Irvine, Ca.
 

I am going to Irvine, Ca. with my daughter and grandson, who is 6, in October. My daughter will be working during the day. Any neat places to see or day trips to do from Irvine for me and my grandson. ALso, any neat places to eat. ALso, what is the weather like there in October, we've never been on the west coast before

October is the best month of the year weatherwise. Warm and clear days. There are many things that you can enjoy with your grandson. First, you can visit Disneyland in Anaheim. That is just short drive north on I-5. Another good place to go is Knott's Berry Farm which is not too far. And you aways have the beach. There are several very nice beach cities close by. The closest one is probably Newport Beach which is very nice. From Newport Beach you can drive south to Laguna Beach which is very nice. <BR> <BR>There are a lot of other things to do and see but I gave you some starters.

You will be only 1 1/2 hrs from San Diego. If you have a car take the 5 south to the S.D. Zoo, if you don't have a car you can take the Amtrak train, I believe they have a bus connection that will shuttle you to the zoo and back to the train. Check their web site. <BR> <BR>Your grandson might like eating at the Rainforest Cafe in the Orange Coast Plaza (mall), your daughter might like it too. Food is good and decor is like a rainforest with animals and birds (not real) in the trees, making all the appropriate sounds.

Yes, Disneyland, Knotts and San Diego Zoo are great ideas. Right in Irvine is Palace Park - miniature golf, go carts, play room. Or,take the car ferry over to Balboa Island (about 5 miles from Irvine)and you find the Fun Zone - all kinds of fun for kids. Or,take a boogie board to the beach and your grandson will love it.

Thanks for the help. I got some great ideals from you all. Cal, if you can give me some more things, it would be appreciated. We will be there a week. Is the weather warm enough for swimming in October?

The weather will probably be warm enough for swimming. Expect the day time temperatures to be in the 70's or 80's. However the water temperature is another story. People do swim in the ocean in October but is is too cold for me. It will probably be OK for kids. There is a surf that may be too strong for small children.

There's a shallow very protected beach in Newport where friends used to always take their kids at that age. Because it's relatively shallow it's also warmer water and there are very few and very little waves. Anyone know the name of it or can someone give Jean directions? There's also the children's beach in LaJolla, which has been pretty much taken over by the seals, but that might still be an attraction for a six year old! There's also Legoland and Sea World to think about as well as the Wild Animal Park in Escondido--you take a tram ride to see the animals in natural settings--a six year old might like that.

Kam, it sounds like you're thinking of Little Corona, in Corona del Mar, immediately south of Newport Beach. Another great place for kids is Balboa Island.

The best area in San Diego for protected beaches is at Mission Bay. No waves and the water is warmer. There are many beaches around Mission Bay.

Thank you all for your help. The beach taken over by seals sounds great, as the other ideals. Appreciate everything. How is the traffic in and around Irvine? Are we coming to a large city?

traffic can get pretty bad at rush hours, especially on the freeway. Irvine is not a large city, per se, it's a planned residential area mostly. You should pick and chose when to drive and you'll be okay. Have fun!

It will help to be able to use the "car pool lanes" also. If you're a AAA member, get their "Freeway Map" of southern CA. It lists the various exits on each freeway so you can anticipate when and where you'll get off.(it doesn't look like a real map, rather like the London Underground map) Just stay alert, calm and always use your turn signal but know that once you put it on, you have to be ready to switch lanes immediately--they won't wait for you! Have fun.