marcia1

My husband, 2 sons--20 and 18, and myself are travelling to LA for 8 days in July. We have never been to southern California and are wanting to do things in both LA and San Diego. We would like to do one amusement park as well as the San Diego zoo but are open to any suggestions. We do like outdoorsy stuff like hiking and we like museums also. We will probably spend one day on a beach. One question we have is--is Sea World or Knottsberry Farm better for the amusement park? And, which beach would be the best--one in San Diego or in LA? Other suggestions are things we might like are welcome. Thanks for any help.

knute

Knotts has thriller coaster rides and Sea World has shows where you sit and watch marine animals, so they are completely different places. I would choose Sea World. Many would suggest La Jolla Beach or Corodado Beach, but I would choose Del Mar beach north of San Diego. It has a grassy well-kept area above the beach.

lvk

I think for "kids" your sons' age, that Six Flags Magic Mountain might be a better choice of amusement park. It has the best roller coasters and thrill rides. It is just north of LA.

For the "outdoorsy" stuff, I'll give my standard answer. Rent bicycles and ride along the Strand through the South Bay Beaches (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo, Torrance). You can stop along the way in these beach towns to eat and window shop.

Museums - Your family may like The Getty Center in West L.A., especially for the architecture and views. The Getty Villa in Malibu has just reopened. The Pasadena area (LA County) has some nice museums, the Norton Simon and the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.

You might also want to catch an outdoor concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

I'll let the San Diego experts chime in with suggestions for that beautiful area.

Have a great trip.

L84SKY

Torrey Pines is a lovely beach with hiking trails. Check out the website:
http://www.torreypine.org/
The Museum of Contemporary Art S.D in La Jolla overlooks the ocean and is a nice place to spend a couple of hours.
In Balboa Park the Art Museum will be showing Warhol starting June 24th.

ltt

i think knotburry is geared more for younger kids. as suggested, if you want thrill rides, go to magic mountain.
i personally really like sea world but there is only one real ride there. the rest is just enjoying the exhibits and the shows which are fun. it is very close to mission beach. i often suggest heading to sea world first thing in the morning. then leave the park for a few hours in the afternoon and go to mission beach for lunch, sun, and some beach time. then return to sea world for the evening.
del mar beach is nice. if your kids want more action, go to pacific/mission beach. it can be busy on the weekends but there are lots of activities for any age. they can rent boogie boards, roller blades, bikes, etc and there are plenty of restaurants around.
coronado is a very nice area and nice beach but much more docile.

Chele60

For your sons ages, there is ONLY one amusement park to go to: Six Flags Magic Mountain. Don't even bother with the rest! Sea World will bore them silly and Knott's will not measure up. Magic Mountain is going to be the place they will want to go. Do keep in mind that in July it will be crowded (so every other place), and it will be hot. Your sons will have a blast!

I personally think the beaches in San Diego are better. The ones recommended here are all great, though Del Mar is a bit farther north. Mission and Coronado are both very nice, though.

For outdoorsy stuff, it really depends on how far outside the city you wish to go. A bike ride along the beach is always lovely and a great way to people-watch, especially that time of the year. There are some parks closer to the cities that can offer hiking trails and then there are places farther out, in the foothills. Not a great distance, but it would be an entire day.

LA has some of the best museums, including the Getty. There are others, though.

I really enjoy the San Diego Zoo, but it is huge. Allow a very full day for it, but it will be fun.

Are you planning to drive between the two cities? Or will you be staying in both LA and in San Diego? That might help with figuring out what to suggest as well.

marcia1

Someone asked if we were driving between LA and San Diego. We are flying into LA, renting a vehicle and then driving to San Diego. There is a possibility we will make a loop into the San Bernadino area.