I am trying to plan a trip for our family (wife and 2 boys ages 15 and 8) to L.A. We want to do the Disney thing and the San Diego zoo, but need ideas about lodging, fun things to to and places to eat. All ideas will be appreciated, even small things to make the trip more pleasant are needed.

You will not have any problems finding stuff to do. I have a 12 yr old son so I can relate. I live in SoCal so the Disney/ San Diego Zoo thing is a good start. As long as you are in San Diego might want to make a day of it a dn drive down to Mexico fun day shopping South of the Border.. Also great place to eat and very inexpensive is RUBY's it is a 50's style diner they are all over but the one to go to is at the end of the Balboa Pier it has a great little area to eat on top of the resturant the kids will love it and depending on where you are from the beach will be a blast. Alos there is an area in Balboa called the fun zone it is a little arcade type place right on the beach great fun for everyone and real cheap. Have fun let me know if you need more info.

Hi David,

Joel is right on the mark - good suggestions. While in San Diego, don't forget Sea World. If you're going north of Disneyland (my neck of the woods) you just have to visit Venice Beach (your kids will be talking about it for YEARS). For $5/all-day-parking head for the end of Washington Blvd. where it meets the beach. Great place to eat there called Cheese & Olive Cafe (outdoors). From there you can walk/rollerblade/bike straight north up the shore to Santa Monica on the bikepaths or walking street. For about 2 miles you have the ocean on your left and quirky shops on your right. The kids absolutely love it. You will see the most AMAZING variety of people -- from guys who juggle chainsaws to sidewalk hairdressers. Every tourist goes there. See "Pit" where anyone and everyone can graffitti the walls (sounds weird, I know, but it's famous and has been in magazines. Some of the 'art' is fabulous. From there you could also drive to Hollywood Blvd.-see the stars--Chinese Theatre, etc.
If I can help, let me know! Jane

Here are a couple of suggestions from a native. If you enjoy the ocean at all check out the Scripps Institute Aquarium in La Jolla. It's outstanding and the La Jolla area is on the way to San Diego and has a beautiful coastline view. Also visit some of the California missions. They are quite interesting if you would like to get a little cultural and historical perspective on our state. The mission in San Juan Capistrano (south of Newport Beach) is one of the best preserved and the one in San Diego is good too. Each mission is very different. Regarding Hollywood: just my opinion, but you would have to be extremely "star struck" to enjoy it. It's a pretty smoggy, trashy place and most people I know are disappointed with the area. Universal Studios is the second most popular attraction in southern California and your kids will love it. Laguna Beach, also south of Newport Beach, is another unique beach city with a beautiful coast line and is full of interesting and good places to eat, many outdoors. Come mentally prepared for big crowds and long lines during the summer months. Resign yourself and you'll have a great time.

Forget Hollywood--Universal Studios is good, but lines are long. Venice Beach is a MUST SEE for these guys--the younger might lilke the Santa Monica Pier--Balboa Island in Newport is fun--Balboa bars--frozen bananas covered with chocolate! Sea World in SD and the Wild Animal Park in SD might be good. I would not drive into Tijuana!!! There's a little green trolley that goes instead to the border and to all the other attraction s of SD. There are lots of seals at the children's beach in LaJolla. Eat anywhere---Chinatown might be fun for them, touristy for you. There's a restaurant on the beach on PCH in Malibu called Gladstone's 4 FISH--totally touristy but fun to watch surfers and other CAlifornia types like us!! Any of the beaches on Malibu are nice--there are places to rent "boogie boards" for the kids. Just go with the flow--that's the only way to live in LA! And, have a nice day!!