My sister and I plan a trip to Southern California in mid March. We thought about starting out in LA doing Hollywood and the other touristy stuff and then heading to Catalina Island. Is three days in LA and two days in Catalina Island enough? Interested in people's general thoughts on this idea and specifically what will weather be like, where to stay and other suggestions.

I think one day on Catalina ( a day trip) is enough in March. It's not as if you are going to be able to swim at that time of year.

I don't think that it's worth the expense to go to Catalina at that time of year. Not everything is open, and it is too cold for water sports.

Maybe instead, you could take a Whale Watching trip out of Long Beach. www.2seewhales.com/ Long Beach also has the Aquarium of the Pacific, if that interests you at all.

If you want quaint shopping by the sea, you could head to Laguna Beach www.lagunabeachinfo.com/ or Manhattan Beach www.downtownmanhattanbeach.com.

A bicycle ride along the South Bay Bike Path is also a fun way to spend a day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strand_(bicycle_path)

In March you might just want to do a day trip out to Catalina. It will be cold at that time, so you won't be able to swim or lay on the beach. While you're there, check out the casino-- it's beautiful inside. Rent a golf cart and drive up into the hills to see the view. Go out to the Wrigley Botanical Garden. That's good for a day trip and you can head back at the end of the day. You certainly can stay two days if you like, but there won't be a ton to do that time of year. As for hotels, I like the Snug Harbor Inn. It's right on the waterfront, nice decor and views.

thanks to all for the suggestions