California / Las Vegas Information

are there any other destinations that we should see while in CA?

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

"Anonymous" wrote in message
...


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.

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.

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).

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 !!!



wrote in message
...
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?
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 !!!

wrote:
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

In article ,
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?
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 !!!

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.

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
:-)

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."
| -- Lord Goring (Oscar Wilde: An Ideal Husband)

My text in this article is in the public domain.

wrote in message
...
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.


Once again, thank you very much - it's greatly appreciated !!!



wrote in message
...
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?
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 !!!

"Icono Clast" wrote in message
.. .
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.

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.

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

In article , wrote:

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