scs

I am planning a one week vacation in July for our family of four. We have two boys, 14 and 12. I am considering the Hyatt in Huntington Beach. Is the location central enough that we could stay there and take trips into LA and San Diego? We are hoping to do some beach time and some sightseeing. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions. Thanks!

rjw_lgb_ca

Technically you could, but you'd be spending most of your time in a car. Huntington Beach is great, but the coastal cities of the LA metro area are not easy to get into or out of. Everything of interest in LA will be an hour away. Everything of interest in or near San Diego will be one to two hours away. And that's in normal traffic.

I would think about a couple of sightseeing days up in LA, a couple of beach/surfing days down in Huntington, then a couple of days hanging out in San Diego.

Where are you coming from? Open-jawing this kind of trip could be tough, so you might consider routing through Orange County (SNA).

scs

We are coming from Atlanta. Actually the best prices I've been getting on airfare are to and from Orange County. The fares are very good as Delta has a lot of competition with Air Tran and Jet Blue. Jet Blue, however, I understand is pulling out of Atlanta.

I had a feeling the road trips might be long. I also know how bad traffic can be - Atlanta traffic can be brutal.

Gardyloo

Two considerations come to mind. First is that the Hyatt is glorious and I would probably try to stay there regardless of the inconvenience. That said, it isn't the most convenient location for LA or SD day-tripping, due to the distance from the beach to the freeways. Not terrible, but it's maybe 20 min. from the hotel to I-405 SB (San Diego), and maybe a tad longer to the 405/SR22/I-605 etc. tangle in S. Long Beach for access to downtown LA, Beverly Hills, etc. However, if the rate is good and you don't plan to be schlepping great distances every day, then it ought to be fine. If you are set on going back and forth, and don't want to set up two separate hotel agendas, then (unfortunately IMO) the most convenient place for it is around Disneyland, in something of a wasteland of motel hell and fast food. Zero style points, but the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) goes to both LA and SD with fair convenience, traffic notwithstanding.

The second is a word of caution, since you're coming in July. Early July can be like much of June at the beach - so-called "June gloom" can set in, meaning overcast blah days for weeks on end (usually clears off at sunset, how nice.) So if you're coming around the first of the month and you expect sunrise-to-sunset sunning and surfing, don't. On the other hand, the cool (even foggy) evenings at the beach can be fabulous if you get one of the firepits at Huntington and have a wienie roast on the sand with the waves booming behind you. Very nice.

rjw_lgb_ca

Hadn't heard about JetBlue leaving Atlanta. Makes sense-- Delta and AirTran are much better-positioned in that airport.

SNA is a great airport to fly into and out of-- manageable size and just off the I-405.

Traffic can be nasty here, but the bright side is that the road and highway system in southern CA is extremely clear. Still, since you're coming from so far, making the most of your time OUT of a car will be key to making this fun.

clarkgriswold

I would choose Laguna Beach for a midpoint stay, or better yet 4 days in LA and then 3 days in San Diego. You could even fly into L.A. and out of San Diego to cut down on wasted freeway time.

Plan your L.A. time for the weekend when the traffic is down. Save your weekdays for the beach and the zoo, amusement parks etc - places that get overcrowded on the weekends in July.

rjw_lgb_ca

Don't forget to arrange wetsuit rental (if the kids don't have them already) if they want to surf. Even in summer, this is the northern Pacific, and the water stays cool.

clark's suggestion of Laguna Beach is good, although for teenagers Huntington is the more attractive option (Laguna is much more laid-back). If the Festival of the Arts and the Pageant of the Masters is on in Laguna, however, they are must-sees (if you can get tickets). They usually open in June. I'd look into them.

ltt

i think all that traffic and possible traffic jams would get really tiring. if you really want to stay at huntingtons, then i'd do that and travel to see the la sites for three days and then change hotels for san diego. or if your not set on huntington, you can still fly into orange country, drive to the disneyland area and stay at a hotel there and then drive to san diego and stay at a hotel on a beach there.

scs

Thank you for the replies! I know my 14 year old would definitely want to learn to surf - I would have not thought of a wet suit.

What's the story with the "June gloom"? I thought it was always sunny in southern California! We would be coming right after the 4th of July.

I'm thinking that maybe we would do a few days at the Hyatt then head to San Diego, stay there and skip LA. DH and I have done the Beverly Hills - Hollywood thing. He's been to San Diego on business, but I have never been. He really loved it.

rjw_lgb_ca

scs: Skipping LA could work-- quick day trips up wouldn't be too onerous, but I wouldn't try to hit every spot. For example, one trip up to Hollywood just to say you went (it's not that big a deal), maybe a spin through the streets of Beverly Hills....

June Gloom is an odd phenomenon of persistent on-shore flow that happens starting late May and going through June, sometimes into early July. It brings cloud cover to coastal areas that takes most of the morning to burn off. I can't recall how bad it was this year-- but I do recall that we had several weeks of blazingly hot weather during the summer, so you might luck out. People will be surfing come sun or clouds, so the kids won't be alone.

The beaches around the Hyatt get really busy (it's close to Huntington Pier), but the kids should be able to get some good surf time. A bit farther north it's not quite so crowded, but the waves are not for amateurs (BIG waves). If you go with the Hyatt, the concierge should be able to hook you up with everything you need.

bashfulLV

It would probably be a good idea to skip LA - the traffic, parking, etc might just be too much for a vacation. Relax on the beach instead. Huntington is a great beach, so is San Diego. There's a lot to do in both places, especially for teenage boys. Do get wet suits, though, they'll be thankful you did.

As far as the "June gloom" goes - it is a fact that not everyone knows about, unless you've lived there or gone on vacation and found out the hard way. The marine layer comes in at the end of the day or in the evening and most mornings it's cool & foggy, at the least it's "gloomy." Hopefully it will burn off in the early afternoon, somedays it burns off earlier than others. Keep in mind that you can still get sunburned - sometimes even worse - when it's gloomy like that and don't forget your sunscreen.

Edye

I agree with suggestions to split your trip up, possibly at the Hyatt and then down in SD. My family of 4 stayed at the Hyatt HB over Easter 2003 and a word of caution, ROOMS ARE SMALL! I hope with 2 teenage boys you will have 2 rooms. The boys will love HB; my kids are much younger but they loved being in the midst of the surfer life. That said, the teen scene in HB at night is kind of rough, not like the rich kids you see on tv in The OC, so you may want to be prepared to deal with not letting your boys roam around "town" alone at night. Although I hope a 12 year old isn't quite ready to do that!

wondering

traffic in summer is a nightmare both places. (i lived in la and now live in sd) divide your trip and stay in two separate spots. there is no central location when you figure in time lost in traffic jams.

ltt

huntington and san diego sounds like a great combination. avoid the la traffic and relax. don't fret too much about june gloom. by july it is usually its normal sunny coast. if your boys still want to see some surf in san diego - around the ocean beach pier is the best. i'd recommend staying around pacific beach in san diego. while it is very busy in summer your boys are the perfect age to enjoy the atmosphere and there are plenty of low key restaurants around.

scs

Thanks everybody! I will be revising my plans and will be looking for a nice place to stay for a few days in San Diego.