Help me plan my trip to beautiful California!
 

Hi everyone, we are travelling to California over the Christmas holidays for 2 weeks with our 2 young children. We'll be spending 1 week in LA (doing the usual sightseeing and theme parks) then San Diego and last Las Vegas.

I would lke to do some national parks but we want to avoid long hours in the car (our youngest is 2 1/2). The grand canyon seems too far to me from LV and so does death valley, joshua tree from LA...

We'll be only 3 days in SD so we'll concentrate on the town.

Where would you suggest going from LA and from LV , without too many hours in the car, maximum 2, to have a good idea and feel about the desert or NP? The more I read the more I get lost on places and beauties of the area!!

Thanks for your help!!

You can get to Anza Borrego state park fairy easily from SD or LA. Here's a link: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638. Red Rock Canyon is easy to get to from Las Vegas: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/..._rock_nca.html.

Be aware, some of those cacti look pretty and fuzzy, but they will be really nasty if the kids touch them. Also be aware that it can be quite cold in the desert here in the winter, so be sure to have a couple of layers just in case.

The theme parks will be absolutely SLAMMED over the holidays. For Disneyland you'd want to stay on property or across the street so you can return to the hotel during the day as needed. Hard to imagine how crowded it can be.

You want to stay in Anaheim, not LA, when you visit the theme parks (both Universal and Six Flags are not geared toward younger children). Anaheim is in a different county than LA. Young children might also like Knott's Berry Farm which has Camp Snoopy section and other stuff for younger children as well as some roller coasters which the parents could take turns on if so inclined.

www.furnacecreekresort.com/directions-533.html

couple of hours from Vegas best for desert part

classic.mapquest.com roadtripusa.com www.lasightseeing.net

betterbidding.com get best hotel deals bidding priceline.com

Anaheim is chock a block with mousekateers far from all else

I would rather have a root canal than stay a week there

Prefer the Westin Bonaventure from $70 bidding priceline

Westin La Jolla in SD from $80 for me in the past

www.hoteldel.com for a visit or a stay if budget Perfit

Venetian Treasure Island or Luxor based on budget do Vegas

on week days will be tonnes cheaper also maybe

www.grandcanyontours.com chopper in if you can for

the experience of a life time.

Happy Travels!

Forgot usually get my cheapest prices for carrentals.com

with Fox out of LAX.. Plan carefully and have fun,

I would reconsider LV with small children. Not really kid friendly, plus the weather will be quite chilly. S. Cal has plenty more to keep you busy.

I would fly from LA to Vegas... the drive is long and hideous.. no scenery, nowhere to stop, nothing. You might like to take your children to The Lion King production that is shown at Mandalay Bay only through December... my children loved it, as did I! They also loved the Hoover Dam and the M and M Factory. Happy to answer specific questions if you have them.

Hi guys, thank you very much for your answers!!
I will go through all your suggestions!

It feels like I'm doing it all wrong though... ! 1 week in LA is already booked and it's in silver lake. Flight back from LV also booked, so we are going there, really hope I can find something for the kids. Btw, any suggestions for a good show to watch? We have seen the Lion KIng in London and loved it, I have been suggested one of Cirque du Soleil...but which one? Apparently, Mystere is for the whole family, no age restriction on the website. But there are so many, which one to chose? My eldest loves shows, theatre, comedians, magicians... "O", "Believe"? Has anyone seen any of those?

Also, we would love to go whale watching, I read a very good review about one of San Diego sailing ships... Would it be as good if we did it in Long beach or near LA?

Not a fan of cold weather really... (I am southern italian, a lot of sunshine, but live in rainy England, so hope it isn't worse than here!)

The plan is still to drive to LV, in fact we will now be driving from SD! How bad is that?? Aren't there really any places to stop?? I love deserts (have been to Egypt and middle east but imagine californian ones to be very different) so what might be boring for you could be fascinating for me!

Lynni, could you tell me more about the Hoover Dm, havent had time to research it really, any particular activity you do, how long a drive from LV? MandM factory sounds good too!
thanks again!!

The drive to Hoover Dam from LV is less than an hour. How old are your children? You can just walk across the dam or you can take tours that go inside the dam. There are plenty of places to stop along the route to LV. There is an outlet mall before you get to Barstow, and then in Barstow itself there are fast food places. In Baker there is a place called the Mad Greek where you can get Middle Eastern food (gyros, salads etc). There is another mall right at the border of CA and Nevada.

I would not bother with Joshua Tree or Death Valley. The only national park I would go out of my way for in the Southwest would be the Grand Canyon (which of course is quite a bit out of your way!)

There is a lot to do in San Diego especially with kids - there is the
*San Diego Zoo,
*the Wild Animal Park,
*Sea World,
*Lego Land,
*Balboa Park & the many kid friendly museums there,
*along the Embarcadaro you'll see the Midway (a former Navy ship open to the public)and a beautiful old sailing ship,
*Birch Aquarium,
*Cabrillo Monument (where the Europeans first landed)
*Scripps Institute of Oceanography (which has tours)
and then even though the ocean will be cold (that is why god invented wet suits!) there are lots of
*fun ocean activities things to do like kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, etc. The weather should be nice.

If you tell us your arrival dates etc, we might be able to help you navigate the best days for doing Disney etc. Lots of traffic from Silverlake and I hope you did your homework regarding the exact neighborhood. There are some nearby neighborhoods that you'll want to stay out of.

Many of the pools in Vegas are closed in December, hopefully with kids you booked one with an open pool? New Years Eve weekend will be crazy there and maybe a good time to venture elsewhere.

I definitely would "bother" with Joshua tree, just take the longer route to Vegas and also stop and see Hoover Dam. Lots to do and see with kids in Vegas and they'll never be bored. Kid's Discovery Museum, Natural History Museum, Shark habitat, Dolphin Show, Lion Cubs, Amusement Park, Circus shows, magic shows, Wildlife habitats, Aquariums, Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, even snow skiing at Mount Lee.

Vegas was very kid friendly the last time I was there, I was surprised, and it's even more so now. It's a 6 hour drive from San Diego and I would plan a picnic in Joshua tree and a hike. Leave San Diego in the early morning.

December is a nice time for the desert, unless it rains.

The Hoover Dam is a nice break from LV. Back in the day some people called it the "Boulder Dam" because they didn't like H. Hoover.

Angelica,

I was told by others that pools in Vegas are not heated in December but when I mentioned that to others (as the reason I took my kids to Vegas in 113 degree weather... that yes, in fact, some pools are heated... to ask.) So that's just a suggestion.

We stayed at The Monte Carlo Hotel, which I would describe as "modest." It is smaller than many of the hotels on the strip and not super luxurious but very serviceable and for $60 pernoght was a good value for a standard room. You do NOT have to walk through the casino to get to the elevators and therefore the smell of smoke is not bothersome.

Hoover Dam was wonderful for my kids 7, 10 and 12. I dont remember the exact prices but they are on the website. There is a a lot to look at, a short movie, a museum that has some interactive "exibits" for the kids and of course, the actual tour. My boys greatly enjoyed it but my youngest was a little scared about "going down into the tunnels." He also declined to go to the top of the observation deck. The heights can be a little overwhelming, even for the adults. All in all, I would plan to spend at least a few hours there.. its a pleasant 30 min drive from the strip and you barely need a map.

More soon... I actually started a trip report on our recent trip there but I havent finished it yet. If you click on my name you can see it. :)

To address your question about cirque de soleil. We have seen both Mystere (didn't like it much) and "O". O is great because of the specially built pool, water stunts etc. It is the only one I would consider-I think the kids being young would probably understand it the best as well.

Here is a comparison chart for the pool in LV as well. If you look at the individual reviews for each hotel I believe it tells you whether it is heated or not.

San Diego will be great with the kids for the zoo, seaworld and lego land. And just FYI, it is about the same driving distance to LV from San Diego as Los Angeles so it shouldn't amke any difference with your plan.

I agree with linni you should fly from SOCAL to LV.
Allegiant Airline has flights from Long Beach to LV. They have deals on hotels, shows and car rentals. http://www.allegiantair.com/

Check to see where else Allegiant flies that you might want to go in the Christmas season

I agree about the Monte Carlo. It is usually quite reasonably priced and is perfectly pleasant. If you like breakfast pastries, you can walk across a covered bridge to the Aria next door, and walk through their casino to a delicious pastry shop for breakfast. It is not much more expensive than Starbucks, and is much, much nicer.

BTW, cigarette smoke in the upscale casinos in Vegas is not nearly the problem that it used to be. It's still there, but you don't reek of smoke at the end of the evening in some of the nicer casinos. Maybe their air circulation systems are better.

Sorry I forgot to post the link with the pool comparisons for LV:

http://www.cheapovegas.com/vegas_cas...oolrank&limit=

Thank you everyone!
There seems to be a lot to do in SD, shame we'll have to miss many!

We arrive in LA on the 18th (had initially thought about spending Christmas day in disney world (just to do something special) but you are making me think twice about it! Which would be the less crowed days? When does school break in CA?

The plan was to head to SD on the 26th but now that I havent got a plan for Christmas day (ideas anyone??) we might travel down to SD early on Christmas day and perhaps have Christmas lunch at the Del(looks like they have a xmas buffet from 12-6) How does that sound?

We are a bit stuck with days in LA as we have already booked ot for one week. How is Silver lake? It seems to me that it's a nice and safe neighborhood and a good base to explore. Tracy, no, I haven't researched yet on specific areas, please give us a list of off limits areas!! that would really help. Which do you think it would have been a good base to explore? We'd like to visit, universal studios, disney world, hollywood, malibu, venice, possibly santa barbara... havent completed my homework on LA yet. so still researching!

So 18/12-26/12 (possibly 25) Los Angeles
25 or 26/12-29/12 San Diego
29/12-1/1 Las Vegas
2/1 looong flight back home!

We haven't sorted out the accomodation in SD and LV yet. We would possibly use some of my husband's hilton rewards, it's probably going to be 3 nights, so we'll either use them for SD or LV. whichever will leave us the best cheepest option to pay, which I tend to think is LV? Will look at the montecarlo hotel too, thanks.

I would have loved to spend NYE in grand canyon but it seems a bit too much travelling for my little one who'll be 2 1/2. So I guess we'll be stuck in LV for NYE any suggestions??

LSky, I really like your idea about a picnic in joshua tree on the way to SD!! How longer will I make the journey? Which exit/diversion/spot would you suggest? Hoover dam, joshua tree and red rock, which one is easier to do on the way to SD? and perhaps we'll make a trip on the new years day to the other ones.

I would love love to visit the grand canyon, I am even considering to go by myself (hubby has been there years aback) and leave all the boys in LV, I am sure they'll have fun and wont miss me! Or perhaps take my eldest, who is 6 1/2, but it might be too many driving hours for him too. we'll see...

Thanks again everyone! You are being a great help and source of info!!

Sorry, a few mistakes (spelling and places)on my previous post (it's been a long day!)" but it doesn't look like I can edit the reply once posted. "joshua tree and red rock, which one is easier to do on the way to SD?" meant LV!

If you end up driving from SD to Las Vegas across the Mojave, you can stop in the Mojave National Preserve near Baker. You see pretty much the same things as you would in Joshua Tree.
If you do the Preserve, you can stop for 1 night at Buffalo Bill's in Primm just over the border in Nevada on I-15. Buffalo Bill's has a roller coaster which may still be operating.
To get to Red Rocks go west on Charleston from LV about 25 miles. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Valley of Fire are good things to see east and NE of Las Vegas.

With the young age of your kids, I would add the extra days to SD and only spend a couple of nights in LV. More to do for them around SD. LV will be over the New Year's holiday weekend, so rooms may be more expensive and more of a party crowd in town.

Joshua Tree isn't that far from SD. tomfuller may have a good idea too. Although, I've never been to the mojave nat perserve. Use googleearth and see what you may prefer and plan your route.

You'll be seeing a whole lot of desert, it's a good thing you enjoy it :)

First things first. Sort out your accomodation in Las Vegas. When New Year's falls on a weekend, many of the hotels sell out months in advance. Most have 3 night minimums and higher-than-usual rates.

If joesorce is right and the only rooms available are the best (most expensive rooms), then you might stay longer in Primm. There are worse places to stay like Barstow and Baker.
Mitchell Caverns, which is CA's most remote State Park within Mojave National Preserve, will be reopening in October. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2842726/mitchell_caverns/
Watch the video to see the highlights of Mojave.
Plenty of Joshua trees to see there too without such a long detour.

This is a great resource for planning you time at Disney http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/atend.htm

We spent 5 weeks in California and Nevada with our kids last June/July. San Diego was probably the highlight for my boys (8 and 11 at the time) and they preferred LegoLand and Seaworld to Disneyland.

They found Vegas fascinating, but we didn't spent alot of time there. We stayed at the Mandalay Bay which has a wave pool and they also loved the Shark Bay Aquarium there.

As for shows, we went to the Lion King, which was the main reason that we stayed at the Mandalay, but another they would probably love is Le Reve, not actually a "Cirque" show but along the same lines and in a fabuolus purpose built theatre at Wynn.

You may find some interest in our trip report that I posted. Here is the link http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...lden-state.cfm

Shanek, thank you so much for pointing your report to me! I LOVED reading it!! What a wonderful trip of a life time for you and your family!! great pictures, great report, thanks for sharing it! I will treasure your tips and impressions. I wish I had more spare time to research and plan. But this site is defineletly giving me hints and ideas. Thank you all dear travellers!

You are more than welcome Angelica. I loved writing it and it is a pleasure to share it.

We will go back and explore the east coast soon.

Are you travelling from another part of the USA or are you from abroad?

I am so much more appreciative of all things American since our trip. It certainly bypassed all our expectations.

Shanek,

I am really looking forward to this trip!

The more I read about the country and the beauty of the coast and deserts, the more I fall in love with it!

I am just a little apprehensive about the planning and frustrated for not having enough time to explore the area as I'd like to. Only 2 weeks, I am afraid! And the only other time when we could have more days for travelling is in August since the school here in UK breaks end of July (way too late!)

We are an anglo-italian family (I'm italian and hubby is english) and live in England.

Hi everyone,

so this this is my preliminary itinerary:

1 week in LA (theme parks, hollywood, malibu, venice beach santa monica, and possibly santa barbara only for day trip, farmers market and of course an outlet for the lady!

4 nights in san diego (will just need to choose and pick up what to do and see -I have a lot on my list!)

1 night in the desert on the way to San Diego.
I thought we could visit the JT NP and stop over night to either a place in 29 palms or joshua tree, I had a look on google maps and seem like they're 20 min drive apart. Which area is better? Any racomandation?
I have been wondering whether with 2 young kids (my youngest will be 2 1/2) and being winter, and probably quite chilli there, I should spend the night in palms springs and visit the joshua tree the following day.
Any suggestions??

3 nights in LV and then leave for the loooong journey home...

Car rentals are much cheaper in Las Vegas than LA.
My thought-fly to LV and rent the car. One night in Primm. Next day drive through Mojave National Preserve. Lots of Joshua trees and pretty desert to see there without detouring all the way down to I-10 for Joshua Tree NP. The Kelso Dunes and Mitchell Caverns are worth seeing. You can come out the south entrance onto I-40 and still go through Barstow (I-15/I-40 split)
Next hit LA then SD then maybe Palm Springs with your last 2 days in LV after turning in your rental car.
You will find McCarran much less hectic to get in/out of than LAX.

tomfuller probably makes some vaild points, but from personal experience of twice hiring vehicles at LAX, I found it to be a simple procedure.

Once you exit the airport buildings, there are buses, every few minutes that head straight to the Car Rental offices. Each are brightly painted in the corresponding Rental Companies colors so you cant get on the wrong bus. We thought that National were the most effecient company and had such a wide range of cars to pick from. Subscribe to their webmail for special offers.https://www.nationalcar.com/index.do...BExact&sissr=1

You dont need to prepay or even make a deposit, so you can swap to a better deal if one comes along.

I like the balance of your trip but cant make comment about the Joshua Tree NP vs Palm Springs question as we didn't go to either.

Dont worry too much about the outlet malls near LA and San Diego as there are 2 in Vegas, convieniently located, North and South of the strip. Subscribe to their VIP club for discounts and offers ....http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=58.

Just we very aware of baggage limits on your flight and take a minimum with you.

Are you sport fans? You can prebuy tickets to basketball or football here http://www.razorgator.com/

You don't have to wait for the right color shuttle bus if you go to Vegas. All the rental car companies (except Fox) are in the same building. FYI National and Alamo are the same company.
Last Christmas I had a National reservation through Priceline.
I got an Alamo Mazda2 with less than 800 miles on it when I pulled out the single gate. I was very happy with my $14/day plus taxes/fees rental. We had a great Christmas meal at the Hofbrau Haus and then to church and then to Primm.

Your plan is just fine. Whether you stop over enroute to Vegas is up to you. Not entirely necessary but you might want to break it up. SD to PS is about 2.5 hours. IMO it makes no sense to fly to Vegas. That simply complicates things for not much benefit. It is about a 5 hour drive. When you add advance check in and car return/pick up flying won't save you much time at all.

And Primm is -- well, dry/ugly

http://tinyurl.com/3zu2ljm

Cars are not cheaper in Vegas for non-citizens. Foreigners get great deals from Hertz, National and Alamo all over the country, even for one way rentals. They pay less than U.S. citizens do and often their rates include insurances that the rates for the natives do not.

Have you decided where to stay in Las Vegas yet? I see one hotel over new years eve weekend is $445 per night with a 3 night minimum. I paid $65 for the same hotel last April.

$445 a night in Vegas. Ouchhh! You could get a whole floor for that in July!

I have to agree with janis. Flights for 4 of you would cost more that the "One-Way" hire car fee. Doesn't make much sense to me either way you look at it.

I got the full Insurance option with National and they even reimbursed me for the cost of a replacement trye. No hassles at all. I was impressed with their no fuss service. I paid about $50 a day all up for a small SUV.

Just a couple of specific responses toJacob's post - Lake Tahoe is slighty <i>under</I> 4 hours from San Francisco to either South or North Lake Tahoe, a little longer if you go on a Friday afternoon or during commute hours. Also, the rides on the Santa Cruz boardwalk are open very limited hours in December (not at all until the 26th and then short hours).

sf7307: I <i>think</i> Jacob might be advertising that website. since his post has next to nothing to do w/ the OP's plans.

If you are going to disguse a spam attack by hiding it amongst a post, would it not make sense to at least keep on topic?

Oops! (my Fodor's spam-dar is usually pretty sensitive!)