Help! Things to Do/See in LA
 

Hi guys,

OK, so, I've never been to CA. WFIV will be my first visit. Looking at flight reservations (USAir -- we're using some miles to fly first class :D), it's become clear to us that there are NO direct flights from Charlotte to Palm Springs. There ARE direct flights from Clt. to LA, though. No biggie. So, we will be flying into LA early Friday morning. Now, here are my questions: (And yes, I know some have been asked before -- sorry; and yes, I know some of these are dumb -- sorry again.)

- Aside from the obvious Rodeo Drive (which my wife wants to see, not me), what else should I visit in LA? Laguna Beach in there, too, right?

- How bad of a drive is it from LA to Palm Springs? I hear horror stories about CA traffic, so I'm just wondering. I want to be in PS for the "festivities" on Friday night. :D

- Any other recommendations/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Juan

Santa Monica, Venice beach to name a few. Venice beach is a blast if you enjoy people watching.

- Laguna Beach is not in LA, it's in Southern Orange County, about 50 miles away or so.

- The traffic will depend on when you plan on making the trek from LA to PS. If your plan is anytime around 2:00pm or after on Friday afternoon, then you are screwed. You see, tons of people live in Riverside County where property is cheaper and they commute to Orange County and LA County. All of the people go back to Riverside County during rush hour. It sucks bad, really bad. If you are leaving LA to head to PS, you need to leave by noon at the latest. My recommendation would be that you skip LA and fly to Ontario (ONT) and drive straight to PS.

Call me on my cell if you need to discuss further.

Greg

Visit the Getty Museum

Greg,

I will call you later to get details; however, the main reason we want to fly into LA is because two close friends of ours from Italy will be in LA that weekend, so we thought it'd be great to spend the day with them before heading to PS.

Now, would you please define "screwed"? Does that mean 4 hours on the road? 5 hours? I know it all depends on traffic, obviously, but... could you give me an educated guess?

thanks!

Juan

the last time I was in Pasadena, went to Irvine took 2 hours alone. LA traffic is HORRENDOUS. Irvine to LAX 40 miles, all times of the day, 1.5 hrs. so LA depends on what part will probably be easily a 3-4 hr drive to PS.

:withstupi or worse if you try it during rush hour.

the drive normally from LA to PS is about 2 hours...in traffic, it could take you 2 hours just to get to Ontario, which is usually a 45 minute drive. It usually gets better once you get past I-15. If you don't want to miss the festivities on Friday night, then, I would recommend you leave LA no later than noon, or after 8pm, although it's a Friday night, so there will probably be some traffic in the evening. As for things to do in LA, someone mentioned Venice Beach, which is great, but is probably more interesting on Saturday and Sunday because everyone is out. You can also check out the Peterson Automotive Museum. The Getty museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) are both good. There's also Universal City Walk. If you're into celebrities, you can check out Mann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood and see all the hand imprints. On your way to PS, if you want to get a little gambling in, you can stop by the Morongo Resort and Casino. It looks very similar to the Palms in Vegas. There's also Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, but it's not as nice. Let me know if there is anything you want to do/see in particular and I'll let you know what we have here.

Exactly!!

wow...!

Thanks, guys. I guess this means, we will have to leave LA early!

Thanks so much for the advice. :thumbup:

Juan

Juan,

I agree with SG and x5guy. It's amazing how different the drive is depending on time.

As SG said, if you can fly into Ontario (ONT) you'll save quite a bit of time. If you cannot, try Burbank Airport. I would try to avoid LAX. It's a huge headache and the drive from there through LA itself could be a nightmare. Ontario is about an hour plus a little to Palm Springs. Burbank is about an hour forty.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll PM you my cellphone number.

Thank you, guys!

We talked to our Italian friends. We'll meet them in LA, and then take off quickly to PS (before Noon). They are spending the night there with us, and may even join us for the meet. It should all work out, I hope. :)

I hope you guys don't mind two "uninvited guests." They are great, fun people. They don't speak any English, but they are wonderful... and they're also wondering why we're flying all the way to CA for a car club meet. :)

Again, thanks!

Juan

Molto bene! Should I add "+2" to your RSVP then?

Yes, please! Their names are Monica and Joseph. You can call him "Joe," or Steven Segal -- you'll see why once you see him. :D

Juan

Smart move Juan!! See you on Friday afternoon :thumbup: .

That's great Juan, what a good idea. The more, the merrier. Are you going bring your pink pants? I'd love to see those in person :nanana:

Mr Salmon Pants:

If your friends are meeting you on the west side of LA (as opposed to Inland Empire of The Valley) then you can take in a whole lot very quickly.

A few minutes north of LAX is Marina del Rey and Venice. In the morning, the people watching at Rose Cafe can be great. After a coffee you can check out the Third Street Promenade or the upscale area of Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, passing by the Santa Monica pier on the way.
All this works because you will be within a few blocks' of Interstate 10 and on your way by 11:30am while having avoided the slog on the 405 to catch I-10.

Hey, maybe you can join our NorCal caravan. I don't know what route we are taking yet, but probably 5, then 10. You can hop on somewhere in there!

5 to 15 to 10 I think.

Juan,

how about having your friends meet you in Pasadena instead?

When you get down the 5 south of Magic Mountain/Valencia, look for the 210 to Sylmar/Pasadena. That will take you through Pasadena/Monrovia/Asuza/San Dimas and Ontario, connect you via a relatively new connector to the 15 South to the 10 East. You will pop onto the 10 off the 15 at San Bernardino. Keep going east and you're homefree! You will thus avoid the ugliness of the 10 through Pomona and Claremont. Basically from the 5 you will go east well north of the 10 and West LA and Downtown. It is much quicker and easier. It is unreal nasty traffic on the 10 through those parts.

ok, ok... taking notes...

I have the feeling I'll have to add your cell phone to my address book... just in case I have to call you from some road in CA, screaming, Kevin, where the hell am I??? :)

thanks, guys! :)

Juan

Kevin, thanks for that info. That's great. I drove down to LA on Friday, hit traffic just south of Magic Mountain because of the fire. They were actually using 5 as the fire barrier and flames were burning on the side of the mountain with lots of firemen and helicopters (around 2pm). A site to see! Then it got really bad near Sunset Blvd, about 5 miles north of 10. So if we can avoid all of that, it will be that much better. Thanks.

If I was coming down from Northern California for a BMW meet I might consider a more scenic route and avoid the LA traffic completely! Perhaps you should come down the 99 to the 58 at Bakersfield. Stay on that all the way to Barsow. There turn south on the 247 towards Yucca Valley and on down to Desert Hot Springs. I suspect it would be a much nicer drive!!!

How long will that take??

It's hard to say for sure. It should be fewer miles and less bumper-to-bumper traffic. But the speed limits are lower. It also depends on what time of day you plan to get through LA...in the late afternoon just that part of your trek could add 2 extra hours...

If you are a large convoy you might get held-up by trucks, RV's etc... but the scenery should be much nicer and at least you would be moving and enjoying twisty mountain roads. BMW country for sure!

Ok Guys and Girls I need some help with LA! Fingers crossed going to book tickets and hotel tomorrow morning.

We are coming to the states for 12 days this is what I have planned if anyone can see any problems with my plans please tell me as I have no idea of distances, and if I am doing anything real stupid.

What I have planned so far

Fly into LAX 26th OCT at 2pm ish
Was thinking of staying at Marriott Downtown LA for that night so can have a look around LA. Will I need a car or is parking a problem ? I think hotel runs a shuttle back and forth to airport.

If answer to the above is don’t get car pick car up Friday AM then drive to palm springs. Is it better to get car from airport or downtown ? i.e. if we pick up car at airport is it easier to get to palm springs from there?

Hopefully get to palm springs to meet up with you guys on Friday evening if I don’t get to lost on the way LOL thinking of staying in Best western palm springs anyone had any experiences with this hotel and how far is this from where West Fest is?

I was thinking of staying in palm springs for a total of 5 days is there enough stuff to do there or should I head back to LA. We don’t mind lazing around the pool for most of this time I take it the weather will be hotter in PS than LA ?

Then back to LA for the next 6 days again staying at the Marriott. Again will be properly answered in the first question do I still need the hire car or can I get around LA on public transport? Is it safe to walk around the tourist part of LA ? I would like to go to 6 theme flags Park is there organised couches that go there.

Many thanks for any help or advice in advance If you can see any problems that we might have even small ones please say now before I book all this as it will be a nightmare to change. Hope to see you all soon.

the peterson automotive museum, the chandler collection, the le brea tar pits are really cool, the magic castle if you know a member.

have fun!!

Good news! I'm so glad you can make it. Here's the best advice I can give you.

Los Angeles/LAX

Hire your car at the airport. There's a better selection and you'll have your own transportation to your hotel. Staying downtown LA is okay but there's not much there. Then again, you don't have much time. I would probably just reserve the LA portion until after you have been in Palm Springs. You'll have 5 or 6 days to take in all of the sights in La La Land.

Pick up the car at LAX since you're going to return it there once you leave. Drive out to the Palm Springs area on Thursday and check in to your hotel. You'll drive about 2 hours from LAX to the desert. It might take you a little longer since you probably won't be in the car and on your way until 3:00. It will be a bit of a drive. As an option you can take your time, drive from the airport to perhaps Pasadena, about 40 minutes away, walk around Old Town Pasadena and have some dinner, then wait for traffic to die down. You could then leave Pasadena at about 7:30 and get to the desert by 9:00 or 9:30. Get to your hotel and allow yourself some time to unwind and adjust to the time change. We're about 9 hours behind you. This part of the trip should be about relaxing so I'd do that. You'll have all day Friday to lounge by the pool. The weather is better than in LA. It's still quite warm and the sun is always shining.

As an alternative, you might spend the night of the 26th in LA since you've had a long flight. You won't see much but if you stay in Pasadena you'll have a nice night with lots to walk around and see, in terms of shops and people watching. (I used to live in Pasadena so I'm biased.) Check out late morning on the 27th and make your way to Palm Springs from there. You'll get in in time for a late lunch or afternoon tea/cocktails.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs is actually quite far from the site of where WestFest will be. It's about a 40 minute drive. That's not necessarily bad but I'd prefer to stay at the La Quinta Resort & Club where everyone else is staying. I don't know what the rates are at this point but they were $150 per night. Palm Springs is just a little far and a little "alternative", if you get my meaning. :fight:

You could spend 5 days here if you want to just rest and relax. You can venture from here and do a little shopping as you've mentioned you want to do. About 35 minutes away are those outlet shops I told you about. Check the links on the WestFest site and you can find some tourist information. The La Quinta Resort is just the thing if you want to laze about.

Back to LA

I would definitely keep the car. There is no way to get around LA without one. The public transit is not good and taxis are rare and expensive. Everything in LA is very spread out. With a car you can go to Six Flags, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, etc. It's all rather far flung. As for hotels, I don't know much about them in LA but I'm not sure I'd stay downtown. It's all business and after dark, it changes and not in a good way.

After you're done here in the desert, head back to LA and spend the last several days there and return your car to airport.

As for deals, I suggest looking on sites like Priceline.com, Expedia.com, and hotwire.com. There are often good deals on rental cars. I know this is going to be expensive for you but you do want to enjoy it and not have to suffer too much.

That's all I can think of for now. If I think of more I'll e-mail you.

I'm sure others can pitch in with advice. Again, it's absolutely brilliant that you're coming! :thumbup:

Thank for the advice Kevin!

Just a few more questions I apologise if they sound stupid but I really have no idea about cali.

What is a better place to stay, desert springs or Palm Springs, which has more to do? How far is desert springs from west fest? I think The La Quinta Resort is going to be to expensive for us to stay in as would like to stay for 5 days we are in that area, so not to keep moving around.

Just went to book flights and they have gone up by $300 Agggghhhhhhh back to drawing board.

Allow me to chime in for a thought or two...

If this is your first trip to LA I would recommend spending more time here and less in the Palm Springs area. However if you plan to spend only one night in LA at the start of the trip consider spending the night either at the Best Western in Beverly Hills (which is right next to a ferrari/maserati dealer) or there is a Ramada Inn in Marina Del Rey. Both places would offer you nice places to walk around, a wide variety of dining experiences and more of what people come to LA to see. The reality is that there is very little to see and do in Downtown LA and you will be driving far and in heavy traffic to see anything.

The Marriott in Marina Del Rey has rooms available for about $250/night which seems kind of high to me. Perhaps you could negotiate a better deal than that with them. The Best Western in Beverly Hills is advertising rooms at $169/night for the night of the 26th. I checked the web site and there is also a Best Western in Marina Del Rey. I have never been inside that place so I can't comment on how nice it is but they have rooms for $139/night. It is in a good location for walking around and has a number of good restaurants in close walking distance.

As I have been typing this it occurred to me that there is a Sheraton at Universal Studios City Walk. That is a very pleasant hotel which has rooms at $169/night (with an Auto Club discount - just reserve it...they wont ask for proof of memberhsip). Take their free shuttle from the hotel to Universal City Walk. While there you have a wide variety of dining choices, shopping, people watching, movies and my personal favorite...the NASCAR experience. That also puts you about 30 minutes closer to Palm Springs the next day.

I totally agree with PNG that you should hire your car at the airport. It will save you a ton of money. Public transportation in LA is a joke and the stuff that is worth seeing is very spread out.

I also agree with PNG that a night in Pasadena might be pleasant. Old town is a nice place to walk around with abundant great food. I can recommend the Westin and the Sheraton there, although both are about $200/night. You might be able to negotiate a better rate with those guys.

Depending on what your flight schedule back home is you might want to consider spending the night before you fly home at a hotel near LAX. Return your rental car the day before you leave and take the hotel's shuttle the very short distance to the airport. That will buy you some less stress on the day you leave and could reduce your transit time home by as much as an hour.

FWIW the Best Western Palm Desert Resort is offering rooms at $98/night for the nights you would be staying there.

I hope this helps!

Wow, cool that you are making the trek! I used to spend a lot of time in Santa Monica...you are getting great advice from the locals.

You will positively want a car at all times. I too am flying into LAX (Thursday 26), and will decompress in Venice Beach. A friend put me into a place near where the kitesurfers launch called the Best Western Marina Pacific. Due to some renovations on one of the floors, rates were also down. I found very good car rates from Alamo via Continental's site. Expedia's rates were higher.

I second the thought of getting to Pasadena (or getting a feel for Venice/Santa Monica, but not doing downtown LA--maybe Westwood or Beverly Hills, but not downtown). A friend (who happens to be British) in the tour business said due to the strong Euro, half of Europe is visiting. PM me if I can be of any assistance. I drive out (with Nav) early Saturday (much less traffic) and you are welcome to caravan.

I assume you're referring the Desert Hot Springs. DO NOT STAY THERE! In fact, don't even go to that city if you help it. It's not good. It's probably the greatest concentration of criminals/drug users in the area. Their police department is not effective and arguable flat out inept, amongst other problems.

If you are on a bit of a budget, look for some hotels in Palm Desert. There aren't really that many in La Quinta. Embassy Suites in Palm Desert is nice, and the Best Western that White05x3 mentioned is nice too. In fact, many people stayed there during WestFest III. Just look up city tourism sites for Palm Desert.

If you are finding the prices a little too high still, you can try this place in Indio. It's not a major chain and it's not in a really great area in terms of amenities right near by but it's actually quite a charming little place. I've not been inside for years but I've driven by recently and it's well kept. Prices are $79 a night for poolside and $59 for economy. It's better than a Motel 6 or Super 8. DO NOT STAY AT THOSE EITHER! You might try this place, also in the city of Indio.

I hope you can find a cheap flight but proscrastination usually leads to more expensive flights.

I have really bad news all the cheap tickets have now gone. funny how with in 12 hours every single airline has put it price up by over $400 Which I cant afford to pay, was going to be on a tight budget anyway,So unless I can get the flights prices back down. I wont be able to to make it to west fest God I am So Pi**ed! If anything changes you guys will be the first to know! :-(

stay away from the Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert...they're undergoing major renovation in the lobby, so it looks like a disaster zone(at least back in July). I've stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott...I liked it because it was reasonable and you got free internet, so you could get your fix of x5world from the comforts of your room without having to pay the crazy $10-15 some places charge for internet.

Hi all I can get this hotel at a resonable price Is this the right place ? Near west fest?
Best Western Palm Desert Resort
Thanks

Ok I have booked this now I hope it is the right hotel! Was on a deal and did not want to miss it.Just got to sort out the car and the hotel in LA now.

That's great! It's not too far from where we will be and not too far from where everyone else is staying. That Best Western in Palm Desert was where some people stayed during WestFest III. It was good accomodations for a reasonable price. At the time they were doing a renovation do I would think it's all finished now. I haven't been by in a long time but I'll try to go and scout it for you. In any event, you're in a good area and close to many amenities.

Thanks for the info Kevin. I am glad I got close to the venue! I took your advice and going straight there from the airport So if you need a hand on friday setting up might be around.I am sure the g/f wont notice me disapearing for a couple of hours.

Take it easy on the drive from LAX. You will be more tired than you think. If you find yourself getting sleepy pull over and take a walk.

One last question

How far is vegas from palm springs?

279 miles - about a 4 hour drive or so depending how fast you drive.

Thanks for the quick reply!

just when you thought it was safe to read this thread because i said I woud not ask anymore questions I really do value your advice because i really dont have any idea about LA I have found a few nice hotels near the airport, is this a good idea apart from the noise.Will we be safer there than downtown? or can someone recomend anywhere which is nice but wont cost more than $75 a night.

Thanks again

I'm pretty sure Kev said stay away from downtown LA. I'm not a west coast person though. Hold tight till someone answers you, you don't want to get stuck in some sleazy place.

....San Julian and 6th St. is a must see for any first time visitor to lovely Downtown LA....;)

I have been looking at hotels in LA all day I think I find one I like then it sayes some thing bad or in a not so nice area. Is Anaheim a good place to stay ie safe at night We are keeping the car and dont mind driving a little way ? Or any other idea of nice places to stay ie town names
thanks again

Do a search using Marina del Rey as a location. I believe Anaheim is a pretty decent are as well. Look for Marriott Springhill or Holiday Inn Express locations; they are generally in acceptable areas.

The Best Western Colorado Inn in Pasadena is $88.11 per night. I have never been there so I can't tell you how it is but it looks decent. Pasadena would be a nice place to spend a night in LA.

The Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach is an excellent place to stay. Don't go all the way to Anaheim unless you want to sit in traffic a LOT. Plus, if you're going to be in LA, you might as well stay by the water, and the CP is right across the street from the Marina.

Don't stay up by the airport. 1 word. Blech. Unless you're staying in the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey.