Discussion
So, having done the Orlando thing and absolutely loved it I'm thinking about LA for next year, the Hollywood stuff and all that jazz. But I'd like to do it with a self catering Villa with pool like we did in Orlando. It doesn't seem to be the done thing in LA from what I've found so far. Any tips on Villa rental sites, or perhaps staying somewhere outside LA would be better?
Not a fan of LA, but a big fan of Highway 1 heading to SF. Some great driving, scenery and nice places on the way - Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Pebble Beach to name just a few, and of course pop into Laguna Seca as you close on Monterey...
As Puggit said, don't plan to spend more that 2 or 3 days in LA - actually, I would not plan to spend any time on LA personally. Horses for courses etc, but I hated LA and took the coast road north at the first opportunity every time I got off a plane there.
If you really want to see LA, you can fly into either SF or LA, and then fly back from the other one, it will give you a good shot at a road trip - maybe even making Death Valley and LV / Hoover area, or Yosemite, or Napa / Tahoe mountain area if you plan it right.
One thing for sure, the US west coast has some very nice places - a lot nicer than LA. Key factor, what time of year are you going? SF Bay / Monterey suffers from June Gloom - can be continually foggy and 20 degrees F lower than a 20 miles inland.
As Puggit said, don't plan to spend more that 2 or 3 days in LA - actually, I would not plan to spend any time on LA personally. Horses for courses etc, but I hated LA and took the coast road north at the first opportunity every time I got off a plane there.
If you really want to see LA, you can fly into either SF or LA, and then fly back from the other one, it will give you a good shot at a road trip - maybe even making Death Valley and LV / Hoover area, or Yosemite, or Napa / Tahoe mountain area if you plan it right.
One thing for sure, the US west coast has some very nice places - a lot nicer than LA. Key factor, what time of year are you going? SF Bay / Monterey suffers from June Gloom - can be continually foggy and 20 degrees F lower than a 20 miles inland.
SeeFive said:
Not a fan of LA, but a big fan of Highway 1 heading to SF. Some great driving, scenery and nice places on the way - Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Pebble Beach to name just a few, and of course pop into Laguna Seca as you close on Monterey...
As Puggit said, don't plan to spend more that 2 or 3 days in LA - actually, I would not plan to spend any time on LA personally. Horses for courses etc, but I hated LA and took the coast road north at the first opportunity every time I got off a plane there.
If you really want to see LA, you can fly into either SF or LA, and then fly back from the other one, it will give you a good shot at a road trip - maybe even making Death Valley and LV / Hoover area, or Yosemite, or Napa / Tahoe mountain area if you plan it right.
One thing for sure, the US west coast has some very nice places - a lot nicer than LA. Key factor, what time of year are you going? SF Bay / Monterey suffers from June Gloom - can be continually foggy and 20 degrees F lower than a 20 miles inland.
Everything this man says. As Puggit said, don't plan to spend more that 2 or 3 days in LA - actually, I would not plan to spend any time on LA personally. Horses for courses etc, but I hated LA and took the coast road north at the first opportunity every time I got off a plane there.
If you really want to see LA, you can fly into either SF or LA, and then fly back from the other one, it will give you a good shot at a road trip - maybe even making Death Valley and LV / Hoover area, or Yosemite, or Napa / Tahoe mountain area if you plan it right.
One thing for sure, the US west coast has some very nice places - a lot nicer than LA. Key factor, what time of year are you going? SF Bay / Monterey suffers from June Gloom - can be continually foggy and 20 degrees F lower than a 20 miles inland.
A great place to say we found was Pismo Beach. The hotel we stayed in had most rooms and a pool and Jacuzzi overlooking the Pacific. Epic watching the sun go down from the Jacuzzi with a bottle of Champaign or 2.
Another place on Highway 1 to stop off is http://www.hearstcastle.org/
If I can ever get the g/f to agree to go to the US we will fly into LALA land, spend a couple of nights there doing the usual tourist BS and then head off down Highway 1 to San Fran. Might possibly time it to fit in with Pebble Beach and Mothery (sp?) Classic as haven’t been to those since 94/95.
SeeFive also mentioned Carmel. If you go there you should try to get to the Hoggs Breath for a beer or two. It’s owned by a certain Mr Eastwood who I think did a few films and who used to be known to drop in from time to time.
Adenauer said:
Cheers SeeFive, it would have to be kids summer holidays time, so probably late July. I like the idea of a road-trip thing but am not too keen on chancing Motels and the likes with the kids. the Villa solution is ideal as I don't really do 'other people', they tend to smell 
Ah, kids... didn't spot that. Not only do some of us smell, but some of us are blind and boring old farts too 
Can't really help with the villa recommendation as we normally stay in hotels. Good luck with it, it's gonna be nice and warm at that time of year and there will be plenty of exhausting things to do with the kids.
Adenauer said:
Cheers SeeFive, it would have to be kids summer holidays time, so probably late July. I like the idea of a road-trip thing but am not too keen on chancing Motels and the likes with the kids. the Villa solution is ideal as I don't really do 'other people', they tend to smell
Agree 99% with SeeFive. I actually wouldn't spend more than a few hours in LA...really not my cuppa. SF is lovely, as is the PCH etc.I wouldn't worry too much with the Motels etc...standards around there (from my experience) have been excellent.
Yep, another LA lover here.
Really loved the buzz around the place. Not great with kids thought apart from Disney (maybe now too old?) or Universal studios. But having done florida you and the kids might find it a bit boring.
Hollywood Blvd and the Stars / Theatres are good to kill an afternoon. Santa Monica is great and Venice is rather like a camden on sea. If you do or dont like camden that is.
Great city as a couple, not great with kids. I'd do it for a few days then head north.
Really loved the buzz around the place. Not great with kids thought apart from Disney (maybe now too old?) or Universal studios. But having done florida you and the kids might find it a bit boring.
Hollywood Blvd and the Stars / Theatres are good to kill an afternoon. Santa Monica is great and Venice is rather like a camden on sea. If you do or dont like camden that is.
Great city as a couple, not great with kids. I'd do it for a few days then head north.
Hey,
I too can say that I do not like LA, I found it very bland and boring. SF however is an amazing city, if you are going with kids I can do nothing other than recommend going to either Clear Lake or Lake Shasta (both north of SF) and renting a house boat.
I was taken there as a young teenager at it was simply the most amazing holiday I ever went on, you are on the water in the sun all day everyday. Kids love it!
I have been back since with a group of friends 3 years ago and it was still simply amazing, we rented a ski boat and a couple of jet skis too. Had an absolute blast!
I too can say that I do not like LA, I found it very bland and boring. SF however is an amazing city, if you are going with kids I can do nothing other than recommend going to either Clear Lake or Lake Shasta (both north of SF) and renting a house boat.
I was taken there as a young teenager at it was simply the most amazing holiday I ever went on, you are on the water in the sun all day everyday. Kids love it!
I have been back since with a group of friends 3 years ago and it was still simply amazing, we rented a ski boat and a couple of jet skis too. Had an absolute blast!
I used to visit LA/So Cal for 5-6 weeks a year as my brother used to live there.
As posted above, LA itself is a sprawling city/county without much soul.
There are far nicer places on the outskirts and north that are more worth seeing.
If I were to visit again, I would fly into LA, high a nice car and head north ...
Ventura County's very nice, then the PCH up towards Carmel, then pass S.F. and head to Napa Valley wine region, visit the vineyards, etc., then Yosemite, then back to S.F for sightseeing, Alcatraz, etc., then fly out of S.F
As posted above, LA itself is a sprawling city/county without much soul.
There are far nicer places on the outskirts and north that are more worth seeing.
If I were to visit again, I would fly into LA, high a nice car and head north ...
Ventura County's very nice, then the PCH up towards Carmel, then pass S.F. and head to Napa Valley wine region, visit the vineyards, etc., then Yosemite, then back to S.F for sightseeing, Alcatraz, etc., then fly out of S.F
If you're going to stay in LA this is a great hotel....and believe me you won't have a problem with how the people smell. It's also right on the beach (not even a road to cross) which would be great with kids.
http://www.shuttersonthebeach.com/
It's expensive....but there's a good reason for it.
http://www.shuttersonthebeach.com/
It's expensive....but there's a good reason for it.
Beardy10 said:
If you're going to stay in LA this is a great hotel....and believe me you won't have a problem with how the people smell. It's also right on the beach (not even a road to cross) which would be great with kids.
http://www.shuttersonthebeach.com/
It's expensive....but there's a good reason for it.
And if you do the road trip, there are a few more I have stayed in that will avoid the smell - but at a fairly heavy price. As suggested above, there are pretty high quality hotels to choose from all over the length of the coast road should you decide a multi-centre holiday.http://www.shuttersonthebeach.com/
It's expensive....but there's a good reason for it.
Santa Barbara - Bacara resort & Spa - good beach location and nice grounds etc
Monterey - Monterey Bay Hotel - eat breakfast in the restaurant on stilts over the sea with the sea otters eating theirs floating on the kelp. Good for Fishermans wharf and the superb aquarium.
SF - Fairmont - Knob Hill, just classy, one of the few buildings not destroyed in the 1906 quake / fire.
Napa - Silverado, good but golf based accommodation in bungalows around the course (main mansion was the feature in the TV series Falcon Crest - impress your mum-in-law !!)
Tahoe (Mini Vegas in the mountains on a big lake) - We stayed at Caesars, but anything small with a hot tub would be better than that frankly.
Vegas - Mandalay Bay - typically Vegas and convenient for the strip. Not a Vegas fan myself.
Maybe take a look at some of the organised road trips on the web and see where they stay? Might be a start point to work out what is in the area and to plan time in LA and a couple of other spots with plenty to do with a few hours' dash in between.
We flew into San Fran & then straight to Vegas for 5 nts, then to LA for 5 nts, then back to San Fran for 5 nts & finally drove to Monterey for 2 nights (17 mile drive a must if you are into Golf) This was an excellent way to see most of what each place had to offer. The Flight was a standard one, in/out of the same airport with 2 internals tagged on. We did all this with a 18 Month old & it was fine. Yes there was a lot of travelling but it felt like we had been on a few holidays when we got back.
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