Vegas and Southern California Trip

Walter Sobchak

Walter Sobchak

Walter Sobchak

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After loving our San Francisco - Monterey - Yosemite - Vegas- Grand Canyon road trip last year, we fancy doing something similar this year.

We would like to spend around 10 days in Southern California including LA, San Diego and Santa Barbara. How long should we stay at each place and any other suggestions on where else to visit?

Thanks. :)
 
LA is a hole. I'd do a couple of days there tops.

San Diego - 4/5 nights is good. Lots to see - Sea World, San Diego zoo, USS Midway, La Jolla, Coronado Island etc. Make sure you get to the Gaslamp Strip club for a steak.
 
Your trip sounds good, but a little too clustered around the SW to me.

- Do LA for a single day and one night so you can experience some cool bars, then leave.
- Santa Barbara is good for 1-2 days and you can drive north into the hills for some lovely scenery and good food.
- San Diego is great and I could easily spend 3+ days there. I highly recommend Marriot Gaslamp. NEarer the edge of the gaslamp district, but overlooking the baseball stadium and has a cracking open air bar on the roof, which you don't have to queue to get into on a busy night being a hotel guest.
- Santa Monica for 2 days would work as you can wonder down and spend a day chillaxing on the beach down by Venice. Plus this should be your last stop as it's only a 20min drive to the airport.


Or head back to Vegas and make the trip a little longer. Our 2nd trip out there last april consisted of:

1. Stay over LA (flight landed 8pm ish).
2. Drive to Laguna Beach (1.5hrs - lovely place, the gf and you both will love it) and spend day + night here.
3. Drive to San Diego (1.5hrs).
4. San Diego.
5. Drive to Vegas (6.5hrs)
6. Vegas.
7. Vegas.
8. Grand Canyon Day Trip.
9. Drive through Mojave Desert to Palm Springs (6.5hrs) and party.
10. Drive to Santa Barbara (5hrs) - Party and chill.
11. Santa Barbara relaxing and driving up into the hills in the 'Stang!
12. A short hop to Santa Monica, staying at the Georgian, relaxing down at Venice beach. Close to the hotel we highly recommend 'Bar Pintxo' (bar/tapas), it was amazing and the better than most Tapas the GF had when she lived in Spain!.
13. 1/2 day relaxing in Santa Monica before short drive to LAX and home.


Don't just limit yourself to hanging around LA and the SW :)
 
Walter Sobchak said:
Cheers for the suggestions! :)

Is Universal Studios worth a visit while in LA?

We plan on flying to Vegas for 4 nights and then driving down to the LA area possibly via Joshua Tree NP.
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Not sure, never went. The gf did some wondering around Hollywood whilst I slept off drinks from the night before. Then we drove up to see the Hollywood sign a little better, leaving LA soon after :d

Completely forgot about Joshua Tree on the trip from Vegas to Palm Beach. We drove through it, stopped many many times, the sun was low in the sky then we saw saw sunset from the amazing 'Keys View', before driving down into Palm Springs. Well worth it!
 
I didn't rate universal much but we were a bit rushed that day.

I actually much preferred the more 'boring' warner brothers tour round their studio.

Not a theme park type thing but found it interesting :p
 
I spent last summer flying around california, i was based in san diego and visited most of the places you mention wanting to go and see.

San diego is a nice city, but i wouldn't spend anymore than 4 days there, its fairly small and quickly becomes repetitive. Check out city sushi, my fav restaurant while i was there. I went to the zoo (very zoo like, i hear its one of the best in the world, but im a rubbish tourist). Never managed sea world (much smaller than the one in FL)

Sanata Barbera is nice, its a uni town so has some good night life and nice beaches, it was a little cooler (temp) than SD.

I love LA, but i understand that most people don't, i spent a few weeks there in 2007 and didn't want to leave. Lots of cool bars and clubs, universal, the trashy stars on hollywood blvd, the beach (although i found venice dirty and the pacific is cold even in the summer). There is a mexican place on sunset near the saddle bar that sells the best hot wings i have ever eaten, but i cant remember what it was called.

Sorry but im not much for sight seeing.

Oh depending on the time of year you might wanna check out big bear, not sure on the drive time (as i was flying), but its beautiful up there (ski resort in the winter months), but do not go to the chinese restaurant at big bear airfield - its awful.
 
-Ad- i never landed in palm springs, looked pretty boring from 8000ft, did i miss some good party?

Also joshua tree national part look liked the worst national park i have ever seen, but again, from 8000ft.
 
As mentioned above, 3-4 days in SD is a good amount. La Jolla Shores is one of my favourite beaches. Lots of shops, restaurants, things to see, etc. The SD bay is really nice as well--I'd rent out a jet ski :D They always have some type of event going on in the Gaslamp/Bay area... Farmer's markets, art shows, etc. For shopping I'd go to the Carlsbad Outlets. Brand name clothing made affordable :p

A must visit in SD would probably be Balboa Park for me. I think the museums there are free every Tuesday. The place is huge and would probably take an entire day to see everything.

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LA- Huntington Library. That place is just... amazing. The museum and gardens are something else all together. There are 2 Getty museums, both I highly recommend. The Getty Museum in Malibu is FREE! All that's needed is a reservation online before you go. Getty museum in Santa Monica is worth a visit as well. Some nice views from up there, and if you're an art junkie like me, it's paradise :p

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Beverly Hills is worth a see. Rodeo Drive and all that jazz. Venice beach has these canals all lined up with multi million dollar houses. Lots of people walk around there and take pictures, etc. Sounds creepy but it's just something you have to see to understand :p

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Edit: I almost forgot! If you're in SD and up for the 2 hour drive, Borrego Springs is a nice scenic hiking trail. You can hike to a real oasis which is something that never gets old to me :p As it is in the desert, I tend to try to get there as early as possible, and so by the afternoon you're nearing the oasis and you can stop by one of the hidden waterfalls on the way and take a swim. So much fun :o
 
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Walter Sobchak said:
After loving our San Francisco - Monterey - Yosemite - Vegas- Grand Canyon road trip last year, we fancy doing something similar this year.

We would like to spend around 10 days in Southern California including LA, San Diego and Santa Barbara. How long should we stay at each place and any other suggestions on where else to visit?

Thanks. :)
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10 days seems not enough for a trip involving an 11 hour flight but also too much for a trip only involving that small section of California. As people have said there is very little of interest in LA.

Extend to 2 weeks and go via Vegas and Pheonix or something :)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Vegas, Zion and then to Yellowstone is what I'd prefer rather than California, but the missus isn't that keen.

Fox, the plan is 4 nights in Vegas first and then another 10 in Southern California.
 
Zion is utterly fantastic, as is Arches if you go a bit further East. Frankly the whole of Southern Utah is amazing scenery wise.
 
Kali81 said:
I love LA, but i understand that most people don't, i spent a few weeks there in 2007 and didn't want to leave. Lots of cool bars and clubs, universal, the trashy stars on hollywood blvd, the beach (although i found venice dirty and the pacific is cold even in the summer). There is a mexican place on sunset near the saddle bar that sells the best hot wings i have ever eaten, but i cant remember what it was called.
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The only Mexican I know of even remotely close to Saddle Ranch, that sells wings, is Cabo Cantina. IF so, you probably mean their Diablo wings, which are so insanely good!
 
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