Our family vacation theme this year is California Dreaming. Stops include Magic Mtn., Santa Barbara and Catalina Island. We can't decide on either Newport, Malibu or Laguna Beach as our last stop. We will be traveling with our teenager daughter. Any thoughts?

Thanks bunches!

I live in Los Angeles and have teenage kids. Malibu is really just a beach / coast with nice restaurants and homes. I bike there all the time and drive through the area because it has some nice winding rounds and I have some old classic sports cars. Not much more to see there. Laguna Beach is a fun place with lots of shops, old and new buildings / hotels and lots to see and do. It has a fair amount of tourists and is similar to Santa Barbara. If you go to Santa Barbara see if you can swing by Solvang and definitely try to see the local vineyards. It has a fairly large gay community if that matters. Newport Beach is a much larger affluent area. Lots of things to do but you have to research where to go and what to see. Think The OC TV show. I would say that Laguna may be your best bet as it confined and easy to explore. Newport Beach is big. The St. Regis / Monarch Beach is an incredible resort and there's Fashion Island and some other major malls with top label shops. Malibu is very different - surfers if the waves are big, fish taco shacks, upscale restaurants like Geoffries (sp?), Moon Shadows, Gladstones. All pricey but with spectacular views of the ocean and coast line. Some nice beach areas but I'm not sure that it beats other locations. Beverly Hills is another interesting location. You can spend a nice day on Rodeo Drive. We were there today and rubbed elbows with Kim Kardashian at Gearys Beverly Hills. The Ivy is also another restaurant to spot stars. The Beverly Wilshire hotel is cool - the location for BH Cop and also Pretty Woman. Or the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset. I would prefer those venues. Have fun, Andrew

Andrew - you post was just what we needed to make a decision on our last spot. Thanks again!!