Destination - Anaheim & the Los Angeles area

"Just get on any major highway, and eventually it will dead-end in a Disney parking area large enough to have its own climate, populated by large nomadic families who have been trying to find their cars since the Carter administration."

  ~Dave Barry



Downtown Anaheim

So you are going to Disneyland.  It is one of the top destinations in California.  Everyone wants to go, it is the “The Happiest Place on Earth”, or so they tell you.  I don’t necessarily agree with that, I’ve seen crying children at Disneyland.  I personally think the happiest place is dog beach, you never see an unhappy dog.  But that’s just me.  Disneyland is up there on the list and a half a billion visitors can’t be wrong. (Sometimes it seems all at once). But besides Disneyland, what else is there to do on a vacation to the Los Angeles/Anaheim area?  There are really lots of things to do. 
For those of us who live in Southern California, we tend to make day trips to Disneyland.  We are only 2 hours away, and while it is nice sometimes to stay overnight, most of the time we dash up for the day and have fun, then head back to our own beds.  But if you want to make the area a destination for a longer vacation, then here are some things to do while in the area.

Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Parks are the number one attraction in the area.  You could spend several days just taking these parks in and really having time to see everything, and get on all the rides.  And don’t forget Downtown Disney, with lots of interesting shops and restaurants and the ESPN zone.  When it is crowded, which is all summer, all holidays and all weekends, the Fast Pass can save you a lot of time, so make sure you check that out.  My favorite rides at Disney are Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and I have always loved the Matterhorn.  The best place to eat in Disneyland, in my opinion, is The Blue Bayou, which is near the Pirates of the Caribbean.  I really like California Adventure Park also, and my favorite rides there are California Screaming which is a roller coaster that does and upside down loop, and Soaring Over California, which makes you feel like you are in a balloon flying over the California landscape, wind in your hair.  In June they opened a new area of California Adventure called Cars Land.  I have not yet been to this, but it looks like fun.  Disneyland is a great way to unwind and let your hair down.

La Revolucion - Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm is just down the road from Disneyland.  It has a lot more of the thrill rides than Disneyland.  La Revolución swings riders an astounding 64 feet in the air, over 6 stories high! Rip Tide will send you soaring 59 feet into mid-air while turning you head over heels.  Supreme Scream is one of the world's tallest, most radical thrill adventures. In seconds, you're propelled straight up, 254 feet in midair, but there's no time to enjoy it.  But there are also rides for everyone, all ages.  And in the Marketplace area there are shops and restaurants, including the famous Mrs. Knott's Chicken pie place.

Heading north into the Los Angeles area, there are lots more fun places.  You could visit Universal Studios which is a theme park that grew out of a studio tour.  You can still take the studio tour, and when we did it we saw them filming.  We also saw a couple of stars on the lot.  Universal City Walk is a fun place to hang out in the evening after your day inside the park. 

Hollywood sign in the hills over the city

You could head for Hollywood.  There is Hollywood Boulevard with the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Chinese Theatre and more. You can see a lot for free. The Hollywood & Highland complex has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards).  From there head for Rodeo Drive, packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.  You could book a tour of the stars homes.  And there is Sunset Boulevard, one of the most famous streets in the world.  It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the “Sunset Strip” on its way.  Drive down it and you pass through Hollywood, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades. When you get to the ocean, stop at Gladstone's for Fish.

Venice Beach

Santa Monica Pier

While there, check out the Southern California beaches.  I think that Santa Monica Beach and Pier is a fun place to visit.  It has a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies.  From there you can head south a couple of miles to Venice Beach. It is Los Angeles kitsch and over-the-top culture at its best. Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore. Fun, VERY interesting, but avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting and may not be that safe.

Griffith Park Observatory & view of LA

Heading farther north you should check out Griffith Park Observatory perched high on the hill overlooking LA.  You will have great views from up there.

You could attend a TV taping.  You can get free tickets at www.audiencesunlimited.com, www.tvtix.com,or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the Tonight show with Jay Leno. Check the NBC web site for all the details there.  Or get tickets in advance for a chance to win a prize on The Price is Right. www.cbs.com/daytime/price/tickets

Getty Museum

The Getty Museum is so beautiful, no matter whether you like their art or architecture better (or maybe you'll just enjoy the view), the Getty is sure to please. Free.

Farther south in Long Beach is the Queen Mary.  Once the largest ship afloat, she's been docked in Long Beach for longer than she sailed, and her elegance never fails to impress. Free to visit. You can actually stay on board, for a price, she is also a hotel.

Display inside the La Brea Tar Pits Museum

There are many museums is the Los Angeles area.  One of the more fascinating is the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, on Wilshire Blvd.  It is the world’s most famous ice age fossil excavation site.  Kids really love this place, with bones of ice age animals on display.

You won’t find yourself bored with a vacation to the Los Angeles – Anaheim area.  You will have fun at Disneyland, and find there is a lot more to see as well.  For those of us who live in San Diego, most of us have a kind of love/hate relationship with LA.  It has so much smog.  San Diego gets some, but not nearly what you have up there.  And we have more of a small town feel, where LA just goes on forever.   I found several quotes that I couldn't resist adding to this.  And remember if you are on vacation and you get tired of the smog and traffic, San Diego is just a short drive away.  You can certainly combine the two area for a vacation.  You can read about San Diego by going to the side column and clicking on the San Diego link under the Destination Series.

“Even though I grew up two hours south,
 I had rarely ventured to Los Angeles.
 I soon learned that my dad wasn't totally off base when he said,
"Los Angeles is like San Diego's older, uglier sister that has herpes." 
 Justin Halpern, Sh*t My Dad Says

“When its 100 degrees in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles.

When its 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it's still 72.

 However, there are 6 million interesting people in New York, and only 72 in Los Angeles.” 

 Neil Simon