schmee33

Hi!

I am trying to plan our family's first trip to California this summer. I have been surfing the web, but find myself overwhelmed! I am hoping that some real travelers can help me pin down some itineraies!!

We are a family of 4 Mom, Dad, Son 17 and daughter 15. We would like to spend about 8 days in total, splitting the time between San Diego and Los Angeles. We have hilton hotel rewards we would like to use where they make sense.

So....In LA, I think both kids would like a day at Universal. We would like to do some touristy Hollywood stuff (recommendations???) , possiblely a TV tapping,and spend some time at the beach (which one?? maybe venice ) My daughter would like to see the Getty Muesum and do some shopping. Can anyone recomend some good shopping areas with different teens stores that won't break the bank?? My son is very into music, (Jazz esp), so any ideas on good places that we could pop into after dinner.
I am just having problems trying to figure out how much time things take and how much time I need to allow for travel while in LA. We will have a rental car. I know there is a Hilton at Universal City Walk, would that be a good place to stay? How hard is it to get from there to other places??

In San Diego, we are open for suggestions. Will probably do the Zoo and we like Kayaking so will look for a place for that. We would like the San Diego portion of the trip to be a little more laid back...are there any Hilton hotels that are on the beach in that area?

SO as you can see I have tons of questions!! Any advice is very much appreciated!!!

dbdurand

Just for starters.

1. You can find the Hilton locations from their web site.

2. The Universal City Hilton is convenient to some locations, not to others. And it's right next to the Hollywood freeway. There is a subway stop there. (Yes, we have a subway). Just a few minutes to Hollywood on the subway. By car it's close to places like Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, the Griffith Observatory, the La Brea Tar Pits, and the Getty Center. Santa Monica a bit further. Disneyland a long haul.

kimamom

Don't miss SeaWorld in San Diego, it's great fun! ***kim***

dbdurand

More.

Here's what you can do in LA.
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/l...city-guide.htm

Here's what you can do in SD.
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/s...city-guide.htm

Erin74

The Hilton in Universal City wouldn't be my first choice, as I don't think it's the most scenic or convenient location. I'd suggest basing yourself on the other side of the hill to be a little closer to all the other sights you're planning to see. Maybe take a look at the Renaissance at Hollywood & Highland, or a hotel in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. That'll be a more central location for you. There's a Hilton in Beverly Hills you could check out. Universal City isn't terrible or anything, you'll just have to do more driving.

Shopping for your daughter-- you can take her to The Grove, which has a Nordstrom, J. Crew, Gap, Forever 21, etc. It's right next to the old Farmer's Market, which is fun to visit. If she wants to window shop at some more interesting boutiques (some are very high end, some are slightly more affordable), go to Robertson Blvd. just north of 3rd St. She'd like Kitson, I'm sure. You could also shop on Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills, just north and south of Wilshire-- Anthropologie, Banana Republic, etc. plus several boutiques.

As for how long it takes to get around-- you never really know. Don't plan to be on the freeway before 9:30am or after 4pm, as traffic will be very heavy. With surface streets, just put your destination into GoogleMaps and then maybe add 5 minutes. If you want to cover a lot of ground without driving, you can do one of the Starline tours in double-decker buses. I see them all over town now. I think they are hop-on hop-off.

The best studio tour is the one at Warner Bros. I highly, highly recommend it. Check out the website for info on getting tickets. For seeing a TV show, try Audiences Unlimited. Keep in mind that many tapings take all day and you cannot leave once you are there.

schmee33

Thanks so much for the info! Erin74...you hit the nail on the head with the Kitson recommendation...my daughter shops there online all the time!! I almost forgot about working that into the schedule...she would have killed me!!!

I have lots of planning to do!!!