Yeah, I think I can buy individual tomatoes now in Santa Barbara.

I know you're concerned about healthy and inexpensive eating. If you want to grab a quick bite, try these.

Danny Trejo's tacos are awesome. There are four locations.
https://www.trejostacos.com

For inexpensive, fresh fish, the Fish Grill has a few locations, also. I think their Malibu shop is temporarily closed now, though.
https://fishgrill.com

Fresh ingredients, so relatively healthy, at both these places.

I can't quite wrap my head around most of what the OP is posting about but in general the traffic can be quite bad on the afternoon and evening of the 24th, especially around shopping malls (and freeway exits to them) as the procrastinators make their last minute shopping runs and many people get half a day off and are going to holiday parties, or trying to get out of town. Also it is not a good idea to leave your valuables in your car when beach parking. So I'd give up on the idea of the beach on the 24th. And I do not like to drive on NYE.

For the rest of your stay traffic should be lighter than usual.

I concur that San Juan Capistrano (mission and other town sights) is much more interesting than the closer two. You could go to the beach that day. Since you are on a budget try Dana Strands which has free parking. https://funorangecountyparks.com/str...ana-point.html

Or as already mentioned when you go to the Getty Malibu, Malibu State Beach (you can park for free at Legacy Park and walk)

On our LA visits to family, we always went to the Will Rogers State Park, Pacific Palisades for a nice 3 mile loop hike to Inspiration Point. Easy hike with nice views. The ranch house is open for tours on Sat. and Sun.

Thanks for your input. I am leaning toward skipping the missions and going to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Thanks for the suggestion. Am I likely to find a parking space? Is there a risk of driving there and then finding no parking spot and having turn around and just drive back without getting out of the car? Would it be safer to take a taxi? But that would be such a shame because taking a taxi would mean wasting my money on the rental car I reserved.

What are your plans for the Santa Monica Mtns Rec area?? Do you realize it is something like 250 square miles -- not the sort of place that gets 'crowded'. It is mostly a hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing region with lots of remote 'back country'.

Yes popular trails and sites in the parks do get busy during that time frame (and pretty much every weekend). The weather is often perfect at the end of December and people are off work which makes it even busier than a regular weekend. Best advice is to get there early to snag a spot assuming you are looking for a free parking space. In some cases you may actually have to pay for parking (even if admission is free). There are plenty of venues for whatever it is you want to do in the Santa Monica Mountains, with large parking lots such as Malibu Creek State Park ($12 if you can't get one of the free parking spots on Las Virgenes near the Grassland Trail).

No I wouldn't book a taxi. Just have a backup plan and leave early.

The National Recreation Area is a collection of national park lands, state parks, historic sites. and other protected areas. The NPS website has a good map.

Because of its proximity to Hollywood, there is a long film and television history within the NPS site. Famously, it was a stand-in for Korea in MASH, and there is also Paramount Ranch (which is set up for filming Westerns), Will Rogers Historic site, and many other locations. Deep canyons are popular retreats, and there are homes within the park. Also, famously, Mulholland Drive is a ridge road in the park with spectacular views, especially at night, and you really do feel like you are flying over LA. The mountian tower over Malibu and a long stretch of beaches.

We took a hike into the mountains at Point Mugu State Park, the furthest part away from LA. See if they have any ranger-led hikes while you are there.

Solstice canyon looks appealing. It looks at this area like I will be able to see the ocean and walk to near a waterfall and back. It looks like a beach is near the beginning of the trails and as of whenever the map was last updated, the trail is blocked or closed starting just before the waterfall. If so I will miss it. I don't mind if I have to pay for parking. I just want to minimize my chances of: getting my rental car towed away or nor finding a parking spot. I need to see the ocean whether at this spot and/or be one of those exotic piers or beaches that some of you mentioned like Manhattan Beach or Venice beach.

I didn't read all the posts but did catch the fact that you are flying into Burbank. The Amtrak (and commuter rail) platform is directly across the street from the entrance to the Burbank airport (walking distance). Check the schedule and see if you can catch an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train to Santa Barbara. There are good (mostly expensive) hotels in Santa Barbara and some good restaurants out on the pier which is close to the train stop in downtown SBA. The view of the ocean south of Santa Barbara from the train is great with no road between the tracks and the surf for a few miles.

According to the NPS website, the Solstice Canyon trail is open. But that's today. You should check the status again when you get here.

There might be a waterfall, but you shouldn't expect it because of the drought and probably dry months ahead. If, by any slim chance, there is sustained rain that week, there would be the risk of flooding in the canyon. FWIW, it's a nice trail, not difficult. I haven't walked it in winter, but I've seen lots of birds in spring, early summer.

For a longer hike, I also like parts of the Backbone Trail.

https://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvis...ticecanyon.htm

https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/c...n-area/walking

For city views, there are some nice hikes in Griffith Park.

https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/c.../griffith-park

I am traveling solo. So far I reserved 8 nights in a hostel and I reserved a rental car at the airport. I want to believe both will work out ok but for a (subjective) extra opinion, do you think I would be wasting my money if I continue with the rental car instead of public transportation and/or taxi's? My assumption or judgment was that public transportation in Los Angeles/ Los Angeles county wouldn't be adequate ... in the Detroit area public transportation is only used by the few people who are desperately poor and/or don't drive and don't have anybody else to drive them.

Keep the car. LA is huge and sprawling and you’re saving money on accommodations (assuming they have parking). If you were going to NYC or even SF I’d say use Uber and public transportation, LA a is a whole different situation.

Yes! Keep the car.
There is also a nice walk around Lake Hollywood, which is close to Burbank and Griffith Park. The planetarium is great to visit, also.

The Will Rogers museum is interesting, and there could be a polo match there.

If you keep the car you may want to do the math on parking and gas (now over $5 a gallon). What is the hostel offering? Assuming it isn't free there, look into a more suburban location with free parking. Or see if it makes sense to not have a car the entire time.

Yes, do the math. Overnight parking and daytime parking fees can really add up. But also look at bus/rail timetables to see how long/convoluted some journeys would be to reach your sightseeing points, esp. the hiking spots, Getty Villa, Huntington Library. Your first two days and your last day are Saturday/Sunday/holiday when bus and rail service is reduced.

metro.net

Personally, I'd rather have a car but stay somewhere else. Your sightseeing is spread across the entire city (and beyond), so I'm not sure location is more important than, say, neighborhood atmosphere, walkability to grocery stores, etc. On a map, Hollywood looks "central" but staying in Hollywood means dealing with pretty heavy traffic to go anywhere and most parts don't feel walkable to me. (The homeless situation in Hollywood is pretty bad in some areas with sidewalks completely engulfed in campsites.) The holiday week can create disruptions in typical rush hours patterns, but the traffic doesn't go away... with the exception of Christmas morning.

Since you are okay with sharing, why not look for an Airbnb room in house, which are still allowed in most places.

This one in Redondo Beach for example

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4316799...7-92c86541c11e

8 nights at the hostel will cost me $305.70. Versus a room is some random person's house in a residential area. Assuming I continue with the hostel, would it be a shame if don't walk outside near the hostel and/or would it be a shame if I skip walking along the street that is supposed to have the names of celebrities in the sidewalk, the Hollywood walk of fame? Considering that my interest in movies in low. I watch 2 a year on average only when I see certain relatives.

Sharing a room with 5 random strangers? What will parking cost you at the hostel?

Probably as much as the room if not more. It sounds like you have decided on Hollywood based only on a cheap room rate and not the whole picture.

I think most of us are trying to let you know that parts of Hollywood aren't always pleasant. You haven't told us which hostel.

"... would it be a shame if I skip walking along the street that is supposed to have the names of celebrities in the sidewalk, the Hollywood walk of fame?"

IMO, no. I don't understand the destination appeal of the WOF. The "celebrities" are from inside and, in numerous cases, outside the entertainment industry, many of whom you will never have heard of... The walk includes many fictional characters, animals, astronauts, a restaurant, Trump, even a car and a few that should be removed based on recent revelations. And since getting a star is based on fan petitioning and fund-raising, one can question what parameters (if any) qualify someone or some thing for this "honor." Some famous contemporary celebrities have declined to attend the ceremony, which is a requirement to get the star, or have outright refused the "honor."

"Hollywood" technically encompasses a larger area than visitors realize, and a business that is accurately described as being in Hollywood could easily be more than an hour's walk from, say, Grauman's Theater. Without knowing the location of the hostel, I can't comment on whether walking in the immediate area would be pleasant.