need help: so cali week long trip
 

i am planning an upcoming trip to southern california. Its a leasure trip and will be flying into and out of San Diego Intl. I will be arriving 6/19/10 and leaving 6/26/10 (both dates are saturdays).

During this trip I plan to see many attractions in and around the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Diego including but not limited to: Graumann's Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame, San Diego Zoo, Whaley House, San Pedro Port of Call, Queen Mary, Santa Monica Pier.

I will be getting a rental car. I am staying in a resort in Palm Springs, Ca..which I realize is far, but I am getting a great deal on a 5 star luxury resort, so I couldnt pass it up.

Because of the distance from my hotel in Palm Springs to where I will be sightseeing, I am planning each day of my venturing to attractions that are withing close proximity of each other.

For example: On one day, I will venture to just Long Beach/San Pedro and make a day out of that and see attractions in and around that area. On another day, I will venture to Beverly Hills/Hollywood/Santa Monica/ San Fernando Valley, etc, etc.

Ive already came to the conclusion that it will probably be best to sightsee San Fernando Valley/Beverly Hills/Hollywood/Santa Monica on Sunday June 20th, since this is on a weekend day and traffic density on area freeways will be far less congested than if I was to go there during a weekday and have to deal with Mon-Fri business traffic.

On 6/19/10 when I fly into San Diego, I am deciding to make that my "San Diego day", since my flight will be arriving around 11am. The only two attractions in San Diego that really interests me is the San Diego Zoo & The Whaley House. If I have enough time left in the day, Id also like to take in one of San Diego's beaches as well. If I dont have enough time, its not a dealbreaker for me, as I can simply enjoy another beach on different day in either Los Angeles or Orange County.

I need advice and also suggestions on area attractions in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County. In addition to this, I could also benefit from which routes are best to take, and what sights are best to see, and at what times of day, and any other advice you feel I could greatly benefit from.

Id like to know which beaches are the best to see in either Los Angeles or Orange County?

As far as cuisine Im open to suggestions. Im traveling with a friend who has been to Southern California before, but has been a while and she was trying to recall the exact name of a great seafood restaurant thats located in San Pedro that brings you a hefty plate of crablegs. This restaurant has outdoor seating as well, and covers your table with newspapers. They bring crablegs in a big metal bucket to your table and dump it on your plate. Anyone have the vaguest of ideas of what restraurant this could be?

I do realize that theres so much to see and do in LA alone, and am open to the option lodging in the LA area for one night to save me from having to drive back to Palm Springs.

I am also interested in knowing if theres anything to see or do immediately around Palm Springs, or surrounding communites? Im am curious about the Salton Sea and am wondering if theres anything to see or do around that area as well?

Any and all suggests and advice on either attractions and/or places to eat or shop is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Only time for a couple of comments right now - I (and others) can probably address some of your issues later.

BUT -- "<i>I am getting a great deal on a 5 star luxury resort, so I couldnt pass it up. </i>"

Um -- there is a reason you got such a 'great deal'. Summer in PS is the very lowest of low seasons for a reason. It will be extremely hot. But you won't be spending any time there so maybe that doesn't matter to you. Your plan to use PS as a base for LA, Santa Monica, San Diego etc is pretty nutty IMO.

You know it is a lot of driving so you are planning to lump >>San Fernando Valley/Beverly Hills/Hollywood/Santa Monica<< all on one day. That is a LOT. PS to Santa Monica is more than 2 hours even w/o any traffic and that is w/o all the other destinations that day.

Palm Springs is not convenient to any of your wish list . . .

Do visit the mission of San Juan Capistrano.Paul

ok. well, thus far looks like we may have to divide the san fernando/beverly hills/hollywood/santa monica from being into one day, into two different days then.

im also planning to dedicate a single day apartheid from the two days aforementioned just for venturing into long beach & san pedro.

my total length of stay is 7 days, so that alone should give me time to see and do many things.

Have you looked at a map? This is one of the worst travel plans Ive ever seen posted on here. It will be well over 100* in Palm Springs and you're planning to drive to LA and San Diego each day?

I dont think you're going to get help with this one here because no one who lives here would do this. Please cancel your reservation in PS and book other accomadations.... some in SD and some in LA.

Please

Did you book this as a timeshare or are you staying at the hotel? If it is the hotel and you can cancel - PLEASE do - as mentioned this is one of the worst ideas I have seen.

If you are intent on doing this...

The day you arrive I would head directly to the zoo and enjoy the day there. The Whaley House is open till 9:30 and takes very little time. Not that interesting imo (having been there) - have dinner in Old Town and head out to Palm Springs after. Now, if you finish with the Zoo (I recommend taking the double decker bus and sitting on top to get an excellent overview of the zoo) - and the whaley house early - head to La Jolla - and have dinner @ Georges upstairs on the patio - and walk around the cove - check out the sea lions @ the children's pool.

I recommend the tour of the Midway - I think it is far more interesting than the Queen Mary - but jmo. That is also in San Diego.

Palm Springs is a very quiet area with not a ton to "do" or see imo. We own a timeshare at the resort you are going to but spend our time @ the spa, my dh golfing, dining and relaxing by the pool.

You would be far better off (Just the money you spend in gas alone is going to be crazy and would make up for any money you are saving on hotels) staying in San Diego and LA.

Sunday the 20th is the only good idea I see in a bad plan....even if you've paid for that night in Palm Springs, you might consider a room near LA on that night to make a two day trip of it. There are basic $60 rooms available in the LAX airport area on Sundays, generally, just don't choose a place with a $30 parking fee. Back and forth to Palm Springs on Sun/Mon will cost you $40 in gas anyway, so it's a no-brainer.

On other days, either leave Palm Springs at 6am or wait until 9am....and at the end of your days don't head back until at least 7:30pm.

Dawn, I tried to post that kindly, I didnt know what else to say!

Onemoney - I totally understand. I think this beats one day in each city in Europe in 2 weeks. ;-)

Really, we are trying to help you orchid. I looked @ your profile - if that is a photo of you - you are a young woman - stay in the gaslamp in San Diego - and do priceline for Santa Monica... promise you will have a better trip.

"<i>my total length of stay is 7 days, so that alone should give me time to see and do many things.</i>"

Not really. Most of those are weekdays and the traffic will be very bad. Now you are talking about using 3 days to drive to the western side of the LA basin. Palm Springs to those places is NOT a good plan. Unless you have pre-paid for your accommodations, you really should consider canceling and finding other places to stay.

Everyone who has posted to help you live in California. We know how difficult your plan is. Unfortunately it sounds like the 'good deal' on the hotel has persuaded you that this is workable. It isn't - honest.

If you can't cancel your room - then you are in a bit of a hole. But if it is cheap enough, maybe you could 'eat' a night or two and stay in a hotel in San Diego one night and somewhere in the Santa Monica/LAX area one night.

With your plan to stay in PS, you will spend hours and hours and hours for days and days driving on freeways and fighting the inevitable incidents of traffic congestion. Your plan sounds like a total nightmare to me. Since the driving in So Cal is so aggravating, you should minimize it by staying very close to your sightseeing spots.

The truth is; I live in Orange County and DREAD driving to Palm Springs @ any time - let alone every day...

I agree with all the previous comments. I'll add that, IMO, Ports o' Call in San Pedro and the Queen Mary in Long Beach aren't worth the drive. I realize this is YOUR wish list, not mine, but these two destinations don't relate geographically to anything else on your list and are truly, again IMO, forgettable.

As a California native, I'm going to chime in and agree with everyone. :-) You really, really need to find a place to stay in San Diego and another one (or two) in the Los Angeles area.

Lee Ann

Another California native here - agreeing with all the other Calif people.

Stu Dudley

Jean - I had meant to add that as well. I was just in Long Beach for the weekend a few weeks ago - dd had an event there - and I do not see it was a destination for a drive from Palm Springs... jmo of course. We had a nice few days but *had to be there. So many other choices in Southern California - spend the day in Laguna beach :)

>>spend the day in Laguna beach <<

That's where we lived. A block away from Ozzie and Harriet and Ricky at Victoria Beach.

Stu Dudley

ok. to clarify, im simply seeking things to do in san diego, orange county, and los angeles county. everyone keeps getting so hung up on the fact im staying in palm springs-and commuting back and forth to there, so just dismiss that aspect, and focus your thoughts on just providing me with ideas on what to see and do in los angeles, san diego, and orange county.

"<i>so just dismiss that aspect,</i>"

Sorry - can't really do that. You simply won't have the time or energy to see many of the amazing things in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County. You are totally discounting the <u>terrible</u> logistics of staying in Palm Springs.

I'd suggest you just buy a guide book and after you've read it, decide what to try to see . . . .

That may sound rude - but most things we'd recommend are too far away for you.

osakaorchid:

For your day in San Diego, I'd recommend the ZOO, Coronado Island (The Brigantine's fish tacos),seeing the Midway,Balboa Park and an evening downtown in the gaslamp quarter and as suggested or maybe up to George's in LaJolla for dinner. You will have time for one of those activities with you 11 AM arrival.

How late do you mind getting back to your hotel? Will you be having your evening meals at your hotel, McDonald's in the car or will you be staying on the coast for dinner and then returning to your hotel?

You'll have maybe five hours each day to play and the rest of the time be in your car commuting. On the other hand... this will give you a GREAT idea of our freeway systems in Southern CA!

Have you purchased that map yet? :)

I must re-iterate the advice to not waste your time at Ports-of-Call Village in San Pedro. It has seen better days and many of the stores and restaurants have shut down. As for the crab-leg restaurant, it might be the Crusty Crab or the San Pedro Fish Market, which are both still open, but it may have been a restaurant that has since closed. I just don't think either place would be worth the commute, but it's your vacation.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/crusty-crab-san-pedro
http://www.sanpedrofishmarket.com/

If you still want to see Long Beach and the Queen Mary, then I would also recommend the Aquarium of the Pacific. www.aquariumofpacific.org/ You could also take a whale-watching trip from there: www.2seewhales.com

There are many threads on here about what to do in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area.

>>On the other hand... this will give you a GREAT idea of our freeway systems in Southern CA!<<

That's why we moved to the San Francisco area after 28 years on the LA freeways (actually, I didn't drive much the first 16 years).

Stu Dudley

osakaorchid,
First I have to send my sympathies to you. You were very clear in your request twice and got tons of grief instead of suggestions. We went to Scotland and stayed in a timeshare in the middle of the country so had a 1-2 hour drive to whatever we wanted to see. I didn't bother to ask for suggestions and we enjoyed our trip anyway. Having said that, please realize it will be 110degrees and 2+ hours each way with the last 30 min into Palm Springs dark and sleepy (with fatal accidents possibilities if you aren't awake) and you MUST be a confident freeway driver because we drive fast and crazy out here. Into LA from Palm Springs, I-60 or I-10 are equally bad so take either. If you go to North LA (Universal, TV studios,

OOPs - anyway continuting)
Getty Villa or Malibu) I would take I-210 as it tends to be less traffic. Be sure to use the carpool lane if you have at least 1 other person in the car. They don't always drive faster but if there is any congestion, you will usually do better. Time of day - traffic will be 6 am to 9 am every weekday although surprisingly Mon and Fri mornings seem to be lighter in my opinion, and 3 pm to 6 pm every weekday night.
I used to love San Pedro many years ago but not so much these days as mentioned. If Queen Mary is important, I would be more likely to go there first, maybe see the Long Beach Aquarium if intersted, and then drive down the coast to Newport and shop at the little stores and Newport Fashion Village.
My other major advice if this is your plan is to make sure your rental car is unlimited mileage and has AC.

You may be saving a bunch on hotel costs but you're going to spend a LOT on gas. Have you worked out the cost of all this driving? Other than wear and tear on your nerves, that is. You'll need a vacation to recover from this one.

fairygemgirl, and driving around Scotland is just like driving around Southern Californian freeways?

<<<but you're going to spend a LOT on gas>>>

I'd estimate $35 per round-trip in gas (130 miles X 2 ways / 22 MPG X $3.00 per gallon).

fairygemgirl: I'm a Californian who lived in the UK for several years and have been to Scotland more times than I can count (my favorite place on Earth) -- I usually rent 2 or 3 houses or cottages for a week each and use them for bases to travel around.

Trust me on this one -- an hour or 2 on rural Scottish roads is a joy, 2-3 hours each way from Palm Springs is a nightmare -- or at least a very bad dream . . . .

If you won't listen to the knowledgeable posters on this forum about why staying in Palm Springs is not a practical idea, I'll kindly suggest you need two things...

A map & a guidebook.

You have gotten a lot of excellent advice here. If you won't listen to the one piece of advice stated in almost every post (DO NOT waste your time and money driving back and forth to Palm Springs), why should anyone feel motivated to waste their time giving you advice on what to see?

You are talking about a nearly 6 hour drive each day on (for the most part) boring roads. Either spend your week in Palm Springs getting your money's worth out of the hotel, or do a triangle- two nights Palm Springs, two in LA and two in San Diego.

In that case, all I can say is enjoy southern California's freeway system.

Lee Ann

Hi,osakaorchid.

The attitude of many of the responders astounds me. Looks like a few of us less knowledgeable folks will have to fill in. I'll be back. Hang in there. Others may join in.

Gotta go for a jog now.

Joshua Tree National Park would be a great afternoon drive for you when you are in Palm Springs.

You might also consider going to Big Bear Lake. It would be a two hour drive each way, but that time should not vary much...while on the other hand the "two hour drive" from Palm Springs to San Pedro could often take 3 to 3.5 hours.

I have to agree with everyone else, Palm Springs to the other attractions you are interested in is quite a long haul, especially when you also factor in the cost for gas.

A few ideas- in the San Diego area I love Torrey Pines Beach. La Jolla is also a favorite spot to stop at when I'm in the San Diego area. Cabrillo National Monument has great views and in my opinion is worth the stop. Not sure if you are traveling with any children but if you are, Legoland in Carlsbad is a must do. My nephews actually said they liked Legoland better than Disneyland. The gaslamp district in San Diego is great for dinner out one evening.

Laguna Beach in Orange County is another town I enjoy visiting. There are many shops, restaurants and art galleries in the area. One of my favorite restaurants is Las Brisas- this is always a place I return to. They have a great outdoor patio, with beach views. The Cliff is also another good spot to enjoy a relaxing meal at or have a few drinks and take in some beach scenery.

I would advise not spending to much time in Hollywood. I feel that its one of those places everyone wants to see but when you go, its somewhat of a let down. You can easily see the Hollywood sign from the Kodak theatre, the Chinese Theatre & star walk are all also close by. Not sure if your interested in the tours of celebrity homes but quite honestly for the most part you are getting great views of trees, shrubs and privacy fences.

barbara and janis - I have lived and driven in this exact area for the last 30 years so I know PRECISELY what is involved, as recently as yesterday. I have an opinion on it but that WASN'T what was requested. And by the way, there are many, many people who do it regularly so there is no need to be so morally superior about it.
My point about Scotland was that - I made my decision and wanted suggestions about what to see and how to get there, not if I should. I frequently choose to drive huge distances on vacations because it doesn't bother me and perhaps that is also true for the OP. Cautions and appropriate information are helpful to consider, but it is the OP's decision and I don't see the need for any poster to insult the decision.
Good for those who actually did give helpful responses to oskaorchid. Perhaps she will feel welcome to use these boards again.

oskaorchid, if you do come to SoCal and drive anywhere, a great website for checking comgestion on the freeways in real time is http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/feature?...fic&id=5780758 If you can get it, you may want to watch it for awhile during the times you think you want to drive and you will have some idea of the congestion and the challenges in driving anywhere in southern CA. And sf3707 is right, if you haven't accounted for gas - it is currently about $3/gallon but is likely to be closer to $4 over the summer.
In the Palm Springs area, many people enjoy the Palm Springs Tram because it makes a nice cool break from the summer heat - it is much cooler at the top. The Living Desert is enjoyed by many and close. And the spas/golf courses/pools are always a major desert hit. On the way to or from the desert, along the I-10 in Cabazon are a huge collection of outlet stores that many enjoy, if shopping is your thing. I recommend Hadleys right next door if you like dried fruits or nuts. And their date shake is a widely discussed "must try."

I was about to convey similar info about traffic tools, but fairygemgirl beat me to it. I use:
http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?lat=...118.223015&z=2

I believe that's the source for the link posted by fairygemgirl, but it doesn't matter. It's the same data.

A useful feature of both is that you can get an estimate of driving time based on actual conditions at the time. On the abc site, click on the "Construct Your Route" button, or on "Routes" on the sigalert site and you can enter starting and ending points (restricted to freeway on and off ramps), and it will kick out up to 3 routes with distances and estimated times. For example, I put in Start on: 10 West at: Date Palm Drive, Exit: 710 South at: Ocean Blvd (that's Long Beach) and it comes up with 3 routes, the fastest being 1:59. If I go back a couple of hours from now, it'll be longer.

Anyway, I always check before taking a freeway trip of a half hour or more.

It's also a good idea to listen to the radio traffic reports while driving. I prefer KNX1070 AM. They give a report every 10 minutes, "on the fives"

That was "Customize Your Route"

fairygemgirl, I frequently support visitors who want to spend a lot of time driving around California. Despite that, I think this idea is poor. Many, many visitors to California have no idea at all how far "a" is from "b" and how long it takes to get there. It would be remiss of those of us who live in this area if we didn't educate visitors and try to help them to make the best possible plan before they get here.

I am Scottish. My comment was a poorly worded attempt to point out that your experience of driving longish distance every day in Scotland bears no resemblance at all to the plan under discussion here.

Which is better?

• To be honest and tell a visitor her plan is basically unworkable and try to help her w/ some much, MUCH better options.

-- OR --

• To feel her pain -- "<i>Oh you poor dear, all these people are being soooo mean to you. If you really want to drive hundreds of miles in gawd awful LA traffic - you go girl! Don't let those meanies talk you out of it!</i>"

One is helpful/practical - the other <i>might</i> be 'nicer' but isn't very realistic . . . .

Can you break up your lodging option?

If you could spend a couple of nights in San Diego, that would be ideal.

If the Queen Mary is a must see, you could also spend one night on the Queen Mary itself. Be forewarned, however, that the beds are very narrow - definitely not suitable for lovemaking or other wonderful things that young people like to do.

If you don't mind hostels, there are two excellent Hostelling International hostels in Los Angeles, one is in San Pedro and the other in Santa Monica.

Otherwise, you can bid on Priceline and get excellent hotels for less than $80-$100 a night. If you haven't used Priceline before, do come back and ask. There are ways to bid and not to bid. You'll find lots of help here.

SAN DIEGO: you will need at least a day at the Zoo, it is huge and you will get tired walking.

you didn't say where you're from, so it's difficult to know if some things may not be duplicates of what you have at home.

However, Sea World is another big attraction in SD.

http://www.seaworld.com/sandiego/default.aspx

The other attraction to look into is Balboa Park which has a number of museums and other attractions.

http://www.balboapark.org/

Actually, the Zoo is at the north end of Balboa Park. If you leave the zoo early, you may want to explore another attraction in Balboa Park.

Places to eat: George's in La Jolla is an excellent suggestion.

Another day you may want to drive out to Coronado Island and visit the Hotel del Coronado. There are good beaches there. It'll make for a fun day.

http://www.hoteldel.com/

Lots of places to eat in the SD downtown Gaslamp area.

A bit of a drive and it may be quirky, but I really like the Green Flash Restaurant on the beach, especially at sunset.

http://www.greenflashrestaurant.com/

Hope this helps a bit. Lots more suggestions in LA, but it's getting late for me.

BTW, what's in the San Fernando Valley? Is there something you really need to see there?

Yikes! What a plan

You really need to get a place near the coast if you plan to spend all your time there. An inexpensive way to get a good bed(the bed at the PS 5 star is all you will see w/current) and do that plan is get a business hotel in Irvine right next to the 405.

if you do go with your plan
1) PS is just hot in June, stifling in July and Aug
2) school is out so summer rush hr traffic is better than Sept-May but weekend afternoons being worse