Need help from south california people to plan a trip to Los Angeles
#1
10-16-2010, 09:08 AM
Need help from south california people to plan a trip to Los Angeles
Hello, last year I went to NY and many people from hd forums in NY area help me with my trip. This year Im going to LA, I'll fly from Spain to LA International (16 hours) with my wife and we want to spend 8 days visitin LA, San Diego and Las vegas. No bike, just car. we travel with lots of bags (ask wife...)
We are going to be there from December 4th to 13th and I would like to know a few things, BTW we are 35 Years old (just more info for the answers)
1) how is the weather in LA and Las Vegas in december?
2) whats the best/safe LA area to stay in a hotel?
3) Nice places to visit arround, landscapes, atractions etc..
4) where NOT to go (this is important)
5) has anybody done a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to Great Canyon? Does it worth the money?
6) nice outlet mall in LA, San diego or Las vegas area to go shopping
7) Best HD dealer/store to buy parts
8) Best rock pubs in LA to have a drink
Thank you very much for your help!!!
Is theres anything else I forget to answer and you think I should know please tell me.
We are going to be there from December 4th to 13th and I would like to know a few things, BTW we are 35 Years old (just more info for the answers)
1) how is the weather in LA and Las Vegas in december?
2) whats the best/safe LA area to stay in a hotel?
3) Nice places to visit arround, landscapes, atractions etc..
4) where NOT to go (this is important)
5) has anybody done a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to Great Canyon? Does it worth the money?
6) nice outlet mall in LA, San diego or Las vegas area to go shopping
7) Best HD dealer/store to buy parts
8) Best rock pubs in LA to have a drink
Thank you very much for your help!!!
Is theres anything else I forget to answer and you think I should know please tell me.
#2
10-16-2010, 11:10 AM
I haven't lived there for quite a few years so I am not a reliable source for all of the questions you have. But, I would like to recommend that you take some time and travel as much of the PCH 1 ( Pacific Coast Hiway ). It mostly runs along the coast (sometimes runs inland for short jaunts) and offers some great views along with some other tourist attractions in the towns and communities along its length. Also, I would have to say the Helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon is worth it. While you don't get the detailed views of actually being on the ground you will get to see some stuff you would otherwise not get to see. Good luck on your trip and enjoy yourselves.
#3
10-16-2010, 11:22 AM
Coming down from LA to SD, take the coast hwy below Camp Pendleton (you can't run the coast all the way down from the LA area.
The Gas Lamp area in San Diego is a great place to eat and do some shopping, Horton Plaza is a good sized shopping mall that is outdoors. Great places to eat in downtown.
San Diego HD in Kearny Mesa is a nice place, free food on saturdays at their barbeque.
We have a great Zoo here in SD, Sea World is a great place also. Balboa Park is a nice place, lots of museums.
Email me at usmc96@gmail.com, I could meet ya'll during that time.
The Gas Lamp area in San Diego is a great place to eat and do some shopping, Horton Plaza is a good sized shopping mall that is outdoors. Great places to eat in downtown.
San Diego HD in Kearny Mesa is a nice place, free food on saturdays at their barbeque.
We have a great Zoo here in SD, Sea World is a great place also. Balboa Park is a nice place, lots of museums.
Email me at usmc96@gmail.com, I could meet ya'll during that time.
#4
10-16-2010, 12:30 PM
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I'm like Redhawk, haven't lived there in some time but I do get back once a year. LA is BIG, if you get a hotel in Long Beach you could be an hours drive, in good traffic, to Universal Studios.
1) how is the weather in LA and Las Vegas in december?
Winter. LA does not get a lot of rain but they do get some, temps around 15 to 25C during the day. Las Vegas is high desert, could be real nice but could get some snow too.
2) whats the best/safe LA area to stay in a hotel? Any big name hotel should be fine.
3) Nice places to visit arround, landscapes, atractions etc..
What type of things do you want to do? There are a ton of attractions.
4) where NOT to go (this is important) The main unsafe area is east of the 405 freeway near LAX. In general the farther from the ocean you get the less tourist things there are.
5) has anybody done a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to Great Canyon? Does it worth the money? There are also fixed wing flights that land at the GC airport, take a bus tour to the canyon. Definitely worth it either way you do it.
6) nice outlet mall in LA, San diego or Las vegas area to go shopping
Don't know, my wife usually isn't with me, but there is a lot of shopping in the area. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is expensive but worth a look.
7) Best HD dealer/store to buy parts
8) Best rock pubs in LA to have a drink
no idea.
Thank you very much for your help!!!
Is theres anything else I forget to answer and you think I should know please tell me.
#5
10-16-2010, 12:47 PM
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Someone may want to chime on this, but what about highway 66
This is Americana, just don't know if you got enough time to see some of these southern California sights.
This is Americana, just don't know if you got enough time to see some of these southern California sights.
#6
10-16-2010, 01:04 PM
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1) how is the weather in LA and Las Vegas in december?
Weather in SoCal generally is very mild compared to the rest of the country. Reason why EVERYONE wants to live here!
We can/will get some rain in December, but only for short bursts, then it's gone in a day or two generally. At night, it can get cold after a rain. Maybe into the low 60's. Last year it was in the high 50's sometimes. I know, I work outside. I remember a Christmas when it was like 80* something outside. How's that for California?
2) whats the best/safe LA area to stay in a hotel?
LA is a big place! It would be easier if you told us a round about area where you would like to stay.
3) Nice places to visit arround, landscapes, atractions etc..
There are sooo many places to visit here. You can surf and snowboard all in the same day if you wanted to. If your a member of AAA, that would be very helpful. I really can't say what to do because I don't know what you want/like to do. Trust me, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO HERE!
4) where NOT to go (this is important)
A general rule would be if it looks pretty run down during the day, you don't want to be there at night.
5) has anybody done a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to Great Canyon? Does it worth the money?
Grand Canyon you mean? Never done that. There are helicopter runs from Long Beach to Catalina Island. I hear Catalina is nice, but expensive. I've never been. There are also helicopter tours over the Los Angeles area.
6) nice outlet mall in LA, San diego or Las vegas area to go shopping
Click here!
7) Best HD dealer/store to buy parts
Click here!
8) Best rock pubs in LA to have a drink
Anyone that's open!
Weather in SoCal generally is very mild compared to the rest of the country. Reason why EVERYONE wants to live here!
We can/will get some rain in December, but only for short bursts, then it's gone in a day or two generally. At night, it can get cold after a rain. Maybe into the low 60's. Last year it was in the high 50's sometimes. I know, I work outside. I remember a Christmas when it was like 80* something outside. How's that for California?2) whats the best/safe LA area to stay in a hotel?
LA is a big place! It would be easier if you told us a round about area where you would like to stay.
3) Nice places to visit arround, landscapes, atractions etc..
There are sooo many places to visit here. You can surf and snowboard all in the same day if you wanted to. If your a member of AAA, that would be very helpful. I really can't say what to do because I don't know what you want/like to do. Trust me, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO HERE!
4) where NOT to go (this is important)
A general rule would be if it looks pretty run down during the day, you don't want to be there at night.
5) has anybody done a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to Great Canyon? Does it worth the money?
Grand Canyon you mean? Never done that. There are helicopter runs from Long Beach to Catalina Island. I hear Catalina is nice, but expensive. I've never been. There are also helicopter tours over the Los Angeles area.
6) nice outlet mall in LA, San diego or Las vegas area to go shopping
Click here!
7) Best HD dealer/store to buy parts
Click here!
8) Best rock pubs in LA to have a drink
Anyone that's open!
Last edited by r8rs4lf; 10-16-2010 at 01:09 PM.
#7
10-16-2010, 03:55 PM
If you're talking San Diego (I grew up there)...
...it's a place you want to go if you've never visited the town.
Balboa Park is a huge area with a lot to offer that's really adjacent to Downtown's NE. Drive north along Park Boulevard, you'll see what I mean, from San Diego High School/ San Diego City College up to Roosevelt Junior High School (I attended school there and its property lies adjacent to the north boundary of the zoo.)
A few nice rides I'd recommend:
1) The backside of the zoo is CA 163. Start from the north (I-805) and work your way south to 163 during the late afternoon...truly a beautiful balance struck between natural terrain and old growth Eucalyptus. The ride dumps you right into downtown.
2) See the beaches. The San Diego River becomes a separating channel between a) Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs Dr (don't miss, runs south from West Point Loma Blvd and the OB pier) and Point Loma on the south side, and b) Mission Beach/Mission Bay (Sea World lies on the east side of Mission Bay), Pacific Beach and La Jolla to the north of the channel. I-8 runs along the channel river through Mission Valley and ends at OB (the beginning of I-8 used to be THE best hitchhiking spot in the world, according to Guiness. I don't know about now.)
On the south side of the channel from OB drive south along Rosecrans to the end (Juan Cabrillo Monument/Point Loma Lighthouse.) It's been 500 years since Cabrillo set foot here and offers an incredible vista of the whole bay and town. Riding north from the channel, stick to the coast and you'll pass through all the aforementioned San Diego City Beaches, UCSD (worthwhile to take a quick spin through), Torrey Pines and then you're heading north out of San Diego Metro, crossing the San Dieguito River Channel and traveling through beach towns Del Mar, Encinitas (Juanita's Burrito stand is cheap and good, though I found a human molar in my chorizo burrito one Sunday morning about 20 years ago), Solana Beach, Cardiff by the Sea and on through Vista before you get to Oceanside (Semper Fi.) Each of these beaches has a unique character...don't miss 'em: Windansea, Neptune, La Jolla Cove, and the legendary Swami's. This is not LA, and these are not LA beaches. These beaches are smaller and just call to you with a different song at sunset. Problem is, you can't experience all this in one or two days. Heading north on I-5 out of Oceanside is all Camp Pendleton property to the Orange County Line, with no public beach access (them troops is trainin' in the sand) with the exception of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant surf hang-out.
3) Another vista is Mt Soledad, which is just NE of La Jolla. Again, stunning views.
4) If you have the time, take a cruise through the old towns of Julian and Ramona (NE San Diego County) along Hwys 78 and 67 and old avocado orchards. Do it from the east going west. Takes you back out to the ocean in the north county (near Del Mar.)
5) Cycle Visions is on Taylor Street in Old Town, about four miles NW from Downtown along I-5 and right off I-8 about four miles west of the beaches. Lot to see in Old Town, too. Just east is Presidio Park. It's a short ride through, but if you're in the neighborhood and you go to the top of the hill, you get another grand view of the whole city.
6) Coronado lies across the bay from San Diego. Take I-5 to the Bay Bridge. Coronado's not that big, so you could troll around in less than an hour, visiting the Hotel del Coronado. If you want to come back to SD the long way, head south along the Silver Strand (CA 75) to Imperial Beach, and back around to I-5 north, unless you wanna hang a right and keep going south another 10 miles to Mexico.
John
Balboa Park is a huge area with a lot to offer that's really adjacent to Downtown's NE. Drive north along Park Boulevard, you'll see what I mean, from San Diego High School/ San Diego City College up to Roosevelt Junior High School (I attended school there and its property lies adjacent to the north boundary of the zoo.)
A few nice rides I'd recommend:
1) The backside of the zoo is CA 163. Start from the north (I-805) and work your way south to 163 during the late afternoon...truly a beautiful balance struck between natural terrain and old growth Eucalyptus. The ride dumps you right into downtown.
2) See the beaches. The San Diego River becomes a separating channel between a) Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs Dr (don't miss, runs south from West Point Loma Blvd and the OB pier) and Point Loma on the south side, and b) Mission Beach/Mission Bay (Sea World lies on the east side of Mission Bay), Pacific Beach and La Jolla to the north of the channel. I-8 runs along the channel river through Mission Valley and ends at OB (the beginning of I-8 used to be THE best hitchhiking spot in the world, according to Guiness. I don't know about now.)
On the south side of the channel from OB drive south along Rosecrans to the end (Juan Cabrillo Monument/Point Loma Lighthouse.) It's been 500 years since Cabrillo set foot here and offers an incredible vista of the whole bay and town. Riding north from the channel, stick to the coast and you'll pass through all the aforementioned San Diego City Beaches, UCSD (worthwhile to take a quick spin through), Torrey Pines and then you're heading north out of San Diego Metro, crossing the San Dieguito River Channel and traveling through beach towns Del Mar, Encinitas (Juanita's Burrito stand is cheap and good, though I found a human molar in my chorizo burrito one Sunday morning about 20 years ago), Solana Beach, Cardiff by the Sea and on through Vista before you get to Oceanside (Semper Fi.) Each of these beaches has a unique character...don't miss 'em: Windansea, Neptune, La Jolla Cove, and the legendary Swami's. This is not LA, and these are not LA beaches. These beaches are smaller and just call to you with a different song at sunset. Problem is, you can't experience all this in one or two days. Heading north on I-5 out of Oceanside is all Camp Pendleton property to the Orange County Line, with no public beach access (them troops is trainin' in the sand) with the exception of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant surf hang-out.
3) Another vista is Mt Soledad, which is just NE of La Jolla. Again, stunning views.
4) If you have the time, take a cruise through the old towns of Julian and Ramona (NE San Diego County) along Hwys 78 and 67 and old avocado orchards. Do it from the east going west. Takes you back out to the ocean in the north county (near Del Mar.)
5) Cycle Visions is on Taylor Street in Old Town, about four miles NW from Downtown along I-5 and right off I-8 about four miles west of the beaches. Lot to see in Old Town, too. Just east is Presidio Park. It's a short ride through, but if you're in the neighborhood and you go to the top of the hill, you get another grand view of the whole city.
6) Coronado lies across the bay from San Diego. Take I-5 to the Bay Bridge. Coronado's not that big, so you could troll around in less than an hour, visiting the Hotel del Coronado. If you want to come back to SD the long way, head south along the Silver Strand (CA 75) to Imperial Beach, and back around to I-5 north, unless you wanna hang a right and keep going south another 10 miles to Mexico.
John
Last edited by jtomhd; 10-16-2010 at 07:27 PM.
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#8
10-17-2010, 05:45 AM
thisis great! thank you for the answers. asking local peopple is much better than any travel guides.
I'm thinking about staying in a hotel in Santa Monica. looks "close" to hollywood, sunset boulevard, universal studios and rodeo drive.
Is Santa monica a good place to set my headquarter and move arround? would you recomend me a better place?
the idea is to be 5 days in LA and left 3 days for my tryp to las vegas and grand cannyon (half day to go, then go to the casinos first night, leave the second day for the grand cannyon tour go back to Las vegas and a second night at the casinos and go back to LA the third day, maybe is too much time in vegas?)
during the 5 days in LA I would like to go to San Diego (need one full day for that) so I have 4 days in LA.
what I would like to see during this 4 days is:
visit venice beach
hollywood
have a drink at the whiskey a gogo
watch an NBA Lakers game
and go shopping (or wife will kill me)
go to and hd dealer to buy some parts (or I'll kill my wife lol)
and now is where most help is needed, I would like to see some nice seesights, I would like to see not also the typical tourist places, maybe travel along the coast for one day... all help is more than wellcome
I'm thinking about staying in a hotel in Santa Monica. looks "close" to hollywood, sunset boulevard, universal studios and rodeo drive.
Is Santa monica a good place to set my headquarter and move arround? would you recomend me a better place?
the idea is to be 5 days in LA and left 3 days for my tryp to las vegas and grand cannyon (half day to go, then go to the casinos first night, leave the second day for the grand cannyon tour go back to Las vegas and a second night at the casinos and go back to LA the third day, maybe is too much time in vegas?)
during the 5 days in LA I would like to go to San Diego (need one full day for that) so I have 4 days in LA.
what I would like to see during this 4 days is:
visit venice beach
hollywood
have a drink at the whiskey a gogo
watch an NBA Lakers game
and go shopping (or wife will kill me)
go to and hd dealer to buy some parts (or I'll kill my wife lol)
and now is where most help is needed, I would like to see some nice seesights, I would like to see not also the typical tourist places, maybe travel along the coast for one day... all help is more than wellcome
#9
10-17-2010, 06:01 AM
#10
10-17-2010, 07:01 AM
Hola amigo..como esta.
Here's my view from one tourist to another.
I've been in LA and California many times over the years and like r8rs4lf mentioned earlier LA is a big place, a very big place but it's easy to drive or ride there so that will not be a problem once you get used to the traffic.
1 The weather in LA area and Vegas in December are pretty much the same as in Southern Spain, a little bit chilly nights and about 20-25C in the afternoons.
2 I don't know about safest, never had problems with that but I always try to stay in the OC area like Huntington beach when I'm there, mainly because I have friends living there.
3 There is so much to see and do and you don't have time to see it all anyway in 8 days, so it's hard to say.
4 As someone said earlier and a common rule for big cities in all countrys, ,If it looks like crap during the day don't stay there for the night.
5 I have done a Helicopter ride in Grand Canyon..worth every single buck ,but not from Vegas and I think you will have enough to do in Vegas anyway.
6 My wife like Macys and she always do a shopping spree when we are there.But there are others as well.
7 I always go to Bartel's in Marina del rey(close to LAX) , Anaheim Fullerton and Orange County Harley Dealers. And when you are in Vegas go to LVHD and if you want to see the Hoover dam you have one more dealer , Henderson Harley along the way.
8 As someone mentioned earlier..anyone that's open is a good start.
Don't forget Harley Davidson Café when you are in Vegas..Best BBQ in town.
I 'm sure you will have a great trip and enjoy every minute of it.
Here's my view from one tourist to another.
I've been in LA and California many times over the years and like r8rs4lf mentioned earlier LA is a big place, a very big place but it's easy to drive or ride there so that will not be a problem once you get used to the traffic.
1 The weather in LA area and Vegas in December are pretty much the same as in Southern Spain, a little bit chilly nights and about 20-25C in the afternoons.
2 I don't know about safest, never had problems with that but I always try to stay in the OC area like Huntington beach when I'm there, mainly because I have friends living there.
3 There is so much to see and do and you don't have time to see it all anyway in 8 days, so it's hard to say.
4 As someone said earlier and a common rule for big cities in all countrys, ,If it looks like crap during the day don't stay there for the night.
5 I have done a Helicopter ride in Grand Canyon..worth every single buck ,but not from Vegas and I think you will have enough to do in Vegas anyway.
6 My wife like Macys and she always do a shopping spree when we are there.But there are others as well.
7 I always go to Bartel's in Marina del rey(close to LAX) , Anaheim Fullerton and Orange County Harley Dealers. And when you are in Vegas go to LVHD and if you want to see the Hoover dam you have one more dealer , Henderson Harley along the way.
8 As someone mentioned earlier..anyone that's open is a good start.
Don't forget Harley Davidson Café when you are in Vegas..Best BBQ in town.
I 'm sure you will have a great trip and enjoy every minute of it.
Last edited by isac; 10-17-2010 at 07:59 AM.