We are going to LA for 4 nights later this month. We are spending 1 day at Universal, but are still planning the rest of the days. Thinking about Catalina Island, La Jolla beach area, Orange County.....any advice? Any restaurants we should try (we will have a car).

My favorite restaurant in LA is Sushi Sasabune... they simply have the best fish... mind you, it is 'omakase' or chef's choice only... oh, and it is only sushi, no rolls, teppanyakis or anything like that... if you're into that kind of thing, it is on the corner of Sawtelle and Nebraska, three blocks from Santa Monica Boulevard, two blocks from the 405.

Give us a bit more information. Where are you coming from and is this your first trip? Do you have kids?

La Jolla is in San Diego--way too far for a 4 day trip IMHO. It can take 4 hours to get there.

Catalina is a time-consuming day trip, too. If you have not been to LA, I would rec. enjoying the beach towns on the coast--Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach...

There is no reason to go to Orange County if you have not been to LA before unless you are going to Disneyland.

How about museums? What kind of food do you like? How much do you want to spend?

We have been there a few times before. Traveling w/ husband, our infant and my parents. Since the baby is coming, we won't spend too much time at the beach, but he is a good baby and we can take him most places. Not into museums, but wouldn't mind getting out of LA (too much traffic). Like all food, would like some nice places that would be an okay spot with the baby (no smoke, not too quiet)....Didn't realize La Jolla was so far - any other "beach" towns with shops/food/drinks (fun places with more to do than just lay out in the sun).

"No reason to go to Orange County unless you are going to Disneyland?"

Please disregard that statement as the poster obviously has never experienced Orange County. The beaches (Huntington, Newport, Corona Del Mar, Laguna), the shopping (South Coast Plaza), the galleries (Laguna, Bowers Museum), sports (Angels baseball), the restaurants (too numerous to name), the arts (Performing Arts Center) and the overall cleanliness of the area put LA to shame.

russk007, if you are looking for a fun beach town, Laguna is an excellent choice in August. Please see: http://www.lagunabeachinfo.org/calendar.html#august

Please also check out the dining guide for Laguna at this same website. Sorrento Grill, Woody's At The Beach, and drinking margaritas at sunset at Las Brisas are all sure shots.

You left out 'The Block at Orange'.

Please.

After having experienced EXACTLY what you are going thru, you cannot really navigate LA/SoCal and enjoy it if you want to go everywhere from Laguna to Universal and all points between.

I warned my wife and daughter of that - they didn't believe me.

Anyway, pick a location to stay (Motel) and do things in that area, don't stay in Anaheim and then spend a day at Universal and another day at Warner Brothers and another day on the Sunset Strip.
If you are mainly interested in Hollywood - STAY (motel) in Hollywood. If most things you are going to do are south - then stay south.

But to try and do all everything everywhere, you are just cheating yourself and you will never be relaxed.

I love Manhattan Beach for strolling "The Strand" and watching the surfers, volleyball players, and others walking with their babies and dogs. Lots of cute little boutiques (not all are terribly expensive), sidewalk cafes (Uncle Bill's Pancake House on Highland is incredibly popular for breakfast, good sushi at Octopus, nice dinner at Mangiamo. It's an easy walk from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach for another cute little beach town with boutiques, cafes, and a pier. A very relaxed atmosphere...

Thanks for all your great advice! We love Orange County and will definitely spend some time wandering around the beach towns you all recommended. We are staying in Hollywood - this is actually a trip I won from work, so we don't have flexibility on where we're staying, however, we don't mind driving during the trip as long as we aren't spending the bulk of the day in the car. If there are any more ideas, let me know - otherwise this is great help!

Please.

Orange County does have some things to recommend it. But it makes no sense to come to LA for 4 days and try to visit both OC and LA. With a baby? Come on. Almost everything you mentioned (outside of the Angels-can't really recommend a Dodgers game this season) can be found in LA with out spending half of your day in the car. South Coast Plaza as a tourist destination?

If you are in Hollywood, you are pretty central. Some ideas:

1) Pasadena: you could go to Huntington Gardens and have lunch in Old Town. It might be hot--check the weather report.

2) Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo Beach: Take a drive up PCH and explore the beach areas. Lots of restaurants and a MUCH easier drive for you than going to OC.

3) There are tons of restaurants around Hollywood--Campanile, Lucques, AOC, Ago, Ca Del Sole....I am not sure if you want high-end or more kid friendly.

4) Check out what is going on at the Hollywood Bowl. You can pick up a picnic/dinner to go and a bottle of wine
and bring it with you for a lovely LA experience. It is an outdoor theater so you could bring the bay--easy to walk around if he/she gets fussy.

5)If you have not been to the Getty Museum, I would recommend it. Not for the art collection--it is O.K. The views are outstanding and there is a cafe where you could have lunch. It is lovely and quiet there.

6) You could check in to other studio tours like Warner Bros--a bit more intimate than Universal.

7) If you really want to drive further, you could go to Santa Barbara. Less than 2 hours from Hollywood during non-rush hour times. There are some great restaurants, you could see the mission, the zoo, the waterfront.... Traffic could be awful coming home if it is a weekday, though.

Welcome to LA--Have a great vacation!