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... Still trying to build out my itinerary, but do wanna have 2 days in Monterey so we can really enjoy Big Sur. Apologize to the Mods if this strays from a DL discussion now.
If this is going to head in a definite non-DLR direction, then I will move it to the California and the West forum. It really would be better to separate the two threads.
 
On one hand, I don't see us spending a ton of time in LA. On the other, I'd like to do Disneyland, but realistically I can't see it being worth it. Do we maybe just stay in Anaheim, try to pull off 3 days in Anaheim and then a day touring LA? Do we totally can Disneyland then maybe stay in a more desirable area?
I'd do something like this. Do a day tour/bus tour of whatever you want to see in LA/Hollywood. Save your beach days for Orange County and you can stay in Anaheim or closer to the beach. You'll get to see some nice beaches/beach towns and you'll be able to visit Disneyland if you are still inclined to do that.

Monterey/Big Sur area is gorgeous enough to spend more than a couple days there, however, at the time of year you will have limited daylight hours. It's a cold and windy area and there isn't much to do at night. It will be very cold when the sun goes down.
 
If this is going to head in a definite non-DLR direction, then I will move it to the California and the West forum. It really would be better to separate the two threads.
Yeah, apologize for moving away from DLR talk. If I decide to do DLR I'll ask a question specific to it in the DLR forum.
 
Unfortunately you can almost say the same thing about San Francisco. There are so many homeless in the city and I've personally witnessed a lot of drug use and human waste. I'm not trying to be negative, I love San Francisco -- it's where my DH proposed to me. They do have wonderful attractions like the Walt Disney Family Museum, Alcatraz, art exhibits, etc. Just don't be surprised if you notice a lot of homeless folks. Some areas are worse than others, but I wanted to give you some realistic expectations in case you encountered any of that.

So I've heard. I'm used to it, as I work in NYC, which has gotten really bad with homeless people. I work with someone from Cali and they were telling me horror stories about people he knows who work for tech companies who can't even wear clothes or carry anything related to the brand because they put a major target on their head.
 


Yeah, apologize for moving away from DLR talk. If I decide to do DLR I'll ask a question specific to it in the DLR forum.
No worries -- it's just that you'll get much better and more detailed answers by separating the threads, rather than having one, giant thread. :)
 
What are some of the things you'd like to see in Los Angeles? We have several nice museums, there is the Grove/Farmers Market that you might enjoy visiting with Rodeo Drive nearby if you'd like to drive through it, as well as LACMA and La Brea Tar Pits, Warner Bros studios for a tour, and some nice places to eat in Burbank (you can visit the oldest Bob's Big Boy left). Huntington Library is great to visit, and your mom might enjoy that. Santa Monica is a fun visit, too, and Route 66 ends there, but it's very touristy, and there are those street entertainers that will be asking for money. Newport Beach or Huntington Beach are better to visit (as well as Redondo Beach, but that is probably more out of the way). Santa Monica is at the end of the 10 freeway, and traffic can get pretty busy just getting out of Santa Monica (another thing to keep in mind). There are a lot of nice things in LA, you probably just need to research, and choose your top picks, then go from there.
 
I agree about Santa Monica. If you just want to do the LA sights and spend time at the beach, do one day in LA (maybe the bus tour) and then do the beach in Orange County coupled with your DL visit. Laguna, Corona del Mar, Huntington, Newport, etc. will all be a nicer, more relaxing beach trip than Santa Monica.
 


What are some of the things you'd like to see in Los Angeles? We have several nice museums, there is the Grove/Farmers Market that you might enjoy visiting with Rodeo Drive nearby if you'd like to drive through it, as well as LACMA and La Brea Tar Pits, Warner Bros studios for a tour, and some nice places to eat in Burbank (you can visit the oldest Bob's Big Boy left). Huntington Library is great to visit, and your mom might enjoy that. Santa Monica is a fun visit, too, and Route 66 ends there, but it's very touristy, and there are those street entertainers that will be asking for money. Newport Beach or Huntington Beach are better to visit (as well as Redondo Beach, but that is probably more out of the way). Santa Monica is at the end of the 10 freeway, and traffic can get pretty busy just getting out of Santa Monica (another thing to keep in mind). There are a lot of nice things in LA, you probably just need to research, and choose your top picks, then go from there.

Apologies for falling off - had a busy Sunday/Monday. I'm a big foodie, so I'll definitely be hitting Pink's, Roscoe's, the huge donut place, etc.

Now I'm even more conflicted because I remembered that the Rose Bowl takes place on 1/1, but we planned on driving down to San Diego then....

Our friend lives in Burbank, so I may reach out to her. Our fellow Disney diehard friends visited her (their sister) a month ago and said to just enjoy Cali and not worry about DL... but the more I look and work around itineraries, the more I think we need to get out to DL while we're out there.
 

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