We just had a great holiday trip to SoCal with our two adult "kids" in San Diego and LA. Son is stationed at Pendleton (between postings to Iraq -- he goes back for 2nd time in Feb) so we wanted to enjoy our time in Southern California as a family. Would have been nice if it had been WARMER, but we still had a good time. Suite at Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and Suites on Shelter Island in S.D. for 4 nights. It was an "Executive" suite, with soaring ceilings, nice kitchen area w/granite tops, 2 queen beds in BR, huge marble bath, a great closet/dressing area, fantastic mattresses and linens. Even the Queensize pull-out couch in the LR was comfortable. The jacuzzi spa was a good place to warm up in the evenings (open until 11PM). We didn't have breakfast in the restaurant until our last morning -- big mistake! It was wonderful and reasonably priced (and the view over harbor was stunning). We had a nice Christmas Eve meal in Point Loma at a place called the 3rdCorner. Christmas Day dinner was downtown in the Gaslight district at La Bella Luna -- and it was outstanding! We visited the San Diego Zoo, and enjoyed watching surfers at La Jolla along that exquisite coast line. With only a 72 hr liberty over Christmas, our son was only to spend one night of our 3 in LA with us. We stayed at Maison 140 in Beverly Hills. What a classy little place. www.maison140.com check out their specials: $125/night. We had two rooms, one on the "red" 3rd floor and one of the larger rooms on the 2nd floor. Chinoise decor, very elegant. Wonderful kingsize beds. We had 2 cars since Alec headed back on Sunday night, but they comped him the parking. The service at this place was personal and attentive. Our daughter had neck spasms late one afternoon and they helped her address that problem with an ice pack and a DVD with popcorn while the three of us spent the latter part of Sunday afternoon gawking at stuff along Rodeo Drive. The hotel is located accross the street from the Peninsula Hotel, on a quiet side street and with its private little parking lot is truly ideal for getting around. (You do need a car to get around LA). We met up with friends for dinner Sunday night in Santa Monica (and after some strolling we finished with dessert at the top of the Rennaisance Hotel there in a place called "Toppers" overlooking the shoreline all the way to Malibu), and had a truly wonderful dinner at a French Morrocan place recommended by concierge Debbi: The Little Door. It was expensive (but no more than a comparable place in DC or NYC) but worth it for the excellent food and wine and beautiful ambiance. We had stopped at Venice Beach on our drive from SD to LA, and the kids rented rollerskates while we walked the ocean walk. Watching street performers, and people watching all the other tourists too, we had yummy sausage sandwiches on the beach. One beautiful morning we drove along Mullholland Drive (ooh ahhh) and made our way to Griffith Park. The observatory (you may remember it from Rebel Without a Cause) is being renovated, but there is a wonderful walking trail up into the mountains, from which you can see all of LA, snow capped mountains in one direction and the Pacific ocean in the other. Of course there's also a great view of the Hollywood sign as well. It's worth parking your car and hiking arond here. The paths are easily graded, so people with baby strollers and less-than-fit walkers can enjoy it as much as "hikers." I was so pleased with the little hotel where we stayed, I may be back on business trips. For this trip, we flew Southwest. It was OK, but I never realized how even a bad movie passes time on those transcontinental flights. (There is no "entertainment" on Southwest, as well as only peanuts and chexmix-type snacks. We were glad we packed lunch for our trip out, but turned off by lack of choices at the San Diego Airport for the return flight. Our daughter is headed back on the 2nd as she stayed with friends to celebrate her birthday and New Years Eve in LA.)

Sounds like a really lovely family trip. Thanks for the hotel/rest. info. How did you find the hotels?

Best wishes to your family in the New Year!

Humphrey's Half Moon is rated here and on a couple of other sites. The Maison 140, actually, we read about first in Wine Spectator, but I checked it out with the people in my company's LA office who said it was a fantastic place. There is a darling little bar area that is used by locals as well as guests. Guests get complimentary wine in evenings from 5:30 to 7 or so.

topping for briankern

uhoh: It does sound like a great visit! One tiny correction: Toppers is in the Radisson Huntley Hotel (for me it'll always be "the Huntley"-- it's definitely much nicer than most other Radisson properties). When I still did Happy Hours with co-workers, we would go there a few times a month (it's a block from where I work). Nowadays, my drive home is long enough that I just want to get out of my office and get blasted at home....

I've never dined at The Little Door-- I'll have to try it!

Hello so glad you enjoyed your stay in our city! I may have seen you hiking in Griffith Park, as I walk there every day.. and the air has been so clear lately! I wish you and your "kids" a safe and wonderful 2004.. and thanks for visiting Los Angeles, I hope you have many happy returns.

Thanks for the correction -- I'd been there before when it was a Mexican restaurant and before it was Radison property. I always thought it would be a cool place to stay...but didn't remember the name and it may be out of my price range now.

Glad you got over to Griffith Park and points east...my husband is an early morning hiker, too.