Visiting L.A. in June: ideas, tips?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m currently planning a trip to San Bernardino in June to visit my friend for her birthday. I’ll be staying with her so I’ll have no need for a hotel. But I’m looking for advice and fun ideas for the L.A.-area in the summer. My friend has already suggested a few things and we’ve tentatively planned:

  1. Do the touristy thing and go to Hollywood, Walk of Fame, etc.
  2. Hit the Sunset Strip for a party.
  3. Maybe head down south to Tijuana for a day or two.
  4. Go partake of California’s own brand of crazy at Venice Beach.

Is Tijuana worth the trip down there? Any places I should avoid at all costs? Any great hidden treasures to check out? What about local bands? I’d love to take in a concert while I’m there. Any ideas, tips, warnings, etc. would be very appreciated.

2

If you’re interested in art, you should definitely hit the Getty. The collection is great, and the museum and gardens are spectacular. Just riding the train from the parking garage to the top of the mountain is fun.

If you want a beach trip where you’re actually enjoying the beach (as opposed to watching the strange humans at Venice) try driving up the coast a bit to Zuma Beach. It’s close enough to LA to be convenient, but far enough away that it’s not packed and scummy.

Avoid Disneyland in June. It will be a nightmare.

3

I’m sorry. San Bernardino is a pit. Plan on spending as much time as possible elsewhere.

#1, 3 & 4 are good. TJ is a border tourist trap, but kinda fun on its own terms. Spend a few days in San Diego, and catch the Padres in their new stadium. See the Dodgers on their way to the bottom of the Division. The Getty is good. Hit the Farmer’s Market early in the morning. Musso & Frank’s for breakfast. Tommy’s for lunch. Versailles in Studio City for dinner. The local band scene is chaotic, but there is always someone good playing somewhere. You may have to drive to Reseda to find them, but they are there. Skip Disneylad at all costs. If you are into amusement parks, go to Knott’s instead. Venice Beach is nothing special. Weird, but normal. Drive down to Temecula and go winery-hopping.

The list goes on and on. Give us some more specifics, and we’ll give you more precise advice. :smiley:

4

Supa-cool! Okay, we’re both 20-year-old females (she’s having her twentieth birthday during my trip). We love to party and dance and want to find lots of other young people. Neither of us is very physically adept, so please no rock-climbing, etc. We are planning to rent surf boards and make fools out of ourselves for a day.

Is there any cheap, easy way to see the Mojave Desert, or should I not bother?

5

Drive up the 405 to the five. Take the 14 (Antelope Valley Fwy.) north. You’ll drive by Vasquez Rocks (seen on album covers, TV shows, films, etc.) along the way. In about an hour after leaving L.A. you’ll be in the Antelope Valley, which is the extreme western edge of the Mojave Desert. Keep going north, and you’ll get to the town of Mojave. (Not much to see there, but that’s where Scaled Composites is.) If you take the 58 west toward Tehachapi you’ll see a bunch of wind turbines.

I’ll second dinner at Versailles. Have the roast pork. There’s often a line outside, Fridays and weekends in particular.

If you can, have some fish’n’chips (or bangers’n’mash) at Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica.

6

Lived in L.A. for a long time, but haven’t been back in years so some of this may be dated:

Kanters for Bronx Special
Genghis Cohen for No Name Duck
Pinks for chili dog
Maria’s Ramada for goat
Dresden Room for kitsch
Greek Theater for concert
Ditto Hollywood Bowl

  • Steve Boardner’s - hole in the wall on Cherokee just below Hollywood Blvd.
    Melrose Ave. used to be fun
    La Brea Tar Pits - why not?

Plenty more but brain has frozen.

7

If you’re 20 and looking for fun, I do suggest you see Venice Beach, Friday afternoons are cool, not quite as crazy as Saturday and Sunday, which also have their appeal.

But even better for you – probably a same day thing as Venice – is to spend time on Melrose Ave. between Fairfax & LaBrea. Hip, cool, trendy, out there, etc. It’s the weird fashion center of L.A. And every third person on the street will be able to tell you where the cool but unknown bar is with the hot new band.

Seriously consider going to see Jay Leno at NBC. It’s easy to do. Just show up at 8am, wait in line for under and hour and then go enjoy the day and get back for the taping at 2p. “Ellen” is the alternative, equally as simple to get into.

Don’t do “Price is Right.” I see people getting in line at 3am (it’s near my home) and I’ve been told some still don’t get in when they show up at 5am.

Disneyland I have found to be doable so long as it’s not on a Fri-Sat-Sun, even in June. For the very best rides though, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is far-and-away the best.

Orange County beaches: Newport, Corona Del Mar, Laguna are pretty awesome. But South Bay beaches like Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have a pretty cool scene, too. I think Santa Monica is a little overrated – maybe it’s because I work there.

Hollywood Boulevard/Mann’s Chinese Theatre area has been cleaned up significantly, but you’ll still find it a dirty, overrated pit.

If Griffith Park Observatory (located just above Hollywood) is open (it’s been under construction since the Ice Age it seems), it’s worth checking out. Hopefully the smog won’t kill the view. Do it at night, but before the space museum closes (around 7p I think). The smog clears just after dark. Great view. Then hop down to Los Feliz and hit up all the bars made popular in “Swingers.” Give Trent and Mikey my best.

You’re young, you’ll probably want to do Sunset Boulevard one night (a lot of crusing punks, though too-loud stereos). The Comedy Store or some other stand-up comedy places are a great treat on Sunset as well.

There is a restaurant/magic place called The Magic Castle in Hollywood. If you think a magic show will do it for you, that’s the place to go. It’s a great show, really amazing stuff, but the dinner’s a little pricy.

And yes, stay out of San Bernardino as much as possible, with one possible exception: The Rennaissance Faire I think is taking place that time of year. If you want to see overweight men and women dress in puffy shirts and blouses and talk like Medieval goofballs, this is your place. But bring your food. Ye Turkey Leg and stein and other foods are ridiculously overpriced. Still, it’s fun, doesn’t take a ton of imagination to pretend you’ve been transported back to the 1500’s (1300’s? I’m not a history buff, sorry, dopers).

8

Oh, and TIJUANA, by most accounts, IS AWFUL. AVOID. It’s also a pretty significant trip away. But it’s all subjective; maybe it will be your thing.

My apologies for the preivous post’s typos. Very un-doper like. I hang my head in shame.

9

The following is IMO, YMMV.

But keep in mind that the weather at the beach in June is almost never ideal. It’s usually cool and overcast–so by all means, check out the crazy Venice scene, which will be there; enjoy a seaside restaurant meal in Malibu, but you may as well leave the bathing suit at the hotel.

Tijuana does have some worthwhile museums and attractions, or so I’m told, but there are more interesting places just a bit futher south. Check out Calafia, which is seacliff restaurant/hotel with a beautiful view. In fact, most of the Baja coast along the toll road between Tijuana and Ensenada is surprisingly beautiful and unspoiled, and the toll road is well maintained.

As for Hollywood, it’s probably worth at least having martinis, if not a whole meal, at the Musso & Frank Grill. It’s been there since before 1920, which makes it Precambrian by L.A. standards. If you like Mexican food be sure to check out La Golondrina in Olvera Street, downtown. Actually Olvera Street and Hollywood are among the few places that our new subway actually goes to, through, or near, so you could easily do both of those things in one afternoon.

Regarding the art museums, the Norton Simon and LACMA are generally thought to be better than the Getty in the quality of their collections, if not in the grandeur of their surroundings.

10

If you like magic at all, this is a must see. Unfortunately, it’s also a “can’t-see”, unless they’ve changed from being a private club for magicians and fans of magic. You need to be a member, or have a guest pass. These are not altogether unobtainable, and you need not be escorted by a member to use one. Still, it’s not as if you can just walk in like any ordinary restaurant.

11

RenFaire have lost their lease and are searching for a new site. :frowning:

12

Cool, keep the suggestions coming. My trip is tentatively scheduled for late June, 20-31, if that makes any difference weather-wise. Hey, it could be worse – we were originally planning for April. Is the Mojave Desert worth the drive though? I’ve seen the deserts of South Texas and that was plenty for me. If the Mojave isn’t particularly beautiful or anything I’ll skip it.

Should I tell Trent and Mikey that **Moonchild **sends her best, or do you have another name they’ll know? :smiley:

13

The Mojave has some nice spots, but it isn’t Monument Valley or anything like that. You can skip it without fear.

As for art museums, there is only one you have to see: The Huntington Library in San Marino.

14

I agree-- the Getty is a swell site but the LACMA and Norton Simon collections are better-- esp the former which is easy since it’s next door to the tar pits. LACMA is underrated. Don’t try to do the Getty on a weekend.
If you’re into architecture maybe check out the Gehry stuff in the park and the Greene and Greene arts and crafts houses in Pasadena- the Gambell House is a nice little tour. Santa Monica is also a nice stroll-- cute downtown and busy boardwalk.

15

If you’re in San Bernardino, you might as well just head to the Anza-Borrego Desert. You won’t have to travel through as much traffic.

San Berdoo to the LA area is quite a haul through a lot of traffic at all times of the day.

You will be amazed at how congested I-10 is. There are two other highways that can take you out that far east: the 210 and the 60. They are both pretty congested also, although the 210 is usually the least congested.

But not by much.

16

Oh!!! And if you keep going on the 58 west, you will hit the great city of Bakersfield! We have the #1 country night club in the country! Mr. Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace! … man, sarcasm isn’t so clear on the computer.

Have you ever been to LA before? If not, stick with the city. Don’t bother with San Diego and the desert; both are great to see, but there’s plenty in the city of LA itself.

I suggest Venice and the Santa Monica Pier as something to see. I also second the idea of going to the Tonight Show-always fun!

You’re my age, so here are some of my favs when I go to LA (which is pretty much biweekly):

The Beverly Center is a great mall full of over priced designer crap most people can’t afford-still fun, though! I love going into Gucci and touching a $1000 T-shirt!

For more affordable shopping, I suggest the Glendale Galleria (huge, 300 + shops). This would be a great way to spend the day before the Tonight Show because they are relatively close to one another.

Yet more shopping (no wonder I’m so poor!): The Fashion District! Be careful not to stay too close to dark, but during the day you’ll be fine. You can get some great stuff-cheap!

Oh, some fav celeb boutiques if you want to go that route: Kitson and Intuition. Both have great stuff that you can find on any of the top celebs.

I also LOVE the Getty! Admission is free-you just pay $5 to park. Wonderful exhibits, but it would be worth it just for the grounds.

Hollywood isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, but head down one night at least. Lots of dancing and fun. In LA, it’s hard to compete with the girls with the fake tan, fake hair, and fake boobs-but work it! You can almost always sweet talk your way into a club to at least get to the front of the line. I would suggest the Viper Room if you’re really looking for a classic. Try to catch the Pussycat Dolls if you can.

Personally, I LOVE Disneyland (I go every year for my birthday, then again every two months :smiley: ). There is no bad time of year to go, you just have to know the ins and outs of all that is Disney. If you’re interested, I can tell you my wonderful Disney plan that works every time. This year is Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary-lots of fun.

If you have a chance (and some spare cash) spend a night in one of the Hollywood classic hotels, maybe even a night at the Bev Hills Hotel. Spend the day getting pampered.

There’s plenty more-but that’s what I’ve got off the top of my head. Hope I was some help!

17

One other thing that nobody else has mentioned, since you are already in San B. you might as well take a quick day trip up the 18 into the mountains up to Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear. Both are quite charming and sunny in June (when the valleys below will most likely be cloud covered). And will let you see the “mountain lake town” aspect of Cali that is an interesting contrast to both the city and the desert.

18

Re: Bakersfield, another friend of ours lives there, so we might head up that way anyway. Would you like to hit L.A. with us sometime, DiosaBellissima? Btw, I’ve never been to California before, this’ll be the first time I ever see the Pacific ocean. Is the the Anza-Borrego Desert beautiful?

19

If you like sightseeing and have a half-day or so to spare, try driving up Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for a spell. Start in Santa Monica, follow the freeway to Hearst Castle, then continue on and really hug the coast… Just make sure the driver keeps her eyes on the road! :eek:

20

Trent and Mikey are fictional characters from the movie “Swingers.” It’s a terrific movie to prep yourself for L.A. hipsters.

BTW, Gladstones for Fish on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu (about five miles up from Santa Monica Pier) is a cool tourist spot and has the BIGGEST DESSERTS ON EARTH. The fish is a bit average, except for the blackened catfish, which is excellent and reasonably priced.

From there, head up Sunset about 1/4 mile to the Self Realization Fellowship Lakeside Shrine, possibly the most beautiful sanctuary on the West Side. Really a special place.