Getaway to Southern CA
 

I have somehow managed to talk my newly established DH into another trip for next month :)

We are on a tight budget, and are making plans to visit some dear friends who live in Laguna Niguel.

Our thoughts right now are to visit with them for three nights, and then spend 4 nights in the LA area, with Bevery Hills area as our base.

We did visit the area 5 years ago. We visited Hollywood, Santa Monica pier, the Queen Mary, and did the Warner Bros studio tour that trip. We don't have kids, so Disney is not high on the list, but a hot dog at Pinks is.

Our friends who live in Laguna Niguel think that we should avoid LA (as they do), and spend more time South.

Any arguments for or against LA?

Thanks!!

Well, I will argue for LA.

Do you like museums? There are many wonderful art museums in LA. Tops on my list would be the Norton Simon in Pasadena, Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, the Getty Center in LA and the Getty Villa in Malibu. There's also the Museum of Contemporary Art, a museum of Japanese heritage, the county art museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, and a complex of museums at Exposition Park that includes a Natural History Museum with my favorite gems room ever, and a science museum (which is a little kid-oriented).

UCLA and USC both have some wonderful things to see, including the Doheny Library at USC and the anthropology museum at UCLA.

If you like the outdoors, there are supposed to be great hikes at Griffith Park. I love the hike at Will Rogers State Park, and there are many more through the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. There is also an area that was established as a movie set off of Kanan Dume Road called Paramount Ranch. It's set up as a western movie set and you can wander around the old buildings.

Soooo, come on up LA and have fun exploring.

Great suggestions by cferrb. I guess it all depends on what you want to do this time around - other than the hot dogs, of course. :)

Although it won't be swimming and sunning weather, the South Bay Beach cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo) are close enough to get into LA, but far enough away from the bustle to give you a relaxing few days. A bike ride along the Strand is always a great way to spend a day. www.labikepaths.com/SoBay.html There are also hiking trails along the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Disney may not be on your list, but how about the Walt Disney Concert Hall? There are guided or audio tours, and you may be able to catch a performance. www.laphil.com/visit/ The Museum of Contemporary art is right across the street.

If you are interested in architecture at all, the L.A. Conservancy has walking tours: http://www.laconservancy.org/tours/t...ain.php4#tours

Your friends locked away behind the "Orange Curtain" don't know what they are missing. :D

I admit to watching too much Huell Howser on PBS and his series 'California Gold'.
http://www.calgold.com/

A tight budget will work with Huell's recommendations that I plan on seeing on my next 'few' visits to LA:

Philipe's downtown LA for the nostalgia, 10 cent coffee, double-dip lamb and hot mustard. http://www.philippes.com/

Early morning hike up to Griffith Observatory to watch the sunrise over LA.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/griffith-obs...ke-los-angeles

The LA County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (Arcadia)
http://www.arboretum.org/

Charlie Chaplin Studios
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Studios/...nStudios.shtml

LA Farmer’s Market
http://www.farmersmarketla.com/

Galco’s Soda Pop Stop
http://www.sodapopstop.com/

I would come down to San Diego..one of the prettiest places in the world and we have lots of great places to see and do.
From La Jolla to Coronado..
Laguna Beach and Dana Point are really cool too.

Laguna is nice enough, but 7 days there in February? Do you friends plan to show you around the entire time, or would they be at work Mon-Fri? I'd head to L.A.

You apparently didn't visit any museums on your previous trip. Does that mean you're not particularly interested in art and/or museums? FYI, a Renoir exhibit opens at LACMA on Feb. 14th.

http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibRenoir.aspx

If you're on a tight budget, I wouldn't pick Beverly Hills as your L.A. base.

We do indeed like museums of the historical type. DH suffers through art museums. I'd love to get up to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

I am hoping to get a room in BH for a good price on Priceline or Hotwire.

Basically we are two Chicagoans who need to get out of the cold and snow for a week.

Thanks to everyone for their input!

There's also the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda.