melrylil

We would like to bring kids (1 and 3) on business trip to Los Angeles in october. This is first flying vacation with kids, so nervous. Any advice on car rental or public transportation or activities. I've researched, looks like need a car to get to beach. We've driven in Europe but I'm nervous for some reason in driving in LA. I also wonder if we should move hotels to be closer to coast? Would like to spend vacation at beaches but also in city.

tracys2cents

Whereabouts in Los Angeles are the business meetings and how often/ how early in the mornings will they be happening? You might not want to stay too far from your meetings. But it might depend on how easily accessible the meetings are to the metro system.

www.discoverlosangeles.com

POlson

I agree it depends on where your meetings will be. It also depends on whether you want young kids activities such as zoo (Griffith Park), Kidspace children's museum (Pasadena), Acquarium (in Long Beach) - or given their young ages just head to the beach and eat well in which case any of the beach towns would be great - Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach. Though in most of these cases you will need a car. But, for purposes of using metro, greatly depends on where your meetings will be.

melrylil

Fig at 7th mall is where we will be for meetings.

tracys2cents

For the city days you could stay in Hollywood or in Pasadena and the person attending meetings could commute via Metro rail. You'd probably want to change hotels for your days at the beach, Santa Monica so that you could take an express bus in to any meetings downtown. Or in El Segundo there's a Marriot Residence inn, nice for families, that is right at the Green Line metro stop which would be convenient. And you're only a few minutes from Manhattan Beach playgrounds, an easy drive with no worries.

POlson

I think tracy2cents has given two good options and best in combination. If you choose to stay in Pasadena - here are some suggested activities with youngsters in tow: 1) Visit a Garden or two - The Huntington Library and Gardens (if it is warm bring a change of clothes as my kiddies would get soaked at the water garden, but lots of laughter, they also love the rainforest exhibit and Japanese gardens with the Coi); The LA Arboretum (Arcadia) and Descanso Gardens (in La Canada, the mini train and the maze are popular with youngsters) are three gardens that are all pretty easy to get to by car, probably public transit too though I haven't tried. The gardens also present wonderful photo opportunities. 2) Go shopping - you have three main areas in Pasadena: Old Town Pasadena, Lake Street shops and El Paseo outdoor mall. You can also head a little east and go to the Santa Anita Mall, my kids love the two story carousel and I love the Nordstrom. 3) Visit Kidspace, a children's museum, near the Rose Bowl. 4) Visit Griffith Park for the LA Zoo, Gene Autry Western Museum and Travel Town.

BigRuss

You need a car.

It's LA, you need a car. And it's crowded, not insane. Californians don't drive like New Yorkers or, worse, Bostonians.

You need toys for the hobbits for the plane rides and any videos that will keep them occupied for whatever time they don't sleep.

You need to MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that you have drinks for the kids and pop those in their mouths at take off and descending approach or else the little tackers will start screaming when their ears pop (and one of the reasons they start crying is their reaction to pain and the body's forcing them to engage in an activity, the crying, that will equalize the pressure on their ears). If the little one is still feeding straight from the source, have that option ready and available at takeoff and landing.

The locus of your meetings is not far from the California Science Center, which our halflings liked a lot.

Jean

Get a car for a day or two and spend some time in Griffith Park. Besides the L.A. Zoo, there is an antique carousel (1926) as well as pony rides, a minature train ride, and full-size locomotives to climb on.

http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/gri...ttractions.htm

You can see and access quite a few things from 7th/Figueroa where there is a main metro station. You can take the metro to Hollywood, the Science Center and Natural History Museum, and (with a change at Union Station) South Pasadena and Old Town Pasadena.

The DASH buses cover all of the downtown L.A. core, so you could explore the new Grand Park between the Music Center and City Hall, see the water fountains at California Plaza (350 S. Grand), go to Chinatown and Little Tokyo, ride Angel's Flight (funicular), spend an evening in the L.A. Live area.

If you want time at the beach, I would put that at the beginning or end of your trip and stay for a couple of nights on that side of L.A.

PeaceOut

Your kids are so young (1 and 3?), that they don't need spectacular kids' parks. The beach would be great for them, though, if you can re-locate for part of the trip to Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach or someplace similar.

tracys2cents

I'm not sure the OP was talking about changing hotels for PART of the trip, sounds to me like they have a downtown hotel planned and are thinking about switching to the beach.

The decision might depend on how often/how many meetings you need to be attending downtown. And the time of day for those meetings.

melrylil

Thank you so much!!

5alive

Your kids are really young, but 3-year-olds can have such a passion for certain things.

Natural History Museum, which Jean mentioned above, has revamped its dinosaur exhibit. We have gone more than once over the years (last in 2008), and it was great then. I can only imagine it now. The websites say they have TRexes at different ages, and 20 assembled dinosaurs and sea creatures. If your youngster loves dinos, I'd consider it a must: http://www.nhm.org/site/

ReneeS

I agree - The California Science Center and Natural History Museum (next to each other) are easy options from downtown on the new rail line. Ecosystem is a great area of the Science Center for little ones. It has aquarium features and desert and artic rooms. Both kids can touch the ice wall and play at the tide pool exhibit. The desert room has a flash flood every 10 minutes. Also, the Science Center contains my favorite gift shop in L.A.

October in L.A. can be pretty warm so a hotel with a pool might be nice.

There are lots of beach hotel options - depends on what you are looking for - on the beach? A resort feel? A busier area with shops and restaurants? Price?

If you rent a car at the airport, see if you can get car seats supplied by the rental company. If you plan to cab, you will need to carry car seats with you.

Jean

On October 12-13, the space shuttle Endeavor will be trucked from LAX to its new and final home at the California Science Centre.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,0,96489.story