Southern California - Look for Advice- Off Topic

For 4 days here I would spend 1 at Lego land, another at the San Diego zoo, 1 at the beach and 1 lounging by the hotel pool with a drink in my hand.

 

Yeah, If you're in San Diego you'll kill a full day driving trying to get to Yosemite, and maybe never make it through LA.

 

I was thinking a day at the beach would be nice... Is there a Beach within reasonable range of San Diego worth checking out?

 

San Diego the city? Yes, la Jolla cove.
San Diego the county? Uffffffffffffff google it.

 

Disney is actually not too bad if you go mid week. Especially if you get the fast pass on the rides you want to go on saved so much time. You can kill a whole day and see the whole park. Disney was pricey but hey when in Rome right. I'm just saying it was worth it when I took my fam.

 

Other places to visit in Socal ...


San Diego Wild Animal park

Palomar Observatory

Catalina Island

Calico Ghost town


If visiting during the Summer you can enjoy Mammoth mtn /Mammoth lakes or Big Bear lake or Lake Arrowhead

 

I second this, or Sequoia. Seeing the giant's in person is hard to put in words.

A zipline tour would fun as well https://actiontourscalifornia.com/zipline-tour/

 

What time of year? I would suggest with only 4 days and needing to Legoland, to stay to the southern part of the state, specifically OC and south.

Also, where do you want to stay? budget? I can give you a whole line of suggestions with a bit more info.

 

Thanks All, you are giving me a lot to think about haha..

Additional info-

Our trip is in the end of June, budget is well.. There isn't a set budget but we are not known to waste money, we tend to be frugal but that being said if its worth spending we will spend.. Hotels we will probably stick to more of chain type reasonable priced place not looking to get real fancy there, rather spend the money on experiences and making the kids happy. I think the current plan is to stay (hotel) in around San Diego area.

 

I would suggest looking into the San Diego Hilton Bayfront. It is a very nice hotel on the San Diego Bay that is reasonably priced for the area. You are walking distance to Seaport Village and the GasLamp district for food, entertainment, shopping. It has a starbucks and FoxSports Grill as well as an Ice cream shop and Hotel restaurants. It also has a nice pool/bar area.

Legoland is not too far away for a day outing in Carlsbad. You can also check out the cool surf town of Encinitas with a lot of great surf/tidepool sights nearby in Leucadia etc.

For things to do in San Diego, the zoo is excellent. Tour the Midway Aircraft Carrier is very cool. A jet boat ride in the harbor is a good thrill ride for the kids.

The San Diego Hilton Bayfront is across the street from Petco Park. You can catch a baseball game and easily walk across the bridge to the ballpark and walk back. Great Stadium with great food and beer. If Padres aren't playing, its always fun to take a tour if you are interested in baseball.

Belmont Park is a fun oceanside amusement park near Mission Bay and Mission Beach. Pacific Beach is nearby as well. The La Jolla Coves are an awesome sight. You can rent a kayak here and paddle out near the sealions and wildlife near the coves.

 

also, could rent kayaks/paddle boards in the Long Beach marina, then hit up Joe's Crab Shack after (also in LB marina)

 

If you’re looking to stay in San Diego and are thinking of heading in towards Orange County or Los Angeles you may want to plan that for the weekend. Weekday traffic sucks.

My personal opinion is that the beaches in San Diego are nicer than the ones in Los Angeles.

If you like the animal experience then San Diego Wild Animal Park is good and they offer a caravan tour which is kind of cool.

I personally enjoy Lego Land but I love Legos.

Also, there’s the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach which is nice. The kids can pet the sharks and stingrays.

Also, a lot of people think it’s cool to go into Hollywood. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, etc. I think these are just a tourist trap and wouldn’t recommend them but some people are into that sort of thing. I would also say it can get a little “iffy” there.

Whatever you decide, have fun and be safe!!

 

4 days is not enough, I suggest just concentrate on one area (San Diego, norcal etc) the drive alone will eat up most of a day going from norcal to socal. Figure out what you guys want to do (camping/hiking) or amusement parks/zoos/restuarants or beach. Unfortunately you won't have time to do all that in 4 days. Hell a lot of people who go to Disneyland stay there for 4 days or more to do both Disney and California adventure

 

If you're staying in San Diego, you should make time to see Balboa Park. The zoo is located in Balboa Park so you'll be in the area but it's a really, really nice park to walk around or have a picnic in. Balboa Park/the zoo are easy to get to with public transportation and there are lots of museums to choose from. Others suggestions above are great but I wanted to make sure Balboa Park is at least mentioned.

https://www.balboapark.org/

Have fun!

 

Montana

 

If you have kids you should check out the LA Go Card. There is a lot of cool places it allows you to check out and in my opinion definitely worth it. We used it last summer and actually saved a good chunk of money.