Help me plan my CA summer itinerary with older teens

[Anonymous]

Thinking about spending 7-8 nights in CA this summer with my older teens. We have been to LA and SF, but thinking about staying in a couple of places along the coast. Debating between Santa Barbara/Ojai area vs. Laguna Beach/northern SD and then either driving or flying up the coast somewhere. We are active - like to bike and hike - and like good food with areas to explore.

Any recommendations on where to go and specific hotel recommendations? Budget is pretty flexible and we typically prefer higher end hotels. Was thinking about Ojai Valley Inn but not sure if my older teens would be bored. Don’t necessarily need night life, but don’t want to be in an isolated area where we are limited to our hotel.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

We took a road trip down the California coast 2 summers ago. Our tween really liked the Santa Cruz boardwalk. It’s not high end by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fun. A nice change of pace.

[Anonymous]

We did a few days in Ojai a couple years ago a liked it a lot. We did some hiking, visited an olive oil place, had some good food. We stayed at the Emerald Iguana and liked it (had a nice pool for the afternoons too).

We also air bnb’d a few days in Avila Beach. Avila is tiny but cute and it’s easy to day trip from there to SLO or other places nearby (we did it as a break in a road trip from Kings Canyon to San Francisco).

[Anonymous]

SB and Ojai are lovely, but very quiet. Your teens will like SD and Laguna Beach more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SB and Ojai are lovely, but very quiet. Your teens will like SD and Laguna Beach more.

Thanks, pp. that’s what I suspected. Any hotel recommendations in Laguna?

[Anonymous]

My teens find SB too quiet (same with Ojai.- they like SB better than Ojai). They like LaJolla Shores area best - it’s on the beach (swimming, surfing, kayaking) and easy to get to SD for more activities and restaurants - also hiking nearby. We stay at La Jolla Shores Hotel which is not luxurious but is fine.

[Anonymous]

My Dad used to live in San Jose. One summer he took me (19) and my sister(14) on a trip down the coast from San Jose to Newport Beach area. It was really fun. I don't have exact locations for you but it was a really great trip. I remember we drive through Gilroy CA which is the garlic capital of the world lol. I don't know how people live there our car smelled like garlic for at least an hour.

[Anonymous]

I second recommendations for La Jolla area. We have stayed at La Jolla Shores also and like d it. Otherwise, Montage in Laguna Beach is nice.

[Anonymous]

I stay in la jolla shores every summer. The rooms are fairly basic but its right on the water, beach service is great, and food is decent, plus you can walk to a lot of restaurants, rent kayaks, etc. Coronado island is another option

[Anonymous]

If you decide to stay in Ojai, the Ojai Valley Inn is great. There are multiple pools - it's peaceful and quiet, nice, but not stuffy. And I believe they have bikes for you to use to drive into town.

Avila Beach, mentioned above, is also very nice. If you get an AirBNB close to the beach the kids can go back and forth from the house to the beach. There's a nice boardwalk street right there too.

[Anonymous]

Ojai Valley Inn is great

The long rumored re-opening of the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara is supposedly going to happen after Memorial Day - I live in LA and drive up 1.5hrs just to stay there - we love it.

Santa Barbara Zoo is small but a nice afternoon to walk around. Great hiking and tide pools.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend staying a few nights in Manhattan Beach too. I would fly into SD, stay 5 nights. Drive to MB, stay 2 nights and leave out of LAX. It’s so fun for teens, great people watching, food, it’s densely built, lots of fun. Kids can wander and hang while you do your thing.

[Anonymous]

Jumping on this thread - - Has anyone been to Big Bear Lake with kids? We're going to be in So Cal in August, staying near the beach north of San Diego and then visiting family in LA. So we're seeking something that's not city and not beach. Is Big Bear great, or just decent given its proximity to L.A.? We've done similar cabin/water/woods vacations in Colorado and Wisconsin. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I’ve only ever gone over to Big Bear to ski but it’s supposed to be nice over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jumping on this thread - - Has anyone been to Big Bear Lake with kids? We're going to be in So Cal in August, staying near the beach north of San Diego and then visiting family in LA. So we're seeking something that's not city and not beach. Is Big Bear great, or just decent given its proximity to L.A.? We've done similar cabin/water/woods vacations in Colorado and Wisconsin. Thanks!

Yes and it was awful. Filled with crazy Trump supporters. This was during the 2020 election. Never again.