Los Angeles/Anaheim - what else to do?
 

Hello,

My boyfriend and I are traveling to Los Angeles via Anaheim Aug 1 - 8 (Wed - Wed). We have a party to attend in Sherman Oaks on Saturday and another in San Clemente on Sunday. Hoping to catch the Sox in Anaheim on Monday. Other than that, we're open.

This will be our third trip there - we've spent a couple nights each in Santa Monica, San Clemente/Laguna and Beverly Hills. We've seen Universal, Melrose, Rodeo.

My question is: What ELSE should we do?

One goal is to get IN the Pacific Ocean and spend a day (one or two nights) on a beach -somewhere to swim (not surf). We did spend one day walking around Venice Beach but want to see something else (prettier). Is Long Beach "sketchy"? (Rappers are always talking about it). Is Newport Beach swim-able? Different enough from Laguna? I read a couple other posts that make it seem like the haul out to Catalina isn't that big a deal except for the snorkeling - true? What about Malibu - hugely expensive??

In LA, thinking about the Getty Museum. Any of the other studios worth it? Tours?

My boyfriend likes to fly by the seat of his pants and if I don't have a couple things in my back pocket for options, nothing will ever happen ;)

Thanks!

The Getty is a world class destination. Worth the time. Redondo Beach is my own favorite near LA. Surfable, but like most Pacific Beaches, the water is cold and never flat. Consider Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, nearby Redondo.

Griffith Observatory...very cool

Both Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are great places to walk around, take in the scenery and the ocean air.

The Getty Musuem is a fabulous destination with fantastic views of LA to boot.

The 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, as well as The Grove/Farmers Market both make for interesting people watching and eclectic dining. Spotted a couple of celebs there.

It might be kind of late to find accomodations along the beach, but I also recommend the Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo areas. The beaches are very pretty and not too crowded. There are lots of restaurants and shops just off the beach. Lots of nightlife, too.

Not sure about your budget, but you could try these hotels:

A few blocks from the beach in Manhattan Beach: www.shadehotel.com

Right on the beach in Hermosa Beach: www.beach-house.com

In the harbor in Redondo Beach: www.hotelportofino.com

In addition to swimming, you could take a bike ride or skate along the beach:
www.labikepaths.com/SoBay.html

The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa is a good suggestion. We have seen lots of great acts there. www.comedyandmagicclub.com

Warner Brothers has a good studio tour. You could also attend a show taping, if that interests you at all. www.tvtix.com or www.tvtickets.com

Belmont Shore (2nd Street) in Long Beach is nice to walk around on but I wouldn't go swimming there.

However Seal Beach or Huntington Beach are not bad for a quick dip. They both have piers that you can walk on. As mentioned, the water is never warm.

Your boyfriend sounds like my husband.

Catalina is just a nice and relaxing place with a slow pace. My husband and I just enjoyed going to the movies in the art deco theatre in the Casino building. We went horseback riding (great views!). We played miniature golf (in our opinion it's the best mini golf course--very natural setting--no cheesy windmill situations). We walked around and ate. That's pretty much it. We enjoyed ourselves. It's not action-packed but it all depends on what you're looking for.

I'm not sure how swimmable Newport Beach is. You have to be willing to get past those waves. As a kid I'd swim, but now I'm a scardy-cat. The water should be fairly warm at this time though. In Newport you can go to Balboa Island, take the ferry across to the Peninsula. You can take the Harbor Cruise. It's a narrated tour of the harbor in a smallish boat You see past and present movie star/rich people's homes. I just enjoy being on the water. Bring sunscreen! http://www.funzoneboats.com/ You can check out the Balboa Fun Zone too (arcade & mostly kids' stuff). It's supposed to be getting torn down soon.

If you want to go up near Pasadena, the Huntington Library and Gardens is gorgeous. It's part museum, part gardens. They have a decent tea room that is buffet style, but you need to make reservations. It can definitely be an all day thing. It hot in August, but that goes without saying. Just stay in the shade! http://www.huntington.org/

I've heard good things about the Warner Brothers studio tour.

Whatever you do, remember to plan around traffic. Two of my kids were recently there on a church trip for a week, and on a couple of occasions, they had to re-work their itinerary because they got stuck in traffic. Give yourselves plenty of driving time to attend the two parties and the Sox game.

Also, the Angels/Sox games are more than likely sold out. We have had luck getting decent tickets on Stubhub.com or Razorgator.com. There seem to be lots of us Sox fans here in Southern California. :)

Thanks so much for your help. We may check out Redondo or spend more time during the day at Santa Monica (we were in Venice during the day.)
The Sox are almost sold out, but we've still got the option of the ol' nosebleeds at this point! Thanks for the tip though!
Will definitely check out the Getty and the Griffith.
The other island you mention sounds fun too.
Thanks, I feel like we're ready to see a place like "new" again!

I'd recommend the Getty Villa in Malibu.
Go online to get free tickets (you need reservations).

Dining at The Getty is memorable and the museum is open late on Fri & Sat. So on Friday you could visit Malibu all afternoon and then head for the Getty. Make a dinner reservation and enjoy the art and the surroundings for a couple of hours before dinner.

What about getting free tickets to a taping of Jay Leno's Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, or some other show? They are fun to see live. You can search on-line for information. Probably too late to order now, but you can line up in the a.m. and probably get seats to Leno, which is what we did. You can find out on-line what guests are scheduled.

In old Hollywood, get a bite to eat at Musso and Frank's, for a glimpse into the past.

Also, UCLA/Westwood, Sunset Strip, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Newport/Balboa Island, Huntington Beach.

Or drive up to Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear, for a day-trip to the mountains.
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