California / Las Vegas Information

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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?

First - what are you gonna do ? One day at each park, but depending upon what else you like, you could spend 2 weeks just in LA. I loved San Diego and could spend a week there too. ( I'll add some pointers below.You should search for trip reports here about items on your list too). I'm sure you know, but January here is THE coldest month, so you will NOT be able to easily drive to and enjoy some of the mountains ( which you could do from ~ May to October ).

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's a BIG state:
http://www.weather.com/common/drilld...ml?from=search

3. would you recommend hiring a car or catching public transport?

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

You're kidding, right ? Here's a few hundred:
http://www.caldrive.com/guide.html
http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/featu...nia/index.html
http://www.earthflix.com/stories/bigsur.php
http://www.laughingplace.com/default.asp
http://thingsyoushoulddo.blogspot.com/
http://www.travelersdigest.com/california_2.htm click on map
http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/scenicdrives/ pick your choice
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/state...r_homepage.jsp
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/de...National_Park/
http://www.bestofcaliforniatv.com/ge.../story_262.php
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Location...ocations.shtml
http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt...ada/index.html
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguid...QsuNGoPIgnFmoL
If you have the time for the drive: this is the most beautiful part of the state (country?)
http://jrabold.net/bigsur/intro.htm

Also - and more important - where NOT to go:
Los Angeles Warnings or Dangers
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...es-TG-C-1.html

Get a final list of places then map them out so you're not backtracking and THEN ask how long for each on your list.


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?


Comedians ? Acrobatics? Dancers ? Here's a few pointers:
http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/play/shows/index.jsp
http://www.vegastripping.com/trippies2005/
http://www.ilovevegas.com/
http://www.bigempire.com/vegas/images/stmap.gif
Check in " alt.vacation.las-vegas" newsgroup as january approaches : lots of info - updated daily.Browse a bit then ask specific questions - about shows , grand canyon trips etc. Check he http://www.reviewjournal.com/neon/ and you'll see them categorized by show type. They have ongoing shows that are there for years and then headliners for 1,2,3 nights. As January nears - revisit there and choose your dates from the drop-downs to see what headliners are in town during that period. What type of show ? I love the Cirque de Soleil shows - but you might want to see Folies Bergere : http://www.tropicanalv.com/ent_folies.asp : click on " show video". It's the longest running show in town. As for the Grand Cnayon, when you get there, you'll see tours in all the hotels, on all the flyers/busses etc. Do you want a bus trip or to fly over it... etc lots of options - not tough to find the info when you get there.


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.

Just a thought , BUT in 5 or 6 weeks you could see a LOT of the US. Have you considered something such as this:
http://www.oneworld.com/ow/air-trave...-north-america.
Pick where in the US you'd like to go and skip the driving. It would definitely be more efficient. THEN you could go to : San Francisco , then NY, then Miami, then LA, then San Diego etc. If you haven't bought airfare I would think it over. Where do you REALLY want to visit and forget the traveltime restrictions. I know 2 people that do this every few years. In fact one of them is in Africa right now via NY ( for the US Open tennis matches) then Italy (for the soccer finals). The only thing is - after you decide WHERE you want to go then you must estimate the travel dates between cities. If this is the only time you're gonna do it, I would consider flying around the US: it's a pretty big country compared to Australia.
Thnk about it.


Bobb


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 !!!