One Week Itinerary in Southern California
 

We will be in California for one week mid-January, flying in and out of LAX. Current plans call for us to drive to La Jolla, spending a few nights with relatives and using this as our base to tour San Diego and Tijuana. The last three nights we will be staying in Laguna Beach for some downtime, beach walking, etc.

We are also interested in seeing Malibu Beach and Santa Barbara. Is this too much to pack into one week? (i.e. one night Santa Barbara; three nights La Jolla; and then three nights Laguna Beach). Haven't been here before and don't know when we will be back, so want to see as much as possible.

No interest in seeing L.A, Beverly Hills, Hollywood?

What day of week and what time do you arrive at LAX? (drive to SBarbara can be 70 min or 170 min depending on time of day etc).

We arrive at LAX on the Saturday around noon. Our schedule in California is flexible, other than we want to spend 2-3 days in La Jolla visiting relatives.

Not really interested in Los Angeles, Hollywood or anything too urban this time. More interested in driving the PCH and enjoying the views.

I'd say if the weather is with you, try leaving Laguna Beach early the day you leave, and drive up to Malibu for a visit. Santa Barbara is too much of a trek north.

A Saturday night in Santa Barbara would appeal to me more than a day in Tijuana...so if the weather co-operates I would drive up the coast on Saturday afternoon (Malibu for lunch? Then up route 1 to 101 North), spend the night in Santa Barbara, stay for Sunday brunch, then head back down the coast on Sunday while the traffic is still bearable. Sun Mon Tues La Jolla/San Diego and then Wed Thurs Fri Laguna Beach.

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like it is best to avoid driving through LA on weekdays, so the itinerary suggested by joesorce sounds ideal.

Any suggestions on what clothing we should bring in mid-January?

Clothing for cold (by Califoria standards) and rainy.

Not sure why you want to see Malibu, you can get the same flavor around La Jolla/ Del Mar. If you just feel like a driving trip, why not go to Anza Borrego or Palm Springs, the desert is likely to be slightly warmer, at least during the day. And the scenery will be different.

ONE Week and you need to see family for 3 days in La Jolla? Cool it! As a Local Lagunatic and former 10 year resident of Malibu (see what? very small town and not much to see from the road) and a recent, and past, visitor to Santa Barbara (3 hours from Laguna in GOOD traffic) I say ...stay south! Hit the areas around La Jolla, like Del Mar, the outlets at Carlsbad (ok, not fantastic), maybe San Diego and maybe San Clemente, Dana Point and the Laguna area (an hour from La Jolla with NO traffic). Temecula is wine country but drinking and driving don't mix. Designated driver needed! Avoid morning rush hour going north to Orange County (before 10 and 4-6PM southbound).
By the way, the winter in So. Cal is really the most gorgeous. Not warm, but gorgeous and generally clear, except for occasional rain. We are fogged in from May to August!

I don't want to rain on your parade, but if it were me, I'd certainly skip that daytrip to the pharmacy and cheap liquor hellhole South of the border.
Tijuana IMHO is not worth spending any time unless you want to purchase tacky leatherware, cheap medicine or get drunk.

I'd certainly not waste time in Tijuana either, but it is "memorable" at least!

The drive up to SB and back would be worth it only if the weather is very nice, and chances are that it won't be. I wouldn't book anything until I got a pretty good handle on the weather. Though SB is a popular Saturday destination, you should still be able to find something last-minute in January.

Laguna is great.Stay in Laguna.Otherwise you will be fighting traffic instead of enjoying your time.

with only one week, i'd save north of la for another trip. i'd spend 3 nights in la jolla, 2 in palm springs (joshua tree national park) and 2-3 in laguna beach.
malibu looks nice if you own a home there but as a tourist, you don't see much of anything. santa barbara is nice but, as i said, with only a week, i'd just stay south.