Spending a week in SoCal in March with 3 kids - 15, 11 and 2. Unsure how much time to allot for each place. We are flying in and out of San Diego. Here is a tentative itinerary:

Friday - (Staying on Coronado.) Arrive and relax at Coronado Beach.
Saturday - See the Mission, hike at Torrey Pines.
Sunday - Wildlife Park
Monday - Drive to Palm Springs. Take tram and hike around.
Tuesday - Joshua Tree National Park.
Wednesday - Drive to LA area. (Staying in Marina Del Ray.) See Santa Monica Pier.
Thursday - Disney or Universal. (Have to do one for the kids.)
Friday - LA sights. Any recommendations for one day?
Sat - Fly out of San Diego.

Not sure if we have allotted enough time (or too much time) for each activity. If we have time for more, our interests would be beach towns, missions, or hikes. Thanks for helping us out!

Think you have planned too much. I would eliminate Palm Springs..not much to see or do.

Oh no! Really! We are coming from the Pac NW and are seeking sunshine and heat! If we do cut it out, should we spend the extra time in LA area or San Diego?

I think that coming from the Pacific Northwest, the desert would be a nice change. Bear in mind that the top of the Palm Springs tram, however, is Mt. San Jacinto and likely to be snowy. Joshua Tree should offer warmer temps and nice desert landscapes.

I think you can do your entire itinerary...maybe do Universal instead of Disney to avoid the cross-town travel.

Thanks azzure. I am actually looking forward to Joshua Tree the most! Happy not to cut it from the itinerary. Will rethink the San Jacinto tram.

One change. We will now be staying in Beverly Hills, not Marina Del Ray. Does that change anything with Universal/Disney? I suppose we will easily be able to see the Beverley Hills sights now, which beach town do you like best?

Okay, a couple of things:

1. On Sunday, do you mean the Zoo when you say "wildlife park?" If you're bringing kids, I really hope so.

2. I think you CAN do Joshua Tree/ Palm Springs. It's a lot of driving for one trip, but definitely doable if you really want to go. Also, Joshua Tree/ Palm Springs are quite nice in March.

3. Whether you're staying in Beverly Hills or Marina del Rey, you'll want to go to Universal Studios instead of Disneyland. Disneyland is an hour south of L.A., whereas Universal is right in the city. On such a short trip with so much driving involved, do yourself a favor and choose Universal.

4. For your one day devoted to L.A. sights, I'd stay around the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood/Mid-Wilshire area just for the sake of convenience. You can walk around Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Then, head over to Hollywood and see the Walk of Fame/Chinese Theater. From there, you can head down to Wilshire and see the Tar Pits and LACMA. Finish up at The Grove/ The Farmer's Market. It's a very touristy agenda, but with so little time devoted to L.A., it's going to be hard to get off the beaten path and explore. You can certainly also drive out to Santa Monica and see the Pier. Stay off the freeway during commute hours, and it should only be a 20 minute drive from Beverly Hills. You can park in the 2-hour free garages on 2nd Street or 4th Street.

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Well, I agree with Erin on this, but there are many people who prefer the Wild Animal Park to the zoo.

And, btw, the Wild Animal Park is now called the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Since you are staying in Coranado - go to the Zoo - enjoy it - if you have time go to the Midway - not sure how old your children are but it is interesting - it is down town San Diego on the harbor side.

If you are staying in Beverly Hills - do not plan on going to Disney - it is in Southern Orange County - not LA - you can often get discount tickets for Universal via purchasing in advance on the web or buying them at Costco. If you have a costco card - there is a costco right off the 5 headed north to LA - it is right at the 405/5 split. Call for directions - it is the Costco in Irvine.

In March the weather is very questionable - you may or may not have "beach" weather - it could be cool like the PNW - just be prepared for that.

You should be flying home from LAX (or Burbank or Long Beach), not San Diego. But I suppose it's too late to change your tickets.

Beyond the wildlife park/zoo and Disneyland/Universal, what interests your kids?

Jean - good call - or if it is not more expensive - fly into San Diego and out of Long Beach or LAX.

Tagging on to MomDDTravel's weather comment, at that time of year in the desert, once the sun goes down it will be cold.

Another one for 'go to the desert'. It was heaven over the holiday and a real treat from the abnormal SoCal coastal weather we've been having for months. And March is very unpredictable along the coast.

Agree also, if you aren't locked into R/T San Diego- flying back from Burbank, LAX, Long Beach or Orange County(if you do Disneyland at the end) would help, depending on your itinerary.

What TIME will you be arriving in San Diego?

IF you do go to Disneyland, FYI, they are open later on Friday & Saturday during the winter months.

You have several good itinerary options available, which includes R/T San Diego.

For example: If you decided to do Disneyland, on arrival day you could head to Anaheim to break up the drive; weather permitting stop in one of the lovely coastal towns or see a mission(s) on your way up. Do Disneyland the next day then head to LA, Palm Springs and ending in San Diego. The southern route from the Coachella Valley to San Diego is a very scenic drive.

Your itinerary looks great. My only concern is the last leg being in LA on Friday and flying from San Diego on Saturday. Sounds a little bit hectic to me. That IS a biased opinion due to being stuck on SoCal freeways for decades.

Whatever itinerary you choose- keep the desert. I am sure you will appreciate it and that comes from a beach lover.

Cheers!

If you are looking for warm temperatures, I also recommend keeping the desert in your itinerary. Just a warning, though, we were at Joshua Tree during our April spring break and most areas were very, very chilly and windy. It is located at a higher elevation than Palm Springs/Desert, so plan accordingly. If you are lucky, some of the cacti or wildflowers will be in bloom. Check here for updates:
www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_jtnp.html

The mission in San Diego is not one of the best to visit.I suggest you visit San Juan Capistrano instead on your way to L.A.

Thank you so much everyone! We already have the plane tix so it is R/T San Diego for sure.

Sounds like Universal is the way to go as several people suggested.

Thank you Erin74 for the LA itinerary - looks perfect for my teenage daughter.

Also, thanks for the info on the missions, logandog. Will do San Juan Capistrano, but should we see both if we have time?

Kids don't really care what they do beyond Universal and LA sights. I am forcing the culture/nature parts down their throats. We are East Coast transplants and they have never seen SoCal. I suppose they will want to see things that they have seen in movies/tv shows like quintessential beach towns.

SOCALOC - thanks for the alt itinerary. We had planned to drive down to San Diego on the last day and spend the night near the airport. We are flexible as to what time we travel back to San Diego. Will it be a problem because of Friday traffic? Do people leave LA for the weekend and head south? (Like trying to get out of NYC on a Friday in the summer??? Worse?) Can we try to plan accordingly?

Thanks again all! Very helpful!

I've been to both the Missions mentioned and I like the San Diego Mission the best. When I last visited, they had a nice self guiding audio tour. It's more intimate than SJC and it has one historical virtue that the other missions don't have; its the first one of the 21 Missions. But take your pick. Any of the 21 missions will provide a window into California's Spanish colonial past. One is enough.

Friday traffic is horrible in LA period.

Do people leave LA for the weekend and head south? (Like trying to get out of NYC on a Friday in the summer??? Worse?) Can we try to plan accordingly?
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LOL. It won't be as bad as it is in the summer, but Fridays are the heaviest. It is very doable, just don't leave LA at rush hour. I'd leave no later than 1 pm. Remember, I am biased from being trapped too many times. It 'could' be a piece of cake. And if it is congested where the 405/5 merge in OC - the 73 Toll Road is worth every penny.
You're going to have a great time!

Itinerary looks good. On Thurs I would choose Universal over Disney due to weekday traffic, with Universal you can wait til traffic lightens at 10am and still take the tour and see everything. Then dinner somewhere nearby and maybe a visit to Griffith Observatory which is close, you won't have to head back to the marina til 8pm or so after traffic. Venice Beach, more of Santa Monica, and maybe a drive up to see Malibu on Friday.