It sounds like you’re just going to southern California, so why not opt for all the fun tourist stuff. Go to Disneyland and Universal Studios. Go shopping on Rodeo Drive and take a tour of the stars homes. If it’s your first and maybe only time in So. Cal, why not do all the silly touristy stuff. It’s actually fun.

I’m a northern California girl myself, so I have to tell you that it’s a totally different scene up here. We have some of the most amazing scenery you’ll ever see! Giant redwood trees and vast beaches, snowy mountains and beautiful grassland. San Francisco is a really fun city to visit … you can check out the Golden Gate bridge, Ghiradelli Square (yum, chocolate), Fisherman’s Wharf (awesome street performers and the best clam chowder ever), take a trolley ride up and down the steep hills, go shopping in Union Square, have tea at the Japanese Tea Gardens, check out some of the greatest museums, have dinner in China town … I could go on and on! It’s wonderful, the people are quirky and you’ll love it! In additional to San Francisco, you could check out the awesome beaches and hippie/surfer/skater laid-back spirit of Santa Cruz, just an hour and a half south of San Francisco. Visit their Boardwalk and enjoy long walks along the cliffs. A little further south and you’ll hit Monterey and Carmel … make sure to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium; it’s world-renowned.

Hope I convinced you to explore more of California than just the L.A. area, but no matter what I really hope you enjoy your vacation!

Brea is one of the far flung suburbs east of Los Angeles,
near the northern border of Orange County
(I’m not sure which county it’s in Orange or LA).

It’s maybe 40 miles from LAX, and probably the
same distance from the nearest beaches, such as
Newport and Huntington in Orange County.

LAX is near the coast on the southwestern side
of LA. Rodeo Dr is in Beverly Hills, which is surrounded
by Los Angeles, again on the western side, but
a ways inland. Melrose Ave is in Hollywood,
nearer the center of LA, but also west of downtown.
Those places are about 10 miles closer to Brea.

If you stay in Brea, figure on spending up to an
hour (perhaps more) getting to the tourist spots,
and another hour getting back.

There is lots to see:
Studio tours, mountains, beaches, Hollywood Blvd,
quite a few museums, and enough strange people
to last you a long, long time in Hollywood.