First trip to Los Angeles area
May 17th, 2007, 10:31 AM
#21
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Ok everyone, there were some words exchanged and apologies as well. I've found this site and others invaluable in planning my trips. It can be very frustrating planning a trip to a location you've never been. Let's please continue exchanging constructive info.
Ok, now for my 2 cents: I would stay in Beverly Hills. LOL But if that's not in your budget, then I guess it depends on your lifestyle. Personally, I love the beach--cold weather/hot weather, it doesn't matter. Santa Monica--love 3rd St. Promenade. I also love the drive up & down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). On the other hand, old town Pasadena has a lot of charm & I love the Ritz. But keep in mind that it's about 25 miles from the Ritz in Pasadena to Santa Monica beach.
I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. It may come down to what you will do with the rest of your time. If you will be doing a lot of sightseeing, you may want to situate yourself closer to those attractions.
As for museums, wow, MLJB gave you a great list of them. I think I've been to only 5. I do like the Getty--very nice view as well as a nice museum. I still haven't been to the Huntington library. It's next on my list. I think you can make reservations for tea or lunch or something in the gardens. It's supposed to be very lovely.
I would also recommend Farmer's Market--many different types of food "shops." Yum, making me hungry. It's adjacent to the Grove where you can do some shopping at the outdoor mall.
As for the zoo, well, I love the zoo. But if you're going to San Diego, I'd have to choose their zoo over the LA Zoo.
Good luck.
Ok, now for my 2 cents: I would stay in Beverly Hills. LOL But if that's not in your budget, then I guess it depends on your lifestyle. Personally, I love the beach--cold weather/hot weather, it doesn't matter. Santa Monica--love 3rd St. Promenade. I also love the drive up & down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). On the other hand, old town Pasadena has a lot of charm & I love the Ritz. But keep in mind that it's about 25 miles from the Ritz in Pasadena to Santa Monica beach.
I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. It may come down to what you will do with the rest of your time. If you will be doing a lot of sightseeing, you may want to situate yourself closer to those attractions.
As for museums, wow, MLJB gave you a great list of them. I think I've been to only 5. I do like the Getty--very nice view as well as a nice museum. I still haven't been to the Huntington library. It's next on my list. I think you can make reservations for tea or lunch or something in the gardens. It's supposed to be very lovely.
I would also recommend Farmer's Market--many different types of food "shops." Yum, making me hungry. It's adjacent to the Grove where you can do some shopping at the outdoor mall.
As for the zoo, well, I love the zoo. But if you're going to San Diego, I'd have to choose their zoo over the LA Zoo.
Good luck.
May 17th, 2007, 11:03 AM
#22
Dawn, lived here for 37 years, me too! Although I'm not 37.
Yes, it should clear by noon, June gool means morning overcast clearing by noon.
July at the beach is nice for a cool down as compared to inland, which can be very warm.
Yes, it should clear by noon, June gool means morning overcast clearing by noon.
July at the beach is nice for a cool down as compared to inland, which can be very warm.
May 17th, 2007, 12:07 PM
#25
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Thank you to everyone for all of the suggestions and comments.
Janisj, please accept my apology. Unfortunatately I was very frustrated by your first 2 posts and lashed out at you which I shouldn't have. I should have given you more information so that you could have helped me. Please understand that planning this trip is very overwhelming for me. As I've said, I've never been to this area of the country and since I know that there is alot of ground to cover, I just needed help in getting started. I should have been more clear. I just wanted some suggestions not perfection. I do hope that you will consider participating here. If not, well, it's my loss. I accept that.
Thank you to each and every one of you who shared your suggestions, recommendations and observations. I will digest the information and plan, taking into account all of what has been shared and all that I have researched on my own. If anyone wants to contribute anything else, please feel free.
I think I will cut the number of days in the immediate LA area down and include San Diego on the trip to the West Coast.
Again, thank you!
Janisj, please accept my apology. Unfortunatately I was very frustrated by your first 2 posts and lashed out at you which I shouldn't have. I should have given you more information so that you could have helped me. Please understand that planning this trip is very overwhelming for me. As I've said, I've never been to this area of the country and since I know that there is alot of ground to cover, I just needed help in getting started. I should have been more clear. I just wanted some suggestions not perfection. I do hope that you will consider participating here. If not, well, it's my loss. I accept that.
Thank you to each and every one of you who shared your suggestions, recommendations and observations. I will digest the information and plan, taking into account all of what has been shared and all that I have researched on my own. If anyone wants to contribute anything else, please feel free.
I think I will cut the number of days in the immediate LA area down and include San Diego on the trip to the West Coast.
Again, thank you!
May 17th, 2007, 12:24 PM
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Zago - because you are from a city - you might really enjoying staying in La Jolla during your stay. As someone just said on another thread - there is only one La Jolla in the world 
Have lunch on the roof top at Georges of the Cove - it is a must do.
July is a busy time here - so you might consider booking your rooms sooner then later. (I assume you know that).
When you decide - post a topic with San Diego as the subject - there are some great posters with a lot of knowlege of the area.
I hope you enjoy the west coast as much as I love living here!
Have lunch on the roof top at Georges of the Cove - it is a must do.
July is a busy time here - so you might consider booking your rooms sooner then later. (I assume you know that).
When you decide - post a topic with San Diego as the subject - there are some great posters with a lot of knowlege of the area.
I hope you enjoy the west coast as much as I love living here!
May 22nd, 2007, 04:39 PM
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Thought I'd pop in to apologize for sending this post spiraling off axis. I certainly meant no criticism of the original question. I've been traveling and just returned to view it.
No offense to you zago. And no offense to you LA.
I had intended an evening in and out of LA to view a Dodgers game from our 5 days in San Diego. We always try to plan a baseball game or two if possible when traveling. It turned out to be an absolute fiasco and was very fresh on my mind when I saw your post.
I will always remember my LA trip in '73
as quite possibly my best vacation ever.
It has changed dramatically and I might never visit again.
I would agree that San Diego would be my preference. Many of the above suggestions- La Jolla, George's, The Gaslamp, The Island of Coronado its town and beaches, Seaport Village, etc were all part of a much more enjoyable trip than the traffic gridlock that sucked up so much of our time.
I wish you the best trip ever zago.
No offense to you zago. And no offense to you LA.
I had intended an evening in and out of LA to view a Dodgers game from our 5 days in San Diego. We always try to plan a baseball game or two if possible when traveling. It turned out to be an absolute fiasco and was very fresh on my mind when I saw your post.
I will always remember my LA trip in '73
as quite possibly my best vacation ever.
It has changed dramatically and I might never visit again.
I would agree that San Diego would be my preference. Many of the above suggestions- La Jolla, George's, The Gaslamp, The Island of Coronado its town and beaches, Seaport Village, etc were all part of a much more enjoyable trip than the traffic gridlock that sucked up so much of our time.
I wish you the best trip ever zago.
May 24th, 2007, 02:35 AM
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I have read all of the above with interest. My wife and I will have just a single day - a Saturday - in LA between flights at the begining of August. We have never been there before. We will be staying close to the airport. We don't really want to do a whirlwind city tour and I had in mind spending the day in or around Santa Monica -- my wife has in mind doing some shopping. We are in our 60's and quite like walking but, obviously, we won't have a lot of time to work our way around aimlessly. Can I have some suggestions as to what we might do to get a reasonable sample of the area, please? (Not forgetting the shopping, of course!)
Jun 1st, 2007, 09:45 AM
#31
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zago, I vote for staying in Santa Monica. Although its not centrally located (not really possible in Los Angeles), it is a good area for night life and walking round after a day of touring. It is definetly a good place for people watching, but unfortunetly there are still many homeless people who hang out on the Santa Monica outdoor mall. It doesn't seem to stop the tourists. Adequate police presence there. End of July will not be foggy. It is just now the beginning of June gloom, which followed May Grey. Of all the suggestions of things to see, I would also suggest Venice Beach. I don't think there's anything like it in New York. If you have to choose between Santa Barbara or San Diego, I would choose San Diego. More to do there. Have a good trip.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 04:14 PM
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You might also think about Malibu and going to Getty Villa and Adamson house. If you go to Getty Villa you have to get a reservation for parking (can be done on line). It is best on Saturday less traffic. Also have you thought about Avalon on Santa Catalina Island? We were there a few days before fire but Avalon was not damaged by fire. Also agree with Huntington Libary and gardens in San Marino and Getty Center. If you want to avoid traffic southbound to San Diego you could go to Santa Barbara gardens, mission and red tile tour and courthouse, Solvang, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Paso robles wine area, and Hearst castle in San Simeon just to name a few.
Jun 12th, 2007, 12:13 AM
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Hi zago,
I find the back-and-forth within this thread hilarious. You might want to check out http://www.la2day.com for alternative ideas of things to do/see/eat in the LA area (once you are finished with seeing the "major" tourist spots). Enjoy the trip!!
I find the back-and-forth within this thread hilarious.
You might want to check out http://www.la2day.com for alternative ideas of things to do/see/eat in the LA area (once you are finished with seeing the "major" tourist spots). Enjoy the trip!!
Jun 12th, 2007, 08:29 AM
#34
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zago -
My husband and I went to L.A. for 3 days a few months ago (I have been very late in getting up my trip report). We had a blast and thought that we could have just used 1 more day. So, I would suggest 4 days. We really enjoyed L.A. and ran into very little traffic.
Here was our itinerary:
Saturday - Universal Studios. We did the VIP tour, which was very fun. Yes, it is a touristy experience but is a fun way to see a very nicely put together studio tour. I would suggest spending the extra money and doing the VIP tour.
Sunday - Downtown L.A./Mulholland Drive/Hollywood - We walked around downtown L.A. and Hollywood by ourselves. Did the 1 hour double decker bus tour which I would NOT recommend. Then did the beautiful ride up through Mulholland Drive.
Monday - Rodeo Drive/La Brea Tar Pits/Santa Monica beach - This was a fun day, just walking through Rodeo Drive, then stopping at the La Brea Tar Pits and hitting the beach for an hour before dinner (but it was March so it was too chilly to spend time at the beach itself).
Things that I wanted to see but wasn't able to: Getty Center and Paramount Pictures studio tour and Japanese Museum of Art (but we are going to San Fran at the end of this month so I think we will probably hit the Asian Art museum there, which is supposed to be nicer).
San Diego is wonderful. If I were you, I would start your trip by driving straight up to Santa Barbara, and wind your way down through L.A. to San Diego --- so spend 2 to 3 days in Santa Barbara area visiting the wineries, etc., then head to L.A. for 4 or 5 days, then head to San Diego for 2 or 3 days. I think that would be a wonderful trip and you would get a great mix of city versus natural beauty.
In San Diego, if you have any interest in nature, you should check out the tide pools --- very cool and you get great views of the city.
My husband and I went to L.A. for 3 days a few months ago (I have been very late in getting up my trip report). We had a blast and thought that we could have just used 1 more day. So, I would suggest 4 days. We really enjoyed L.A. and ran into very little traffic.
Here was our itinerary:
Saturday - Universal Studios. We did the VIP tour, which was very fun. Yes, it is a touristy experience but is a fun way to see a very nicely put together studio tour. I would suggest spending the extra money and doing the VIP tour.
Sunday - Downtown L.A./Mulholland Drive/Hollywood - We walked around downtown L.A. and Hollywood by ourselves. Did the 1 hour double decker bus tour which I would NOT recommend. Then did the beautiful ride up through Mulholland Drive.
Monday - Rodeo Drive/La Brea Tar Pits/Santa Monica beach - This was a fun day, just walking through Rodeo Drive, then stopping at the La Brea Tar Pits and hitting the beach for an hour before dinner (but it was March so it was too chilly to spend time at the beach itself).
Things that I wanted to see but wasn't able to: Getty Center and Paramount Pictures studio tour and Japanese Museum of Art (but we are going to San Fran at the end of this month so I think we will probably hit the Asian Art museum there, which is supposed to be nicer).
San Diego is wonderful. If I were you, I would start your trip by driving straight up to Santa Barbara, and wind your way down through L.A. to San Diego --- so spend 2 to 3 days in Santa Barbara area visiting the wineries, etc., then head to L.A. for 4 or 5 days, then head to San Diego for 2 or 3 days. I think that would be a wonderful trip and you would get a great mix of city versus natural beauty.
In San Diego, if you have any interest in nature, you should check out the tide pools --- very cool and you get great views of the city.
Jun 15th, 2007, 01:02 PM
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Universal can be covered in one day???
We are planning a trip in August with my 18 yr old. Will be doing other events in the 4-5 day stay-- Just curious is Universal could be covered and really enjoyed in 1 day! !??
Thanks!!!
Lisa W
Mississippi
Jun 19th, 2007, 10:13 AM
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More than 1 day in Universal would be boring. We saw EVERYTHING including every show and rode several of the rides twice at Universal --- got there around 10:00 and left at 7, I believe. You could absolutely skip some of the shows or rides and be out of there much earlier.
