San Francisco & Los Angeles Layovers
 

We're headed March 15th for our first ever Hawaii trip. We have a 4 hour layover in San Francisco on the way there and a nearly 6 hour layover in Los Angeles on the way home. We're wondering if we would have time to go grab a bite to eat and a drink on one or both. Our daughter and I spent some time in San Francisco last May, and I'm thinking we may have time to take a cab to Fisherman's Wharf.... We've never been to LA, but are hoping that a "side trip" may break up the LONG way home to Milwaukee. Thanks for any advice you can give us.

You definitely would have time to go have something to eat and look around while in L.A. LAX is located near Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica, as well as Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach - all have restaurants and areas you might like to see. You also would have time to go to the Westwood/Beverly Hills Area. Have a good time.

I don't believe that you'd have enough time to get into San Francisco if you only have a 4-hour layover. What with allowing an hour each way for getting into and out of the City, as well as getting back to the airport an hour ahead of your flight time, you wouldn't have much time left for eating or sight-seeing. Here's a suggestion -- take a cab to the Hong Kong Flower Lounge in South San Francisco (the airport area). You'll get a wonderful Chinese meal there and have plenty of time to enjoy it.

I would not attempt going anyplace with a 4 hr. layover, too many chances to miss the flight to Hawaii in my opinion. Go have a nice meal at the airport, those 4 hours really are not 4, you have to checkin at least an hour or more before Hawaii flight. As for LA - what time of day are you going to be there? That has a huge impact on traveling around the area and how far you can go. I would not attempt much, you could take a cab to the Manhattan Beach Pier - it's only a couple of miles south of LA. The town itself has places to eat, you can walk the pier and the beachwalk too. It's a nice area and close -- I would not venture very far because if you get stuck in traffic you are in big trouble! Redondo Beach is slightly further south, you could taxi there as well, to the pier area and again walk around, eat, etc. I hope you enjoy Hawaii, it's a beautiful place.

I would opt for Santa Monica while in LA. It's a short trip with few traffic snarls. Take a taxi to the pier,(you've seen it in about a thousand movies and TV shows), walk out on it, or along the paved beach "sidewalk" for a bit, walk the two blocks or so over to the Third Street Promendade (a pedestrian street) and have a nice lunch or dinner and return to the airport.