So Cal March 2023
 

Looking for suggestions, my husband and I have to come out to LA at the end of March for a Tuesday -Friday morning - and we are extending our trip for the weekend and we are looking for recs for where to head out for 2 nights (outside of LA - but we have to be back Sunday late to catch the red eye back home from LAX)

We like to be busy - not big on just relaxing at a beach/pool. Love to hike, bike, drive, & eat.
What would you suggest ?

three possibilities (among tons of others)

• San Diego area
• Palm Springs (though there may be a lot of spring breakers)
• If you are in to vineyards/wineries - Santa Ynez Valley + Santa Barbara

I like Orange County, Huntington Beach, Newport, or Dana Point. Some suggestions, Hyatt Resort Huntington Beach, Monarch Beach Resort, Pelican Hill Resort. Surf and Sand Hotel.

San Diego.

I like to stay near Torrey Pines/Del Mar or North County (Solana Beach, etc) for better access to hiking and bike trails. There is also the Bird Rock area near La Jolla but there aren't many hotels right there (my sister briefly lived in a small unit that was an Airbnb and I happily cat-sat).

"Love to hike, bike, drive, & eat."

I'll just point out that you don't have to leave L.A. to find those activities.

For hiking, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Palos Verdes Peninsula. Depending on the timing of the wildflower bloom this year, there could still be lots of flowers in both areas.

https://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
https://pvplc.org/conserved-lands/

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail runs 22 miles between Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades and Torrance Beach.

https://www.californiabeaches.com/ma...l-los-angeles/

Drive the Mulholland Scenic Highway from the Hollywood Bowl to the ocean.

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/trips/19742817

Eating? You can't beat L.A. for unique/interesting, diverse options in every price range.

https://la.eater.com/22822756/best-l...ng-food-drinks

If you can afford the $$$$$, the Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel is special. It's like a little slice of Hawaii.

I agree with Jean.
I would not drive all the way to San Diego and back. It's not any nicer than places you can find much closer.

You could go to Big Bear Lake, if you want a little mountain resort.

I recommend Julian. It's my favorite spot in the area. Yes, it's a bit of a schlep, but the town is beautiful. There are many small hikes you can go on there, and you can rent a boat at the lake. And best of all, you will have the best apple pie ever.

Thanks everyone!! Going to look at all these options... back soon!

I would go to Santa Anita.

Catalina Island. Take the ferry over to Catalina Island. Avalon reminds one of the Isle of Capri with its pastel Mediterranean style buildings. Take a zipline, go on a bison expedition, swim in the clear water, sunbathe on the beaches. Go on tour on a glass-bottom boat, check out the botanic garden, hike part of the Trans Catalina Trail.

Laguna Beach is an artist community and also has lots of natural areas with some good beaches (of course the water will be too cold to swim in but you can beachcomb). It has many fine art galleries and museums, and great restaurants. After LA stop off at Laguna Beach which is an artist community with some great beaches, coves, tide pools, and 74 parks and natural areas. Excellent biking, hiking and beachcombing. It has an outstanding art museum, art galleries, and excellent restaurants. Nearby is historic 1776 Mission San Capistrano where the swallows return every year.

Catalina might be a nice excursion, but don't plan on swimming or sunbathing... Water and air temperatures average about 58/59F in late March.

This year it's been so cold and wet, there could be rain too.

You can never tell about end of March. Or even January:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3990678d8f.jpg
January 21

There is also the Terranea Resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. March is the heart of gray whale season. You can often see them from Point Vicente where there is an interpretive center and official spotters, or take a whale watch cruise from San Pedro, Long Beach (Harbor Breeze), Dana Point, San Diego etc.

We've seen whales and huge pods of dolphins from the nature trail at Terranea Resort...

For a wildlife experience of another kind, Terranea has an on-site falconer to keep seagulls at a distance.

can not beat Santa Barbara/Montecito. microcosm of all that's best in So Cal. in a beautiful, short stretch of coast plus hikes i the hills above. people and food are great throughout the area.

You've already received so many great suggestion, most all places very much worthy of exploration.

If I had to do one active thing, it might be the hiking on Mt San Jacinto near Palm Springs. A 10/10 hike. You take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up, and then it's up to you to decide how much you want to hike. Whatever temperature it is in Palm Springs, it will be 40 degrees colder up there, so be prepared.

Second choice will be a bit of a surprise, to kayak at Channel Islands National Park. At any time of year, you wear wetsuits, which in fact makes this less pleasurable as a summer activity since it gets too hot.

Of course, it's true you don't need to leave LA for mountains, so if you want to make this less adventurous, the Santa Monica Mountains have a lot of unique features.

I think Im torn between Laguna Beach and Santa Barbara... is either place better for whale watching ? Would have loved Terranea Resort but its a total fortune - not in the budget - Upwards of $1,000 a nighty.

Assuming the weather is better than it is now, a great weekend trip would be to Paso Robles. Take a wine tasting tour, walk around down, and the first night go to the Field of Light, Sensorio.

https://sensoriopaso.com/

We've done this twice from L.A. at the weekend.

With that budget I would favor Santa Barbara. You don't need a rental car to get to Santa Barbara. There are several Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains and the daily Coast Starlight that stop in Los Angeles and Burbank on the way to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles. I like Santa Barbara for the pier, the zoo and the mission on top of the hill. The train stop is quite close to the pier in downtown Santa Barbara.
I know nothing about whale watching in southern California. My trip to try to see whales was to the Oregon coast.