Going to California for the first time.. what to do?

[tenthumbs]

This is NOT a good time to go to Yosemite if that's even a consideration. The waterfalls are at a minimum (Yosmite Falls is a trickle), Curry Village is essentially closed due to Hantavirus outbreak in the tent cabins, and to top it off, you'll probably encounter one of the worst traffic jams in any part of CA when entering or exiting.

If you want to see CA, you should eliminate Vegas and do a SoCal/NoCal tour using some of the suggestions already stated.

 

[Woosta]

damn, 10 posts and no customary response???

H&BJ OP

I posted right before sleeping.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'm gonna assemble a list of stuff. So far:

## Los Angeles ##

- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Celebrity Houses tour
- Disneyland
- Universal Studios
- Rodeo Blvd (high-end shopping, lots of celebs)
- Wilshire Blvd (runs though the nice houses in Beverly Hills)
- Venice Beach
- Peterson Automotive Museum (rare car exhibits)


## San Diego ##

- La Jolla
- San Diego Zoo
- Old Town
- Seaworld
- Coronado Beach
- Pacific Beach
- Super Sergios (24hr burrito stand)
- Anything mexican
- Symbolic Motors in La Jolla

Now let me read through the responses and add stuff...

 

[Ns1]

//Disneyland
- Universal Studios//

you don't have time for this. You MIGHT be able to do a few hours at Universal since it's in a great area and not as populated as Disney; Disneyland is in the OC bubble and pretty much always packed.



Also: LA mexican* > SD mexican > SF mexican**


* Unless you get carne asada fries, in which case you go to SD
** SF's claim to mexican fame is the mission burrito.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

If you have money, I'd highly suggest flying to sf and Vegas. It's cheap and will save you a days worth just on the road.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Surprised no one's mentioned Tahoe yet. If you're in SF you might as well hit up Tahoe which is about 3-4 hrs east.

Either way, I think you'd be hardpressed to accomplish a NorCal & SoCal trip in a week and really enjoy yourself. There's traffic everywhere in this state. I-5 is probably the fastest to take, but depending on when you leave you could get screwed. I'm about 4 hrs north of LA on I5 and a solid 1.5 -2 hrs from SF.

 

[zinfamous]

put a flower in your hair

oh, and do you have a woman unkind?

 

[zinfamous]

Yes, in and out is way overrated.

Thing is, it's a huge place and there's tons of great stuff but not easy to find.

One thing I'd say is get in coastal driving. Take 101 travelling the state.

There's Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. There's Hollywood (and you can see shows taped if you want). There are great restaurants.

Museums? Check the Getty, check the Huntington with its old texts (an original Guutenberg IIRC) and its gardens in the LA area.

Check Golden Gate Park's de Young art museum and the new science museum - indoor rain forest, amazing aquarium and much more, in San Francisco.

There'e wine country - with great restaurants including the arguably best in the country, the French Laundry but you can't eat there (months in advance reservation process).

Yosemite is arguably the most beautiful national park in the US - we have great Redwoods in places.

When in San Francisco, why not see, say, the Ferry Building with its gourmet stores, great restaurant near, and of course ferries to places like the art town of Sausilito?

Try to get some 'best of' lists so you can try an ACTUAL great burger or pizza (several reportedly world class in SF)?

In Vegas, do go to all the Cirque du Soleil you can, except Zumanity.

Art? Gourmet food? Nature? Wine???
duuuude...it's Woosta.

he's just looking for some spots to scope out some tittays.



OP: best to stay in LA if that is, indeed, the case

 

[WaTaGuMp]

The coffee shops in Orange County, CA is way better than Dunkin Donuts in the east coast:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-lu-santa-ana

Please don't tell him to come down to my area.

 

[Woosta]

Please don't tell him to come down to my area.

I'll make sure to visit you. We can watch the UFC together.

 

[KillerBee]

the Mystery Spot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWs6cpABGwg

 

[tcG]

I've only read the first four replies and I have to post that In-N-Out burger is NOT overrated before I have a heart attack from rage. It's fucking incredible.

 

[tcG]

Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco is pretty cool if you like to see the ashes of what was once a great land of 60's counterculture.

 

[Woosta]

Assuming flying into LAX...

Spend 24-48 hours in LAX, drive up to SF. Bonus points for taking PCH but this will turn the drive to 9-11 hours.
Spend 24-48 hours in SF, drive through Death Valley and get to LV
Spend 24-48 hours in LV, drive to SD (bonus points for driving through Joshua Tree/Salton Sea)
Spend 24-48 hours in SD, drive back to LA

They need to go city to city, and not back to LA as a hub.

Personally I'd drop SD from the trip.

holy SHIT, you predicted exactly the route we just discussed now.

 

[Ns1]

It took me 3 road trips but I have done that route and it is awesome.

If you go through death valley into LV, you drive you Beatty...where the shady lady inn is.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

I've only read the first four replies and I have to post that In-N-Out burger is NOT overrated before I have a heart attack from rage. It's fucking incredible.

if all you had was the regular fast food then it's good sorta. Unless you're getting 3x3 and more there's simply not enough meat. There's a ton of better burger places in SoCal. Even Carls Jr is arguably better.

 

[leper84]

Going to California for the first time.. what to do?

Immunize against every known disease.

 

[mrkun]

To everyone talking smack about In-N-Out: It's the best fast food burger that you can get from a drive-through. I don't think anyone is claiming it's comparable to a $13 burger from a restaurant.

LA: Getty Villa, Griffith Observatory, Huntington Library, Magic Mountain

Drive up PCH (highway 1), stop at Hearst Castle.

Bay Area: stop off in Santa Cruz; Touristy stuff in SF; Go north on 101 to Healdsburg and do wine tasting; on the way back, stop at Lagunitas brewery/beer garden in Petaluma.

 

[IronWing]

To everyone talking smack about In-N-Out: It's the best fast food burger that you can get from a drive-through. I don't think anyone is claiming it's comparable to a $13 burger from a restaurant.

Carl's Jr pwns In-N-Out every day of the week and twice on Sundays. In-N-Out is an oversized White Castle. Culvers pwns In-N-Out, hell Burger King makes better tasting meat. School lunch green slime soyburgers pwn In-N-Out. In-N-Out does kick Walmart frozen beef patty ass though.

Point Lobos south of Monterey is pretty cool. If you go that route you can check out some red woods, San Simeon, and the Big Sur coast.

 

[yhelothar]

Carl's Jr pwns In-N-Out every day of the week and twice on Sundays. In-N-Out is an oversized White Castle. Culvers pwns In-N-Out, hell Burger King makes better tasting meat. School lunch green slime soyburgers pwn In-N-Out. In-N-Out does kick Walmart frozen beef patty ass though.

Point Lobos south of Monterey is pretty cool. If you go that route you can check out some red woods, San Simeon, and the Big Sur coast.

Each to their own, and you're definitely on the far far side of the minority if you consider innout worse than green slime soyburgers from school cafeterias.

Carl's is so unfresh and their patties are bland. In-n-out always tastes like it was just cooked fresh and the meat is much more flavorful. And the way the cheese is melted with everything with that perfectly doughy bread... om nom.

 

[Woosta]

WOW, Carl Jr's is the BEST fast food place EVER.
In n Out is second, rest are way behind.

 

[crashtestdummy]

I'm not much of an LA fan, but my two favorite spots are Venice Beach and the Getty Museum. You don't even have to be interested in the paintings. The architecture alone is worth going to see.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I've only read the first four replies and I have to post that In-N-Out burger is NOT overrated before I have a heart attack from rage. It's fucking incredible.

Dammit! Now I'm going to have to go there for lunch today.