I have to go to California for business for 2 weeks and I really need advice on what to do there. I have a whole weekend where I have to find things to do all by myself. I don’t know anyone there. I have a little bit of anxiety because I will probably wind up in a hotel near Anaheim and I don’t even watch the OC (though I saw the movie Orange County.) I have no idea what’s there or what people do there. I don’t even know what the weather will be like in January.
I’m going to have a car, and I’m going to have legs the shade of blue that white people in Canada get in January. I’m open to any suggestion though I don’t really want to go to bars because I don’t watch sports so going to bars alone is generally boring. I like indoor things and outdoor things. They just have to be things that are fun to do when you’re alone. I’d especially like to do things you can’t do in Toronto.
There are lots of nice museums: The Getty, La Brea, the Huntington Library (which also has huge, gorgeous gardens, which you might appreciate.) I wouldn’t hesitate to do Disneyland alone, if you feel like it. It’s kind of fun not having to answer to anyone about what to do next or where to eat.
What 2 weeks will you be here? Perhaps we can arrange an L.A. Dopefest to keep you busy one evening.
These guys have all kinds of group events, including hikes, concerts, dinners, etc. that are open to anyone – just find what looks fun and sign up.
Do you want to do sightseeing kind of stuff? Are you into museums? Would you like to explore certain areas, like, say, Venice Beach? If we’re free whatever weekend you’re here, my husband and I might be able to take you to a museum or something, or at least meet up for lunch one afternoon.
If you’re in Anaheim there’s a Mexican restaurant I liked when I worked nearby. It’s called The Chili Pepper, and it’s on Main St. off of Chapman. (Southeast corner.) Be sure to read the specials.
You don’t say where in Anaheim you’ll be, so I’ll use Disneyland as a reference. From there, go South on Harbor to Chapman. Turn left (East). That will get you to Chili Pepper.
Continue East on Chapman and you’ll come to Old Town Orange. This is a quaint area with a large roundabout. Lots of nice little shops and restaurants, but not overly ‘faux-old-timey’. Houses in the area are Craftsman style from the 1920s and 1930s (or thereabouts). Nice to look at.
If you feel like driving you can go up to L.A. Warning: Traffic can be bad. Venice Beach is pleasant for people-watching. Santa Monica is two miles north. You could go to Ye Olde King’s Head (Santa Monica Blvd. at 2nd Street) for some excellent fish’n’chips or bangers’n’mash. If you go to L.A., you might want to search the ‘What to do in L.A.’ threads for a lot of suggestions.
Unfortunately my OC excursions consisted mainly of going to work and then returning home to L.A. Aside from Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and a couple of eateries, I don’t have much to offer.
Do you like trains? One day you could ride the Amtrak north from Anaheim to downtown L.A. and, oh, I don’t know, try some of these possible attractions, all either adjacent to the main train station, or accessible by subway/metro: [ul]
[li]Olvera Street (mostly really kitchy, but the La Golondrina restaurant is really good. Have two margaritas, you’ll be glad you’re travelling by train that day.).[/li]
[li]The historical section around Olvera Street is mildly interesting if you like that sort of thing.[/li]
[li]The Museum Of Contemporary Art[/li][li]Pershing Square, if you’re jewelry shopping[/li][li]Hollywood is about 20 minutes away by subway, if you’re into that sort of thing. Some people find the footprints in front of the Chinese Theatre diverting. Musso & Frank’s Grill, the one of the oldest restaurants in L.A. is worth a visit.[/li][li]If you didn’t mind putting out for a short taxi trip from a Metro station, or riding a bus, you could go to LACMA, too.[/ul][/li]
On the other day, take the train the other way down to San Diego, where you could easily see most of the Zoo. The Timken Gallery, also in Balboa Park, is a small jewel of a privately run museum, but one which, sadly, has virtually no web presence. And the train ride by itself is fun, since for much of its distance it runs right by the beach.
Drive to, then along the coast. You’ll find all sorts of interesting beach places to stop and check out. It doesn’t matter whether you head southeast toward San Diego or northwest toward Santa Barbara - good stuff in either direction (and we’re definitely not in Toronto anymore).
For dinner one (or three) night, head down to Marina Del Ray and hit Killer Shrimp. Check out the San Diego Zoo. Go to Disneyland or Knott’s. Have a Pink’s chilidog.
I love Orange County! (Some of my recommendations are in LA and Long Beach, too)
Medieval Times restaurant and show, near Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, is supposed to be superb.
Half-day fishing boats, whale watching, or a quick trip to Catalina Island are available out of Davey’s Locker in Newport Beach. Newport and Balboa are also great places for shopping and dining. Try The Blue Beat, Charlie’s Chili on the Newport Beach Pier, or The Crab Cooker, one of my favorite places to eat crab. There’s also a little amusement park on Balboa.
Though their website sucks, The Orange County Swap Meet is unsurpassed. You could spend the entire day there. If you’re looking for less commercial shopping, just go up a couple of streets to The OCC Swap Meet. You can still make deals there.
You could go kayaking on the Back Bay in Newport Beach and see all kinds of wildlife.
You could watch a TV show being taped live in Hollywood.
And I second Spectre of Pithecanthropus’ recommendations for Olvera Street and Musso & Frank’s Grill. You should spend a few hours just walking Hollywood Boulevard, looking at freaks. Fun!
I’m there from about the 11th to the 21st but I am working all the weekdays. The 14th and 15th is the weekend I’m there.
I will probably spend some weeknights in the hotel (probably looking at the internet, watching movies, eating creme brulee and taking baths because, yay! hotel!)
I’m getting kind of excited now. The Huntington Library looks kind of awesome. (thank you cher3!)
The train idea sounds good. I was going to avoid LA it because of warnings about traffic. Maybe I will take the train there. I think the big thing that got me so nervous is that my boss keeps telling me how awful it is to drive there and that I’m going to spend the whole day in hellish traffic if I’m not careful. He also told me to go Disneyland because all he can think of. I’m not that much of a disneyland person I don’t think.
The Huntington is wonderful, and in my back yard. Okay, not in my back yard, but a girl can pretend, can’t she? The gardens are extensive, and the museumy bits are interesting too. There’s a tea room, which you generally need a reservation for (and, I think, would be less fun without someone else to chat with (ahem!)), and a cafe, if you end up there all day (as I have before). Honestly, it’s one of my favorite places in the area.
Getting to the Huntington could be a bit difficult without a car, because it’s a bit out of the way. The traffic in the LA/OC area can be a nightmare, but if you’re coming up to LA on the weekend by car, it shouldn’t be too bad, particularly if you’re coming up to San Marino where the Huntington is. I also agree that Disneyland is not fun by yourself.
If you do decide to take the train, it puts you into Union Station. From there, you can use the MTA’s helpful but somewhat confusing website to do your trip planning. The key to the website is persistence. (I note that when using their trip planner, you can select “attractions” from a drop down menu – one of the attractions is “Detention Centers.” Now, I personally have not been to any of LA’s detention centers, but I don’t think I’d call them an attraction per se.)
If you like theater or concerts (or spa treatments!), keep an eye on GoldStarEvents.com. It’s a website that offers half-price tickets to different events in the LA/OC (and even SF/SD) areas. The plays I’ve seen haven’t always been good, but the seats have been. There may be something on there close to your hotel that you’ll want to do some evening, just to get out.
As for traffic, welcome to another amazing website: Sigalert.com. If you have internet access from your hotel, pop onto that webpage to check the traffic before you head out.
I proposed to my wife by the koi pond at the Huntington Library. Definately a “must-do.”
You are catching the hints everybody are dropping, right? Once you decide on something, and set a time, you will be amazed at the number of Dopers who “just happen to be in the neighborhood.”
Rather coincidentally, I’m going to be at the Huntington all day on Saturday doing some photography stuff. So, if you see a group of about 6 folks with photography gear, that’s me and some folks from school!
I have to split a hair with you though, Campion. You’re right. Disneyland isn’t a lot of fun alone, however, Downtown Disney can be great on your own. It’s very santized for your protection, but it’s fun going to the Brea Bakery, getting something yummy, and people watching, especially on a Sunday morning.
Also, traffic on the weekends isn’t bad at all until you hit downtown and points west. Well, and anything by the beaches may be a little iffy. People exaggerate, I’m telling you! Throughout most of the OC and anything north of there (up to and including Pasadena), you’ll be totally fine.
Lastly, I’m channelling my husband here, but if you’re going to have to eat at Roscoes. Chicken and waffles, baby!
Not that my lovely wife hasn’t already covered the topic, but let’s have one more vote for Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles. I bet they don’t have THAT in Toronto! (They don’t, do they?) If you’re going to head up to LA and Hollywood per the great suggestions of other folks in here, the original Roscoe’s is on Sunset and Gower, very near the heart of Hollywood. There’s also one in Pasadena, which isn’t far from the Huntington Library.
Museums were also mentioned, and one of the main museums areas in LA also happens to surround the site of many of the events from the 1984 Olympics. Exposition Park, right by the campus of the University of Southern California (just a couple of miles south of Downtown LA) can be beautiful to walk around on its own, but the Musuem of Natural History, the Museum of Science & Industry, an IMAX theater, and possible a couple of other attractions I’m not thinking of, all surround the LA Coliseum. Might be worth a side-trek.
I’m partial to Hamburger Hamlet myself. Too bad they have no plans to open in New Yawk…
Another good restaurant (if you like seafood): Gladstone’s in Malibu, just off the PCH and on the beach. Mile high cake, mmmmm…
What else? Magic Mountain. The Santa Monica pier (great for people-watching). Westwood (ditto). I’ll drop back in if I remember anything else - it has been about 12 years since I lived there.
Re: driving in LA - yeah, I feel your pain. It’s bad, but not usually that much worse than places like DC or Pittsburgh… and it’s actually less unpleasant than New York, Chicago, and Houston (in case you’ve driven in any of these towns, maybe the comparison will give you an idea). YMMV… I wouldn’t want to take the train into downtown LA, simply because there was never much to do around there… and LA’s public transit is just awful.
One more thought: bring warm clothes. LA can get nippy, especially near the water.
