We are vacationing in California for a week starting June 19, 2010 and flying into San Diego Airport and staying at Marriott Desert Springs Villas in Palm Desert. We plan to visit the San Diego, Los Angeles, and the beaches between San Diego and Los Angeles. We need some tips of places to see and restaurants in the San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Springs area. We are not interested in places like Legoland, Wild Animal Park or any kiddie attractions. We would like to see interesting historical, unique and out of the ordinary places. Any help and feedback is very much appreciated.

I'm not clear - are you staying in Palm Springs and then MOVING to San Diego and Los Angeles, or are you thinking you'll do day trips (because it's awfully far for that!)

Yes Palm Springs is extremely far away from San Diego and then traveling back to Los Angeles. Like what sf7307 said, are these all day trips?

In Palm Desert we always enjoy http://www.lascasuelasnuevas.com/

As far as the other places - it is WAY too far to do day trips to San Diego and Los Angles from Palm Desert.

If you like spas - the Marriot spa is wonderful -

Are you flying in and then driving to Palm Springs? It's quite a drive.

What does "unique and out of the ordinary places" mean? Are you interested in hiking? Museums?

I meant to say that you must like deserts because you'll be staying (the whole time???) in Palm Springs? You could make day trips into parts of LA and SD from there, but it's a long way.

Yea, we are flying in to San Diego. We are aware that it is 2 and half hrs. drive from San Diego to Palm Springs and about 2 hrs. dr. from Palm Springs to LA. Unfortunately our timeshare condo is at Marriott Villas in Palm Desert and we have already booked our flights to San Diego. We plan to spend a day in San Diego to look around and a day in LA to look around and probably another day at the beach. So no we don't plan to stay in Palm Springs the whole week. And we're ok with the drive as we are on vacation afterall.

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We will definitely check out Las Consuelas as we love Mexican food. We plan to see SD Zoo and one of our traveller hasn't been to the SD Zoo, Gaslamp Quarter and Whaley House. So that's probably a day spent in SD. Thanks for all your feedback!

Depending on when your flight gets in and where you are flying from - you could go to the San Diego Zoo the day you arrive - enjoy Balboa park etc - and go out to Palm Desert that night. The Villas is very nice- Have stayed there many times (own a timeshare there)

It can be lovely out there. I hear there's an art museum in Palm Springs that may be worth a visit. If you go to Pasadena, the Norton Simon Museum is great.

You can always go up to Joshua Tree or take the tram to the top of San Jacinto.

I would like to mention that Balboa Park in San Diego is beautiful and our San Diego Zoo is well worth a visit.

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.