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 !!!

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?

I would schedule about 1-2 weeks.

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 the rainy season, although it don't rain "a lot". You may
run into several rainy days.

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

Definitely hire a car. The areas you want to visit is huge, and public
transport from one place to the next will take hours.

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

Lots. But if you are concentrating on southern California, definitely
spend some time in San Diego.


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?).

About 2-3 days. If you want to include the Grand Canyon, probably 5-7
days.

What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?


Gamble?

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 !!!

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.

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



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 !!!

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

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 !!!

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 !!!

"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.

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.

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?...
What else is there to do in Vegas that you would recommend?

In addition to seeing the casinos on the Strip, you might want to visit
nearby Hoover Dam, which is quite spectacular. Also you might enjoy
seeing the desert scenery at Red Rock Canyon or Valley of Fire
(personally I prefer V.O.F., although it's a longer drive).

The Grand Canyon is amazing and you should definitely visit if it you
have time. It's about a 5-1/2 hour drive from Vegas to the South Rim
(the main tourist area), so it's best to spend the night there, but
it's *possible* to do it as a day trip if you have to (leave Vegas
early morning, spend most of the afternoon there, and get back to Vegas
by midnight). There are also one-day bus tours available from Vegas,
although I think most of them go to the western end of the Canyon,
which isn't as spectacular as the South Rim.

Another possible day trip from Vegas is Death Valley National Park.

James