My wife has a work related trip to small town to the north of LA in February. We are now thinking that my 2 daughters (1.5 and 3 at the time of the trip) to join her there. What are nice things to do around LA? Keep a couple of things in mind Normally we are nature (especially animal) lovers. So what parks would you recommend? We are not people who enjoy big cities, normally on our travels we avoid cities as much as possible. We might bring our kids so are there any nice theme parks there?
There is the Safari Park just north of San Diego. You can watch a cheetah run there, as well as have the opportuinity to feed Rhinos, Giraffes, etc. I avoid LA at all costs, so I'm not sure of what they have to offer. My wife and I went to Magic Mountain several years ago and will never go back.
You can feed rhinos? Do you give them food on the end of a stick you push through a 6-foot thick lead wall?
The California Science Centre is free and amazing. Kids will love it. And you'll be somewhat frustrated because there's so much to see but the little ones will won't want to move from the fun stuff. The coast around LA is worth a look. Tidepools etc. Topanga Canyon. And there may be a theme park or two nearby if that's your thing. But it's entirely possible to spend a couple of weeks around LA and not do any city or theme park things. LA gets a bad rap...but it's one of my favourite destinations. Lots to do. Rent a bike in Santa Monica and ride out to the wild life at Venice Beach. We just booked a week in October.
Depends on where you are. The city is a city so plenty of city things to do. San Diego is about 2 hours or so away so you'd be taking a drive to get there. Theme parks, Magic mountain, Knotts, Disneyland, Universal City (&city walk) Just depends on where you'll be and what your interests are. There is plenty here to do.
From the looks of it, they don't seem too aggressive(I believe this is Rhino pictured halfway down the page). http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/safari/caravan-safari
For your kids ages, Legoland should be good. For the nature lover in you, you have all those beaches Mountains: Los angeles national forest, Big Bear, Mt Baldy., Idyllwild Checkout this website for major discounts on most of the attractions - http://www.smartdestinations.com/san-diego-attractions-and-tours/_d_Sdo-p1.html?pass=Sdo_Prod_Go
Thanks for the replies. The work thing will be in Ventura. So we will probably head north. I am thinking about going to Disney park in Anaheim. Is this worth our time? My oldest loves Princesses.
If you're in Ventura, why not take the short trip up the 101 to Santa Barbara? Great beaches, cool downtown, and nice parks. It would save you from the hell of taking the 5 all the way down to Anaheim. The Pacific Skyliner Amtrak train gets you there in 45 and it hugs the coast most of the way. Not a bad way to travel. Your kids might enjoy Universal Studios, and it's relatively easy to get there from Ventura. Ditto the Santa Monica pier, but you'd fight traffic on the 405. You could also make a day trip out to Malibu - very scenic drive down the 1.
Thanks for the Tip. But since we have traveled to Africa a couple of times seeing animals in safari parks is not the same. I will avoid Magic Mountain.
If she loves Princesses, then she will love Disneyland, yes. You can get your picture taken with all of them. We have been several times and my daughter, 5, has a blast every time.
The drive from Ventura to Anaheim will be hell at almost all hours of the day. Sitting in traffic for hours to go stand in line all day sounds about as fun as shoving needles in my ears. If you do go that far, you're almost to San Diego county. Home to the best beer on earth. (Sorry, Belgium). Hopefully your kids like hoppy beer. You'll also be close to Catalina Island if you make it to Disney Land. Also near Ventura. The Channel Islands of California. You can take a boat/ferry there. Probably a good option if you're into the outdoors.
This is what I am afraid of. I hate traffic. Also Paris is a 5 hour drive drom my home so i can go to paris of we want to see Disney
The tide pools at Leo Carillo state beach are fun. If they like art, then the Getty is tough to beat. Lots of hiking in the Santa Monica mountains too.
Do you want nice food recommendations? I can give you tons of those, but they almost all have potential traffic and city complications if that's something you're trying to avoid. If you are in Ventura there are many great nature hikes in Malibu. The drive down the canyon just to get there is nice as well. You can also go an hour or so North to Santa Barbara, which is a great town, and has nice beaches as well. There is also some really cool wineries near Los Olivos, Solvang, etc. There is a great steak place called Hitching Post II there also. It's very casual but really fantastic steaks, and shrimp. There's Charmlee Wilderness park, which is usually not crowded at all. Another place which has some nice hikes though not the greatest is the Paramount Ranch. It also has a Western Film Location that you can run around. At first that looks like all there is to it, but it's fun to take one of the maps and hike the trails as well. You can run around these western streets all you want with minimal crowds Spoiler It's not for everyone but it is a set where plenty of American films, tv series, and movies were made. Plus the hikes are pretty nice. Escondido Falls is also near Malibu and has some great hiking and waterfall. Disney Land is cool if you like Disney. It's their 60th anniversary this year and there are some special activities that go along with it, that are pretty cool for everyone, and would definitely appeal to your oldest that is into the princess stuff. They have two parks, but I would only do California Adventure part of it if you have another day to spend there. If you do go to Disney Land try and go during the week (Tuesday - Thursday are the least crowded.) and get there about 15-30 minutes before it opens. You will wait in line 15 minutes at that time of the day for the same ride that will have a line of one hour long or more later in the day. But you'd have to wake up super early to get there and avoid traffic. I agree that the California Science Center is a great place to go as well. The best margarita in Los Angeles will be at a Loteria Grill location (I think there are 3 of them) or Malo. There are other good ones, but those are my favorites. I could go on about food and restaurants forever including some really great places that may not be on the over-exposed list. But again most of those could run into traffic issues coming from Ventura. There is a little fish shack on the Ventura/Los Angeles County line called Neptune's Net. It's kind of over-exposed, but it's decent though nothing fancy at all. It's pretty much fried fish and chips type food, that's really greasy, but also pretty tasty.
I am thinking of going to a sunday afternoon clippers game with the family. How is the access of staples center by car? And have any of you brought a 1 andere 3 year old to a game. What was your experience?
You can take the highway/freeway right to Staples. The 110 leads you right there and its a hop skip and jump away from the exit. That should be fun, just try to get there early if its not a weekend game.
There are a couple of options. You can get there by car fairly easily, but parking may be extremely expensive, quite possibly matching the price of a ticket to the game (depending on the tickets you buy). There are subways that stop within walking distance to the game, and you will only have to buy the price of the subway if you park your car at a park and ride. This website might be able to help if you choose the park and ride method. If you don't mind paying the parking then driving will be easier, and not too difficult.
