Travel
BulgariHeart
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Going to CA for the holidays, suggestions please :)
in Travel
Hi!
We'll be spending 10-12 days in Southern CA for the holidays, accommodation is taken care of since we'll be staying at a friend's place in Hollywood, then drive around from there.
Must-see destinations so far are Santa Barbara, OC, Palm Springs, touristy LA and Disney ... can you guys suggest the best itinerary or other places to visit, what to skip, etc?
Should we get a city pass?
TIA
Re: Going to CA for the holidays, suggestions please :)
i would do san diego, orange county, and los angeles.
in orange county, i would visit laguna beach, newport beach and anaheim (disneyland). during the christmas holiday season, newport beach hosts a boat parade during which you can purchase tickets to ride on a boat that takes you around the bay while you look at christmas lights (definitely a must do!).
santa barbara (if time permits).
if you still have time, visit palm springs, but i don't think it should be a priority. palm springs is 'meh' in my opinion.
Depends where you're driving from to get to SD. It can be anywhere from 1-3 hours so definitely doable in a day but you won't get to see much. SD is so beautiful I would think if you do consider going to at least spend 2 nights there.
We'd be driving from Hollywood, I don't think we'll be able to spend a night there, though. What is a must-see in SD when one has only one day to visit?
Thanks for your help
the zoo
The problem is that our traffic is unpredictable. From Hollywood, it should probably take 2 to 2.5 hours to get to SD. But if there's an accident, or construction it can take twice that. So it's hard to plan just one day- when half that may be spent trying to get there. But as pp said--the zoo (or the wild animal park) is a must see.
Disney is fun...definitely a full day.
For LA -
Starline Tours offers several great tour options, and they are included in the CityPass if you get one. I'd probably get the Hollywood option (as opposed to the SoCal one); Universal Studios is not what it used to be and is, in my opinion, a waste of time (especially if you're limited on time).
Spend a day (or a few hours) in Santa Monica. You can walk on the pier and there are tons of shops and restaurants.
I would also say 2 must sees are Griffith Observatory (which is not far from Hollywood), and Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Go to BH for the afternoon, and on your way home, stop by this mansion and see the gardens and the amazing views. Which, by the way, is completely free. =D
That was my first thought too. Try to get there in the morning, the animals are usually asleep or hiding in the afternoon. Stroll through beautiful Balboa Park (next door) in the afternoon.
But I think trying to do the Zoo in a day trip form Hollywood would be too tough. In general LA to SD averages about 2 hours each way, assuming you avoid rush hour. Take I-5, it's the most scenic.
I grew up in San Diego so it's really hard for me to name just one thing! But my second thought was to drive around to some of the great viewpoints (Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, the Point Loma light house, and across the Coronado bridge). It's a big city, but that would give you a good feel for the place (bonus it's all free!).
As for LA, I only lived there for a year (west LA/ Santa Monica area) so don't know it super well. But, overall I'm not a fan. I'll try to give suggestions though!
There are some neat views from Mulholland Drive and the Hollywood Hills. Venice beach can be entertaining, keep an eye out for the guy on roller blades with the turban and electric guitar- he's famous!
There is a neat little Art museum in Pasadena, also tour the Gamble House if you are intersted in that kind of thing.
For cheap/ trendy clothing shops go to Melrose (and while there, peak into the back alleys to see INCREDIBLE graffiti art). The people watching in Beverly Hills is fun (so glamourous! so many facelifts!).
Disneyland is a must, but I wouldn't bother with the other amusement parks (unless you really like roller coasters, then Magic Mountain is a blast). The La Brea tar pits are interesting. Talk like a local and pronounce "Wilshire Blvd" like "will sure" : )
It can be fun to see a live taping of a TV show. We went to the Jimmy Kimmel show once and it was interesting (but we had the opportunity to skip the line, might not have done it if we had to wait). Jeopardy or The Price is Right have always sounded like fun! Palm Springs is good if you are a fan of Mid Century modern and possibly warmer weather, but it's not amazing. Joshua tree is neat though.
I guess a lot of it depends on where you're coming from, and what your interests are. Beaches? Shopping? History? Scenery? Tourist sights?
Thank you all for the great tips!
We aren't fans of zoos in general so that's something we won't be doing if we make it to SD, although as you all said, going for a day would be tricky, so that visit still remains unsure.
I guess we're looking to do some touristy things but also to enjoy nature and the surroundings. Would it make sense to spend a day in Yosemite? Is it going to be really cold in late December? Or, what are the best beach spots?
Also, about NYE, would you suggest ringing in the new year at Disneyland?
Thanks
Yosemite is absolutely incredible and something that I think everyone should see at least once. There is nowhere like it. But again, as a day trip from LA it would tough. It's far. It would be cold and probably covered in snow (still beautiful though, and less crowds!).
Disneyland probably puts on a good show for NYE, but any of those special occasions draw more crowds. It'll mean that you spend more of your time in line for rides, so keep that in mind.
It won't be crazy cold in LA, but not quite beach weather either. It's still nice to go to the beach, but if your laying there in a bikini you'll be pretty uncomfortable. Think jeans and a sweatshirt weather.