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Need help planning trip to LA and San Diego


RebekahsZ

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Planning southern half of 2-week family California motor tour. Need help deciding where to stay/where to avoid. Traveling as family of 4 in a minivan. We will be leaving Pismo Beach motel on June 14, going to the Landspeed Hall of Fame near Santa Barbara, then hugging the coast down thru LA beaches, probably staying one night in the Santa Monica/Venice area, then heading thru Huntington and on down to LaJolla and SanDiego for 2 nights. Then heading into inland LA to see Hollywood stuff, Petersen Museum, SoCal Speedshop and Lebrea Tar Pits for 2-3 nights, then heading home. I'm looking for decent motels/hotels or cheaper vrbos in places where I won't accidentally put my family in gangland/drugland out of ignorance. Vrbos and Airbnb look good at face value, but the cleaning fees and arbitrary fees and security deposits can be amazing. I looked at one last night that was $150 a night, but you had to write a check for $750 to actually stay there! I'm hoping to spend about $150-200 actual dollars per night if I can. Maybe up to $275 if it is something really cool for that last 3-night portion. Advice?

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While you go inland to LA, you can try staying in Burbank. That's where I'm from and it's right over the hills to Hollywood (10min drive through Barham). If you're going through Santamonica/venice, stay in santa monica. Venice can be a little sketchy in some parts.

 

On you trip down from pismo I would try and cut slightly inland to go to Solvang and Hearst castle if you have the time and flexibility. 

 

For the Peterson museum, try and see if they are doing a cars and coffee weekend. They are definitely worth going to. 

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I highly recommend stopping in San Luis Obispo on your way down to Pismo. It's a cool college town with a lot of character, good food, nice hikes, and it's where I went to school so I may be a bit biased. :P It sounds like you've already booked a place in Pismo as otherwise I would suggest staying in downtown SLO. Morro Bay is fun to stop at for a walk on the beach and checking out Morro Rock. If you're interested in Hearst Castle, it's not far from the coast. I haven't been there either but I did go check out the Elephant Seals in nearby San Simeon which was a cool sight. I've heard great things about Solvang, as Blu mentioned, and that's on the way to Santa Barbara.

 

La Jolla is a nice place to stay. Why go to San Diego and then back to LA? I assume you're constrained by your plane tickets? It's a good 1.5-2 hours drive between LA and SD, possibly more if traffic is bad enough.

 

I have a few favorite restaurants in SD and SLO in case you guys care. ;)

Edited by Leon
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  • 3 weeks later...

Schedule is

June 13 Big Sur-SLO-Pismo

June 14 Landspeed Hall of Fame at Buellton-famous surf spots-supper at Santa Monica-check in at Airbnb in Hollywood area

June 15 Hollywood Bus Tour

June 16 The Broad Art Museum-Concert at Troubadour

June 17 Petersen Museum-Labrea Tar Pits-Cruise in at Bobs Big Boy in Burbank ( if they have it)

June 18 Cars and Coffee (if they have it)-beaches from Santa Monica to Huntington, visit Benton Motorsport (they may be closed).

June 19 free morning-fly out of LAX at 4:25.

 

I need supper recommendations in SLO and LA. (?)

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Schedule is

June 13 Big Sur-SLO-Pismo

June 14 Landspeed Hall of Fame at Buellton-famous surf spots-supper at Santa Monica-check in at Airbnb in Hollywood area

June 15 Hollywood Bus Tour

June 16 The Broad Art Museum-Concert at Troubadour

June 17 Petersen Museum-Labrea Tar Pits-Cruise in at Bobs Big Boy in Burbank ( if they have it)

June 18 Cars and Coffee (if they have it)-beaches from Santa Monica to Huntington, visit Benton Motorsport (they may be closed).

June 19 free morning-fly out of LAX at 4:25.

 

I need supper recommendations in SLO and LA. (?)

 

Wow, busy schedule! What kind of food do you guys like?

 

Some of my favorites in SLO are Thai (Thai Palace), Sushi (Yanagi or Sumo), Mediterranean (Jaffa Cafe), "New" American (Novo), and BBQ (Firestone).

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Thanks guys! So far, my wife won't let me pick eateries. She and the girls are using Yelp, and has so far veto-d all my suggestions. Arrived in LA today-Santa Monica was much more urban than I expected. Enjoyed the drive down the coast. There has been virtually no surf, so that has helped with my cravings to rent a board and paddle out. LOVED Pismo Beach! So quiet, so peaceful, so beautiful. LA is making me feel like a rat in a maze, but I should adapt here in a day or two. We came into Hollywood from Santa Monica right up Santa Monica Blvd. Being a gun-toting straight guy, I feel a bit left out of the party. The Mendenhall Museum in Buellton was really as much about painted and enamel signs, auto-memorabilia and antique gas pumps as it was about landspeed. The hostess, Vicky, was incredible, but there was only one Bonneville car there. I did get to study the 32 Ford frame and fiberglass body since it was mostly disassembled. Vicky was very, very knowledgeable about salt flat racing and cars. I hope I get to the Petersen as planned. Tomorrow is a bus tour of Hollywood and vic. We think our Airbnb accommodations here in Hollywood are owned by the Croatian Mafia. If I stop the updates, somebody tell the State Department that I have been sold into the international sex trafficking underground. Which my wife thinks I would enjoy very much!

Edited by RebekahsZ
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Cancelled SD portion of trip because of how much driving we are doing, wasn't letting us do any living. Finishing off the trip in LA. Our lodging is a little sketchy, but we were able to walk to the Chinese Theater to start our bus tour today. Achieved a childhood bucket-list item by going to the LaBrea Tar Pits. Very cool. Next time I fart in the pool, Im telling the girls that it's the methane from the tar under the pool! And right across the street from the tar pits is the Petersen. Went to my first wax museum-Madaam Tussauds beside the Chinese Theater. That was wild-I kept expecting the statues to start laughing as I had stare-down contests with them. Tomorrow we hit the Broad art museum for Rebekah, then in the afternoon we may hit the Petersen. I don't even know what day of the week it is! Spending money like a drunken sailor. No offense, So-Cal guys, but as an Alabama boy, LA is kinda gross. I loved surfing in Central CA back in the 90s, but down here there's just too many people and too little green grass and trees. I'm starting to understand the term "rat race." And right now, I'm one of the rats. I bought my house in Alabama for $228k, and it makes most of these Beverly Hills "mansions" look like match boxes. In Alabama, we aren't just keeping up with the Kardashians, we are leaving them in our dust! Next time I do this trip, I think Im gonna stick to small Victorian towns. Or maybe I will just head to Costa Rica.

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I missed this thread; I've been out of town the past couple weeks and busier than hell with work.

 

C&C is all over the place now.  The gran' daddy of them all closed last December and a plethora of them opened up all over the place.  The reincarnation of the original is held at the OC Fair Grounds every Saturday morning.  There are also other C&C's around such as Laguna Niguel (heard that one is quite nice), Corona (at Saleen's headquarters - its ok), and a few other places.  I would not worry about hitting any of the C&C's - the original was fantastic during its run and the startups, while interesting, just do not draw the diversity of the original.

 

Check out this site and their calendar of car events:

 

http://www.socalcarculture.com/

 

http://www.socalcarculture.com/events.html

 

Have fun!

Edited by ktm
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I got to the Petersen today. Upper floors were ok, but the extra $20 for the vault tour was well worth it. The only Datsun in the place was Adam Corolla's #85 BRE 510. Beautiful, simple car. Made me want a 510 all over again! After that I want one of those Art Deco Delahaynes. Beautiful stuff. I was expecting more street rods. Wish O had time to go to Wally Hall's NHRA Museum, but I don't. Tomorrow is Bob's Big Boy for supper. And will try to go by Hollywood Hotrods.

Edited by RebekahsZ
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I haven't seen a single S30 since I've been out here. I saw a couple of Z31s at the Sonoma drags, and one Z32 in traffic, but that's it! Went to Troubadour last night for a concert. Rebekah was in charge of Uber rides last night-that was pretty cool and easy. Maybe I will put my first app on my phone. Whole family needed a sleep day, so I'm just getting up and around. Heading to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank for Cruz Night for supper tonight.

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