Six days to kill in California

[Homer]

In late April we’re spending 5 days in LA before taking Lisa to Disneyland for the first time. We’ve booked a two-week trip in total so that leaves about 6 days at the end with nothing planned and I’m looking for ideas.

We’ve done the usual LA tourist stuff in past visits. We’ve also been to SFO and driven PCH and we’ve been to LAS. My TA has suggested a resort near Laguna Beach but I feel it will be a bit sad compared with some of the resorts we’ve stayed at in Asia. Marge was thinking the Grand Canyon could be good. We’ve only flown over it, not walked in/around it, so I guess we could go back to LAS and do a day trip or something.

Are there any really worthwhile side-trips from LA that can be done in six days?

 

[TonyHancock]

Six days to kill in California

I'd probably only go for one victim rather than multiple. Makes disposal of evidence easier.

Personally I'd be looking at buying materials for cleaning up from supermarkets a couple at a time and include them with other groceries.....errr I may have misunderstood the subject matter having now read the post. :shock:



OK back on topic!!

I loved San Diego. The Spanish influence is so clearly visible still. (I find most US cities soulless places so any city that has a little more character interests me.)

I was disappointed I didn't take the time to head down to Mexico for a day or two.

 

[Homer]

We haven’t been to San Diego so it’s a good suggestion. It was originally on our list but my wife will want to visit the zoo and/or Seaworld and, after three days at Disneyland, I just couldn’t quite face it. Still I don’t think we can comfortably dedicate six days down there - maybe just two or three. As for Mexico, the wife likes that idea too but when I Google Tijuana it seems that we need to take a sterile bus/shopping day trip in order to have a good chance of being safe. That doesn’t sound like much fun to me. I wonder if it’s possible to have a more authentic Mexican experience in 4-6 days?

 

[Meggsy]

I would hire a car and head down to San Diego also. I had a ball there last year with my wife and 2 kids. Heaps to do and a really nice city to boot. Great factory outlet down near the border crossing if shopping is your thing and I think the zoo is one of the best in the world. Great beaches and a few theme parks as well as some wonderful dining options.

 

[ozmille]

Maybe pushing it a bit but you could either fly to Mexico or to New York. I don't really like LA in itself.

 

[Paddy55]

Maybe pushing it a bit but you could either fly to Mexico or to New York. I don't really like LA in itself.

+1 re New York
+1 re LA :evil:

Have been in LA just for 2 days before resuming DONE4 and heading to LHR on AA :shock:

Love New York, and if you haven't been there before go for it!

Paddy

 

[TonyHancock]

If you are thinking of heading interstate I can heartily recommend Boston and Charleston. Both are rich in history, plenty to do.

(I'd never call NY soulless, it is just very busy!!!! I did enjoy NY, but I'm not a big fan of crowds.)

 

[burrco]

Assuming you stick with CA what about out to the desert - maybe near Palm Springs? I'm a big fan of Joshua Tree (the national park and the album). I'd do a loop from LA out to the desert and down to San Diego.

 

[gumpy]

In late April we’re spending 5 days in LA before taking Lisa to Disneyland for the first time. We’ve booked a two-week trip in total so that leaves about 6 days at the end with nothing planned and I’m looking for ideas.

We’ve done the usual LA tourist stuff in past visits. We’ve also been to SFO and driven PCH and we’ve been to LAS. My TA has suggested a resort near Laguna Beach but I feel it will be a bit sad compared with some of the resorts we’ve stayed at in Asia. Marge was thinking the Grand Canyon could be good. We’ve only flown over it, not walked in/around it, so I guess we could go back to LAS and do a day trip or something.

Are there any really worthwhile side-trips from LA that can be done in six days?

exact same situation at the same time. I decided to head over to NY over the Easter and a couple of days after. I don't like LA... and with all the earthquakes I didn't really want to do SF... silly I know but you know...

On the 29th I'm on QF12 back to Syd, let me know if you need a hand guesting people in.

 

[casanovawa]

Yeah +1 or (+2) for San diego, we flew into LA and hired a car and drove down the coast to SD, great sea world, great zoo, saw a baseball game, toured USS Midway (Aircraft Carrier museuam int he bay) and did a cruise of the bay to look at all the ships of the 3rd US fleet (i think that's the number)... Nice city to walk around...

Could see if you could do a loop from there up to Hoover Dam and then To Grand Canyon???

The drive up to SF from LA is almost meant to be beautiful so if you wanted to spend a few days doing that and vv...

 

[Homer]

Thanks for all your posts. We’ve been to NYC before and we’re going again in July so I ruled that out. We’ve also done the PCH drive from SFO to LAX and so we don’t need to do that again so soon either. However all great suggestions and I’m very appreciative.

I just had lunch with a friend who is in CA a lot and he voted for San Diego and Palm Springs (via Joshua Tree) as a few did here so I think that’s what we’ll do.

Thanks!

 

[Homer]

exact same situation at the same time. I decided to head over to NY over the Easter and a couple of days after. I don't like LA... and with all the earthquakes I didn't really want to do SF... silly I know but you know...

On the 29th I'm on QF12 back to Syd, let me know if you need a hand guesting people in.

Thanks for the offer gumpy but we’re actually giving VA a go this time around. QF lost me a bit to EK last year and I sampled VA J SYD-NAN and really liked it so I’ve been waiting to give VA a try in long-haul. I was booked (but not ticketed) on QF for a few days last week during the sale but when VA matched QF - and actually undercut it on our route - I switched so we are now booked VA J SYD-LAX return in April and then again VA J SYD-LAX return in July for our big Canada trip (which includes a week in NYC).

I won’t call your fear of dying horribly in an earthquake “silly”. I was actually in an earthquake in SFO back in 2007. I had driven up from San Jose after attending a conference, returned the rental car, checked in and was waiting in the AA lounge for my flight to LAX when the whole building started shaking as if a giant hand had grabbed the terminal and was flinging it around. It was, um, interesting to say the least. I will never forget the young woman sitting across from me. She had her iPod headphones on and appeared to reach down and turn up the volume as the earthquake was in progress! I guess they’re pretty familiar with it over there! As this is a FF forum I should add that my flight to LAX was delayed for about three hours while they checked the runways at both LAX and SFO for damage (my flight was still on the ground at LAX during the earthquake and couldn’t leave for a couple of hours). All part of the fun of travelling.

 

[docjames]

Try flying down to ZIH for a good mix of decent hotels but still some more authentic Mexico experience, whilst still relatively safe. Note to stay in zihuatanejo (?sp) and not Ixtapa which is a mini cancun.

A trip to Merida and day trips to chichen-itza, uxmal, then tulum would also be a good 6 day killer (to use the theme) but waaaaaaay safer than Tijuana.

Just for ideas. PM me or ask if u want more details on any of these.

 

[UP4014]

There is so much to do if you hire a car there I wish I had your problem.

If you tell if you have any hobbies or interests we might be able to be more specific.

Just over the board in Nevada.

Area 51 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Matt

 

[Blackadder]

Keep in mind if you dod head across the border to Tijuana, it may be a problem with rental car companies.
Definitly a drive down to San Diego for a couple of days, or if you want to head further afield up the coast to Portland,Or or follow Route 66 West to Az.