rjw_lgb_ca

True dat...! But no city in our area hasn't been touched by the homeless problem, so it's pretty unavoidable.

If there's one part of Santa Monica that feels like an ant farm, it's the base of the Santa Monica Pier (Colorado at Ocean). Teeming masses of humanity trying to get on and off that damn pier, street performers shilling for tips, food trucks, cabs, buses.... Summertime is the worst. And all I'm trying to do is drive past it and get home!

Oh well.... Welcome to LA.

readytotraveltoo

Here is what I have so far(with input from my daughter)

Saturday - Get to Bayside hotelin SM by 1pm.We are renting a car. Lunch at Urth Caffe on Main street in SM. Shop on Main street and 3rd street. Go to the SM Pier at some point. Eat at Father's Office?

Sunday - Rent bikes from our hotel - ride to Venice - see Boardwalk and canals. Lunch at Lemonade on Abbot Kinney if not to far for bikes. Check out of hotel and head to Elan hotel for the next few nights. Any ideas for late afternoon??

Monday - Farmers Market and the Grove
Hollywood and Highland
La Brea Tar Pits
Grafiti coffee shop at some point
Tuesday - Warner Brothers tour
hike a trail to Hollywood sign - not sure of exact one yet
Hall of fame
Chinese Theater
Wednesday - Check out and head to Malibu - check in to the Yurt
Malibu beach
Thursday - fly home

Doable? Any other suggestions for places to go. Getty Villa is closed on Wednesdays in Sept so not an option for us. My daughter is not interested in Getty Center. Of course, my daughter wants Photo Ops so any suggestions for cool pics would be greatly appreciated. She wanted to do the Cupcake tour in Hollywood on Sunday but I don't think we could make it for the 3pm tour on S. robertson Blvd near 3rd street. What do you think? We will probably be up early on Sunday since our bodies will not have adjusted to the time difference yet. Thanks for your help!

readytotraveltoo

Just checked the Yurt is no longer available so we will probably fly home at 4:45pm on Wednesday. Any suggestions for Wednesday morning?

Tabernash2

Can you stay another night at the Bayside and still fly home on Thursday?

Your schedule looks pretty good, but cramped for Sat and Sunday.

Jean

Move the Hollywood & Highland Center stop to Tuesday when you're going to Grauman's Chinese Theater which is practically next door. Walk of Fame on the same day.

I wouldn't do the hike to the Hollywood sign. You will have had a great view of the sign from the H&H Center and probably from the Tar Pits if you look in the right direction. Parking at the trailhead for the hike can be impossible in summer, and it's a dusty, uphill hike to the back of the sign, not the front, probably 90 minutes round-trip. The view can be spectacular, sometimes (but rarely) all the way to the ocean. But for a great view, I would choose driving to the Griffith Observatory over hiking to the Hollywood sign. You could do that Wednesday morning.

You can make time for the Cupcake Tour, but you'd have to scale back the morning plans. Crowds could make the cycling slow, and your daughter would probably want to explore Abbot Kinney a bit. Depending on the cycling v. shopping preference, you could check out of the hotel, drive to near Lemonade and park, walk to the canals and along Abbot Kinney. After lunch, drive to Robertson/3rd, which should take about 45 minutes.

taos23

What about Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills for window shopping. Also Montana Avenue, Santa Monica is great. On Wed. we have a massive Farmers' Market here in downtiwn Santa Monica which is definitely worth a walk through. Actually I would stay at Bayside the whole trip.

rjasnumberonefan

A good view of the sign is from Lake Hollywood Park on Canyon Lake Drive. Program your GPS and enjoy the ride through the Hills. The houses are cool and those windy roads are part of the LA experience. I am always amazed people live on those curves. haha There is free parking and nice photo ops.

Vonse

I don't think anyone under 21 is allowed in Father's Office.

I'd recommend Abbot Kinney over the Venice Boardwalk. I'm not too crazy about Lemonade; I prefer Gjelina. I also think a 16-year-old would like shopping on Robertson and Melrose in West Hollywood more than Rodeo Drive.

On your Malibu day, you may want to stop for lunch at the new restaurant at the end of the pier or at Taverna Tony's in the country mart (lots of shopping there too).

taos23

My recommendation is to definitely go to the Venice Boardwalk and Abbot Kinney and the canals. Also go to Melrose Avenue to shop ... And Rodeo Drive to window shop (tourists seem to like walking around that area).

clarkgriswold

Keep checking the tvtix website as it will soon be updated, many shows are just re-opening their offices after summer break and will soon be posting audience dates. Also check Ellentv if you want to attend a taping of the Ellen show, her tickets are gone by late morning on the day that they are first available so check every day.

lynni

Take her to Pink's Hotdogs! It's fun... great celebrity pictures on the walls and doesn't take much time unless the lines are crazy that day. A classis!

readytotraveltoo

Thanks everyone! I had to stop planning for alittle while to get both of my girls back to school. I still have reservations at Bayside for the entire trip and Elan from Sunday to Wednesday. I thought it would be easier to be near the attractions that we wanted to see hence 2 hotels. Should I just stay at Bayside the entire time? My daughter also wants to go to In and Out Burger and Grafiti as we don't have these in Georgia. Is there one near Bayside? Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

jayne1973

Bookmarking

Jean

The closest (but not very) to the Bayside:

In-n-Out
13425 Washington Blvd. (just west of Lincoln)
Marina del Rey

There's also one just north of LAX on Sepulveda (west side of street) that you could hit on arrival or just before departure. If you stop on your way back to LAX, give yourself loads of time because it's always crowded.