1happyfam

1. 6/27 Friday-Land early head to Santa Monica-
Stay for 3 nights do the pier and Los Angeles sites
2. 6/30 Head to San Diego & Stay 3 night’s maybe zoo or safari & surf lessons
3. 7/3 Head t Hermosa Beach
Amazing Fireworks show in nearby Redodndo
4. 7/ 5 take red eye home land 7/6 (Sunday)
Santa Monica Wyndham includes breakfast? 3 nights
near SD: The Catamaran 3 nights
Hermosa Beach :Quality Inn continental breakfast 2 nights

Thoughts in the hotels, I can choose others...

jamie99

Sounds nice, I'd stay in Manhattan Beach (look into Sea View Inn) or Redondo (look into Portofino Inn) over Hermosa - I have lived in all 3 cities at one time or another. Parking is a bear in Hermosa and the city makes a large portion of its budget from parking ticket revenue and parking can be hard to find near restaurants, etc.

1happyfam

Thank you Jamie!! I will see if they are available instead

clarkgriswold

Hermosa is a hop skip and a jump from Santa Monica. Why not head to San Diego for the first 4 nights and then just go to Santa Monica for the rest?

Tomsd

I would choose Santa Monica over Hermosa - location wise - if you want to also visit places such as the nearby Getty Museum (you can get to it on surface streets), or venture a bit further into LA and take a walk in Hollywood, drive through Beverly Hills and the likes.

Still have to drive the surf shop in Mission Beach here in SD to get the name of the one my niece went to. They had a few Brazialians helping out as instructors - very friendly.

1happyfam

Hmmm was thinking after an early am flight from NY we would want to get to a spot quickly, so that's why I was thinking Santa Monica first. Spend a few days doing the LA things and enjoying the pier.
The only reason I was thinking of leaving SD and heading to Hermosa was to be near Redondo for the fireworks but on another thread I saw there are great displays in SD too. Sooo may revamp the trip plan again..
I am soooo thankful for all the input bc I can keep re-tweaking the plan until I book it of course. Hoping to book in next few days bc I see rooms are filling up.

paula1470

For the last few years, my friend from Arizona has been coming over to Redondo for the fireworks because her son now lives there. Before that he went to college in San Diego so we did the fireworks there, too. They always stay at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach and the fireworks are shot off right in front of the hotel. The Portofino that jamie suggested is good, too and right there for the fireworks show. Looks like their are still rooms available at both hotels but they are a little pricey. Don't know your budget.

I love the boardwalk along Hermosa and Manhattan but on 4th of July it is packed. I'd definitely try to stay somewhere where you don't have to get in your car but can walk to see the fireworks. I would think you could see the Redondo Fireworks from Hermosa but someone else might to comment on that.

It is a quick drive to the airport from Redondo/Hermosa so that's a good option for staying before you return home on 7/5. I forgot again how old your kids are.

1happyfam

Paula-Thank you!! My kids are older, 21, 18 & 16. Then I think my plan is coming together nicely... I will look at Crowne Plaza too...

Jean

I think it's safe to say the traffic on Thursday, July 3rd (getaway day for a 3-day holiday weekend), will be awful. Bad from SD to LA, and bad if you're sightseeing in LA.

I'd move everything up a day. Head to SD a day earlier and return a day earlier. The Crowne Plaza and the Portofino Inn in Redondo are well located for the fireworks show but not much else. However, if you have to drive to Redondo to watch the fireworks, you'd have arrive hours before sunset in order to get a parking space. It would be a nearly 2-mile one-way walk from, say, the Hermosa Pier to the Redondo Pier although there will probably be loads of taxis in the two areas.

Alternatively, you could stay in Marina del Rey and watch their fireworks show. MdR is much closer to LA sightseeing and LAX.

http://www.visitmarinadelrey.com/events/4th-of-july

Tomsd

I think the surf shop where my niece took lessons is Surfari Surf - in the 3700 block or so of Mission Blvd - but if you don't like that one for some reason - there is one (Mission Beach Surf) - or two more within a couple blocks or so.

1happyfam

Jean- we were planning on heading into Redondo July 3rd am to avoid the traffic and staying, but I will take a look at MDR too. Thank you.

Tomsd- Great info thank you. I know they are looking foward to trying surfing.

Jean

If it has to be July 3rd, then leave SD as early as possible. The amount of traffic will be bad in the morning and only get worse as the day passes, and the drive could take 2.5-3 hours. Ditto July 4th.

We live in Manhattan Beach and don't drive anywhere on "get-away" days.

clarkgriswold

The only decent window for leaving San Diego on July 3rd is between 9:15 and 9:30am.

July 4th will not be half as bad because of so many work commuters being (thankfully) off the freeways.

Tomsd

Not IMO. If you get out by 6 AM - (let the kids sleep in the car) - you should make it in an hour and a half or so at normal freeway speed - to cover the 90-100 miles.

Ditto for waiting after the morning commute - and you could leave SD by say 8:30 and probably be there by 10 AM.

BTW - you can use the commute lane with 2 or more in the car - which is an ace in the hole if you do hit traffic.

Tomsd

Just to be clear - I was thinking of Orange County - including up to Knotts Berry Farm. For Redondo - add another 15-20? minutes?

Sturion

If I may, you should consider Long Beach. It is centrally located to both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Long Beach also has a big fireworks display that goes off over the Queen Mary. No disparagement to Santa Monica, but traffic is horrendous in the West Side – getting around could be quite frustrating. There are plenty of hotel accommodations and eateries in Long Beach. There is also 2nd Street in Belmont Shore that has many cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, and novelty shops. You would be no more than 30 minutes to either Knott’s Berry Farm or Disneyland. I would also recommend that you take a drive along the coast going south from Long Beach to Laguna Beach. Laguna has many art galleries and just a nice scenic place to be. From Long Beach, I also go to the Getty Museums (both of them), to Hollywood, Beverly Hills in no time – there are many accessible freeways from Long Beach. Downtown Los Angeles is about another 30 minutes if you do not go during “rush hour.” Sometimes in the evening, a group of us will go into Chinatown to eat some great “slippery shrimp” at Yang Chow’s. I do a “Driving Miss Daisy” with friends and visitors. I drive people all over the Los Angeles County to some of the off the beaten places and some notable landmarks. If you are travelling with children, I strongly recommend the Griffith Park Observatory and Planetarium. The Observatory is free including parking and the new (not so new) Leonard Nimoy wing. I would encourage you to watch the planetarium show – very well worth it! Also, the observatory was used in the movie Rebel Without A Cause. Depending on your age, you may or may recognize it. Lastly, I believe the hotel rates will be a lot less than those in Santa Monica.

Hope you enjoy SoCal ~

rarh

I am not sure why you want to stop in Hermosa unless it's because you are heading back to Santa Monica for your return flight. I think there is plenty to do in San Diego and the Santa Monica/Los Angeles area so i would concentrate on those areas since your trip is rather short. Santa Monica and Malibu have great beaches which is really all there is to do in Hermosa. On Saturday, June 28th Santa Monica college has free music and fireworks (music starts at 5 pm), admission is free. Although it is never on the 4th, the show is great.