Passing Through -LA to Pasadena
 

We have about 3 hours to kill enroute from LAX to CalTech. What would you recommend as an enjoyable stop for lunch and California atmosphere?

A good place about halfway between both and on the way to Caltech would be the Olvera St/Chinatown/Downtown LA area. There's the historic pueblo/Olvera St area, a pleasant open air plaza with Mexican goods and a few sit down restaurants. In walking distance from there is Chinatown, tons of interesting things to see and eat there. I'd also recommend Philippe's for french dip sandwiches, also on Alameda a few blocks north of Olvera St, across from the historic Union Station, which is also worth a look inside. You could also check out the nearby stuff downtown, see the new Disney opera house and the nearby MOCA art museum on Grand Ave, the open air Bunker Hill area, or the library. Get a good detailed map of the area, you'll go through three hours in no time!

I might take the 405 north from LAX, to the 10 east, to the 110 north, to the 101 east/south (it gets weird there) and exit on Alameda. Olvera St, etc, is near the exit, and for everything else, you'd need a map. Then just get back on the 110 north to Pasadena to Caltech.

Have fun!

love
roxy

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I'll definitely look into your suggestion.

What do you think of stopping by one of the beaches on a Friday, mid-day? Would Hermosa be the best to visit, or is Venice worth the extra drive? And is visiting the beach on the return, a Sunday afternoon, too crowded at this time at year?

turn_it_on's ideas are great-- Olvera Street is a too-often-overlooked historic gem in LA. As far as beaches, Hermosa Beach is a 15 minute drive from LAX, but it's been so long since I've spent leisure time there I wouldn't know where to send you. Venice is a riot, especially on a sunny day. The coast has been socked in the last several days thanks to that hurricane in Baja, but the weirdos are always out on the Venice Boardwalk. It's also 15 minutes from LAX, up Lincoln, left on Washington. Find parking, walk to the beach and grab a table at an outdoor café. Always fun. The problem then becomes getting to CalTech, since beach communities tend to be inconvenient to highways....

If it's sunny on Sunday, the beaches will be pretty crowded. Parking will be an immediate problem (on a nice day, the lots will fill up by 11 AM). However, if it's cloudy....

What day of the week are you arriving? I like the suggestion of Olvera Street and other sites in downtown L.A., but I'm not sure I'd second the recommendation if your arrival is Monday-Friday. Unless you've been to downtown L.A. before, just finding your way around in the midst of weekday traffic (car and human) on the maze of mostly one-way streets could drive you nuts. And I won't even mention parking...

During the week, I'd recommend you go directly from LAX to Pasadena and have a really nice, tranquil lunch in one of the dozens of good restaurants on or near Colorado Boulevard.

If you're going to Caltech on an appointment, ask if you can dine at the Athenaeum on campus. Lots of history in that place if you think about the brainiacs (Einstein, nobel prize winners) who've also eaten lunch there. There might even be a nobel prize winner at the next table!

If you're into art, the Norton Simon Museum on Colorado Blvd. is a nice size and a good collection for a short visit. New cafe on the terrace. If you're into gardens AND art, the Huntington Library and Gardens are very near Caltech. Limited dining inside, so I'd have lunch elsewhere.

A few beach towns are very close to LAX, and I live in Manhattan Beach which is the closest to LAX and very convenient to two freeways (105 and 405). (Hermosa is the next beach town south.) From now until mid-May, you'd have no trouble visiting Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach on a Sunday.

Olvera Street - more interesting, parking ...mmmmm.

Norton Simon and Huntington - parking :)

But watch out for those Pasadena freeway exits! I thought that 15 mph as exit speed was outrageous, but a few weeks ago ran into an exit of 5 mph! That's because the Pasadena is the oldest freeway in the US and the exits were designed for Model T put-puts.

I'd definitely second the Norton Simon and the Huntington!

love
roxy

While there's a lot of interesting stuff to see in downtown LA, I think it would be far more relaxing to proceed directly to Pasadena and enjoy things there. Pasadena is full of great restaurants. There is so much choice it's hard to offer specific advice without knowing more about your preferences. One nice place loaded with California charm is the Raymond Restaurant. You can eat either inside a lovely old house or outside in the garden. Julienne's in San Marino is a very popular lunch spot with wonderful food. And Old Town Pasadena is loaded with all kinds of restaurants and shops, as is Lake Avenue. The Huntington Library and Gardens is near Cal Tech and is beautiful to walk in. If you are so inclined, you can go inside to visit the art and the books there, but I often just enjoy the gardens. The Huntington does have a tea room, but it's been so long since I've eaten there I can't offer an opinion. I think its lunch menu (if any) is rather limited, but you might call and ask. If you are really into art, the Norton Simon has a great collection, as well as a small outdoor sculpture garden.

I love the Raymond Restaurant!

A late-arriving brain wave... If you're staying in Pasadena but did want to see something of downtown L.A. without the coincident car/traffic/parking problems, you could take the new Gold Line (Metro light rail) from Pasadena to Union Station. From Union Station, you can walk to Olvera Street or use the DASH bus to see all the downtown sights. I haven't taken this line yet, but I'd estimate the one-way ride to be about 15-20 minutes and about $1.35 per person one-way. And there's a Gold Line station next door to the Raymond Restaurant!

I would agree with the previous posters regarding traffic problems if you go to Olvera Street. It is fun, but sitting on the freeway trying to get to Pasadena at rush hour is no fun.

If you have never been to Pasadena, I would go to Old Town for lunch or hit a museum.