Going to CA....what to do??

[TPLSM3]

I know this is a bit off topic as it's not car related at all, but thought I'd ask you guys since you guys live here! My wife & I will be going on a vacation to the LA, San Diego area for a week around the 4th of July. I've only been out there once and it was only for 2 days, so I didn't get to see that much out there. We don't really have anything set in stone or even have hotel reserved at this point. We're flying into LAX then renting a car (WISHED I could have my 135i with me!). All that we do have planned is attending the Jay Leno show the last day of our trip. What's the sights that you guys suggest we take a look at? We would like to check out the obvious things like maybe the movie studios, dining, beaches, etc, but would like some pointers. We were also thinking of maybe checking out the San Diego Zoo as we've heard some good things about it. I would appreciate ANY ideas/pointers!

Thanks,
Ben

[Simon_135i]

Wsup Ben... I can' speak for the LA area since... but for San Diego, I def recommend the SD Zoo. I also recommend trying to either look at KOGI Van while you are in LA. Its def one of a kind type of eatery.

While in SD, you should walk around OLD TOWN, its nice and gives you a brief history of San Diego. During the weekend, I recommend Mission Bay, by Belmont Park area. Good food, great bars, but it does get crowded on the weekend.

Other points of interest: Coronado, Extradinary Desserts in Downtown SD, Nothing Bundt Cake, Hash House for breakfast, Wild Animal Park, Seaworld isn't too bad, Kayaking by the La Jolla Cove, Scuba Diving there too!.... If I have more stuff, I will def post!

[infinitekidM2C]

LA -- First don't stay in any hotel downtown or some expensive hotel as you will be out doing stuff all day..i have to say that because i see tourists staying downtown for like $300+ a night and there is NOTHING downtown at nite and tons of places close by for cheaper..While in LA go east a few miles and you can stay in places like Glendale, City of Industry, Burbank...they are all close to LA/hollywood. I recommend checking out Hollywood and after it gets dark check out some LA club to get a sense of the nite life. Also you might want to dedicate a day to Universal Studios, they have tons of Hollywood type stuff that you might be interested in..pretty fun. Later you can drive downtown and check it out. If you do, check out Little Tokyo (sushi is awesome), Chinatown (go to Yang Chou), then go to Beverly Hills, check out Rodeo Drive and the Beverly Center (nice shopping mall). Santa Monica possibly, also go to third street also (but dont do your beach day there).

Orange County:
Stay somewhere like Santa Ana or Brea (both close to Anaheim). I recommend going to at least one theme park if you have fun doing that type of thing (Disneyland or Knottsberry farm) and go during the week. Also the Beaches at Orange County are much cleaner. Next is your Beach Day! It would be nice to go to brunch/breakfast at the beach..I highly recommend Laguna Beach..relax at the beach all day after the theme parks, drive on Pacific Coast highway...if you don't get wet in the ocean you haven't been to California! For lunch check out Taco Loco (640 S Coast Hwy) it's a very delicious local-type spot.

San Diego: Zoo...maybe check out downtown but then get the heck outta there.

[jecdao]

+1 on Simon, Legoland, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Beach. Aladding for dining, great Mediterranean food. Also, Balboa Park.

[TPLSM3]

Thanks for all the tips!! My wife & I greatly appreciate it. I knew the fanatics would pull through. That Kogi van seems like an interesting concept. Keep the ideas coming though. Thanks again!

[DMan11389]

I agree with everything the other guys are saying. I definitely recommend the SD Zoo. Disneyland is always a solid choice. Coronado island is absolutely beautiful, and gets all decked out during the 4th - very Americana. If you can stay in Coronado and want to stay somewhere nice, check out the Hotel Del Coronado. It's a classic hotel and in a gorgeous setting (I proposed to my wife there).

In LA, I completely agree with Infinite. Don't bother staying downtown, it's not like Chicago. I'd check out the beach cities if you want to stay out that way, and Glendale/Burbank for something central and affordable. Definitely see Universal Studios if you have time, and make a trip over to Beverly Hills/Rodeo/Sunset so you can at least experience that whole scene. In LA (and all of SoCal) just be aware that you will find lots of traffic, so plan accordingly. Also, from SD to LA is a good hike, so make sure you make enough time for the drive.

Keep us posted as you plan things and we'll try to keep helping. Have a great trip!

[akak1997]

As a car enthusiast, you HAVE to check out PCH. Go to Santa Monica, get some breakfast at Jinky's then head out to PCH, drive to the Camarillo Outlet for some shopping (for the wife, so she doesn't bitch about sitting in the car for an hr)

[infinitekidM2C]

One tip = bring a GPS...CA streets can be sort of strange..sometimes changing from east/west to north/south..sometimes they change names without you knowing it..all kinds of weird stuff.

[jc_lbc]

You should absolutely go to the SD Zoo, put that down in stone. Some of the small neighborhoods near downtown SD are pretty cool too. The GF and I stayed near Little Italy once and had a blast. As for LA, personally, I don't like to travel much so we do a lot of "staycationing" in the area. I'll throw out a few suggestion in groups...

Amusement Parks:
Never been to any of them as I'm deathly afraid of heights and can't ride rides. I hear Knottsberry is kinda a dump but if you dig coasters it's supposedly one of the best parks around. I avoid Disney like the plague.

Cultural stuff/museums:
If you're going to be in LA on the 3rd, First Fridays at the Natural History Museum is a really interesting thing to do. I would also save some time for the Getty Center. It's a beautiful complex in a fantastic location up above the LA basin near the coast (killer views of traffic and the smog ) and the exhibits are always pretty cool. You can go to both LA MOCA locations (downtown) if you're into more contemporary arts or the LA Museum of Art in the mid Wilshire area just south of Hollywood. In that same area is the La Brea tar pit but it's not really all that exciting and the museum is expensive to get into for what they actually have on the premises. The Griffith park observatory is neat and has great views as well. Bonus points for being featured in countless films. If they're in town, go to a Dodgers game. Keep in mind parking is a NIGHTMARE so go early and get ready to leave early regardless of the score.

Hollywood:
Hollywood BLVD is a tourist trap but it's cruising once. Still, Sunset Blvd. or Melrose for that matter has much more interesting stuff going on. If you're thinking of doing some shopping in the area The Beverly Center is a big mall but it's not a great mall and avoid any mall that says Westfield. The Grove/Farmer's Market are really cool though and you can get some great inexpensive food at the latter. Perfect for a weekday lunch I'd say. You can also look online for locations where a lot of movies were filmed and drive by them. This also goes for jsut about anywhere in the LA area... for example, I still get a little giddy every time I drive through Echo Park and see the lake that was used for filming in parts of Chinatown. Super dorky, I know.

Downtown:
Little Tokyo is cool to just wander around and there are a few really good Japanese restaurants in the area if you like that sorta thing. You have to be careful though as there are also some really bad ones. If you think you'd like to spend some time and eat there hit me up and I'll give you some good rec's. I've eaten just about everyplace down there that doesn't suck. There are also a couple really neat bars downtown if you're interested in "nightlife." The Edison and Seven Grand come to mind. The latter is less pretentious but is nowhere near as fancy inside. Look them up online to get a better feel.

West LA:
Santa Monica is a great place to stay if you can get a deal but driving inland from there can take a lot longer then it seems. Still a great place to see, some great shopping and it's usually pretty comfortable temperature wise even when it's hotter then hell outside. Visit the 3rd St. Promenade for shopping during the day and the Abbot Kinney area for food/night life in the evenings. Venice beach is dead during the week but it's almost better that way. Once you get there for the first time it'll feel like you've walked up and down it a thousand times since you've seen it in so many movies/tv shows over the years.

South LA county:
Most of what you'll do is centered around the beaches when heading this way. It's a cool drive to head around the back side of Palos Verdes on Palos Verdes Dr. You can stop at Crystal Cove and if the tides are out its amazing to wander out into the tide pools and see all the natural wildlife that exists there. You'll also get a good look at Trump National, the most expensive gold development in the US. Parts of the course that used to be there fell into the water and they had to rebuild bits of the cliffs or something. In any case, if you're a golfer you'll find it stunning. In Long Beach you can tour the Queen Mary and/or visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. Both are really neat. If you want to see a "small town" vibey area in Long Beach hit up Belmont Shore. Open Sesame is the best restaurant in the area.

Orange County:
If you're cruising down the PCH stop in Seal Beach for a walk on the pier and grab dinner and a few beers at Beachwood BBQ. It was voted the #9 beer bar on earth by Beer Advocate magazine and it's hard to argue with that. Their ever changing selection of craft beer is astounding and the food is just as good. Huntington Beach, stop if you're a surfing buff. Otherwise I'd say skip it. Newport Beach is nice but everything is expensive there and I feel the same way about Laguna. Still, it's a great drive to take the PCH down to Laguna Beach and back just for the cruise along the ocean in places.
Not sure if you're a foodie at all but if you dig Vietnamese cuisine there are a plethora of delicious and inexpensive options in Little Saigon. Outside of that, heading inland will lead you mostly to strip malls and more strip malls. Shopping Wise, South Coast Plaza is probably the nicest mall I've ever been to. They have everything from places with 10k handbags to the Gap. If they're in town, go to an Angels game in Anaheim. The stadium is light years better then Dodger stadium and parking/traffic isn't nearly as bad.

That's about all I can think of for now although I'm sure I've left countless things out.

Oh, and keep in mind that 30 mile drives can easily amount to 90 minutes in the car at the wrong time. You might want to figure out the things you'd like to do and start trying to find places to stay that are centrally located to them. So for example, maybe you could stay a night in Santa Monica, a couple nights in Hollywood and a night or two in Orange County.

[infinitekidM2C]

I mostly agree with JC...i'll add couple things...Little Tokyo go to Oomasa for sushi, they have lots of selection and other non-sushi japanese food.

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is awesome, but a bit of a drive depending on where you are. As for the museums, there's so much to do here unless ur a real museum buff i'd leave that for next time.

[REVNU]

All great suggestions above.

If you can get up early enough on a Saturday morning and you love cars you don't want to miss out on this:

CARS AND COFFEE

Oh yeah,
If you bring me one of those sweet sub enclosures I'll take you guys out to dinner while you're in town.

Have a great trip out here.

[jc_lbc]

Originally Posted by infinitekid2002

I mostly agree with JC...i'll add couple things...Little Tokyo go to Oomasa for sushi, they have lots of selection and other non-sushi japanese food.

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is awesome, but a bit of a drive depending on where you are. As for the museums, there's so much to do here unless ur a real museum buff i'd leave that for next time.

I'd go Sushi Gen (best quality) and Komasa (best value) over Oomasa. Oomasa is good (I think it's open all day though which is a huge plus) and if you want regular food along with sushi it's the best choice. They have a great Chirashi as well but it can't beat Komasa's (with Uni) for $13.

The museum point is totally fair (I just happen to like art museums a lot) but I still think the Getty Center is a must if not solely for the views of the city.

[Dackelone]

COME ON!!! Guys... a "car guy" going to Car (Mecca)City, LA!!!

You gotta go see the Peterson Museum!!! I have always wanted to go there!

http://www.petersen.org/

[REVNU]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

COME ON!!! Guys... a "car guy" going to Car (Mecca)City, LA!!!

You gotta go see the Peterson Museum!!! I have always wanted to go there!

http://www.petersen.org/

Ah yes, forgot about that one. Great place to visit!

[infinitekidM2C]

It's worth checking out for sure..oh yeah and make sure to eat at In-And-Out or Johnny Rockets at least since its right next to that Peterson museum! Peterson museum is near beverly hills/Rodeo drive and the Beverly Center mall.

[xbook]

Yo Ben,

If you and the wife plan to hit up the studios, let me know, I work over here @ WB, maybe I can get you on without needing to pay the $50 VIP tour charge.

Also, I highly recommend planning at least 2 driving through our hills trips. The roads here in LA suck, but he views are tremendous. You can start in the San Fernando Valley, and end up right at the coast. Truly amazing. The Mountain range that is along the Coast, the Santa Monica Mountains, have hundreds of miles of great twisties, that even a rental car would be fun to drive through.

As others have said, try to stay away from staying downtown. You can find some good deals in Glendale, Burbank, or Studio City area.

Also, know before you come here that traffic can suck. Here is a suggestion, try to make some plans, and ask some of us here how to get to those "plans". Every Angeleno has their own set of shortcuts that get them where they need be. We can be a good resource to get you where ya gotta go, without too much hassle. Oh yeah, also www.sigalert.com is your buddy for traffic info, here in LA. you can even tell it where you are getting on and off the FWY and it will tell you how long it will take.

As far as food, get yourself to a King Taco and have some tacos. I suggest the Carnitas and El Pastor. On a weekday go get yourself a hot dog @ Fab Hot Dogs in Reseda, don't go on a weekend as it's BUSY. Also you NEED to get yourself an original French Dip Sandwich @ Phillipe's in downtown. And ice cream out at Fosselman's in Alhambra.

As far as San Diego goes, it can be a bitch of a trip down to the SD area. Especially for a day trip. If you do go down there, BE SURE to get on the road early. My GF and I went to SD a few weeks ago. We made the mistake of leaving @ noon on a saturday. It took us 5 hours to get there. And it's only a 100 mile trip. The train is also a GREAT way to get down there, cheap and pretty trip. About a three hour ride, and the bar car starts pouring once the train starts moving.

Please hit me up with a PM before you guys head out here. I really love this town, and am always more than happy to show it off to out of towners. Buy me a beer and maybe I'll let ya drive my 1er down a twisty.

[Haywood]

Go to the Standard Hotel. It's been in a bunch of movies and shows. Awesome bar on the roof with a pool. You might see some famous people there and always good looking women!

[jc_lbc]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

COME ON!!! Guys... a "car guy" going to Car (Mecca)City, LA!!!

You gotta go see the Peterson Museum!!! I have always wanted to go there!

http://www.petersen.org/

+2. The Peterson is cool and in true LA style, it also has some "rap wars" history. Biggie Smalls was shot in his car leaving the museum after attending a party there.

[Simon_135i]

Originally Posted by TPLSM3

Thanks for all the tips!! My wife & I greatly appreciate it. I knew the fanatics would pull through. That Kogi van seems like an interesting concept. Keep the ideas coming though. Thanks again!

No problem! Just so you know, KoGi Vans can be a long wait... 20-40 minutes depending on your location and tim of day.