California / Las Vegas Information
melbgi...@hotmail.com
We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
questions:
1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful one
day, perfect the next".
3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and take
a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
All up, we are spending 5-6 weeks in the US and want to see as much as we
can but not to the point where we are exhausted from our trip.
We need all the help we can get - travel brochures and travel agents just
don't have 'all' the answers - I've learnt that local input is the key !
Thank you very much in advance !!!
PeterL
melbgi...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hello
>
> We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
> flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
> Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
> Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
> and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
> Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
> trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
> questions:
>
> 1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
I would schedule about 1-2 weeks.
> 2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
> rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful one
> day, perfect the next".
January is the rainy season, although it don't rain "a lot". You may
run into several rainy days.
> 3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
Definitely hire a car. The areas you want to visit is huge, and public
transport from one place to the next will take hours.
> 4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
Lots. But if you are concentrating on southern California, definitely
spend some time in San Diego.
>
> We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and take
> a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
> obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
About 2-3 days. If you want to include the Grand Canyon, probably 5-7
days.
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
>
Gamble?
Binyamin Dissen
:>We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
:>flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
:>Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
:>Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
:>and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
:>Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
:>trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
:>questions:
:>1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
Can't help there.
:>2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
:>rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful one
:>day, perfect the next".
It does get down to 15C or so and there are infrequent rains.
I was born in Chicago and the few years I was there I rarely had the need to
wear a jacket.
:>3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
LA does not have useful public transit. Trips will take quite a while.
:>4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
:>We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and take
:>a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
:>obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
:>What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
Not much.
Vegas is colder than LA.
--
Binyamin Dissen <bdi...@dissensoftware.com>
http://www.dissensoftware.com
Should you use the mailblocks package and expect a response from me,
you should preauthorize the dissensoftware.com domain.
I very rarely bother responding to challenge/response systems,
especially those from irresponsible companies.
JN
1. I would play it by ear since you are there for a few weeks, see what
the weather is like first before deciding.
2. Not too sure, don't live there just visit every year. I have never
gone in jan though.
3. Get a car for sure, LA and area is very large.
4. I enjoy driving up the coast on hwy 1 up to pismo beach and big sur area.
las Vegas:
I am not a gambler so I found after 24 hours I was done there. The
canyon is a few hours away and definitely worth the trip. If you are
coming all that way over and going to LV anyways a few more hours won't
hurt. Just remember it is a good 5-6 hour trip from LA to LV (beach to
strip) so take that into consideration when planning days.
There are lots of shows, shopping and food there, other than that I am
not sure what else to do there
have fun
garciy...@hotmail.com
shopping trip to tijuana?
I dont think there is anything there you cant find in the states. And
if it is the obviuos reason for going, the border is not a fun place to
find out that bringing back meds, either the prescription kinds, or the
the recreational kind can land you in a whole heap of trouble!!!
Chuck
Cathy Kearns
<melbgi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4512...@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Hello
>
> We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
> flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
> Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
> Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
> and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
> Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
> trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
> questions:
>
> 1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
day at each, and maybe a couple of days to do Disneyland and California
Adventure. So maybe 6 days or a week in the LA area, 4 or 5 days in San
Diego?
> 2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
> rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful
one
> day, perfect the next".
January is dead of winter, which is our rainy season. Almanacs say it
averages 6 rainy days in January, but from experience, it either rains
continuously for days, or it doesn't. We don't often get just a day or
afternoon of rain in the winter. Some winters we get very little rain,
others it seems to rain for 4 months straight. Average high is 18C, but the
average temperature (meaning most the day) is closer to 14C.
> 3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
As others said, you'll need a car.
> 4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
What are you interested in? There are quite a few interesting art museums,
lots of amazing shopping centers, tv show tapings/tours of filming on
location for tv shows and movies, the ocean, a wine country up near Santa
Barbara, snow skiiing, basketball (both pro and college) and hockey games,
concerts ranging from classical to rock, it depends on what sounds exciting
to you.
>
> We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and
take
> a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
> obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
If you are under 21 (exactly how old is an Aussie girl?) then gambling, and
for that matter drinking alchohol in California and Nevada is out, so that
narrows options a ton in Las Vegas. If you are over 21, just wandering the
hotels, nightclubs, and casinos can be fun. Shows range from singing
(Celine Dion), to magic, to Circ de Soliel shows, to all sorts of things, so
again, it depends on what you are interested in.
PTravel
>
> We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
> flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
> Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
> Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
> and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
> Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
> trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
> questions:
>
> 1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
It really depends on your interests. My personal opinion is that LA is one
of the less interesting places in the US (and I lived there for 20 years).
Note that Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm are in Anahiem, a different city
about one hour south of Los Angeles (much more than an hour during rush hour
traffic). San Diego is at least a 2-hour drive from LA.
Tiajuana is 45 minutes to an hour from San Diego, "as the crow flies."
Border crossing delays can add to that considerably, particularly on the
return to the U.S. I have no idea why you would want to go shopping in
Tiajuana. it is a dismal, tacky, dangerous border town that will give you
no sense of Mexico, its people or its culture. If you're bound and
determined to go south of the border, you might consider spending an
additional hour and driving down to Ensenada. It's a marginally nicer town,
though not as good for shopping as it once was -- it's now a cruise ship
port, and a lot of the businesses are geared towards fleecing
unsophisticated cruise passengers.
If you're interested in the film industry, I'd recommend skipping Universal
Studios, which is Just Another Theme Park, and has little or nothing to do
with how movies are made. Paramount and Warner Bros. both offer true studio
tours that will give you a behind-the-scenes look at film production. Both
require reservations. I believe that Warner Bros. has a "VIP" tour that
costs more but is supposed to be excellent.
> 2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
> rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful
> one
> day, perfect the next".
Before the weather turned strange about 10 years ago, it used to rain rather
consistently during January and February -- I remember years when it rained
for several weeks without stop. Now? Who knows.
> 3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
Definitely hire a car. Public transport in LA is horrible.
You can no longer climb up to the Hollywood sign. It's best viewed from
Beachwood Canyon, a street accessible from Franklin Avenue in Hollywood.
You'll need a car to drive up the street.
> 4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
Northern California is quite nice. You could drive from LA up to San
Francisco, stopping at San Simeon, the site of Hearst Castle, on the way.
You could also visit wine country north of San Francisco.
>
> We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and
> take
> a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
> obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would
recommend?
Allow at least 2 nights in Las Vegas, regardless of whether you gamble or
not. The drive from LA to Las Vegas takes about 4 to 4-1/2 hours, as long
as you don't leave for Las Vegas on a Friday afternoon. If you leave LA
early in the morning, you can easily make Las Vegas in time for a noon
check-in, leaving the rest of the day free to explore. If this is your
first time, stay on the Strip, not downtown, though downtown is worth a
visit -- go in the evening and watch the free Fremont Street Experience. On
the Strip, stay at a mid-Strip hotel (there's something for most budgets) --
Caesars Palace, the Venetian, the Bellagio, the Monte Carlo, Flamingo or
Ballys. The Strip is very, very long -- staying on either end (Mandalay
Bay, Tropicana, Luxor on one end or Wynn, Treasure Island on the other) will
make it difficult to see all the hotel/casinos. Avoid Excalibur and Circus
Circus, both for the location and the hordes of screaming children.
If you're Star Trek fans, go to the Las Vegas Hilton and have a drink in
Quark's Bar. See the free fountain show at the Bellagio and watch the
volcano explode at the Mirage. For something truly tacky (well, it is Las
Vegas), watch the pirate show at Treasure Island (though I think that is
something you could skip with little loss).
As for shows, it depends on your tastes. Cirque du Soliel is always popular
and, now, there are five Cirque shows running. If you've never seen Cirque
du Soliel, I'd suggest Mystere. If you have, I'd suggest 'O'. If you've
never seen an Imax film, Caesars has an Imax theater that is always showing
something interesting.
The drive out from LA is quite pleasant when there isn't too much traffic.
You go through both the high and low desert, and skirt the edge of Death
Valley. If you've never experienced it before, the scenery can be quite
dramatic -- vast stretches of utter desolation.
The Grand Canyon is about a 5 - 6 hour drive from Las Vegas. The route will
take you over the Hoover Dam. If you're not likely to be back this way, I'd
definitely recommend a visit to the Grand Canyon -- it's breath-takingly
beautiful. If you can, get up before dawn to see sunrise over the Canyon.
>
> All up, we are spending 5-6 weeks in the US and want to see as much as we
> can but not to the point where we are exhausted from our trip.
With that much time, you should definitely come up north and see San
Francisco, the Bay Area and wine country. California is a very big state
and, particularly in Southern California, has evolved a "car culture" that
means you'll be spending a lot of time driving. Except in LA and San
Francisco traffic, this should not be unpleasant.
>
> We need all the help we can get - travel brochures and travel agents just
> don't have 'all' the answers - I've learnt that local input is the key !
Telling us your interests and giving us a rough idea of your ages would be
helpful. For instance, if you're under 21, I'd recommend skipping Las Vegas
entirely.
PTravel
"Cathy Kearns" <cathy_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:D0DQg.4051$6S3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
> January is dead of winter,
It is indeed, and many visitors to Southern California and Las Vegas forget
that both are desert climates, meaning it can get surprisingly cold at
night -- the OP should make sure she brings sweaters and a not-so-light
jacket.
Anonymous
Unlike others, I suggest that you do a combination of cars, trains,
buses and airplane. Californian's love their cars, so few could
imagine anyone surviving without a car.
There is fairly good train service between LA and San Diego and, to a
lesser extent, communities north of LA. The LA area has an extensive
network of local trains and buses. San Diego has an excellent rail
system, which will take you to the border so you can walk to Tijuana.
For the intercity rail go to www.amtrak.com and look up the Pacific
Surfrider line. For LA transit, go to www.mta.net. For San Diego, go
to www.sdcommute.com. Unfortunately, the LA region has lots of small
transit systems, so you might also want to check out
www.transit-rider.com.
Just like in OZ, there are local tour companies that have day trips
and part day trips to various tourist attractions in Southern
California. Some of these may be more economical than renting a car -
others may not.
LA to Las Vegas is a long boring drive, so consider flying on one of
our discount airlines. The Grand Canyon is less than a five hour
drive from Las Vegas. It is four hours from Phoenix, Arizona and
there are more interesting things along the way.
Southwest Airlines currently has a special from the LA area to Las
Vegas of $109 for airfare plus two nights at Circus Circus Hotel.
Other discount airlines to check out are JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant
and ATA.
Once you figure out where you can go by public transit,plan to rent a
car for the other places you want to go. Enterprise is generally the
least expensive of the national car rental agencies. There are other
agencies that rent older cars at lower rates. One such company that I
have used is Rent a Wreck.
Two things to keep in mind about car rentals are 1) there is almost
always an airport service charge if you rent a an airport, so other
locations may be cheaper, and 2) you usually pay the same price to
rent a car for 5 days as you do for 7, so schedule your driving trips
to take advantage of this.
>4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
In the LA area, I suggest that you visit 1) Santa Monica and Venice
Beach (take the Wilshire Blvd bus to the ocean), 2) Old Town Pasadena
(a short train ride from downtown LA), 3) the Getty Museum in Malibu
(they keep their Greek and Roman antiquities there), 4) the Gene Autry
Museum (www.autry-museum.org - cowboy museum north of downtown), 5)
the San Diego Zoo (www.sandiegozoo.org), 6) Old Town San Diego, 7)
Mission San Juan Capistrano (where the swallow return each year).
If you venture to Northern California, San Francisco is fabulous,
Monterey and Carmel are quaint, the Big Sur Coast is our Great Ocean
Road, but, alas, we have no Apostles. Hearts Castle is a must see if
you like architecture and art (www.hearstcastle.com). There are also a
number of places along this route where you can stop and see seals and
sea elephants. San Luis Obispo (where I currently live) is a nice
place to stop and Santa Barbara is even nicer.
Consider flying into Phoenix for your trip to the Grand Canyon. Along
the way, you can visit some of our Indian ruins - homes and cities
that they built 700 to 1100 years ago. The Heard Museum in Phoenix
has lots of Indian art and artifacts if these interest you. Sedona is
a beautiful artists town on the way to the Grand Canyon and Oak Creek
Canyon (betwen Sedona and Flagstff) is beautiful. You could run into
snow between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon in January, but it
probably won't amount to much.
If you can get a stop over in Hawaii, I encourage you to spend a
couple days there and to get out of Honolulu.
Enjoy the States. I absolutely love your country.
Jame...@gmail.com
> We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience
> the lights and sights and take a trip to the Grand Canyon.
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
In addition to seeing the casinos on the Strip, you might want to visit
nearby Hoover Dam, which is quite spectacular. Also you might enjoy
seeing the desert scenery at Red Rock Canyon or Valley of Fire
(personally I prefer V.O.F., although it's a longer drive).
The Grand Canyon is amazing and you should definitely visit if it you
have time. It's about a 5-1/2 hour drive from Vegas to the South Rim
(the main tourist area), so it's best to spend the night there, but
it's *possible* to do it as a day trip if you have to (leave Vegas
early morning, spend most of the afternoon there, and get back to Vegas
by midnight). There are also one-day bus tours available from Vegas,
although I think most of them go to the western end of the Canyon,
which isn't as spectacular as the South Rim.
Another possible day trip from Vegas is Death Valley National Park.
James
Jame...@gmail.com
San Francisco is a fantastic city to visit (in fact, a lot of folks
would consider it a better tourist city than L.A.)
To the south of San Franciso is the lovely Monterey area, where you'll
find fantastic ocean views (especially on the "17-Mile Drive" scenic
drive). Further south are more spectacular ocean views in the Big Sur
area, and further south is Hearst Castle.
James
PTravel
"Anonymous" <no-...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:rdg6h2dsdsedn1pmv...@4ax.com...
> LA to Las Vegas is a long boring drive, so consider flying on one of
> our discount airlines. The Grand Canyon is less than a five hour
> drive from Las Vegas. It is four hours from Phoenix, Arizona and
> there are more interesting things along the way.
It's a one hour flight to Las Vegas. Checking in requires getting to the
airport two hours early. If you check bags, you can easily wait 45 minutes
to retrieve them. Taxi waits in Las Vegas can be as long as half an hour.
That's four to five hours flying, or four to five hours driving.
I'll take driving any time.
>
> Southwest Airlines currently has a special from the LA area to Las
> Vegas of $109 for airfare plus two nights at Circus Circus Hotel.
> Other discount airlines to check out are JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant
> and ATA.
Circus Circus is, without question, one of the worst hotels on the Strip.
First, it is on the far north end, and not near anything. Second, it is
over-run with families with children -- the kind of families who let their
kids run wild (and who think bringing children to Las Vegas is a good idea).
Southwest is _not_ a discount airline -- depending on market, its airfares
can be the same or higher than the legacy airlines. Southwest also has no
interline agreements with other carriers -- if they oversell or cancel,
you're simply stuck. They'll refund your money or book you on another
Southwest flight up to several days later. They are also the Greyhound bus
of the skies -- a fitting partner for Circus Circus.
>>4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
>
> In the LA area, I suggest that you visit 1) Santa Monica and Venice
> Beach (take the Wilshire Blvd bus to the ocean),
It's been a few years since I lived in LA, but when I did, this was one of
the most dangerous bus lines in the city.
Your suggestions for destinations, however, are good ones.
melbgi...@hotmail.com
Thank you for all your help and assistance so far. We have gained some very
useful information and destinations. We are both over 21, so no problems
with checking out the casinos in Vegas. Sounds like hiring a car is the
best option - just got to remember to drive on the "wrong" side of the road
:-)
My sister loves theme parks and thrill rides (not my cup of tea), although
I've been wanting to visit Disneyland since a was a little kid. The film
tours (Warner Bros, etc) sound interesting as does checking out a sporting
event and, of course, plenty of shopping!!!! - although Tijuana is off the
itinerary (travel agent recommended it).
What is usually the best time of the year to visit CA and Vegas? The only
reason we were looking at January is because I've got to take 4 weeks annual
leave over this period and wanted to get out of Aus. Maybe we should
postpone our US holiday until later in the year - is Sept/Oct better?
Once again, thank you very much - it's greatly appreciated !!!
<melbgi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4512...@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
Icono Clast
> Hollywood, Anaheim
Nothing in Anaheim but DisneyLand.
> and San Diego.
Balboa Park and its zoo are wonderful as is the hotel del Coronado.
My opinion of San Diego is extremely low for a variety of reasons. I
would avoid Tijuana and all other US/Mexico border towns.
> Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm,
I would choose Knott's and Magic Mountain. Have a chicken dinner at
Knott's even if you don't visit the amusement park. If you do,
however, Montezooma is regarded as the best shuttle loop standing
even though it must be older than thirty by now.
> 1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
San Diego: A day for the park and zoo.
Los Angeles: A day for Hollywood and Rodeo Drive.
A day for Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park.
A day for Magic Mountain in Valencia.
A day for Universal Studios.
A day for DisneyLand.
I would also spend a day or two at the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art, the Peterson Automotive Museum, the Page Museum, and the Getty
Museum. The Holocaust Museum needs a day, too.
So for Los Angeles and San Diego about a week.
> 2. what is the weather like in CA
I presume "CA" means CaliforniA. It's a thousand miles long and about
two hundred miles wide with altitudes ranging from well below sea
level to higher than fourteen thousand feet. On any given day,
temperatures will have a range of greater than 50°F; air from
pristine sparkle to thick with pollution, dust, snow, rain, and fog
with winds too light to notice and too strong to stand. On any given
"Winter" day, you can ski on water or snow
> does it rain a lot?
El Niño is on his way. It's likely to be a wet year.
> 3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
Public transportation in the SouthLand isn't very useful.
> 4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
I presume "CA" means CaliforniA. Yes! Many that I would recommend
before even THINKing about Los Angeles, San Diego, and/or Tijuana.
San Francisco,
[The "Don't-miss sights in San Francisco" page
http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/Sights.html has enough to keep
you busy for nine twelve-hour days. It includes links to your best
source of advice on where to eat here, the UseNet Group ba.food, and
the quite-good sfSurvey. It also has a weather chart with a link to
current conditions.
[The best on-line map of San Francisco is an inter-active PDF created
for the San Francisco Municipal Railway:
http://geocities.com/iconoc/Grafix/CityWide.pdf. I recommend 150% or
greater magnification. There's also a link that will tell you how to
get There from Here via public transportation. Other links on the
page, http://geocities.com/iconoc/Grafix/FlagMaps.html are a map of
our cable car routes and a superb map of Golden Gate Park.
[The frequently-updated SPECIAL EVENTS page has irregularly-scheduled
music and dances as well as links to seven calendars of
regularly-scheduled dances, a composite of five of them, and one of
dance cruises and events around the world:
http://geocities.com/dancefest/Specials.html ]
Yosemite, Big Sur, the Gold Country, the Wine Country, the Big Trees,
the Tall Trees, Death Valley, Lake Tahoe, and much more.
> How long should we stay in Las Vegas for?
At least two nights. If one of 'em's a Monday, go to the Stratosphere
for the Blues Jam at ten.
> the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
They're all good, so I hear. Those I've seen have been.
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
Here's "A bit of non-gambling Las Vegas" with about a dozen useful
links: http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/LasVegas.html
You have apparently already booked flying into Los Angeles. If you
can make a change, I highly recommend flying into San Francisco in
order to make better use of the roads because, following my
recommended route, you're on the wrong side of the road.
After a week in Los Angeles and a day or two in San Diego, head to
Palm Springs to go through the mountains up to Las Vegas. From
'Vegas, take three days to travel and visit the Grand Canyon. From
'Vegas, go to Pahrump and through Death Valley then up the Eastern
Sierra Highway to Lake Tahoe (two or three days; you won't be able to
get to Yosemite from the East), then down through Sacramento (visit
the capital) to San Francisco (nine days).
From here, follow the Driving Directions: San Francisco to:
Pacifica-Half Moon Bay-Santa Cruz-Monterey/Carmel
http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/DriveDir.html and then just
continue on down the Cabrillo Highway (1) through Big Sur to the
Pacific Coast Highway in Oxnard that goes directly to LAX (at least
two days but more are better).
-- ________________________________________________________________
"San Francisco is a pleasure. Los Angeles is a headache" Rita (NYC)
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ -<->- http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 -------> IClast at Gmail com
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
Shawn Hirn
wrote:
How much time do you have? You could easily spend two or three days a
Universal Studios and not see everything there, and that's definitely
true of Disney Land.
Absolutely hire a car. Public transportation in Southern California is
available in some areas, but it is not very good. A car gives you much
more flexibility in that area than you could ever have by relying on
public transportation.
For Las Vegas, you can do without a car if you just want to see the
lights and the Strip. The Strip is only a five minute drive from the
airport and there are plenty of public transportation options in that
area. For info on Las Vegas, a good web site is
http://www.cheapovegas.com and a very helpful newsgroup just for Las
Vegas is alt.vacation.las-vegas
The weather is hard to predict, but it should be comfortable in the Los
Angeles area. Bring light sweaters for Las Vegas. See the web site at
http://www.weather.com for weather info.
You might want to rent a car after you are finished seeing the sights in
Las Vegas and tour some of the surrounding areas such as the Valley of
Fire, Hoover Dam, and some of the other national parks. With 5-6 weeks
of time, you should be able to do all those things without rushing.
Mark Brader
> useful information and destinations. We are both over 21, so no problems
> with checking out the casinos in Vegas. Sounds like hiring a car is the
> best option - just got to remember to drive on the "wrong" side of the road
> :-)
At some locations, you also have to be at least 25 years old. I have no
idea how common this is in California (when I was that young it wasn't an
issue), but if you're under 25, you'll need to inform the rental company
when making a reservation. If you're allowed to rent at your chosen
location, don't be surprised if they charge you extra.
Also note, when comparing car rental prices, that the base rate that the
rental companies will quote you doesn't include everything. Not only is
there tax on top, but there's a daily "loss damage waiver" charge which
amounts to insurance against theft or damage to the car (they say it's
not insurance, but that's a technicality). LDW is charged separately
because it's optional, but you should only decline it if you have some
other insurance that will cover this -- if you don't pay LDW and the car
is stolen or destroyed, you're liable for the full price of it! (The term
"CDW" is also used sometimes, meaning "collision damage waiver".) There
are other insurance-type options as well, which are also daily charges.
You may be able to get a rate that includes LDW and perhaps other
insurance, and would be better than you can get from within the US,
if you book the rental before leaving home. I don't know. You'll
still need to mention your age if under 25.
As to only having to remember to drive on the right, you might have
a look at <http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc.htm>.
(That's for California, but things are pretty similar as you go from
one US state to another. In particular, the law about red traffic
lights when turning right is the same in all states.)
--
Mark Brader | "I always pass on good advice. It's the only thing
Toronto | to do with it. It is never any use to oneself."
m...@vex.net | -- Lord Goring (Oscar Wilde: An Ideal Husband)
My text in this article is in the public domain.
Jame...@gmail.com
> cup of tea), although I've been wanting to visit Disneyland
> since a was a little kid.
There's a wide variety of things to do at Disney, so you and your
sister will both have fun. I'd strongly recommend studying a good
Disney guidebook before your trip, so you can make the best use of your
time. There are also some Disney newsgroups and websites where you can
get advice.
When in Vegas, your sister might enjoy the rides on top of the
Stratosphere hotel.
> What is usually the best time of the
> year to visit CA and Vegas?
The weather is fairly consistent year-round in California, but the
weather is cooler in the northern part of the state, and also at higher
altitudes. At Yahoo Weather (and similar sites) you can find averages
for any particular city. Just find the city, then click the "Averages"
link. For example, here are the averages for L.A...
http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USCA0638_f.html
Las Vegas has a very different climate, with the summers much hotter
than the winters...
http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USNV0049_f.html
The Grand Canyon will be cold and snowy in January, and trails may be
icy in places. Some enjoy the Canyon in that weather; others prefer to
visit when its warmer. Check the official site for more info.
James
PTravel
<melbgi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4513...@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Hi Everyone
>
> Thank you for all your help and assistance so far. We have gained some
> very
> useful information and destinations. We are both over 21, so no problems
> with checking out the casinos in Vegas. Sounds like hiring a car is the
> best option - just got to remember to drive on the "wrong" side of the
> road
> :-)
A couple of points about driving -- Los Angeles is a nest of freeways with
confusing naming conventions and, frequently, poorly marked exits. If you
can, rent a car from Hertz, who can provide "NeverLost," a GPS navigation
system that is quite effective once you get used to the female voice
insinuating orders every few minutes. LA drivers also tend to be a bit on
the crazy side. Once outside the city, driving is relatively easy, with
mostly broad and well-maintained roadways.
> My sister loves theme parks and thrill rides (not my cup of tea), although
> I've been wanting to visit Disneyland since a was a little kid. The film
> tours (Warner Bros, etc) sound interesting as does checking out a sporting
> event and, of course, plenty of shopping!!!! - although Tijuana is off the
> itinerary (travel agent recommended it).
Disneyland is certainly worth a day -- it is an American icon and, even if
you're not taken with the rides, it is interesting enough as a sociological
experiment. I'm not a theme park fan myself, though Knotts Berry Farm, by
virtue of being one of the older parks, has some interesting features in
addition to the thrill rides. I would avoid Six Flags - Magic Mountain
unless you or your sister are hard-core thrill ride fanatics. Six Flags
also attracts a significant gang element.
Definitely check out the Warner Bros. tour. It may be more interesting than
Paramount because Warner Bros. still has a back lot (it shares it with
Burbank Studios). Paramount no longer does. I've never taken any of these
tours, but I used to be an actor in LA and worked at all of the studios --
Warner Bros.' back lot has (or, at least, had) some interesting sets which,
I'm sure, you'll recognize from many films and television shows.
On the way down to Anaheim, there is a very large outlet mall that has many
dozens of designer stores. I can't recall the name at the moment, but I'm
sure someone else will know it. You should be able to satisfy some of your
shopping cravings there.
>
> What is usually the best time of the year to visit CA and Vegas? The only
> reason we were looking at January is because I've got to take 4 weeks
> annual
> leave over this period and wanted to get out of Aus. Maybe we should
> postpone our US holiday until later in the year - is Sept/Oct better?
Southern California and Las Vegas can get exceptionally hot in the summer.
Unless you like roasting in the sun, I'd avoid the summer months, and even
early September can get very hot. January weather is hard to predict for
either Las Vegas or Southern California. It may be balmy and warm, wet and
cold, or anything in between -- it will get quite cool at night, regardless.
Are you interested in art museums? Someone else mentioned the Getty at
Malibu -- it has a nice collection, but is interesting primarily because of
the setting, a reproduction of a Palladian Italian Renaissance villa. The
main Getty museum is in the Santa Monica mountains. Personally, I don't
care much either for the collection or the campus, which is relatively new
and rather spectacularly set. It's a little too much "Disneyland meets the
old masters." LA has the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which
has an excellent collection, well curated and displayed, as well as
interesting visiting exhibits. My wife and I always go when we're in LA.
There's also the Huntington Hartford museum in Pasadena (and a visit to the
rose garden there is always nice).
If you're interested in architecture and music, you might visit the Disney
Concert Hall in downtown LA. It was designed by Frank Geary (and looks it)
and hosts world-class events. It's also across the street from the LA Music
Center, if you're interested in attending an opera, ballet, concert or
theater.
PTravel
"Icono Clast" <ICl...@JPS.Net> wrote in message
news:4513c471$0$19749$8826...@free.teranews.com...
melbgi...@hotmail.com wrote:
You have apparently already booked flying into Los Angeles. If you
can make a change, I highly recommend flying into San Francisco in
order to make better use of the roads because, following my
recommended route, you're on the wrong side of the road.
This is a very good idea. If the OP flies into SF, they can visit that area
for a week, enjoy a pleasant drive down the coast with a stop at San Simeon
to see Hearst Castle, and the on to Los Angeles. From LA, they can do what
they want, then drive on to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. From their,
they can make their way to Phoenix (or back to Las Vegas) for a flight
(probably connecting through LA) back home to Australia.
Unknown
>
>My sister loves theme parks and thrill rides (not my cup of tea), although
>I've been wanting to visit Disneyland since a was a little kid.
You'll both be happy at Disneyland (DL/DCA), then. There are a few thrill
rides (California Screamin', Space Mountain, Tower of Terror) that will keep
your sister happy while you go on Soarin' and the other less-intense but
very well designed rides. Or hang out and enjoy the entertainment at
various places around Disneyland (both Disneyland Park and Disney's
California Adventure).
Magic Mountain, north of L.A., is better known for thrill rides, but
there wouldn't be as much there to interest you. Besides, you've been
wanting to visit DL, so by all means, do so!
>What is usually the best time of the year to visit CA and Vegas? The only
>reason we were looking at January is because I've got to take 4 weeks annual
>leave over this period and wanted to get out of Aus. Maybe we should
>postpone our US holiday until later in the year - is Sept/Oct better?
There's certainly less apt to be rain in the early fall (although that's
right about when it starts), and the weather will overall be warmer. But
I've seen it in the 80sF in January in southern California, so you never
know!
Patty
- Bobb -
>
> We are two Aussie girls travelling to the US in early January. We will be
> flying into LAX and want to visit tourist areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood,
> Anaheim and San Diego. We want to visit the theme parks and zoos such as
> Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo
> and Wild Life Park. We also want to see the famous Hollywood sign, the
> Stars Walk of Fame (or whatever it is called), Rodeo Drive and a shopping
> trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Can someone please help us with the following
> questions:
>
> 1. how long should we be spending in each destination?
> 2. what is the weather like in CA - I've read it's 20C, however does it
> rain a lot? I'm hoping it's similar to Qld, Aus in winter - "beautiful one
> day, perfect the next".
> 3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
> 4. are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?
>
> We also want to visit Las Vegas to experience the lights and sights and take
> a trip to the Grand Canyon. How long should we stay in Las Vegas for? We
> obviously want to see the Strip and catch a show (any recommendations?).
> What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?
> All up, we are spending 5-6 weeks in the US and want to see as much as we
> can but not to the point where we are exhausted from our trip.
Rita
>
>1. I would play it by ear since you are there for a few weeks, see what
>the weather is like first before deciding.
>
>2. Not too sure, don't live there just visit every year. I have never
>gone in jan though.
>
>3. Get a car for sure, LA and area is very large.
>
>4. I enjoy driving up the coast on hwy 1 up to pismo beach and big sur area.
>
>las Vegas:
>
>I am not a gambler so I found after 24 hours I was done there. The
>canyon is a few hours away and definitely worth the trip. If you are
>coming all that way over and going to LV anyways a few more hours won't
>hurt. Just remember it is a good 5-6 hour trip from LA to LV (beach to
>strip) so take that into consideration when planning days.
>There are lots of shows, shopping and food there, other than that I am
>not sure what else to do there
>
>have fun
I think with five to six weeks, that it would be a shame to limit
oneself to Southern California and miss the drive up the coast past
Big Sur and the marvelous city of San Francisco, which is totally
different from the freeway criss crossed LA and can be walked and
enjoyed without hopping in and out of a car. On the way up the
coast, Santa Barbara is a gem of a small city with a walkable downtown
and a beautiful setting. But then I am not a fan of LA overall, and
I would find more than one or two attractions such as theme parks
quite enough. The San Diego Zoo is marvelous and many believe far
superior to the Wild Animal Park. You could easily spend a day at
that world class zoo.
There is a distinct difference between Southern and more Northern
California and with a visit of the length noted it is possible to
experience both in a leisurely fashion.
Anonymous
for the Grand Canyon.
Depending on where you are in the LA area, 70F to 80F days are common
in January. And the air tends to be cleaner... sometimes you can even
see the mountains! September tends to have some of the hottest days
of the year. In September, 90F to 100F highs are common and the
record high where I grew up (10 miles east of downtown LA) was 112 one
September.
BTW, Southern Califnrnia has more people than the whole of Australia.
LA County alone has roughly half the population of Australia.
Icono Clast
> melbgi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> and San Diego.
I forgot to mention the Giant Dipper (called "Earthquake" for a
while) at Mission Bay. It was deteriorating badly when the American
Coaster Enthusiasts managed to get it restored and operating. The
front seat of the original train (identical to those in Santa Cruz
before it's first set of replacement trains, and San Francisco 'til
the last ride) is on display. It's a good, not great, ride.
-- ________________________________________________________________
A roller-coaster freak in San Francisco.
Don Kirkman
<4ninchF...@individual.net>:
><melbgi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:4513...@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
>> Hi Everyone
>> Thank you for all your help and assistance so far. We have gained some
>> very
>> useful information and destinations. We are both over 21, so no problems
>> with checking out the casinos in Vegas. Sounds like hiring a car is the
>> best option - just got to remember to drive on the "wrong" side of the
>> road
>> :-)
>> My sister loves theme parks and thrill rides (not my cup of tea), although
>> I've been wanting to visit Disneyland since a was a little kid. The film
>> tours (Warner Bros, etc) sound interesting as does checking out a sporting
>> event and, of course, plenty of shopping!!!! - although Tijuana is off the
>> itinerary (travel agent recommended it).
>On the way down to Anaheim, there is a very large outlet mall that has many
>dozens of designer stores. I can't recall the name at the moment, but I'm
>sure someone else will know it. You should be able to satisfy some of your
>shopping cravings there.
You're probably thinking of the Citadel, in the city of Commerce
alongside I-5 about midway between downtown LA and Disneyland. It is an
old retired tire factory built a predecessor of Uniroyal, in the age of
imaginative architects, and was designed like an Assyrian or Babylonian
fortress. I've never been, so I can't comment on the shopping.
--
Don Kirkman
PTravel
"Don Kirkman" <don...@wavecable.com> wrote in message
news:1n9bh2h7l7f4tdtv9...@4ax.com...
That's the one! Thanks, Don.
> --
> Don Kirkman
Unknown
Don Kirkman <don...@wavecable.com> wrote:
>
>You're probably thinking of the Citadel, in the city of Commerce
>alongside I-5 about midway between downtown LA and Disneyland. It is an
>old retired tire factory built a predecessor of Uniroyal, in the age of
>imaginative architects, and was designed like an Assyrian or Babylonian
>fortress. I've never been, so I can't comment on the shopping.
Don, do you mean it looked like that when it was a tire factory? I just
drove by it the other day and didn't recall ever having seen it before.
I thought it was a not-quite-finished outlet mall. (A friend guessed
Sumerian, but your guesses are probably better!)
Patty
Don Kirkman
<45161198$0$34577$742e...@news.sonic.net>:
Yep; I used to commute past it twice a day after it stopped making tires
but long before the major remake into a mall. The 1930s, especially,
was a time of adventurous architecture. For instance, few people know
there is (was?) a Coca Cola bottling plant in the shape of an ocean
liner closer to downtown Los Angeles. Most references call the Citadel
"Assyrian".
--
Don Kirkman
Icono Clast
> Don Kirkman wrote:
>> You're probably thinking of the Citadel, in the city of Commerce
>> like an Assyrian or Babylonian fortress. I've never been, so I
>> can't comment on the shopping.
>
> Don, do you mean it looked like that when it was a tire factory? I
> just drove by it the other day and didn't recall ever having seen
> it before. I thought it was a not-quite-finished outlet mall. (A
> friend guessed Sumerian, but your guesses are probably better!)
It's been a landmark for me since long 'before July 17, 1955. Looked
better than it does now, too, 'cause it was complete. Other than
clean the façade and raze the building, I don't know what they did
but, for æsthetics, they oughtn't've. Nevertheless, I'm delighted
they're preserved what little they have.
-- ________________________________________________________________
. . . in L.A., you cannot trust air you cannot see -- Len
Icono Clast
> The 1930s, especially, was a time of adventurous architecture.
> For instance, few people know there is (was?) a Coca Cola bottling
> plant in the shape of an ocean liner closer
I remember seeing that! It's no longer there? Where was it?
-- ________________________________________________________________
In Los Angeles, "short distances" ARE miles!
Dennis McClendon
>>Coca Cola bottling
>> plant in the shape of an ocean liner closer
> I remember seeing that! It's no longer there? Where was it?
1334 S. Central. Still there as far as I know.
Don Kirkman
<bJqdnQtc0tb_sITY...@rcn.net>:
That sounds right, though on my own I would have remembered it being a
bit farther south. I haven't been at large in the downtown for quite a
few years, so I'm not sure whether it's still there or now.
--
Don Kirkman
Icono Clast
Thank you. I'll try t'remember to go by when I'm there in November. I
can picture it in m'mind as white with blue-lined portholes.
-- ________________________________________________________________
"San Francisco is a pleasure. Los Angeles is a headache" Rita (NYC)
Calif Bill
"Icono Clast" <ICl...@JPS.Net> wrote in message
Always wondered what the original building was for. I remeber it in the
80's with broken windows.
BillyHoyle
Ladies,
A must in Vegas is to see a show. You can find just about anything at
any price, like the ever popular "Blue Men Group". See
www.broadwaybox.com/lasvegas for discount tickets as well as show
listings and reviews. Enjoy!
--
BillyHoyle
- Bobb -
"BillyHoyle" <BillyHoy...@travelbanter.com> wrote in message
news:BillyHoy...@travelbanter.com...
>
> Ladies,
>
> A must in Vegas is to see a show. You can find just about anything at
> any price, like the ever popular "Blue Men Group".
> --
> BillyHoyle
If you're gonna spam us - you ought to at least know the name of the
show:
it's Blue MAN Group .
Icono Clast
links: http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/LasVegas.html
BillyHoyle wrote:
> Ladies,
>
> A must in Vegas is to see a show. You can find just about anything
> at any price
-- ________________________________________________________________
Drum machines have no soul.
tariq....@spamgourmet.com
airline and hotel bundled together? If so, which websites are best for
lining them up?
-- single occupancy, not double.
Shawn Hirn
tariq....@spamgourmet.com wrote:
I have never seen a single occupancy package deal, except maybe for
resorts or cruises that cater to singles. You're more than likely going
to get a lower price by booking the individual parts of your trip on
your own. The benefit of package deals is convenience, not low cost.