Trip to Southern California
 

Reading through the posts here and I saw some wonderful advice, so here's my questions. My friends and I are school teachers from South Carolina and we are planning a trip to LA.for seven days in June. We are going to rent a car to drive around the area. Our friends here say we are crazy to drive in LA. We have tickets to the "Price is Right" and the "Tonight Show." We also want to go on a whale watch. Where should we stay? Should we stay in one hotel or spend a couple of days at different hotels? Should we stay near LAX airport? How far is it to the different attractions? Which whale watching company is the best? Can we get the whale watching tickets when we get there? What areas should we avoid? What are the "Must See" things to do? Please Advise. Thanks a Bunch.

Hi Brenda-

I would suggest finding a hotel in Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach. It is about 20 minutes away from LAX. There are lots to do in the downtown areas-brunch, shopping, beach. I am from Orange County so I think the best whale watching is the ones that launch out of Newport Beach but I haven't been to ones out of LA.

You should visit the Getty museum while in LA -its free. You can also have an afternoon tea at the Montage Beverly Hills and feel really posh! :) Those are just some of my personal suggestions. It all depends on how you want to spend your days and what interests you. The shows will be fun for sure!

Rosie

Buy yourself a GPS unit and take it with you; the L.A freeways, on which you spend most of your time, can be quite confusing, and you don't want to waste your precious time getting lost. The commute hours are awful, if you can do things close to where you are staying, and then travel to your next destination btween 10 and 2, you might be better off. Group your trips, the LA basin is a very large place.

I recommend the Getty museum up past Malibu on Highway 1 too, it's built like a Roman Villa with views out to see. Both museums are stunning.
Have a good walk on the esplanade in front of Santa Monica and Venice Beach, or even rent a bike and ride it up and down.
Take a drive up in the hills above the swank Beverly Hills area. Get on the internet and you can find a guide to what houses some of the movie stars live(d) in.
The Pasadena area is quite different from the rest of LA, worth a drive ..there are good museums and dining there, quite a pretty, older area.
There's Universal City and Disneyland, both amazing in different ways. The big downtown food market is really fun, and you can sense the various nationalities that make up this diverse city. Fun shopping. it's also near the garment district.
just remember to allow yourself extra time to get anywhere, and practice those right hand turns on a red light. Pedestrians always have the right of way here.
Have fun, ladies

June is not the time for whale watching. They have already headed north to Alaska.
Don't be afraid to drive in LA, it's a town designed for driving. Staying near LAX is not a great idea unless you are flying out early the next morning.
Have fun at those TV tapings,"Brenda Hume, come on down!"

i would stay away from the airport.. santa monica is super nice and not too far from LA

The area immediately around LAX is horrible, but Santa Monica and Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo beaches are very close (less than a 20 minute drive).

Check out www.2seewhales.com Lots of Blue Whales were spotted here along the coast last summer. You probably can get tickets once you get here.

There are a few reasonably-priced suite hotels near Manhattan Beach that offer free breakfast and parking. They are a little roomier and close to the freeways, beaches and LAX. Check out Towne Place Suites or Spring Hill Suites (Marriott Properties).

A bike ride along the beach is alway fun. Just be prepared for our June Gloom.

And "Brenda Hume - come on down" to San Diego :) - for Whale watching. Only a two hour drive and a couple of days here would balance out the congestion in LA.

If you can get a Triple A/Auto Club of So Cal - LA Freeways - that really helps to navigate around various freeways - quickly - and I always listen to AM 1070 when driving in the greater LA basin for traffic updates every six minutes and it tells you what freeways are having problems.

Also - try to avoid driving during rush hours - both morning and afternoon/evening.

If you stayed in Santa Monica (not far from the Airport/Getty Center/Old Getty, UCLA, getting into Hollywood, etc) - you could use surface streets - such as driving in and out along Sunset - whici is also a pretty drive.

Also second the recommendations for the Getty Center/Museum and also see if you can get to the LOCMA - http://www.lacma.org/ - Los Angeles County Museum of Art - it is tres bien aussi. :)