San Diego/Los Angeles Trip with Teens

Old Mar 1st, 2014, 01:46 PM
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San Diego/Los Angeles Trip with Teens

Considering going to San Diego/La Jolla for summer vacation during fourth of July week. Flying in and out of LA. Welcome recommendations of where to stay and ideas of things to do with three teenage daughters in both San Diego and LA. Will be in CA for about eight days.
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Old Mar 1st, 2014, 02:40 PM
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http://www.fodors.com/search/results...h=San+Diego+LA


www.discoverlosangeles.com
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Old Mar 1st, 2014, 03:26 PM
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There are a number of threads in here - but guessing three teen age daughters would probably like to go oogle the guys/surfers at the beach - among other things.

Loads of other stuff to do too.
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Old Mar 1st, 2014, 06:07 PM
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Fly into one city and out of the other to save having to back track.
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Old Mar 1st, 2014, 06:08 PM
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This is a useful guide, have the teens look through it and let them help decide what they want to do instead of you doing all the research and telling them what you found/decided.
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Old Mar 1st, 2014, 06:08 PM
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opps

http://www.localwally.com/
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Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 06:25 AM
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like DebitNM advice about including the teens in the research.

A couple of suggestions based on teens and others that have visited me in LA:
Go shopping (the streets - Rodeo, Robertson, Melrose, Montana, and the malls - Americana, The Grove, Fashion Island, Block at Orange)
Take a hike to the Hollywood sign, or in Malibu with views of the ocean and wildflowers
Go horseback riding in Griffith Park
See a movie at one of the luxury theaters such as Gold Class in Pasadena (leather reclining seats, food delivered to your chair, call button to order more diet coke and red vines mid-movie)
Go to a theme park - they will still enjoy Disney's parks, also Universal, or Great America
Of course, the beaches - Zuma (Malibu), Santa Monica, Manhattan, Venice
Be in a studio audience (game show, tv taping, competition show) or take a studio tour
Go to a screening (look for the guys giving out passes on major pedestrian areas) - hard to plan but fun if it happens
Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade
Great cultural offerings too - The Getty, LACMA, Disney Concert Hall
LA Live, Union Station, Olvera Street are good visits in downtown LA
Also helps to cater to their interests - do you have a foodie? some TopChef chefs have restaurants in LA, to name a few - ink (Voltaggio), Firenze Osteria (Fabio), Girasol (CJ) and there is also Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant
Be on the look out for local festivals, celebrations or other seasonal events like Wiggle Waggle Walk in Pasadena
Volunteer for a beach a clean-up or to hand out water at the LA Marathon or some other volunteer opportunity
Take a surfing lesson, go paddle boarding or kayak in a canal
Rose Bowl Flea Market

Have a great trip.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 08:03 AM
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Take the surfing lesson(s) when you get here in San Diego - much easier to get to/from/around.

Many good shops - and my niece enjoyed her three days with one in Pacific Beach - and I will have to get the name for ye if you are interested.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 01:35 PM
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BTW - just posted on the other SD thread that is now "up" and Balboa Park has a lot of things to see in addition to the zoo, such as the Reuben E. Fleet science museum with an IMAX theater, Natural History museum, antique car and air and space museums, model railroad museum, a couple of art museums, an arboreteum, rose garden and on and on.

Check the webpage for a full listing.
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Old Mar 4th, 2014, 05:10 AM
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Thanks everyone for the great recommendations!
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Old Mar 13th, 2014, 10:00 AM
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Beth, we are family of 5 thinking of doing the same thing.. Did you find a good place to stay in LA and in San Diego??
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Old Mar 13th, 2014, 10:10 AM
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Just a word of caution about beach areas during Fourth of July week. They can be packed especially around the actual day of the fourth. The 4th is on a Friday this year so that makes it even more likely to be crowded for a long weekend. Don't know where you are planning to be that weekend but if it's the beach area, I'd start looking for a place to stay now.
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Old Mar 14th, 2014, 03:57 PM
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In San Diego, our kids (age 12 at the time) enjoyed a Segway tour, the zoo, and a speedboat ride out in the harbor. The speedboats were awesome -- two people per boat -- I drove one with my son as the passenger. We stayed at a Homewood Suites fairly close to the airport. I recommend it.
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Old Mar 14th, 2014, 04:05 PM
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Tomsd do you have the name of who your niece took the surfing lessons with?

kansasmom- the speed boat sounds amazing, do you rememebr the name of the company?
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Old Mar 14th, 2014, 05:19 PM
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"Teenage girls." Would that be closer to 13 or 19? There's a big difference in interests depending on age/s.
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Old Mar 14th, 2014, 07:30 PM
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The speedboat was great. I cannot remember the name of the company, but I often find things on TripAdvisor, so you might check there. We also went kayaking in the ocean, which was very cool, but don't go if you are AT ALL prone to seasickness.
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Old Mar 15th, 2014, 02:33 AM
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Even if you don't go out on the speedboat - take the Harbor cruise - or the ferry over and back to Coronado.

Will also try to find the name of the surf shop for lessons. There are a couple close to each other on Mission Blvd - by Saskas - both good.
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Old Mar 15th, 2014, 05:08 AM
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Thanks! Didnt mean to hijack your thread Beth lol! We are just also a fam of 5 going the same time...

Kansasmom- thanks I will check out the threads here and tripadvisor.

Tomsd- thanks I will google for those areas if you cant find the exact one
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Old Mar 15th, 2014, 09:27 AM
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There are SO many things to do in LA and San Diego-- you and the teens will not be bored.

Driving from one city to the other, San Juan Capistrano is an interesting historic Spanish mission to visit.

In LA, the Getty Villa and the Getty Center are very cool museums in beautiful settings.

Take them on a drive down Sunset Blvd, to the PCH, and maybe look at the Sunset Strip music venues. Stop at UCLA, if the teens are college-hunting yet. It's a very cool campus. And next door Westwood has a fun college atmosphere with shops and restaurants.

Go to Melrose in LA for funky boutiques.

Visit the Santa Monica pier and nearby Third Avenue (mostly chain stores, though).

In LA, we like to stay near the water. Mostly at the Jamaica Bay Inn, Marina del Rey. Or it's funkier sister, the Inn at Venice Beach. Both are good, both are newly renovated. The Pacifica chain is always good.
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Old Mar 19th, 2014, 02:06 PM
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La Jolla is beautiful, but a bit out of the way for the more "touristy" attractions. If you mainly want the beach experience, then I would suggest staying in La Jolla. If you want the "city" experience, La Jolla probably isn't the best choice. I myself love Coronado (if you want the beachy feel), but again, it's a bit removed from the city, being an island. Just a short ferry ride takes you into downtown. It's cute and fun, with HUGE expanses of beach. Not as scenic as La Jolla though. You might try looking at Mission Beach or Pacific Beach for a beach house to rent. If you have teenage girls, there's a MUCH younger crowd there (a little too fast for me now, but I loved it as a teen).
As for activities, I also love Balboa Park. Nice museums, beautiful gardens, and a lot of history (by San Diego's standards anyways). Maybe not exciting for teenage girls though. The zoo is always a good time, and I love Old Town as well.
For beach activities, consider doing the kayaks if you end up staying in La Jolla. SO much fun! Also, make sure you check out La Jolla Cove- one of my favorite places in San Diego. The "cave store" is a really neat experience. Google it!
Renting beach cruisers and riding around Coronado, and stopping off at the Hotel Del for ice cream and a little exploring is always a fun time.
Enjoy your trip! San Diego really is quite beautiful!
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