LA with Kids for Spring Break Itinerary
 

We are taking the kids to LA for Spring break--end of March. Kids are 13 and 10. We have a place to stay--closer to Universal Studios and near the freeways. I would like feedback on this itinerary please! My goal is to leave the house no sooner than 9:00 am every day and leave wherever we are no later than 4:00 pm or stay there and have dinner and not leave till 6 or 7. It has been 25 years since I lived in LA and I can't imagine the traffic has gotten better! I am not on a strict time schedule but I have provided some time slots to show how long I think it will take us to tour some places. Please let me know if I have planned too much or too little time in those places.

Day One: Fly into Long Beach (cheaper airfare and easy in/out) and go to rental, get groceries etc

Day Two: California Science Center and Natural History Museum. We will start at the Science Center-really want to see Endeavour! I am thinking of buying tickets ahead of time so we have a slot to see Endeavour due to potential spring break crowds--necessary or not?? Then, with the time left over, we will go to the Natural History Museum.

Day Three:
Warner Bros Lot Tour from approximately 9:30-12:30 (by the time we check in, tour, get back to the car, etc)
Peterson Car Museum 2:00-6:00--Vault Tour at 5:00--is that only one hour? This is a MUST for my husband. Big time car fanatic.
I am fairly sure I will not last this long and my daughter isn't old enough to go on the vault tour. So she and I have the alternative plan of driving round the corner to see the the La Brea Tar Pits. Depending on how much time we have, we may actually pay to go to the Museum or we can wander Hancock park to see statues and tar pits for free--yes??
What are some good, kid friendly restaurants in this area? Because we need to eat while we let traffic get better.

Day Four: Universal Studios. Nuff said.

Day Five: Here I am unsure. We are checking out of the rental (by 11) and driving to Anaheim today. One thought was to tour sites in LA (with our luggage in the trunk) and then head to Anaheim at 7:00 pm ish. Or we could get started and make a detour to site see.
For the stay in LA idea: Hollywood Museum (would this be relevant to my kids--they don't know any old movie stars), Grammy Museum--looks really interesting, but not sure how much time it would take, Griffith Observatory--is this worth seeing only at night--do they let you look through the telescopes or have it displayed on a screen?
For the get started idea: Cabrillo Aquarium looks really interesting--could see the tide pools, etc., this would be more of a nature experience--which we prefer. Or go to Long Beach and see the Aquarium of the Pacific. They have Whale Watching Trips for 2 hours but are the whale migrations pretty much done by the end of March? We could also see the Battleship there (??) or the Queen Mary. But my kids could spend a long time in that aquarium!
What are places to eat near each aquarium because I can see us having to wait out traffic

Day Six: Disney--we have a place to stay, etc

Day 7: Drive back up to Long Beach for an afternoon flight home.

TIA for any ideas you have!!

Hi,
The USS Iowa is in San Pedro, same as Cabrillo Marine Museum. The aquarium here is small so it does not take too much time, the Iowa you can get a couple dollars off if you buy online and your youngest would qualify as a Junior.
Been a long time since we visited the Aquarium of the Pacific but it is a lot bigger (and more expensive).
For places to eat in San Pedro, your best bet is probably Ports O Call for closeness to the aquarium, San Pedro Fish Market usually has pretty good food. Or maybe 22nd Street Seafood Bar & Grill, best seafood in San Pedro, down in the Cabrillo marina. Not as cheap.

Jamie--thanks for the clarification! How far is the Cabrillo Museum from, say, Universal Studios? (approximate drive time vs actual miles)

the seafood places sound awesome--we are landlocked so we always look for good seafood when we get to the coast!

Stanton,
Mapquest is showing 50 minutes right now a little before 1pm PST from Universal to Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club (two doors away from 22nd Street Seafood and maybe less than a mile from the aquarium). So I would say 45-60 minutes depending on time of day.
Just take the 101 to 110 which dead ends at Gaffey Street in San Pedro, head south a couple of miles down Gaffey until you hit 22nd street and turn left. Restaurant is on your right and there are lots of signs for the aquarium.

Thanks Jamie!!

A few comments.

Endeavor - no need to book in advance. The last time we were there to see an exhibit (dead sea scrolls), they were giving away passes to the Endeavor. All new exhibits need it, but not the Endeavor any longer. I would, however, check out the ecosystems exhibit which is next to the Endeavor ... has some great ocean stuff, including glowing jellies and a tank with garibaldis! (Think Catalina).

Petersen - Tar Pits. Well, since you're so close to the LACMA and the current Rain Room (google it) is open through the end of April, I am sure your daughter (and you) would love going to see that. Except the tickets are current sold out for that exhibit. But see if you can snag tickets, there's always a possibility. If not, go see the tar pits. For me (and my former son), we preferred going to the Page Museum, since the tar pits, as interesting as they are, are also kind of stinky. And yes, the outdoor tar pits are free.

When we went there when our son was around your age, we'd always go to an upscale Marie Callenders at the corner of Wilshire & Curson, right across the street from the Page Museum. That remains a family staple with decent food and a decent bar. That area has grown up a bit, so there are more choices right there . . . The Counter, Mixt Greens, as well as Johnnie Pizza and Baja Fresh.

I've been a member of the Grammy since it first opened. For those really into music, like me (and depending on the current special exhibit -- whether it floats your boat or not), you can spend hours there -- 3 floors of stuff to see, activities, including the 4th floor containing all of the archives of prior events, exhibits and shows, as well as children's educational center. The latest exhibit is a photography exhibit of Bob Dylan during the period of 1964 - 1965. Amazing photographs, and while it would be something that my son, back when he was your kids' age, would have been really into (in fact, there was a Bob Dylan exhibit at the Skirball he went to at 11 or 12 years old, and we had to drag him out of the place), I don't know if your kids would dig it or the museum itself unless they've been introduced to "classic rock". They do have a Michael Jackson exhibit, small as it is, and previously had a bit Taylor Swift special exhibit.

Alternatively, the Griffith Park Observatory, great during the day. Go to one of the planetarium shows -- the one on the northern lights (I've heard) is good. Also, on a nice day, you can do one of two relatively easy hikes to or from the Observatory. Griffith Park also has a pretty good zoo, Gene Autry museum, along with the miniature trains (at two points in the park) and the 1926 carousel. The latter 2 remain fun to ride no matter how old you are, not just because they are steeped in LA history.

I just re-read my post. My "former son" is still my son, but he's 26, and I was thinking no longer a kid!!!

Surfergirl, I read that comment and thought there had to be a back story. Happy to hear he is just a former little kid LOL

You know, I got what you meant :-)

hmm, my kids have been introduced to all kinds of music, but they really only like pop right now. (ok, they like the Beatles, and Marley, and some other stuff) I will have to think about the Grammy museum. You are making this decision harder, not easier :-)

And that is good to hear about the Griffith. I am thinking that we might so some night or send DH by himself-he is the astronomer.