from Newport south are also nice but that's definitely the more expensive area. San Diego is really nice and depending on where you are in the LA area, probably a 3 hour drive. If you like Zoo's , its the best plus Sea World. Great temps and Beaches. I think I would also consider driving up the Coast through maybe Cambria (great wine area between there and Paso Robles) then up to Monterey and even San Francisco. Pretty nice drive. Not knowing where your interests are but there really is a lot to do depending on what you want to do. and let's not forget Lake Tahoe which is Northern California and pretty amazing. It's a 3 hour drive East of San Francisco. Ok I'm starting to sound like a tour book - I'm done.

    Really couldn't have said it better. Have a great time!!!
  • andeehrdz
    andeehrdz Posts: 59 Member
    Beaches: go to Paradise Cove in Malibu. Super pretty. Bonus, you can also eat along the coast. lots of great restaurants there. Moonshadows is pretty great.

    Santa Monica Pier is great also. The beach is there, the pier, 3rd Street Promenade for shopping, restaurants, street preformers.

    Venice is good. Abbott Kinney is pretty great for little shops and lots of new restaurants.

    Hollywood Blvd is not so great, I don't think I've gone there in years..

    Do a hike at Runyon Canyon, best view of all of Los Angeles, and if you keep your eyes open you can spot a celeb working out. after that you can have brunch at Toast, Blu Jam Cafe, or Larchmont Bungalow.

    Theres not much to do in Beverly Hills but look at houses. The Beverly Center mall kinda of lost its cache. There's nice hotels in that area tho: The SLS, The Sofitel. More shopping is The Grove in Mid-WIlshire area is pretty nice tho, have pasta at La Piazza and watch the fountain show. Melrose is a good street to spend a day looking at funky shops and good food.

    Downtown LA has great restaurants/hang outs too: Perch, Bottega Louie, Bestia, Coco Laurent. Chaya.

    Disneyland is great, Universal is cool too, yet I havent gone since they took out Back to the Future :(

    People tend to hate the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, but every city has its great spots. Also, if you take anything from this post is TACOS. Have tacos any time possible. Pinches Tacos in Hollywood. or if anyone recommends anything to you, try it.

    (yes, i know this reply is food and restaurants specific but can't help that a girl likes to eat!)

    anyway..have fun.
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
    Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles.

    all you really need to know. And Dupars at The Grove. Get the waffles.
  • amylahminute
    amylahminute Posts: 613 Member
    I think you'll have fun if you make Santa Monica/Venice Beach/Marina del Rey your base for exploring and then have a car to explore the farther reaches. Marina del Rey definitely has hotels in your price range. Look them up on Orbitz. Like everybody said already, you will NEED a car, but SanMo/Venice/MDR *west* of Lincoln Blvd are still VERY walkable. Definitely see the Getty, the Venice Boardwalk, cruise Sunset Blvd at night (between Doheny & Crescent Heights), go to the Griffith Observatory, hire a bike and ride the beach path all the way up to Malibu, drive Mulhulland Canyon at night to see the city lights, go to a Dodger game on a warm night...

    More off-the-beaten path things to check out (without leaving the greater LA area):

    http://mjt.org/
    http://www.wattstowers.us/
    http://www.groundlings.com/
    http://www.thesanteealley.com/
    http://www.malibusurfschool.com/
    http://craftedportla.com/ (if you're en route to the Queen Mary anyway)
    http://www.dearlydepartedtours.com/
    http://www.huntington.org/
    http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/angeles/recreation/hiking/?recid=41672&actid=50

    Check out who's playing during your visit and see some live music: http://www.laweekly.com/calendar/

    Joshua Tree National Park is 2.5 hours away by car, and if you want to see a beautiful surreal desert, bring lots of water! and make the trip out there. I live in San Francisco now 6 hrs away, so if you get the chance, do try to spend at least a weekend up here.

    Still need more ideas? http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g32655-Los_Angeles_California-Vacations.html

    And for even more crazy ideas... http://labizarro.com/

    Enjoy your stay.
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
    Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles.

    all you really need to know. And Dupars at The Grove. Get the waffles.

    Oops. My bad. At Dupars get the French toast. So delicious. ????
  • melcookson
    melcookson Posts: 146 Member
    Thank you all soooo much for the fantastic suggestions, we'll certainly take a lot on board and hopefully be able to squeeze in as many of these things as possible!

    I should really have added our full itinary to give a better idea, we fly to Vegas, stay there for 3 nights, 1 n in Mammoth, 3n San Francisco (booked the Clift hotel, only hotel booked so far), 2n Carmel/Montery, 4n LA, 3 n San Diego then fly home.
    We're pretty flexible on the stuff after San Fran as nothing is booked yet.

    I've been to the West side a couple of times before it my husband hasn't, and it's been a long time since I was over there.
    I love shopping, site seeing, people watching, not hugely fussed about spending a lot of time on a beach but more that happy to do the whole boardwalk thing.

    Have seen a hotel called The Ambrose near Santa Monica, also seen one called the miyako hybrid hotel in Torrance but apparently that's not really very central? We'll be driving from Carmel so guess should arrive around about late lunch, we'll be leaving I guess late morning for our onward drive to San Diego x
  • melcookson
    melcookson Posts: 146 Member
    The food sounds amazing, I think the calorie counting may have to go on hold for 16 nights!
  • melcookson
    melcookson Posts: 146 Member
    Have ended up booking The Mbrose near Santa Monica, Encore at Wynn in Vegas and The Clift in San Francisco.
    Just have San Diego, Mammoth Lakes and Carmel hotels to book :) x
  • amylahminute
    amylahminute Posts: 613 Member
    Oh, good. I just came back to this thread and saw you were thinking of Torrance. It's a very boring place! Trust me. I worked there. have a great time!
  • lafilleavectoi
    lafilleavectoi Posts: 125 Member
    Griffith Observatory is my favorite L.A. spot and the Hollywood Hills hike.

    To eat:
    Roscoes Chicken and Waffles
    Philippes for the French dip
    Wurstkuche
    Milk
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Love these ideas, I will be there next month!

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