Plaza Inn or Carnation Café and a few other questions.

[Californian Elitist]

Oh yeah about beaches... Where's Zuma Beach? (If that's even the name?) One of my family members recommended it. It's also where they shot Planet of the Apes lol. (Remember the Statue of Liberty scene?) I've been to Santa Monica and Venice plenty of times in the past.I love the Santa Monica pier, but too there's so much hoboes lol.

Lol I know all about the bums there.

Zuma Beach is in Malibu. Not that far away from LA, but not close, either.

 

[Marc Gil]

Hmmm... So like an hour/hour and a half lets say? Are there nicer beaches close to LA/Anaheim? @raven24

 

[007mickey]

I agree, both Plaza Inn and Trader Sam's are amazing.

Traffic can get really terrible. It gets pretty annoying.

After LA, my wife exclaimed she would never complain about Atlanta traffic again.

 

[007mickey]

I'm definitely going to the Griffith Observatory! I mean Rebel Without A Cause was filmed there! It's one of my favorite films! Thanks for all the other info. I'm researching now. I love planning lol it gets me so excited.

Talk about age gaps, we go to the observatory and my son couldn't believe we were at the place where they filmed scenes from The Rocketeer.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Hmmm... So like an hour/hour and a half lets say? Are there nicer beaches close to LA/Anaheim? @raven24

I'd say 45 minutes to an hour. Probably even less than that.

Yes, the nicer beaches are closer to Anaheim. Huntington, Laguna, Newport... They're all really nice.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Talk about age gaps, we go to the observatory and my son couldn't believe we were at the place where they filmed scenes from The Rocketeer.

Also, an episode of Star Trek Voyager filmed there... and probably a dozen other things, too.

There's a couple of other very famous locations off the top of my head that one can visit if it floats your boat:
The Power Rangers Command Center/Camp Khitomer/twenty other things:

Or the Vasquez Rocks, which have been in numerous Star Treks, Friends, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Flintstones, Army of Darkness, Austin Powers, the Big Bang Theory etc.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

But up in LA County where they stopped investing in freeways back in the 1970's, things are pretty crummy and most freeways are poorly maintained and woefully inadequate for 21st century traffic loads. Especially during peak travel times from about 6AM to about 8PM.

From my experience... seems about right.

On vacation, I always drive from LA to Anaheim in the morning (which I believe is the "right" direction to do it) on the 405, 110, and the Artesia Freeway (91). Up until I-5, the whole drive is humdrum traffic and surprisingly small freeways for such a megalopolis. The whole I-5 area around Disneyland is blissful civil engineering.

@Marc Gil , if you still haven't decided on a hotel and you're OK driving into the Mickey & Friends parking structure (the Embassy Suites is pretty far away and you'd probably be driving and the Marriott is towards the edge of walking distance), I'd look in this area here. You might be able to save some money versus hotels with the "location" of being right on Harbor Blvd, and I can all but guarantee you an easy 10 minute drive to the parking structure. That area is on the tail end of my drive to Disneyland, and I have never experienced bad traffic in that area in 20+ treks over there. There is a carpool-to-carpool exit from 91 to I-5 and a carpool exit that pretty much takes you right into the parking structure. It's very pain-free. If it were me, I would either stay at one of the hotels directly across the street on Harbor, or a little further away somewhere along 91.

 

[tare]

All this talk is getting me really excited for my trip. I have been salivating thinking about the fried chicken at the plaza!!!

 

[RozFan]

zuma beach is in malibu i believe. there is a duke's right on the water and the food was delish! hula pie!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Another vote for the Plaza Inn and the chicken, and a vote for Trader Sam's. The two places at California Adventure that would get my vote would be Flo's for the pork and coca-cola BBQ and the Carthay Circle. I sure wish I knew how to make those biscuits!

 

[tare]

Another vote for the Plaza Inn and the chicken, and a vote for Trader Sam's. The two places at California Adventure that would get my vote would be Flo's for the pork and coca-cola BBQ and the Carthay Circle. I sure wish I knew how to make those biscuits!

Agreed with everything but ca it will be a first for us since we haven't been there when these were opened yet v