Anyone ever been to L.A.?

[markTHEblake]

The missus has forced me to go with her to USA West Coast in July, have bought the tickets to LA, and then 2 weeks of who flippin knows.
If I leave it up to her, it will be sleeping in until lunchtime and then handbag shopping in Rodeo Drive every day.

Anyone ever been there, whats good for stayin, seein and doin?
Unlikely we are going anywhere near east coast.
no golf, not interested in chopper social golf with Pat Malone. Though I am already booked for a feed and beer with old man Trung in San Diego

[goughy]

You seem to have a horrible life.

Give Trung a kiss for me. And not one of those little European peck on the cheek things. Tongue action.

[chappy1970]

I'm off to the US for work next weekend. 5 days in Vegas, a couple in Louisville, then 2 days in LA.

Never been but I'm looking forward to it.

[Yossarian]

I feel like Grunt might have been. Not sure why though.

[spanner039]

Two weeks is a long, long time to spend in LA. San Diego is one of my fav spots on the west coast.

Do you have to stay there (LA)?

Chappy that's great!!! two days is about 41 hrs too long in LA, Vegas is OK, but Louisville is pretty cool more to see and do than LA and Vegas combined.

And above all a work trip. How did you score that?

[chappy1970]

I'm going with SkY racing, Tab own them, conference and meetings is the reason

Business class there and back, and first class across the US domestic

[spanner039]

I'm going with SkY racing, Tab own them, conference and meetings is the reason

Business class there and back, and first class across the US domestic

Sounds great, business class the way to go its a bloody long way!!!!

[PeteyD]

Nice Chappy!

[chappy1970]

Nice Chappy!

The good guys have a win every now and then Pete :)

[jimandr]

In LA you probably have to be a modern culture tourist, because there isn't much history or scenery to look at. Even if you aren't into that stuff you should do Disneyland and Universal Studios, because everyone will ask you whether you went there. Same with the Walk of Fame, even though that is a sleazy part of town (but you may see Julia Roberts working her corner).

Probably the best thing about LA is the number of movies and TV shows set there, so there are heaps of movie locations to look at.

Go to some baseball games.

[PerryGroves]

I like staying around Santa Monica or one of the other beach suburbs further south. Rent a place thru http://www.vrbo.com or airbnb.

[markTHEblake]

I am not only going to LA, thats just where we get off the plane. Looking for things to see and and do along the entire Westcoast.

[3Puttpete]

Bath house in San Fran

[rhino62]

In 2 weeks you could hire a car & go LA - San Diego - Scottsdale - Sedona - Grand Canyon - Las Vegas - Anaheim (Disneyland) - home.

Have fun.

[spanner039]

In 2 weeks you could hire a car & go LA - San Diego - Scottsdale - Sedona - Grand Canyon - Las Vegas - Anaheim (Disneyland) - home.

Have fun.

Great trip there, just dont waste any time in LA its not good.

[Grunt]

I like staying around Santa Monica or one of the other beach suburbs further south. Rent a place thru http://www.vrbo.com or airbnb.

+1 for the Beach suburbs south of the Airport

[jimandr]

I am not only going to LA, thats just where we get off the plane. Looking for things to see and and do along the entire Westcoast.

San Francisco is a great city. I was there for five days in 2011, and I think I could've enjoyed another five days. Go for a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then get the ferry back. Absolutely go to a San Francisco Giants baseball game. Best crowd atmosphere of any sporting event I've ever been to.

Don't try to recreate the car chase scene from Bullitt, but check out the streets. Some of them are very steep, and they look the same as they did in 1967.

I didn't do it, but the coastal Highway 1 between LA and SF is supposed to be great, with a side benefit of checking out Pebble Beach and the other great Monterrey courses on the way.

Rhino's suggestion for an inland route is a very good one, too.

[gazgolf1]

Get off the plana at LAX and get back onto one thats going to Las Vegas, best adult playground there is. Accom is cheap (well as cheap as it can be when our dollar is $0.76), go see a show, hit some buffets. It'll be over 40 degrees most days in July but who gives a rats Vegas rules. You can get Helicopter flights to the Grand Canyon from Vegas too.
San Fran is cool,the area around Pebble Beach/Monterey Bay is awesome. LA not so much but I do like the beachside towns south of LA.... Newport Beach, Laguna and further down to San Diego.

[IanO]

I went in 1989 so I am not sure how much use I will be. We visited Anaheim (Disneyland) and Universal Studios. Disneyland is not for everyone but if you do go take 2-3 days, go early before the crowds and then get out early. Universal Studios was not bad and takes about half a day (I think).
LA itself has bus trips that take you around the stars houses (I did not do this as I am not really that interested). Walk of Stars is worth a look. Apart from that I can't remember much.

[Steve57]

San Francisco is a great city. I was there for five days in 2011, and I think I could've enjoyed another five days. Go for a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then get the ferry back. Absolutely go to a San Francisco Giants baseball game. Best crowd atmosphere of any sporting event I've ever been to.

Don't try to recreate the car chase scene from Bullitt, but check out the streets. Some of them are very steep, and they look the same as they did in 1967.

I didn't do it, but the coastal Highway 1 between LA and SF is supposed to be great, with a side benefit of checking out Pebble Beach and the other great Monterrey courses on the way.

Rhino's suggestion for an inland route is a very good one, too.
+1
San Francisco is definitely the place to kill a week.
So much to see and so easy to get around.
As Jim said, the Highway One drive is worth a look and the Monterey Peninsula can easily take care of another couple of days.

[BayBum]

San Fran & San Diego are where its at if your not golfing.

Phil's BBQ in San Diego and Kitchen Story in San Fran for the 'million dollar bacon'.

Craft brew scene on the west coast aint too bad either. GIYF

[AlexMc]

We are going in September/October - when we hit the west coast (doing NYC-DC-LV first) we have 5 nights in San Fran, then going to Disneyland for 3 nights and doing a half day tour of LA. I couldn't find anything remotely interesting to do in LA for 3 days...

[spanner039]

We are going in September/October - when we hit the west coast (doing NYC-DC-LV first) we have 5 nights in San Fran, then going to Disneyland for 3 nights and doing a half day tour of LA. I couldn't find anything remotely interesting to do in LA for 3 days...

Great trip there - MTB should be getting the idea by now LA itself is a dump

[markTHEblake]

Any love for the desert? Though from what I see on Google maps it's just a big lot of nuthin.

[spanner039]

It mabe desert but its absolutly spectacular.

[davepuppies]

San fran is awesome, and the drive up highway 1 is spectacular along the coastline.

Santa Monica is interesting, Hollywood hills is interesting from a house perspective, actual Hollywood is a dive, I would check out some of the southern beaches like newport, and then down to San diego.

[KristianJ]

I'm pondering a trip over to the west coast in Sept/Oct...will keep tabs on this thread. I've still got a couple of thousand worth of inheritance $$ in the bank and I'm starting to think a bit of travel wouldn't go astray.

I was already thinking that SF was the pick of the places to stay for the bulk of it - this thread seems to reinforce it so far.

[Trento]

Los Angeles is a horrible place, the best part is the airport, to get away from the joint.Drive through Beverley hills, Riveiera Pebble beach is worth a visitDrive up the coast, got to pebble on the Monterey peninsula and if you can go to San Francisco, Really nice,Have the crab mornay in the bread roll at fishermans wharf, Alcatraz is good if you like that sort of thing.

[PerryGroves]

I couldn't get out to Alcatraz, was booked out for a week or more.

[spanner039]

I couldn't get out to Alcatraz, was booked out for a week or more.

You can still get tickets off the "Scalpers" nearby for a same day tour they are legit.

[BrisWesty]

La Brea tar pits in LA. Literally in LA!
If you're going out of town - Yosemite & Sequoia National Parks plus Lassen Volcanic if you want to add another day's driving.
The other guys have given you good advice re Highway 101, SF etc, but also do 17 Mile Drive around Carmel and Monterey (Pebble Beach).

[markTHEblake]

Everywhere I went in LA people thought my name was Grant. In New York they say I sound like I come from Queens. Heading back to Sf and SD now.
Everything I ever heard or thought about USA and the people is wrong. Americans are exceptionally polite and kind.

[LoveGolf2012]

Everywhere I went in LA people thought my name was Grant. In New York they say I sound like I come from Queens. Heading back to Sf and SD now.
Everything I ever heard or thought about USA and the people is wrong. Americans are exceptionally polite and kind.

I find most people who have unkind opinions on Americans have never been their.Your comment was spot on Blakey,they are very polite people.No other country do you get called 'Sir'

[gazgolf1]

Americans are exceptionally polite and kind.

very true!

[Trung]

You seem to have a horrible life.

Give Trung a kiss for me. And not one of those little European peck on the cheek things. Tongue action.

Goughy...

I got nothing

[markTHEblake]

What happens in San Diego stays in San Diego.

[bergsey]

Did a 28 day trip around California in April. Awesome.

LA is crap

San Fran and San Diego best cities. Hired a house for a week in San Diego. San Diego bay is great and awesome with all the military hardware flying around

Other than LA, all the places we went to were great, especially highway 1 up the coast and Sierra Nevada mountains (Yosemite NP)

LA (Santa Monica)
Pismo Beach
Carmel by the sea (Played Pebble - awesome)
San Fransisco
Yosemite NP
Bakersfield
Carlsbad (Legoland!)
San Diego
Anaheim (Disneyland)
Palm Desert (Awesome golf)