San Diego - Is it a must visit?
 

We are going to visit LA and San Francisco next May. Although we only have plans for these twp cities, we have been advised not to miss San Diego. Can anyone tell us more abt San Diego attractions apart from the obvious Sea World? We are travelling with young children aged 4-6. Thank you

To me Orange County and San Diego are much more a must see than L.A. I live here and never go to L.A. too scary! Went to Farmers Market, Hollywood 20 years ago and got scared by the weirdos and never have been back. Did see a taping of Price Is Right-that was fun. As for Orange County there is Knott's Berry Farm and lots of other smaller amusements built up around it, Disneyland of course.
San Diego has the Wild Animal Park, and the Zoo, Balboa Park, Seaport Village, Horton's Plaza, and is lovelier and more open than smoggy L.A. If you want to ask me any questions E mail me. I have my handy dandy AAA book right here. See ya.

Tricia has pretty much said it as far as the LA area is concerned. My folks used to live in Huntington Beach and we did the tourist things back then. I don't particularly like big cities so I wouldn't go back again. But after you get that out of your system and start heading for San Francisco, well, I just want to suggest that, if at all possible, start working your way over to 101 and see the ocean. Just above San Luis Obispo you can pick up Rt. 1 which runs along the coast all the way up. You will hit Cambria then Hearst Castle near San Simeon, on up through Big Sur, Pt. Lobos State Preserve, Carmel, Pacific Grove (May would be very close to the time of the "purple Carpet" - it is just beautiful), The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, on up to Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and into SF from the sea side. Whatever you end up doing, I know you will have a great time. It's a neat state to visit, but ;-). Write if you need any other suggestions.

You can get to Rt. 1 much before San Luis Obispo, but I am not that familiar with it south of there.

Ron

If you do go to San Diego, go across the Coronado bridge to Coronado island. Have lunch overlooking the waterfront across from San Diego. Do have a tremendous animal park/zoo and Balboa park.
Downtown has some very nice nightclubs/restaurants.
I did find that northern california is more to my liking as well. A little calmer and just as beautiful.

I concur with above posts: forget LA and do San Diego and San Francisco. Take Hiway 1 anytime you can. I've driven 101 dozens of times (went to college in Santa Barbara) and it's pretty boring (though not NEARLY as boring as Interstate 5!!!!). We went from Santa Barbara to SF this summer, in three days. Stayed in Lompoc (not much there) spent some time in Solvang (founded by Dutch immigrants and worth a detour if you like to shop and like the Dutch architecture). Must sees along the trip-Hearst Castle state park, Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel (maybe the 17 mile drive), Big Basin State Park (if you like redwoods and scenery). High points in SF include Golden Gate Park, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 (if you like really touristy places), the Presidio for walking, and maybe Ft. Funston for the beaches. Enjoy!

San Diego is worth a special trip, and Amtrak has trains linking the city with LA if you don't want to drive. Balboa Park also has a great model railroad museum that the kids would like, and outdoor organ concerts Sundays at 2. The Cabrillo Memorial has great views of the ocean and the city, and Coronado Island is less congested than San Diego.

Well, we're real out-of-towners; London, England to be precise. My wife (who's from the States originally, but never been to Calif) are planning a 3 week trip next Summer. Could anyone tell us where to stay between LA and San Francisco to get a few days relaxation by the sea?
Thanks a lot

Well, we're real out-of-towners; London, England to be precise. My wife (who's from the States originally, but never been to Calif) are planning a 3 week trip next Summer. Could anyone tell us where to stay between LA and San Francisco to get a few days relaxation by the sea?
Thanks a lot

To Laurence: As the other posters recommended, places to stay between L.A. and San Francisco are Morrow Bay, Cambria, San Simeon (Hearst Castle), Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel. I can get wonderful books on California with listing of motels and sites to see as well as maps from our Automobile Club. I would recommend you join-I think AAA has "sister" clubs in Uk that I read about. When you get here pick one up. E mail me direct if you have more specific questions or want some recommendations on hotels from my AAA book. All AAA motels are inspected for cleaniless and are above average.

Every time I decide that I'm never going to respond to some of the silly comments that I read (even though about 75%25 of the postings are interesting and on target) I can't help myself when I read some simplistic, nonsensical remarks. Pay no attention to those who know nothing about L.A. ("I was there 20 years ago and got scared by the weirdos.") (Tricia writes so many interesting and informed remarks, but when it comes to L.A. and a few other places, she really lays an egg.) Los Angeles is a great place to LIVE and to VISIT! Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world are here, such as Descanso Gardens and the Huntington Library and Gardens and many more. There are world class museums, the L.A. County Museum on Wilshire, the Getty (opening in its new location in December) the Skirball, and a host of other topical and ethnic museums such as the Afro-American and Japanese-American museums, the Holocaust Museum, etc., etc. Find things like this in Orange County. Oh, I forgot, they have Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm. L.A. has great theater. Excellent sociable walking areas: Pasadena Old Town, Santa Monica's Third St. Promenade, downtown Burbank and Glendale, the Farmers' Market, Venice Beach, the most visited place in all of Southern California. L.A. is a great multi-cultural city. I have travelled all over the world, seen a lot of great things, but there's no place as diverse as L.A. I'm proud to live here - in the heart of the city. And none of my remarks imply that I don't like San Francisco and San Diego. I enjoy them very much. There's a lot to see and do there.

I give advice as I see it- people can take it or leave it Brian but I sure don't go around attacking other peoples comments- and exactly the reasons you like L.A. are the reasons I live out here in Temecula- where there is no diversity! As for theatre and museums yuck! I don't need to drive thru that mess to see that. And as an American Brian I hope I am entitled to my views and opeions without you telling the world I layed an egg. Enjoy your smog!

TO BRIAN: A PERSON SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPRESS HIS OR HER VIEWS AND EXPECT TO BE HEARD. AS LONG AS IT IS THE TRUTH AND NOT A LIE THEN EVERY PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD.

I admit that I'm a weakling for bothering to respond to some of the ridiculous remarks directed at me (and others) in some of these postings. DO YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT WRITING A REBUTTAL TO SOMEONE'S COMMENTS CONSTITUTES DENYING HIM/HER FREEDOM OF SPEECH??!! Where in my comments is such a thing suggested? Because if your views were to be put into law then there would be no debate. Re-read my remarks and tell me where it says that Tricia or anyone else has no right to their opinion? Has someone come to drag them out of their house? Tricia, by the way, has a very selective memory. In a number of postings, such as "Why doesn't anyone respond to my question," she unloads on a poster for "sitting around and twiddling your thumbs instead of getting off your duff." (A fair paraphrasing of her comments.) And then she insists that she never attacks other people's comments. You've even complimented me for being sarcastic. Actually, Tricia's "opinion" is nothing more than a dismissal of an entire dynamic, important area of the world that certainly deserves to be visited. As for her comments that she lives in Temecula to avoid the very diversity that I enjoy: perhaps it is better to leave unspoken the implications of such remarks. It is not something I would expect from someone as intelligent as Tricia And, by the way, it's laid, not layed, an egg.

Brian,
Depends just what you do to the egg I suppose!!:-)

EGG ? EGG ? Who's got the egg ? What the heck's an egg got to do with any of this ? HI Tricia !!!!

Finally, a couple of people with a sense of humor! You'd both fit in really nicely in L.A., if you don't live here already!

Well, Tricia, what did your diversity remark have to do with the original question? And exactly what did you mean by it? I'm inclined to agree with Brian's avoidance of it, because it probably does mean what it appears to mean. Sorry comment.