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California / Las Vegas Information
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 !!! |
#2
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California / Las Vegas Information
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#3
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California / Las Vegas Information
On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:33:08 +1000 wrote:
: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 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. |
#5
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California / Las Vegas Information
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 |
#6
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California / Las Vegas Information
On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:44:47 -0400, JN wrote:
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. 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 !!! |
#7
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California / Las Vegas Information
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? You sound like you are into theme parks? If so you might want to spend a 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. 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 !!! |
#8
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California / Las Vegas Information
"Cathy Kearns" wrote in message news 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. |
#9
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California / Las Vegas Information
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? 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. Thank you very much in advance !!! |
#10
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California / Las Vegas Information
3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?
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. |
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