Southern California vacation?
I’m going to Southern California this summer and I need suggestions for places to go, things to see, tours to take, etc. Know of any good resturaunts, shops, and sights? Thanks for your help.
8 Responses
andrew L
02 Mar 2010
Paris Hilton
02 Mar 2010
TRY THESE THINGS TO SEE IN L.A.
1.EAT AT PINKS OR IN AND OUT BURGER
2.FARMERS MARKET AT THE GROVE
(@ FAIRFAX AND W. 3RD)
3.See a Movie at GRAUMIN’S CHINESE Theater
4.GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY, NOTE–RESERVATIONS NOW REQUIRED
5.GETTY MUSEUM IN TOWN OFF 405
6.GETTY VILLA MALIBU
7.NORTON SIMON MUSEUM (Pasadena)
8.HOLLYWOOD BOWL CONCERTS
9.WALK OF STARS
10.RODEO DRIVE, Via Rodeo
11.TOUR OF STAR HOMES
12.IVY, KITSON (ON N. ROBERTSON) , HOTEL MARMONT, SPAGO
13.SANTA MONICA PIER AND PROMANADE, RIDE FERRIS WHEEL, Kiddieland, Ivy by the Sea…Fred Segal II…dinosaur/arbors…
14.VENICE BEACH (Street Performers)
15.CATALINA ISLAND (CONCERTS) (CATAMARAN TO AVALON) out of Long Beach or Newport Beach..THE CASINO.
16. STUDIO TOUR (UNIVERSAL/CITY WALK OR WARNER BROS.)
17.CHECK OUT DISNEY, DREAMWORKS, PARAMOUNT, NBC
18. DODGER STADIUM BASEBALL GAME
19.DOWNTOWN L.A.-LUMMIS HOUSE, ANGELS FLIGHT
20.CLUB AT HYDE OR AREA
21.BEVERLY HILTON, TRADER VICS, SPARKLES
22.BEVERLY HILLS CITY HALL
23.COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF
24.HUNTINGTON BEACH SURFING AND SURF MUSEUM
25. DISNEYLAND
26.KNOTTS BERRY FARM, 6 FLAGS/MAGIC MOUNTAIN
27.LEBREA TAR PITS AND PAGE MUSEUM ON WILSHIRE
28.LAKERS BASKETBALL- STAPLES ARENA
29.L.A. OPEN AT RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB
30.L.A. EQUESTRIAN CENTER
31.BIG BEAR SKIING
32.PALM SPRINGS GOLF AND TRAM RIDE
33.RIVER WALK AND L.A. RIVER GARDENS
34.EAT AT MR. CHOW’S OR KOI OR YAMASHIRO
35.VISIT ZUMA BEACH, PIER AT MALIBU AND PARADISE COVE
36.FOOSE DESIGN AND HUNTINGTON BEACH BOARDWALK
37.AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC (LONG BEACH) AND QUEEN MARY II
38.LOS ANGELES ZOO
39.GENE AUTREY WESTERN MUSEUM
40.HIKE UP MT. LEE AND VISIT BRONSON (BATMAN) CAVES
41.U.S.C. / U.C.L.A. FOOTBALL, LA COLUSIUM OR ROSE BOWL
42.PETERSEN AUTO MUSEUM
43.HOLLYWOOD PARK RACE TRACK
44.DANA POINT WHALE WATCHING (75 MILLES SOUTH)
45.SAN SIMEON (250 MILES NORTH)
46.HUNTINTON LIBRARY AND GARDENS (San Marino)
47.HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM AND KODAK THEATER TOUR
48.DRIVE MULLHOLLAND DRIVE
49.RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT MUSEUM
50.COMMERCE CASINO CLUB, COMMERCE, CALI….
51.SANTA ANITA RACE TRACK, ARCADIA, CALI….
52.FRED SEGAL
53.REDONDO BEACH PIER
54.BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL,Polo Lounge
55.BICYCLE CLUB CASINO (BELL GARDENS, CA.)
56.MT. WILSON OBSERVATORY-(UCLA Astronomy-Cal.Rt #2))
57.HOLLYWOOD SIGN HIKE AND PICS, L.A.PICS
58.BEACH BONFIRE—MONTHY SPECIAL
(FREE WOOD AND HOTDOGS)
59.DRIVE ON PISMO BEACH-MENTION U SAW THIS AD…lol
60.HELICOPTER TOUR OF L.A.
61.GONDOLA RIDE AT NAPLES ISLAND (ALIMITOS BAY)
mark747
02 Mar 2010
Go to http://www.ytb.com/awitravel Click on Book Travel to research. You can find all kinds of ideas there.
baronvonstrudel
02 Mar 2010
Stay away from Hollywood. I know it seems like a very good place to visit, but you will get lost so quickly unless you’re with someone who lives there. If you do go, however, you must go to Pinks.
If you feel up to it, you can take a boat out of long beach and go to catalina. Avalon is a great shopping center, and two harbors and shark harbor are great camping spots.
If you’re a wine person, go to Paso Robles. If you go there, you can also head over to Cambria and San Simeon. They’re excellent coastal places.
Pook
02 Mar 2010
It really depends on where you’re staying – you have to keep in mind that Los Angeles alone is 100 miles from one end to the other (and that drive can take you 3-4 hours). It’s really hard to get around without a car, so you’re best bet is to rent a car and pick a couple areas you really want to see.
Personally, I would stay in Santa Monica (you’re near the 3rd street Promenade – which has some decent shopping!), visit Venice Beach, and drive to Hollywood (walk of fame, Grunman’s theater – there’s a big outdoor mall by the Kodak Theater). If you want to go bar hopping, try Sunset in West Hollywood. There’s Disneyland and Universal Studios, if you’re into that too – but Santa Monica is a good center point to get to a lot of different locations.
A lot of locals will say "don’t go to Hollywood" or stuff like that, but I really enjoyed it the first time I came to LA, and I’ve had friends and family who really enjoy the sites too (although make sure you have a map). So check some tourist websites, and just pick things that look fun to you 🙂
For restaurants and hangout spots, you can also check LA.com or Citysearch.com.
copestir
02 Mar 2010
What do you like to do and what can you afford? There is always something here that meet your needs. when you have the answeres to those questions you can check a guide book oand go for it.
sansrival
02 Mar 2010
I had been in LA just in time for the spring break last year.
Our schedules were as follows:
March 23 From San Diego to Glendale
via Greyhound
March 24 went to The Groove, it is a mall
somewhere in Glendale, there is
a trolley which tours the visitors
March 25 Hollywood at night
March 26 Knotts Berry Farm at Buena Park
eat all you can lunch at Asian
Asian Buffet before going to
Knotts Berry. It is located just
across. It is one of the best
buffet i had in California
March 27 Disneyland in Anaheim
March 28 California Adventure
going back to San Diego
March 29 Sea World
March 30 San Diego Zoo
For the theme parks, there are scheduled shows especially at the Sea World. Go as early as few minutes before opening time.
There are botomless drinks which you can buy and refill the whole day long, this can serve as souvenir also. This is most especially with Sea World and San Diego Zoo.
It was definitely a very tiring trip. The next weekend after we went to Universal Studios and had a weekend at Simi Valley.
TIPS ON SAN DIEGO:
There are many websites which tells you of the shops and sights, I wont repeat mine. What I will share are the personal experiences you wont find in the web.
Before going to San Diego, I bought 2 maps which are both incomplete. The 3rd map I bought was complete but you will be needing a magnifying lens to identify its contents.
I only appreciated the whole of San Diego after the trolley ride. Ride all trolleys. Check on the web their promo! There are bus stations in most trolley stations.
Go to the last American exit in San Ysidro. There is an outlet store over there. I didnt go to Tijuana because residents themselves are afraid of going there.
Did you know one of the tallest bridge in the world is in San Diego? Yes, it is the Coronado bridge which gives a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Did you know that this bridge won an award due to its structure? Did you also know that one of the best hotels in the USA and even in the world is in Coronado? Yes, dont forget to drop in at Hotel Coronado.
Oceanside and Harbor view has magnificent sites. I had seen Oceanside when I ride the Greyhound and the Amtrak going to LA and Camarillo. Malibu has also a magnificent view. Its beaches and beach houses are really beautiful.
The world famous places in Southern California are definitely San Diego and LA. Its like not going to these places without going to its themeparks. Weekends are usually more expensive. Plan your trip well and make a schedule and budget your time and money well.
You can see all the places in just one vacation. You had seen my schedule last year and I really dropped dead literally after the 1 week with all the theme parks. When people asks you where you have gone, it is only these places that will register to them. See the web for the promos regarding these themeparks. When you visit more, you get a discount. Remember that when you go there on vacations. The traffic is really TERRIBLE especially at LA. Always leave early when going to this area.
I had been studying Microsoft Encarta for Kids, Yahoo travel and yahoo answers for travelling vicariously. In studying yahoo travel, go to travel guides then see the cities you want to explore. When you have clicked the city, the top 10 popular attractions will be at the bottom of the page. You will see their websites, locations, schedules and ticket costs in some of this places. In the upper part of the page, you will see the slideshow which is the best so far.
You can bring sandwhiches and bottled water at these themeparks. Just be a little discrete. I usually put my jackets on top of my bag so that when they opened it for inspection they wont see the food well. However, even when they see it, they wont scold you. Just dont bring too much. Bring hats or anything to protect your head, its too hot already during the spring break, how much more in summer. The weather is always unpredictable. Sometimes there is sun and sometimes it is pretty cold out there especially in the theme parks.
You can monitor the temperatures of the different places you want to monitor through my yahoo. In my case, I have it when I open my Yahoo Messenger. I have the weather of more than 20 cities right at my desktop.
nutty
02 Mar 2010
disneyland, universal studios, hooters in santa monica, knotts, san diego zoo
Paris… I noticed that you like to cut and paste alot! That’s been like the 100 time you have used that same answer do you ever try to tailor your answer to the question?