Los Angeles

Muppet Man

I will be in Los Angeles for about 5 days this summer. Can someone who has been there advise me on what to NOT to do /see , or the biggest dissappointment.

I'll be there for about 5 days and will probably cover most of what could be found by the Google search "Top 10 things to do in Los Angeles".

I will have a few days (probably 3 or 4 infact) to spare and I'm considering a trip down to San Diego, and maybe over the border into Mexico for a night. Anyone any thoughts on that / recommendations on this or on places to stay. I guess I would need a visa to get there as well.

No need to suggest going to Vegas, as I am going there too ;-)

Thanks
Muppet Man

iMax

post what you're doing & I'll tell you what not to do. Used to live there.

(kinda wish I still did)

Muppet Man

Hi imax, thanks...

Well some or all of the following:

Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Beach and Pier, Queen Mary

There wont be any kids involved in the trip.

Also, how long is the drive from LA to Mexican border... is it worth for one night in another country and cheap tequila? Or maybe San Diego?

Will be there in Mid May.

Muppet Man

iMax

Be careful around Venice, don't be to conspicuous as a tourist, Disney & Universal are great, Also if you get the chance, get to Knotts Berry Farm (theme park).

LA to Mexico is about five hours, might be interesting to go but TJ is a pretty scruffy/scummy town, worth it for the experience though. San Diego is much nicer.

Queen Mary if you get the chance, do the ghosts tour.

Also Warner Bros studio tour is kinda fun.

Alvero street is where L.A. began & there does be a market there regularly (more fun than TJ). Close to grand central station too (you'll know it from a million movies). The Getty Museum is worth a trip (if you have a spare half day minimum). Also Magic mountain is worth going to if you're into coasters.

Be prepared for loads of driving & have a blast.

Lirange

Muppet Man wrote: »

Well some or all of the following:

Two things to keep in mind:

1. L.A. is not tourist friendly and it rarely makes an effort to be. Places of interest are often far from one another and the traffic can be a nightmare even with a million lanes. San Francisco and San Diego are more compact and tourist conscious.

2. There are things to do in L.A. it's just that the famous attractions don't necessarily provide much or live up to expectations. People tend to want to go to some of these sights just to snap the photo and say they were there. It doesn't go much beyond that for some of these places.

Disneyland: Not bad to while away the day. But nowhere near as good as Disney World in Florida. Universal? Much fewer attractions. It's just a few movie theme rides and what you get after waiting in queues is much less rewarding than at most theme parks. If you're into adrenaline Six Flags Magic Mountain is the best theme park and is definitely recommended. Loads of rides and less family oriented which could be ideal for you. Rodeo Drive is genuinely interesting to gawk at but that's about the extent of it because you won't be shopping there!

Muppet Man wrote: »

Venice Beach, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Beach and Pier, Queen Mary

A warning about Hollywood. Don't bring high expectations. It's actually quite seedy there even the touristy parts. The actual locale must have been something in it's day ... back in the 20s, 30s, and 40s. But that Hollywood packed up and left ages ago. Most of the studio lots are over the hills and spread around L.A. Modern Hollywood is just a relic that just looks like any old kip in the burbs to be honest. Yes you can go to see the Hollywood sign, the walk of Fame, and look at the hand prints in front of the Chinese Theater. But I don't think it would be something to take up an entire day.

Queen Mary. This depends on the person. If you're really into maritime history then it's worthwhile. It's basically just a museum and hotel. It's far from other attractions in the area but there's an aquarium nearby. Santa Monica Pier is quite touristy obviously. If you're going to Disney which is in Orange County, you might want to visit Newport Beach and Laguna Beach just to the south. These areas are more quintessentially Californian in the sense most people imagine than Santa Monica or anything in that area close to LAX.

Muppet Man wrote: »

Also, how long is the drive from LA to Mexican border... is it worth for one night in another country and cheap tequila? Or maybe San Diego?

It's about 2.5 hours from LAX to the border. Give or take depending on traffic which can be horrendous. I would not spend the night in TJ. Many park on the U.S. side of the border and walk over to the touristed district. There are plenty of places to drink and it will be packed with American college students in May (graduation). Though it may not be as crowded now that the U.S. government has issued travel warnings to citizens because of recent drug related violence in TJ and Juarez. You also tend to get hounded by wanna be guides and people selling stuff. TJ is not the best glimpse of Mexico. Tecate, a modest town a little off the beaten path (inland into the mountains east of San Diego) is much better. There is an easy border crossing there. This is the home of the famous Mexican beer. You can visit the plant and get free beer.

San Diego might be worthwhile. Sea World is much better than Universal. The Zoo is considered the best in the U.S., probably the Western Hemisphere. The Zoo is in Balboa park where there are many museums. I think most would enjoy SD's beaches more than Santa Monica, particularly Pacific Beach and La Jolla.

Another idea is to take a ferry to the Channel Islands. You can take the ferry from Ventura which is just up the coast on the way to Santa Barbara (Same distance as Disneyland but going in the opposite direction with typically less traffic). I am amazed at the amount of wildlife in the ocean off California. It's a very undersold and under appreciated part of the state. You'll likely see a variety of whales, dolphins, sea lions, and seals which are in abundance along the ferry route and around the islands. I recommend it not only from personal experience but also great feedback from others. Note: This is different from Catalina Island which is not in the Channel Islands National Park but some people may steer you in that direction if you start asking about islands. Catalina is deffo not a recommendation.

Random

I used a company called VIP Tours and went on two tours.
1. LA sights tour in the morning and then Universal in the evening. I found I had just about enough time in Universal but I didn't really go on any of the rides, just kept the shows etc and once you use the timetable properly you'll get it all in. Maybe worth a full day if you're big into the rollar coasters etc.
2. Day trip to SeaWorld in San Diego. Feckin sun burnt head, face, arms when I left. Also make sure you bring a plastic bag to keep your phone in if you go on any of the water rides .. you'll get soaked.. all in good fun though and you'll be dry by the time you get back to the bus.

Would recommend both.

Hollywood sign was sorta like "meh .. is that all?" .. .. the names and hand prints in cement didn't do much for me either, but each to their own.

Muppet Man

This is awesome lads, thanks very much for that feedback. So it looks like I shouldnt expect a huge amount from LA (kind of got that feeling anyway) and San Diego is well worth a visit. This is terrific. Thanks for the tips too and heading for Tijuana. Will also give serious thought to the channel islands as we dont get much of a chance to see whales/dolphins around the coast of Ireland. Fungie being the exception ;-)

Thanks again Lads, great tips.

Muppet Man