Los Angeles with Teens
 

We are in LA for 7 days with 2 teens - a boy age 15 and a girl age 17. The first 3 days will be spent looking at colleges - Oxy, Pomona and Scripps (may show my son Harvey Mudd & Cal Tech). I'd like to work in the Gamble House. Then we are free (Sat-Tues). Some thoughts - a day at Universal (for my son, although my daughter is arguing for WB instead), a day touring the beaches - Santa Monica, Venice, Huntington? A day in LA - we've seen the walk of the stars, so thought we'd see the Getty, Olvera Street, take the Neon tour at night. Perhaps spend the other day at UCLA? We've been to Disney.

Or should we go up the coast to Santa Barbara, San Simeon, etc.

We've been to San Diego recently.

Thanks.

I would opt for your LA itinerary. I like Redondo Beach. Great Pier, closer than Huntington. Redondo is a nice little town. Recommend the Getty. World Class. Driving Mulholland is spectacular at night. Universal has more to offer than WB.

If it's August you'll probably want plenty of beach time since it's cooler there...Santa Barbara sounds like a nice day trip. What part of L.A. will you be staying?

Griffith Observatory

We have a quick trip to san diego..any suggestions for a family of 6..kid ages boys 11, 13, 15 and a girl 16. Plan on the zoo but not sure of what else. Any help is welcomed.

You should group your activities together to minimize your time in our infamous traffic. It would help to know where you are staying.

You can probably do Gamble House on your Cal Tech day.

You can combine your Getty day with a cruise through UCLA.

WB Studios is only open for tours on weekdays. Universal is open on weekends, but usually less crowded on weekdays. Universal gives you the studio tour experience along with theme park rides, where WB is a more in-depth studio tour.

I highly recommend renting bicycles (or rollerblades/skates or skateboards) for your beach time. You can do this in Santa Monica/Venice or the South Bay beach cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo).

A concert at the Hollywood Bowl is always nice on a summer evening.

Olvera Street is downtown, so you should plan a few other activities to maximize your time there. Walt Disney Concert Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, Fashion District are all popular attractions there.

Check out the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Can we do Occidental with the Gamble House on the same day?

Is Olvera Street worth going out of our way for?

How many beach towns can we do in one day?

Where should we stay?

Thanks for all the responses!

Universal is more of a theme park, WB shows you a working studio. I like the WB tour better ... and if your teens are opting for that, do it!

How can we organize this trip? Which hotels?

Thanks,
Sara