2 weeks in California… LA and…?

[Suisse]

We are thinking of California next October for 2 weeks. We’d see friends for one week but then would have another week and wondering what to do then.

Anyone for something similar?

LA is huge. Whereabouts are you staying? If I had a choice, I'd opt for Manhattan Beach; one year we headed straight out of LAX to decompress there before heading to our hotel.

Our last California road trip, we flew into San Diego and stayed at Torrey Pines (golf). We loved La Jolla. Then up to Burbank for Universal Studios (staying at the motel used in The Incredibles), then off to Palm Springs; my favourite rest and relax place. Back to Santa Monica before flying home from LAX.

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb with a hot tub right near the beach in Ventura. Kids are 13 and 16. Ventura has a fantastic beach and some interesting shops and nice restaurants. Also San Fransisco - Alcatraz was interesting but you need to book well in advance. We were able to stay very centrally near Fisherman’s Wharf which was great. Loved the sea lions! Happy to share the Airbnb in Ventura if you like?

Zion. Sonoma.

Ok so we’re thinking:

6 nights Santa Monica (which is where we’d base ourselves to catch up with people we know plus mix in a few touristy bits)

3 nights Palm Springs

3 nights anaheim for Disney / theme parks

2 nights Manhattan beach to then be able to perhaps see friends one more time then get back to LAX easily

I think much further will be a challenge. If we weren’t seeing friends we’d have less time in SM for sure but we’re trying to strike the balance between having time catching up with people AND playing tourist.

We have toyed with swapping Palm Springs for Vegas but none of us are that fussed. We may reduce Palm Springs and/or swap it out for Newport Beach or Laguna Beach….

We did Yosemite in summer and didn’t get to see the giant red woods due to fires but there’s plenty more to see and do and we loved it, hired a cabin in the woods.
Monteray Bay is amazing, we saw the sea otters in the wild. Didn’t allow enough time here so sacrificed a whale trip.
Universal Studios in LA is amazing, trips round actual film / TV sets including Amity from Jaws which is also Cabot Cove in Murder she Wrote - mixed feelings about LA but loved this.
As there is so much to see it’s easy to plan too much and miss out on some good stuff - which we did in Monteray Bay. I’d stick to a mix of Yosemite and Monteray Bay over a week.
Found the beaches pretty underwhelming; stayed in Malibu, San Diego and Santa Monica.

I like this itinerary, though personally I'd find 6 nights in Santa Monica too much. The good thing is that I found SM to be very walkable, unlike a lot of LA.

Both SM and Manhattan Beach are close to LAX, so good start and finish points.

I absolutely adore Palm Springs. Plan to visit the Desert outlet store on your way in or out ... it's huge and has all the brands. I downloaded extra discount coupon codes.

The cable car up to the top of mountain is great; bring a jacket as it was freezing. Plus horse riding in the desert. If you're a U2 fan, a trip out to Joshua Tree isn't too far.

@Oriunda- loved the Joshua Tree NP but had my U2 bubble burst when one of the rangers told me the photos for the album cover were actually shot in Death Valley and not the park itself.

Las Vegas is horrible. Hot and horrible! At Least Palm Springs has a bit more going for it. Although I think Santa Barbara and highway 1 should be part of your trip and whale watching is a must.

We stayed in Marina Del Rey, then drove to Las Vegas, on to Scottsdale in Phoenix & flew to New York 👍🏻

Yes I agree that 6 nights in SM is a lot but I think it’ll make a decent base for seeing friends/family with some sights and touristy interspersed. Once we leave SM I don’t think logistically we’ll be able to catch up with them again. And I feel kind of bad saying “we’re coming to see you” and it’d be for shorter than that.

I had thought about Joshua Tree but read it’s boring for kids and we’re not U2 fans!

@Suisse Lots of people speed through California and don’t savour anything in depth. You can certainly use SM as a good base and we certainly did. I would recommend the Getty Centre as being worth looking at. Plus the Getty Villa at Malibu. Go and see the beach there. Plus have a look at Santa Barbara and the Mission. We enjoyed the beach area and you can get to Venice Beach too. Your friends will have other suggestions. Lots of good restaurants and we actually enjoyed driving along Mulholland Drive too. Spectacular views. You can always find something to do.

We spent five nights in LA a few years back and there was loads to do, so if you're going to be catching up with friends and family six nights will be fine. SM is a nice, beachside community to base yourselves in, although it has the same issues with homelessness and substance abuse that other beachside communities in CA do, so just be aware of that. I've never been to Palm Springs, but I'd love to go outside of the summer months. I think your itinerary is good - not too much driving and you'll find plenty to amuse yourselves with.

napa wine tasting!
vegas
Santa Barbara and whale watching

Sedona and the Grand Canyon are amazing, but very much not in California, they are a long way from LA. Las Vegas also not in California and is very much a marmite place, I wouldn’t go back if you paid me.

@ChemengerQuite agree about LV! We just flew in and got a hire car the next day. I simply don’t get why anyone would add it on to California.

I forgot to mention the Max Factor building in LA. Has lots of costumes from films and is quite enjoyable. Pasadena is easy to get to and the Huntington Gallery and gardens are very good. They have some beautiful paintings by Gainsborough.