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The Official "Explore Southern California!" Thread
- Thread starter Cosmic Commando
- Start date
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Do you have anything you'd like to contribute?! Or has it been too long? The more, the merrier.
draybook
Well-Known Member
Do you have anything you'd like to contribute?! Or has it been too long? The more, the merrier.
I can remember some cool stuff, like the Christmas Light parades on the boats in Newport Beach I think it was. I also remember going to a science center but I don't think it was the one posted in here, but it was in the LA area.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I fairly recently just found out about the Los Feliz Lodge in Los Angeles, and I thought I'd share. If you planning to stay in Los Angeles and don't really like hotels, the Los Feliz Lodge sounds like a great alternative. It's basically a group of homes, or villas. It's like staying in a house, and the location is really neat, I can tell you. It's perfectly located in east Hollywood, and it's close to all the touring spots.
http://www.losfelizlodge.com/
http://www.losfelizlodge.com/
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
More "home-like" places to stay:
Hollywood Pensione: http://www.hollywoodpensione.com/
Inn at Playa Del Rey: http://www.innatplayadelrey.com/
Hollywood Pensione: http://www.hollywoodpensione.com/
Inn at Playa Del Rey: http://www.innatplayadelrey.com/
JillC LI
Well-Known Member
Do you have anything you'd like to contribute?! Or has it been too long? The more, the merrier.
I was 12 years old when my family did the drive along the coast from SF to LA. I have spotty memories of it (but lots of good feelings). I recall my father's business conference at the Fairmont hotel in SF where I first saw a bidet. LOL. I recall the hills of SF and the wharf. I recall the little motel we stayed in on the water in Monterey where I awoke to the sound of the waves hitting the surf. I recall shopping in Carmel. I recall hearing the word "boysenberry" for the first time ever at Knotts Berry Farm. Alas my parents did not take me and my sister to DL - over three decades later, our trip there this May will be my first ever.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
That's a great story! So descriptive.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
What?: Sprinkles (Cupcakes)
Where?: Original is located in Beverly Hills, but there are other locations spread out across Los Angeles
How far from Disneyland?: Depends on the location you're going to
How much?: One cupcake is $3.75, $4 from the ATM and $42 for a dozen
Sprinkles is a California-based cupcake chain. They're considered the first cupcake bakery, and their cupcakes are GOOD. They also serve ice cream (also delicious) and cookie dough. I don't know about the other locations, but the Beverly Hills location has a cupcake ATM, in case you don't want to buy them inside. It's an extra twenty-five cents to buy them from the ATM, but it's cooler. Sprinkles has been featured in Cupcake Wars and the LA Times. They're delicious.
ATM:
Where?: Original is located in Beverly Hills, but there are other locations spread out across Los Angeles
How far from Disneyland?: Depends on the location you're going to
How much?: One cupcake is $3.75, $4 from the ATM and $42 for a dozen
Sprinkles is a California-based cupcake chain. They're considered the first cupcake bakery, and their cupcakes are GOOD. They also serve ice cream (also delicious) and cookie dough. I don't know about the other locations, but the Beverly Hills location has a cupcake ATM, in case you don't want to buy them inside. It's an extra twenty-five cents to buy them from the ATM, but it's cooler.
Sprinkles has been featured in Cupcake Wars and the LA Times. They're delicious.
ATM:
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There has been a cupcake ATM since 2012 and I didn't even know about it!?!?!?
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
There's a Sprinkles in New York, there may be an ATM there!
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
So what Sprinkles location is closest to DL / Anaheim? I'm clueless when it comes to the area.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
So what Sprinkles location is closest to DL / Anaheim? I'm clueless when it comes to the area.
There's one in Newport Beach, probably twenty-five minutes away.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Thanks! We have one here in Houston but its in a really busy area I rarely ever go.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Thanks! We have one here in Houston but its in a really busy area I rarely ever go.
Have you ever tried Sprinkles? Or have you stayed away, due to the crowds?
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
It's across the street from the nearest Pottery Barn & Lucky Brand stores to us. I've gone to those stores to shop but its across a busy 4-lane in a high-end area. I don't really hang around there. I kinda feel like a hairy mole in that part of town. LOL! When I've been there I've been with DH (he has zero patience for such) and my oldest son who's waaaaay too enthralled with all the European super-cars. Its just one of those areas I go, do what I need to, and get out. Prob'ly makes no sense. LOL!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Makes a lot of sense to me!
Walt Disney1955
Well-Known Member
Lots of nice things on this thread. Good discussion. I might do some of these the next time I am out in California. Hopefully soon.
But I'll chime in with some things here. I actually got a lot of good tips from raven24 back when I went to SoCal. Obviously we did Disney but while we did a lot of touristy things I still wanted to do normal Southern Californian things. Here are some notable things we did on our trip and my opinion of them:
In-And-Out Burger - I knew this was a staple of SoCal before I got there. So I wanted to check it out. Great burgers. Wow. Sort of has a Happy Days feel to it, the atmosphere. One of the staff members and I had a long chat when he found out we were from Canada. He talked about his trip to Niagara Falls which is close to home for me. Friendly guy. It was a fast food place without tasting like a fast food place.
Pink's - When we checked out Hollywood I made sure we did Pink's. Wonderful hot dogs. But there was more to it than that. It is right down the street practically from the main Hollywood strip. Apparently this was a favourite of Charlie Chaplin's. I like knowing that kind of stuff. Plus it has history and you got the feeling Southern Californians swing by here on their lunch break for a good meal.
Tommy's - I found it by accident. One of the best chili burgers/dogs out there. We went to Universal Studios and there was one of them in the CityWalk. Again, you want to get engulfed in the SoCal culture.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library - Lovely place. Just 10 miles away from Disneyland or so in Yorba Linda. I initially wanted to go to the Reagan Library but the trek to get up past Hollywood was less appealing than the closer Nixon one. It was grand, and it didn't gloss over any details. There was everything about Nixon in there. There was even a lot of talk about the Watergate scandal. It was a nice 2-3 hour thing to do on a day off.
Universal Studios - The tour was the best part. Pure Hollywood there. Lots of familiar settings for me. King Kong ride wasn't bad. Hyped up a little bit more than what it was, but oh well. Loved seeing the Bates Motel. I mean, one of my favourite movies and I'm looking right at the place they filmed half the iconic movie. Wonderful. The rides aren't as great, but there are still some nice ones. Jurassic Park is as good as the one in Orlando. Transformers isn't as good as Spiderman. Overall Universal Orlando is the better park, but there is a mystique with USH. Movies get filmed there, there is a lot of history there and the mountains in the background are stellar. Believe it or not, I loved the Waterworld show.
Beaches - Laguna Beach was the most beautiful. What a place to live! Santa Monica was where we spent an entire afternoon. I loved the Pier. Again, typical California thing to do. The waves were great the days we were there. We also drove as north as Malibu. That is a beautiful area. Didn't want to go much further though.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour - It was either that or Paramount. We chose this. I loved it. I love seeing places that have been in the movies. Or TV. Even being in the spot of that famous T-Rex chase scene from Jurassic Park. Checking out different homes. For example the exterior of the Growing Pains house. The courthouse in Back to the Future. Then my favourite, going on the sets. It was a Saturday so no one was there but I was on the set of Ellen, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. I don't watch Ellen, but I was surprised at how small it was. The other two looked small as well, but I love those shows and always think about the sets when I watch them now.
Hollywood tours - Worth the price of admission. Seeing the Hollywood sign, seeing the place this happened or that happened or where so-and-do died. Seeing the homes of the stars in Beverly Hills. Seeing the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air exterior home. That was neat. To top it off, seeing the actual homes they did some filming in for Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. I can tell some crazed fans show up there, because the homes were gated off. I also got the chance to have free tickets to see Bill Maher. I passed on them hoping that Leno would be available, he wasn't.
Chinese Theatre/Walk of Fame - I loved checking out the Chinese theatre. Lots of history inside of there. Outside the walk of fame is so long. Lots of names there. I couldn't believe it. But the handprints are the big thing. Seeing those names you realize that is the core of Hollywood. I also liked seeing the dates of when they happened. Jack Nicholson got his handprints done in 1974. Obviously Jack is one of the greats, but since there is such a select few that have them it surprised me that he was considered for that before we saw him in roles like The Shining or Cuckoo's Nest. Anyway, Hollywood at its best.
But I'll chime in with some things here. I actually got a lot of good tips from raven24 back when I went to SoCal. Obviously we did Disney but while we did a lot of touristy things I still wanted to do normal Southern Californian things. Here are some notable things we did on our trip and my opinion of them:
In-And-Out Burger - I knew this was a staple of SoCal before I got there. So I wanted to check it out. Great burgers. Wow. Sort of has a Happy Days feel to it, the atmosphere. One of the staff members and I had a long chat when he found out we were from Canada. He talked about his trip to Niagara Falls which is close to home for me. Friendly guy. It was a fast food place without tasting like a fast food place.
Pink's - When we checked out Hollywood I made sure we did Pink's. Wonderful hot dogs. But there was more to it than that. It is right down the street practically from the main Hollywood strip. Apparently this was a favourite of Charlie Chaplin's. I like knowing that kind of stuff. Plus it has history and you got the feeling Southern Californians swing by here on their lunch break for a good meal.
Tommy's - I found it by accident. One of the best chili burgers/dogs out there. We went to Universal Studios and there was one of them in the CityWalk. Again, you want to get engulfed in the SoCal culture.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library - Lovely place. Just 10 miles away from Disneyland or so in Yorba Linda. I initially wanted to go to the Reagan Library but the trek to get up past Hollywood was less appealing than the closer Nixon one. It was grand, and it didn't gloss over any details. There was everything about Nixon in there. There was even a lot of talk about the Watergate scandal. It was a nice 2-3 hour thing to do on a day off.
Universal Studios - The tour was the best part. Pure Hollywood there. Lots of familiar settings for me. King Kong ride wasn't bad. Hyped up a little bit more than what it was, but oh well. Loved seeing the Bates Motel. I mean, one of my favourite movies and I'm looking right at the place they filmed half the iconic movie. Wonderful. The rides aren't as great, but there are still some nice ones. Jurassic Park is as good as the one in Orlando. Transformers isn't as good as Spiderman. Overall Universal Orlando is the better park, but there is a mystique with USH. Movies get filmed there, there is a lot of history there and the mountains in the background are stellar. Believe it or not, I loved the Waterworld show.
Beaches - Laguna Beach was the most beautiful. What a place to live! Santa Monica was where we spent an entire afternoon. I loved the Pier. Again, typical California thing to do. The waves were great the days we were there. We also drove as north as Malibu. That is a beautiful area. Didn't want to go much further though.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour - It was either that or Paramount. We chose this. I loved it. I love seeing places that have been in the movies. Or TV. Even being in the spot of that famous T-Rex chase scene from Jurassic Park. Checking out different homes. For example the exterior of the Growing Pains house. The courthouse in Back to the Future. Then my favourite, going on the sets. It was a Saturday so no one was there but I was on the set of Ellen, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. I don't watch Ellen, but I was surprised at how small it was. The other two looked small as well, but I love those shows and always think about the sets when I watch them now.
Hollywood tours - Worth the price of admission. Seeing the Hollywood sign, seeing the place this happened or that happened or where so-and-do died. Seeing the homes of the stars in Beverly Hills. Seeing the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air exterior home. That was neat. To top it off, seeing the actual homes they did some filming in for Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. I can tell some crazed fans show up there, because the homes were gated off. I also got the chance to have free tickets to see Bill Maher. I passed on them hoping that Leno would be available, he wasn't.
Chinese Theatre/Walk of Fame - I loved checking out the Chinese theatre. Lots of history inside of there. Outside the walk of fame is so long. Lots of names there. I couldn't believe it. But the handprints are the big thing. Seeing those names you realize that is the core of Hollywood. I also liked seeing the dates of when they happened. Jack Nicholson got his handprints done in 1974. Obviously Jack is one of the greats, but since there is such a select few that have them it surprised me that he was considered for that before we saw him in roles like The Shining or Cuckoo's Nest. Anyway, Hollywood at its best.
Walt Disney1955
Well-Known Member
Things I would like to do the next chance I go. And this time I might have to have two kids come along so I'll have to figure it out. I was right at the Queen Mary and didn't do a tour. I don't know why, I wish I did. I would like to check out Knott's Berry Farm. We did three days of Disney and one of Universal. I couldn't find time for a 5th day at the theme parks. Maybe next time.
Magic Mountain comes to mind as well. I've been to Cedar Point in Ohio twice. That is the rollercoaster capital of the world, but Magic Mountain is right there with it.
Paramount Studios tour. I did the Warner Bros. I would like to do this one now.
A show taping. I know they aren't all they are cracked up to be but if it is a show you watch it would be neat.
Sports. Our hotel was directly across the street from the Honda Center. And Angels Stadium was down the street. I didn't get a chance to see a game. I'm a huge sports nut, I will next time.
And if I fly into San Fran first I want to check those sites, the Walt Disney Museum and on the way down to SoCal would try and see Hearst Castle and Yosemite Park if possible. Then go down the Highway 1.
So what am I missing here?
Magic Mountain comes to mind as well. I've been to Cedar Point in Ohio twice. That is the rollercoaster capital of the world, but Magic Mountain is right there with it.
Paramount Studios tour. I did the Warner Bros. I would like to do this one now.
A show taping. I know they aren't all they are cracked up to be but if it is a show you watch it would be neat.
Sports. Our hotel was directly across the street from the Honda Center. And Angels Stadium was down the street. I didn't get a chance to see a game. I'm a huge sports nut, I will next time.
And if I fly into San Fran first I want to check those sites, the Walt Disney Museum and on the way down to SoCal would try and see Hearst Castle and Yosemite Park if possible. Then go down the Highway 1.
So what am I missing here?
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Magic Mountain holds the record for most roller coasters in one park.