LAX to Santa Barbara July 4 weekend
 

Will arrive at LAX from the East Coast at about 11 on July 1. Plan to pick up rental car and head immediately to Santa Barbara. Suggested routes? Traffic worries? (I know it will be like heading out of Boston to the Cape or Maine on the same day, but what route would be best?)
Driving back to LA on the 4th. Also aware that traffic will be awful. Should we leave early and just plan to have dinner closer to LA that night? Thoughts? I think I ate at the Charthouse 30 years ago and heard it mentioned on TripAdvisor. Thinking we could have dinner there, thoughts? Is it the place where the waves crash right on the windows? Do they take reservations? Is it even worth trying to get a table? We'll be staying in Torrance for the next week due to hubby's work. Maybe we should go all the way down to Hermosa beach or somewhere for dinner that night?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_Highway_(US

classic.mapquest.com

have done this several times not on the fourth

the earlier the better would start early

stay flexible hug the coast expect lots of traffic on the 4th

but generally for me even worse on the interstates

and not as pretty.

Thought the Chart House was fine good seafood nice views

Think there are several along the coast.

A bit overpriced perhaps for me.

Something to consider: Get from LAX to Union Station and ride the Pacific Surliner (Amtrak) to Santa Barbara. #769 leaves at 12:30 or if you can't make that, #775 leaves @ 2:55PM.
Rent your car in Santa Barbara. Your return train leaves Santa Barbara at 4:31PM and gets into Union Station about 7:15.
If you act quickly, you can get the tickets for $30 each way and avoid wasting a lot of expensive gas idling along at 20 mph.
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...mtrak/HomePage

Traffic will pick up at noon on Friday and never let up, run to your rental car and hopefully you have signed up for fastRent or whatever speed-it-up process your car company offers. Turn to 1070AM radio, traffic report every ten minutes and check to see what's up on the 405 freeway north to the 101 north.

On the 4th you'd want to leave SB around noon, or wait until after 9pm which would put you in Torrance around 11pm. If you want to have dinner in the Marina or Hermosa or anywhere near the beach you are asking for traffic and parking snarls.

On the first, follow Clark's advice. Get on the 405 north to the 101 west and take it all the way to SB. Take it slow, chill, and you'll be fine.

The 4th along the coast will be a nightmare. Although a lot of the fireworks displays along the coast have been (at least in LA) grounded due to lack of $$, the 4th has always been a huge day at the beach for locals, and traffic control starts EARLY. In the past, we've always booked spots for dinner along the water (i.e. at Marina del Rey) for dining and fireworks watching, well, well in advance. In Marina Del Rey, they have been cutting off traffic into Fisherman's Wharf area around noon, and most spots along the coast are all taken up by families by noon.

So . . . avoid, if you can, the Charthouse or anywhere along PCH, and try and get as close to Torrance as possible as early as possible unless you don't mind sitting in your car for hours on end.

And IF you really want to have dinner along the water, Hermosa Beach or otherwise, make reservations NOW.

Thanks for all the replies. Suggestions for dinner around Hermosa Beach or Marina del Ray? Our son lives in Westchester, going to school at Otis, so any recommendations for that area would be appreciated for that night and future info. Would we be able to get down to the Marina late afternoon/evening?

There's fireworks off the Marina and people come from all over the city to view from vantage points around Manhattan Beach etc. I would avoid if possible. Stones restaurant is inside the Marina del Rey Marriott however and it's very good and you might not have a problem finding parking there. Cafe Brasil would also keep you out of the worst traffic, 11736 West Washington Blvd.

Zane's and Chef Melba's are two Hermosa Beach restaurants that should be high on your list. C&O Trattoria in the marina. Richmond Bar & Grill in nearby El Segundo has killer burgers. Tin Roof Bistro in Manhattan Beach is a must.

Remember, there's not going to be any fireworks this year in Marina del Rey -- it was called off due to budget cuts. I won't assume that this means they won't block off traffic to Fisherman's Village -- anything is possible.

But with the cancellation of MDR and Wilson Park in Torrance, the Redondo Beach Pier fireworks will end up being the biggest venue, I suspect, in the area -- so hoards of people will be heading that way.

Do you need a car in Santa Barbara? Traffic will be pretty awful there too.

You could take the Santa Barbara Airbus round-trip for $84 per person.

http://www.sbairbus.com/

Closer to Westchester, El Segundo is holding a fireworks show on the 4th.
www.southbayevents.com/events/july4.asp

Redondo/Hermosa on the 4th were hellish to get in an out of before they cancelled the nearby shows. I can't imagine what they will be like now. I wouldn't have dinner there. Parking alone will be a nightmare. Save the beachfront dining for the following week while you are staying in Torrance.

There is also a family who puts on a privately-funded fireworks show south of Redondo, from a barge off of Torrance Beach. To minimize your sitting in traffic and fighting for parking, you could have dinner somewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, ( www.terranea.com, www.trumpnationallosangeles.com/ are just a few suggestions) then find a high spot near Malaga Cove to view the fireworks.

Thanks. I don't even know why I am worried about seeing fireworks, can't get DH to go to our local show (Portland, ME) due to the crowds!