To skip LA even though DD has her heart set on it?

[DragonessOfFlagstaff]

We're doing a USA road trip in a few weeks. SanFrancisco to Utah. We were originally going to do San Fran - Vegas and LA and DD had her heart set on LA, universal studios, Malibu etc but honestly, LA is such a shit hole I really don't want to go so we've decided to skip LA and just do San Fran-Vegas-Utah and then back to SF. DD doesn't know yet and my mum thinks im being cruel making DD do a number of "boring" destinations and skipping the biggest thing she was looking forward to but it's such a shit hole I don't think she'd enjoy it anyway! AIBU to just call rank and knock it off the trip?

OP I totally agree with you!! LA is a complete shit hole, even as a naive Paris Hilton obsessed teen I thought it was gross. Can you stop off at the theme parks for one day and skip the other 'touristy' things? Would be nice to do something 'for her', as others have said, Vegas might not be too much fun for a kid.

I would include LA on your trip and leave out Las Vegas,for someone under 21 it is a waste of time and money really it is for adults only imo.
When we where there last year we never saw any youngsters out of a night time in restaurants or casino's,there was one family who left their teenagers in their hotel room every evening after 7pm for them to just watch TV,some holiday those kids had !!

I'm not a fan of LA at all but it's not awful, and if she wants to experience it she wants to experience it so let her. I'd ditch Vegas, if you had to ditch something, it's hardly a great place for kids once you get beyond the first impression of it. Or is she 21 and can actually do stuff in Vegas?? Let her go to flipping Universal and get to say she's been to LA...

I grew up in So Cal. Yes, there are bad parts in LA (as I'm sure there are in London and any other city in the world) but it's far from a 'shithole'. LA has wonderful museums, parks, shopping, sports and concert venues. Not to mention great restaurants and scenic districts.

Exactly what part of LA were you visiting?

And if you do take her to LA try to not do it with a ‘face on’ so that everyone is miserable and you are proved. ‘right’.

Oh, and Vegas is no longer the 'family destination' it was used to be a decade or so ago. It's pretty boring for teens now. Not to mention a bit rowdy and seedy.

Echo many PP LA has lovely parts. Getty Museum Is wonderful in addition to those already mentioned - observatory, Santa Monica, Venice, tar pits, Beverley hills, universal. Don’t be mean and take her where she wants to go.

Las Vegas is where Americans, and other nationalities, go to misbehave. Tourists are frequently drunk, rude, there are groups of stags being idiots, drugs, strippers, hookers - it's absolutely the last place I'd take a young woman given the choice.

I am not sure how old you are spanishwife but much of LA is far better than it was 20 years ago others parts not but tourists don’t tend to go there

I think the expectation is for LA to be beautiful and shiney and glamours and for everyone to look that way it certainly isn’t - far from it but it’s got some great places to visit though recommend if spending some time there to do your homework so you are not just caught up around Hollywood or Venice/Santa Monica Beach

It’s not just your holiday is it. That is so selfish.

YABVVVVU

I'd rather do as your daughter has suggested in LA than the interminable drive that is Utah. Utah is endless, and not that spectacular.

The vibe that is LA is something to behold and to experience.

YABVVVU

I’m from the South Bay of Los Angeles and I concur, LA sucks BUT!!! The beaches out by the airport are awesome! Hit Manhattan and Redondo Beach, OP. Drive to Palos Verdes and go to Terrania resort for seaside drinks and a walk along one of the most beautiful coves/beaches you’ll ever see. Take a ferry to Catalina Island!

m.terranea.com/map

www.catalinaexpress.com/schedule-fares.html

I grew up right next to Terrania resort, with a view of Catalina from my bedroom window. Terrania didn’t exist. It was open countryside and my nursery school was down on the beach there.

As a Southern Californian, that would be my itinerary. Skip L.A proper. Too much traffic. Head to the beach.

We had been warned off LA by loads of people on our US road trip but we did 3 nights and loved it. The drive down from San Fran is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen, we stayed in Santa Monica and drovd in via Malibu. First full day we did a ‘Day in LA’ tour which takes you to all the main sights (Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach, The Grove, Griffith Park Observatory) with a brilliant funny tour guide. Then the last day we went to universal studios and a mooch on Santa Monica pier 😍

PS: your DD would LOVE Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Malibu is very quiet and residential. If your DD wants the vibe, definitely take her to Santa Monica for good Mexican food and the whole energy that is quintessential L.A. then hit Venice. You’ll all enjoy this!

And watch La La Land with your DD. Yes to the Griffith Observatory if you’re heading into LA proper.

I love LA and think Vegas is a shithole. Don't take your DD on holiday if she's just an inconvenience

Well, if you want your DD to stop going on holiday with you anymore as soon as she possibly can, this would be the right way to go about it.

Surely for a substantial trip, one more stop for a day or two can't be so much of an inconvenience?

I did both last year with my daughter.
We stayed at Redondo beach (fab restaurants there) and also walked from Santa Monica to Venice beach. Granted Venice beach IS seedy but we quite enjoyed it, other than the smell of weed! It was like Blackpool meets sunshine !
Las Vegas was amazing..in a '3 days is more than enough' kind of a way, and we spent one day of that at the Grand Canyon which was great..I totally recommend the flying tours.
San Francisco was beautiful...by day. But felt quite unsafe at night and the sheer number of drugged up homeless every few yards along the Piers was terribly sad to see. It is the homeless capital of the USA. (do Pier 39 tho for the sealions :D )We travelled all over the USA and it was the one place we both felt we would not like to return to because of the poverty and homelessness.

I think if it's a family holiday your daughter should get 'her' trip in!

I thought LA was crap too.
Even the nice bits were boring/less nice than equivalents I’ve been too

Also agree with this
In this house the adults who are paying and driving set the final itinerary. Sure we may discuss options and every one is encouraged to give opinions but ultimately DH and I decide.

That said it’s a bit shit to say you will and then not - you should explain it before you go

YABVU you promised that to your dd, and she has her heart set on it. It's her holiday too.

YABVU. Let her go, it is her holiday as much as yours.

"Los Angeles" is really a huge area with a lot of different places in it. To be honest I've only been through it a little, mostly to go to an event in Pasadena, which is not that far from Hollywood and you can walk around it very easily and they have an arts quarter.

Among those parts you are bound to all find something to do that you'd enjoy.

In planning an August road trip, are you aware how HOT some of the places you're planning to go are likely to be? Remember Las Vegas is in the desert and temperatures are normally very very hot at this time of year. Even in October people don't really go outside much, just spend time in the hotels. I agree with everyone that there's more in LA for a teenage girl and I think for adults unless they just want to be able to smoke and gamble! The hotels are casino hotels and mostly designed to keep customers gambling and not somewhere else.

I've never been to San Francisco in the summer - have been there a few times in September, October and November and February and March. I really like it. If you're adamant that you won't go to LA, I hope you'll at least let DD have some say in activities there.

Someone mentioned Carmel and Santa Cruz. They're much nearer San Francisco than they are to LA - 120 miles and 75 miles south of SF respectively according to Wikipedia. Never been to Santa Cruz. I've visited Monterey twice, loved it, and Carmel was just a short bus journey away (I don't drive). I found Monterey more interesting than Carmel - both are quite touristy but Carmel was all gift shops and I just found it less interesting than I'd expected.

How old id she ? As a 14 year old I had spent 9 months looking forward to going on the Corkscrew at Knott's Berry Farm (back in the 70's, there was nothing like that in this country).

My Dad took one look at it and said I couldn't go on it...I've never forgiven him

Really shitty of you. LA is not a shithole for all of it. Only downtown LA which your df wouldnt want to go to. Burbank is where she will want to go.

Yes vegas is a shithole. Drugs. Guns. Prostitution. Gambling addiction and thats in a fucking dessert. Are you always so selfish?