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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Los Angeles/Las Vegas with 2 x kids - what to do!

13 replies

snackattack · 23/02/2009 09:27

We booked tickets to LA over the weekend for July 31st for 2 x weeks with American Airlines (I understand they are terrible but hey, they were cheap!!). Anyway, I need ideas as to what to do - we've done Disney and don't want to do that (or Universal etc) again for the time being. We are completely flexible and happy to travel elsewhere by car but don't want to spend days in the car. My eldest dd(10) is keen to see Las Vegas which is a day away so we can drive there and stay a couple of nights. Anyway, what would you do and where would you stay?

Thanks for any thoughts!

OP posts:
MrsMattie · 23/02/2009 09:30

Santa Monica? Marina Del Rey? Nice, on the water, some good restaurants.

Drive down to San Diego? There's a fab zoo there.

If you're happy to do long drives (ie. Las Vegas) - drive up the coastal road to Northern Cali, San Fran, the wine country etc. You'd have to stay at least a night or two up there, though.

cmotdibbler · 23/02/2009 09:32

San Diego is lovely and well worth a couple of days

bellavita · 23/02/2009 09:33

Go to some of the lovely beaches, just chill riding bikes? Trip up to Hollywood?

By the way, we are going to Vegas in August, staying at the Monarch Grand Vacation Cancun Resort.

ssd · 23/02/2009 09:36

go to Ruby's at the end of the pier on Huntington beach (in LA), and watch the dolphins swimming by! you can also fish there

go to Del Mar beach on the drive down to San Diego (gorgeous) and hire pedal bikes and play beach volleyball

go to La Jolla, park at the coves and walk around, watch the seals and let the kids paddle/swim in the ocean(safe for kids)

CAT me for more info if you like

ssd · 23/02/2009 09:37

oh and go to Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, fabulous beach, great deched are at hotel for lunch (cheap too!), then have a wander around the hotel (great drive to get there over a fab but very high bridge!!)

ssd · 23/02/2009 09:38

meant great decked area!

Original poster
snackattack · 23/02/2009 09:42

Oh thanks - some fab ideas - keep them coming!!

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 23/02/2009 10:38

snackattack,

Do not rely on AA to fully provide re foodstuffs - take some with you or eat before boarding. Preferably do both.

Would strongly suggest you book some accommodation before you arrive in Las V. What sort of things would your 10 year old want to see there?. Weather is another factor; beginning of August will be in the 100s and walking about for any great length of time is uncomfortable. Your DD can walk through the casinos with you but will certainly not be encouraged to linger at all. Having said that the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is an attraction in its own right. The Signature at MGM Grand is both a non smoking and non gaming facility (they have one and two bedroom apartments) which is a handy escape after the madness of the casinos.

Knotts Berry Farm at Buena Park is worth a visit as is their water park. Do not completely dismiss Disneyland or California Adventure; some of the rides there are unique to those parks and have a different feel to the Orlando parks. Most of the visitors to California Adventure are themeselves from CA.

Would certainly recommend San Diego as well; the zoo there is first rate.

Original poster
snackattack · 23/02/2009 12:09

Attila - thank you - I am a bit concerned about the Vegas thing but my dd10 has seen pics on the TV of Luxor and the erupting volano etc and is keen to see it. I did visit with my dh a long time ago and I don't recall it being particularly child friendly! Our youngest is only 5 so again, not ideal but I think we might have to do it regardless for a couple of days. Thanks for the heads up about Caesars Palace and the MGM. We stayed at circus Circus and I hated it (but it's probably quite kid friendly!). Will it be THAT hot in LA? I'm useless in the heat - and don't fancy trekking round theme parks in the heat. We did Disney Florida last Xmas so feel a bit Disney'd out tbh.

I do remember loving San Diego though.... any idea on distances from LA to SD anyone?
Thanks again

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 23/02/2009 14:14

LA will probably be in the high 70s/mid 80s during the daytime. Coastal areas will be cooler.

If you're in the Anaheim area (for instance) a drive down to San Diego could take between 2 and 3 hours each way dependent on traffic conditions.

Avoid Circus Circus; that part of the strip area is not as good. You're better off staying at one of the newer Strip based hotels or Signature at the MGM Grand (we found the non gaming and non smoking facility ideal for us as a family). Las V is not as child friendly as it once was but times change and they still need income from tourism. Las V has changed an awful lot in the past few years and there is still construction going on around that area.

Its also blooming hot in late July and August too!. Temps of 100 plus are commonplace. I remember being there once in late July; it was 97 degrees at 9.40am!!. Its the desert heat, its a very dry heat as well and drinking water is important. The air con will feel very cold after being outside in that. Your 10 year old DD probably does not realise how hot it gets there in the summertime.

The Mirage's volcano looks good in the evening but a lot of people do crowd the walkways to see both that and the Treasure Island's pirate ship.

giantkatestacks · 23/02/2009 14:24

Another vote for San Diego - I got carried away and posted far too much detail on another CA thread quite recently - have a search. It only took us 2 hours to drive there from Newport Beach - you can use the car pool lane and that makes it much quicker.

Santa Monica is great too if you dont fancy driving somewhere - Huntington Beach and Newport Beach as well as has been said before.

We also drove out to Palm Springs and used it as a base for visiting the Joshua Tree National Park which was great - might be far too hot in the summer though.

ssd · 23/02/2009 16:13

if you are driving from LA to San Diego use the coastal road, you'll see Del Mar there as well as some lovely beaches, take about 3 hrs

kbaby · 27/02/2009 22:10

Weve been to las vegas twice, once with dd.

Circus Circus is cheap but tacky.

There are quite a few things to do with LO's. Cesars shopping centre has some child friendly shops and also put a show on on the hr which the kids seem to like. Theres Lions at MGM and the rainforest cafe, A zoo with dolphins at the mirage, Sharks and a huge aquariam at Mandalay. Then theres the outdoor shows, the show at treasure island, the bellagio fountains and the volcano. Also a good one would be freemount streets show on a friday night.

Avoid the casinos and youll be ok. Your 5yr old will prob be amazed at the lights and sights of the place.

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