SoCal with kids vacation

[NutBucket]

Burbank car rentals are fine, but they are a long hike from the terminal. Should be no problem with 9 year olds though.

You must be confusing Burbank with LAX. Burbank car rentals are about a 5 minute walk once you exit the (small) terminal. It's LAX that has every rental agency located separately offsite; each with their own shuttle clogging the terminal areas. Consolidated car rental will be about 40 years past due when it finally opens.

 

[zerocool84]

CA is the most scenic and diverse state in the whole country. You have huge urban areas, gorgeous mountains, awesome beaches, deserts, and forests all in the same state. Los Angeles is not California.

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

If you plan to hit the beach, go to Laguna. Lots of really nice coves, some of which are almost private. Also, then Knots Berry Farms, in the same area as Disneyland. There's a kids science museum and a zoo in Santa Ana, but they are really 2nd / 3rd tier. Long Beach Aquarium is second to none, but a bit far north. Newport and Balboa are nice to walk around...

 

[NuclearNed]

Yosemite is about 4 hrs east of SanFran - I just got back from backpacking it with Mrs Ned. It's kind an ideal time to see Y because they got such a huge snowpack this year that the waterfalls are running at near historic levels.

Like Ns1 said, Death Valley & Joshua Tree are way too hot to visit right now. Like literally dangerous hot.

Stop for a while in La Jolla; it's a fun place.