Southern California: *** For more general trip ideas throughout California, go to this link.
1. Disneyland is in Anaheim - check on the web as there are many sites (which is why we haven't linked this) that can give you information on this very famous attraction.
2. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has 2 separate locations. One is the villa in Malibu and the other houses an excellent art collection. Check the site and explore.
3. LosAngeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has an excellent permanent collection as well as many diverse visiting exhibitions. Nearby, you can walk around the Page Museum also known as the La Brea Tar Pits which trapped many extinct animals during the last ice age, some 10-40,000 years ago. It is one of the world's most famous fossil localities.
4. Universal Studios in Hollywood. Tours are given through the studios where many motion pictures have been made. It is fun to walk along the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame where you see the famous "stars" embedded in the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard noting famous people in Hollywood. Each star has an icon representing the category they represent such as TV, Movie, or Director, etc.
5. The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park is one of the best zoos in the world. They also have a Safari Park located separately and the site has a link to that as well. We recommend both. While we are not personally big fans of zoos, this one does not cage its animals in tight enclosures and gives a feeling of their natural habitat. The Safari Park is a wonderful experience. It is located on rolling hills outside of San Diego (operated by the SD Zoo) and offers people a chance to ride in a guided tram taking you through the rolling hills where zebra, giraffes, hippos, elephants and large cats are free to roam. It is quite safe and quite an experience!
6. Sea World in San Diego focuses on marinelife from small marine fish to penguins and whales. They have shows and demonstrations. This is a good place to take children. While in San Diego, it is very pleasant to visit La Jolla.
7. Old Town San Diego is, as the name implies, the old section of San Diego and makes for a lovely stroll down its streets which gives you a feeling of what San Diego may have looked like in the "old days". There are many Mexican restaurants in this area. Sometimes there is free entertainment in the plaza. California was populated and governed by the Spanish before it became the California we know today.
8. If you want to see the posh shops in Beverly Hills, visit Rodeo Drive. You will probably want to buy elsewhere, but it's fun to "window-shop" and browse the area. It is world famous.
9. If you have time and enjoy art and magnificient gardens, visit the Huntington Library near Pasadena in San Marino. This is one of our favorite places to visit. The museum is very interesting and contains some wonderful art, but the gardens are some of the most wonderful we've seen! In the Spring, it is truly amazing with the cactus garden in full bloom. There is a Japanese garden as well.
1. Disneyland is in Anaheim - check on the web as there are many sites (which is why we haven't linked this) that can give you information on this very famous attraction.
2. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has 2 separate locations. One is the villa in Malibu and the other houses an excellent art collection. Check the site and explore.
3. LosAngeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has an excellent permanent collection as well as many diverse visiting exhibitions. Nearby, you can walk around the Page Museum also known as the La Brea Tar Pits which trapped many extinct animals during the last ice age, some 10-40,000 years ago. It is one of the world's most famous fossil localities.
4. Universal Studios in Hollywood. Tours are given through the studios where many motion pictures have been made. It is fun to walk along the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame where you see the famous "stars" embedded in the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard noting famous people in Hollywood. Each star has an icon representing the category they represent such as TV, Movie, or Director, etc.
5. The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park is one of the best zoos in the world. They also have a Safari Park located separately and the site has a link to that as well. We recommend both. While we are not personally big fans of zoos, this one does not cage its animals in tight enclosures and gives a feeling of their natural habitat. The Safari Park is a wonderful experience. It is located on rolling hills outside of San Diego (operated by the SD Zoo) and offers people a chance to ride in a guided tram taking you through the rolling hills where zebra, giraffes, hippos, elephants and large cats are free to roam. It is quite safe and quite an experience!
6. Sea World in San Diego focuses on marinelife from small marine fish to penguins and whales. They have shows and demonstrations. This is a good place to take children. While in San Diego, it is very pleasant to visit La Jolla.
7. Old Town San Diego is, as the name implies, the old section of San Diego and makes for a lovely stroll down its streets which gives you a feeling of what San Diego may have looked like in the "old days". There are many Mexican restaurants in this area. Sometimes there is free entertainment in the plaza. California was populated and governed by the Spanish before it became the California we know today.
8. If you want to see the posh shops in Beverly Hills, visit Rodeo Drive. You will probably want to buy elsewhere, but it's fun to "window-shop" and browse the area. It is world famous.
9. If you have time and enjoy art and magnificient gardens, visit the Huntington Library near Pasadena in San Marino. This is one of our favorite places to visit. The museum is very interesting and contains some wonderful art, but the gardens are some of the most wonderful we've seen! In the Spring, it is truly amazing with the cactus garden in full bloom. There is a Japanese garden as well.
