One week roundtrip LAX - Advice Please
 

We are in the early stage of planning but we would like to: Land at LAX in mid-afternoon. Rent a car and in the next seven nights get to both Getty Museums, the Reagan Library, Santa Barbara, Solvang (wineries, restaurants,) and Hearst Castle. Return to LAX. I don't have a fix on what order to visit the sites. Should we leave LAX and make Hearst our first stop and then work our way South? Do we need more than seven nights (we want to do at least two of the Hearst tours.) I'm not too concerned about hotels and restaurants. There are plenty of suggestions already on the forum. It's doing the driving in an efficient and pleasant way. I am assuming we'll take the PCH. Oh, and if there are other must see stops, please suggest. Thanks for any help.

Years ago we actually did FOUR Hearst tours in one day so doing two seems somehow easy.

I'd drive there FIRST.

I'd drive there first too - I always prefer to start far and end up near. I also would add the Huntington Library and Gardens to your list.

What time of year, and are you coming from somewhere that might make jetlag an issue?

If you're going as far as the Hearst Castle and have a week, then personally I'd shoot up 101 to Salinas and over to Monterey before heading south on SR1. Monterey, Carmel, Point Lobos State Park (scenery, wildlife) and Big Sur are don't-miss destinations IMO, and won't add a great deal of time to your agenda. With a mid-afternoon arrival, look at Santa Barbara for the first overnight; the Monterey Peninsula is an easy target for the next evening. Then you can return to LA along the coast at your leisure; you have plenty of time for all of the above.

When are you coming? Many hotels in Santa Barbara and Carmel have two night minimums that need to be factoredninto your planning if your travel there is over a weekend.

On the other hand, sometimes it's nice to visit crazy L.A. first, then meander up the coast and back down to catch your flight.

I love the Getty Villa and Getty Center. Am headed out to LA this month and will probably re-visit one of the two. Love the views, and catching an outdoor lunch at either place.

Have fun!

First change I'd make would be to that "arrival mid-afternoon". That's going to place you smack into late-afternoon traffic jams.

Gardyloo, Thank you for suggestion but we lived in Alameda for six months and have done the Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur region. Also not crazy about car trips so the LAX-Hearst Castle span is probably our limit.

sf7307, Thanks for Huntington suggestion. Sounds good.

So, suppose we land at LAX on a Monday night around 9 p.m., stay at LAX hotel overnight and pick up rental car Tuesday morning.

Tuesday: Drive to Huntington, tour, Reagan Library, tour, and get to hotel near Hearst Castle.

Wednesday: Tour Hearst, and stay at same hotel as Tuesday.

Thursday: Solvang area, hotel in that area.

Friday, Saturday: Santa Barbara hotel downtown

Sunday: Getty Museums, hotel at LAX

Monday: flight out of LAX

I'd like to have long lunches and a feeling of leisure even if we are checking off a tour list.

Thanks for feedback.

Huntington Library and Gardens is very nice, it is in San Marino, near Pasadena so east of downtown LA. The Reagan Library is in Simi Valley at the far end of the San Fernando Valley, so kind of in opposite directions. Also I just checked their website and weekdays they do not open until noon, 10:30am on weekends so that would be awfully rushed. Might or might not work, since Cambria is a 4 hour drive from LA.
Maybe see if South Coast Botanical Gardens would work for you, much closer to LAX (on Crenshaw Blvd. on the border of Palos Verdes) if interested in a garden.

Stay at The Canary in Santa Barbara. We were there a couple of weeks ago. LOVED IT! Join Kimpton's free loyalty program for some nice perks.

https://www.kimptonhotels.com/karma-rewards/overview

And if you have status with any hotel, they will match it which is great.

Don't stay at LAX unless you think you'll be dead tired. Drive just a half hour and you'll can stay in pleasant Westlake Village and be close to the Reagan museum next morning. Tuesday afternoon after Reagan, drive an hour up to Santa Barbara and spend the night, use Wednesday afternoon for a drive up through Solvang and wine country arriving maybe Morro Bay or Cambria for the overnight. Thursday is for tours of Hearst and then leave that night open, you might want to stay at Shell beach, near Solvang or back in Santa Barbara. Friday you have at your leisure just watch the drive-times back into Los Angeles, probably a late arrival is best giving you Saturday and Sunday for The Huntington, The Gettys, Santa Monica....not sure what your budget is but you could spend these two nights in Santa Monica or (lower budget) Marina del Rey or West Hollywood.

If you only have a week, I think two nights and a full day just for Hearst is overkill, I would try to streamline that a bit more.

Your current listed Tuesday plan is a mess of traffic waiting to happen and a very long, not-doable day in my opinion.

DebitNM, Thanks for Canary recommendation.
jamie99, thanks for info about opening hours and driving times
clarkgriswold, Sounds good. Plenty of flexibility. Staying at LAX never sounded attractive and half hour drive to Westlake we can do!