Leaving Las Vegas - impromptu trip to LA
 

Help!!!

I've decided that I can't go another month without traveling. I'd like to plan a short trip to the L.A. area for President's day weekend that can include art, theater, opera, or culture. I also want to visit the Ikea store (my REAL motivation for the trip). We'll drive, so transportation won't be an issue. We would arrive in the area around noon on Saturday and leave Monday morning-ish, so I have half of Saturday and Sunday to fill.

I was seriously thinking about dedicating most of Sunday to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Any thoughts on that? Is it worth the time/money or should I keep looking? Sunday night I'd like to find a good play, opera or ballet that we wouldn't be able to see in Las Vegas. Is there a great website (other than ticketmaster) that you use to find events like these in LA?

I'd also like to find someplace fantastic for dinner on Saturday- maybe authentic Italian or Mediterranean. I haven't picked an area for a hotel, so any suggestions for restaurants near or in a hotel would be great, but it's not a dealbreaker if we have to drive.

I'd like to stay in the $50-$75/ night for a hotel room and a dinner bill around $100 for 2 people (no alcohol) for our Saturday dinner. The area of town doesn't matter, as long as it's safe.

So what do you think? Can I plan a last-minute, budget trip to satisify my travel needs? :)

First of all, WHICH Ikea store? There are four in the greater LA area (Carson, Costa Mesa, Covina, Burbank). However, if you want to do quality time at the Aquarium (a very nice facility), you could combine it with a morning at either the Carson or Costa Mesa Ikea, depending on where you're staying.

Given that you want a bit of high culture in your trip, you'd probably want to stay up in LA, but then again, South Coast Rep might have something cool on stage. LA Opera has been getting good reviews for all of its season, but tickets are being snapped up quickly. One great source to start your research is the <b>LA Weekly's</b> website, www.laweekly.com.

Your price points are problematic. Frankly, I wouldn't stay in a hotel whose room rates were less than $100 (either the place is a dump, or in an unattractive area, or both). And $100 for two for dinner in a good place will be a mighty tall order.

Thanks for the realistic viewpoint on my budget. I'm flexible on the hotel room, but $120/night would probably be my limit.

As for the Ikea store, I was just going to pick one, depending on where we ended up staying and going unless one is better than the rest. Also, thanks for the LA Weekly link- I'll use that to see what I can find.

I think the aquarium is a must, so now it's just a restaurant. What kind of budget would be reasonable for a nice, romantic Italian or Mediterranean restaurant (no alcohol)? Suggestions?

PS-
Let me clarify fantastic on the restaurant- food and ambience only. We're not really into trendy, so I'm not looking for a place to be seen, etc. A nice, neighborhood restaurant would be just fine, as long as the food is fantastic.

For your hotel budget I would suggest the Spring Hills Suites, Towne Place Suites or Ayres Hotel in Hawthorne, CA, at the border of Mahnattan Beach, in the $79 range. They are located just off the 405 Freeway and Rosecrans Ave. You would be a 15 min. drive from the Carson Ikea and about 25 min. from the Long Beach Aquarium. Check out what is at the Disney Concert Hall in LA, about a half hour in the other direction. Take a walk on the MB Pier, located about 10 min west of the hotels. Lots of restaurants in the area. Mangiamo's is located at the base of the pier. Reservation probably needed.

Dinner at the Getty!(open Sat but not Sun night)....get there just before sunset, you'll love it. And still have time for a show afterwards. Reservations required for the dining room, I think.
www.getty.edu

if you like dogs check out BarktheMusical.com

Get your discount tickets from lastagetix.com

Holiday inn Bel Air is near the Getty, and right by the 405 freeway to Long Beach. Might find a coupon at roomsaver.com......or use hotwire for a hotel in Westwood area.

We just got back from seeing Golda's Balcony at the Wadsworth and just loved it. Tovah Feldshuh was incredible. I couldn't believe one person could memorize that much for an hour and a half.

Boy, if I knew you, I'd say stay at my house for free, if you'd watch my two dogs! We're heading up to our yearly trip to Monterey that weekend!

Wow! Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Surfergirl- we should get to know each other.... I can watch your dogs and you can come to Vegas and watch my cats! ;)

Here's an update... I've used Priceline to get a hotel room! I guess that means we're going!! We're staying at the Doubletree Hotel Santa Ana/Orange County Airport, which looks like it's right off the Costa Mesa Fwy. on Macarthur Blvd. and about 15 mi. from the aquarium. Is that about right?

I'm figuring the Costa Mesa Ikea is probably the closest, but I'm considering visitng the Covina location on the way out on Monday. Is one nicer or easier to get to than the other?

So we have a room, we have plans for Sunday, now I just need to decide on a show and dinner. (I'm so excited!)

The restaurants suggested so far are: Mangiamo's and the Getty. Any other suggestions, now that we're locked into a hotel?

Show wise, I have the Disney Concert Hall and Bark the Musical. I think we're pretty close to the John Wayne Performing Arts Center, too. Are there ever any good performances there?

Again, thanks for the great suggestions- keep em coming. We're planning today, so I'll keep you informed on my progress! :)

Oops.... Orange County Performing Arts Center. Might help if I get that right! :O

The Costa Mesa IKEA is maybe five minutes from your hotel, and it's a brand-new store. The Covina one is right off the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10), so it might be worth it to stop at both. Your hotel is really twenty minutes from the Aquarium. But who's counting?

A short drive from there at Fashion Island is Fleming's, an upscale steak joint. Highly recommended (I know of of the sous-chefs, and he's an awesome cook). I know of a lot of places in Long Beach, obviously, but they won't be convenient to your plans, so enough of that. I love Walt's Wharf in Seal Beach, but again, not convenient to your plans. If you're really planning to hit downtown LA, you can check to see if Ciudad will be open. Pan-Mediterranean food by the women who run Border Grill in Santa Monica and Vegas.

rjw_lgb_ca-
Thanks for the restaurant suggestions so far. Driving for dinner really won't be an issue as long as the food is worth it. I was hoping to find a place near our hotel because we're not very familiar with LA (yet). I wouldn't mind a 20-30 min. drive as long as it was easy and the restaurant was to die for. So if you're saying it's not convenient to our plans because of a drive, please suggest anyway. The only dealbreaker would be the price, really.

I don't think we're planning any downtown excurions this trip. We really wanted to keep it south around Long Beach, etc even though we're ending up staying a little more north. Will that be problematic for resturants?

Also, how busy will the highways be that weekend, particularly the Costa Mesa Fwy? Is 20 minutes actual travel time or just when the highway is empty?

Again, thanks for your help!

The travel on Freeways on the weekends should be fine. There are two moderately priced but nice Italian restaurants in Newport Beach, which is right down the 55 Freeway from your hotel. Villa Nova is on the inland side of Coast Hwy, just a left turn off of Newport Blvd. It is more traditional. Afterward you can go check out the restaurants with live entertainment along Coast Hwy. Regatta is in the Lido Center (sort of across from the Starbucks). They have singing waiters and the food is a bit more contemporary Italian. You would definitely want to make reservations at either one. Tutto Mare in Fashion Island is also close.

I think the best Italian restaurant in LB is Cafe Piccolo (actually more California contemporary). It's a little neighborhood restaurant inside a converted house with a nice outdoor patio. I hesitate to even mention it!

mlgb: I think you're confusing Caf&eacute; Piccolo with Lasher's. Piccolo is a storefront Italian place on Broadway, while Lasher's is indeed in a converted Craftsman bungalow down the street from Piccolo, serving sublime Cal cuisine. And I'm a bigger fan of Christy's (also on Broadway!) for Italian (and a superior wine list).

Nope I'm not thinking of Lasher's. Piccolo's original front room seems like a converted living room, although I couldn't swear it was a house, I though someone told me it was the former. Regardless, I still love the atmosphere and food at Cafe Piccolo.

rjw, what's your opinion of Frenchy's Bistro and Delius? Worth the expense?

I just discovered how much closer we're staying to Newport Beach than Long Beach. :&quot;&gt; So.... I guess our dinner plans will have to change slightly. I've been looking at restaurants in the area and I found one that I think might work.

What do you think of Villa Nova? It seems to fit what I was looking for- romantic, moderately priced, and they have proscuitto. Mmmmm.... proscuitto with melon.....

Any thoughts on that or other restaurants in the area would be great!

mlgb: I've never been to Delius. Frenchy's is SO worth the money. The area it's in seems a bit dodgey, sure (speaking of storefront eateries!), but the food is wonderful and intelligently put-together. They do occasional wine dinners (I haven't gone to one yet).

The Frency's area isn't so dodgy, just seems so. I've only had an appetizer and glass of wine there, I'll have to save up for a full dinner!. Tonight I am going to check out the new owners across the street at Dear Heart Thai = REALLY a storefront, but nothing like what it was about 25 years ago, with the pennies glued over the front door.
JBee, your assessment of Villa Nova is accurate, romantic, good service, moderately priced, It's been there forever. Be sure to reserve.