California in August

[Anonymous]

Trying to plan a vacation for me, DH, DS19 and DD17. I haven’t been to the west coast (I’m not American) so it’s exciting but daunting as I’m trying to plan something that will keep everyone happy

Ideally it would be about 12 days not including travel days. DH is exhausted from work and both kids are working full-time summer jobs. So some beach time for them to decompress is needed. I can’t lie on the beach for hours on end but can amuse myself. We all like nature and some hiking. DD and I like poking around galleries and boutiques. Not particularly interested in Hollywood, but maybe there’s a tour the kids would enjoy? Similarly, not personally interested in Disneyland but I suppose kids could go for a day. Is it good for older teens and could one day work?

I thought we could do 5 or 6 days at a beach like La Jolla then drive north for 6 or 7 days to San Francisco with a couple of stops on the way.

I would love some suggestions from people who know the area.

Is it too ambitious for 12 days? Would it be better to fly into LA and go to a beach nearby so our starting point is a bit further north? If so, which beach would be good for teens but not too crowded or overwhelming plus warm enough to swim?

Is 6 or 7 days enough time to enjoy driving north to San Francisco? Where would you recommend stopping?

Love some suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Too much time in La jolla. Maybe 3 nights, tops, if you also use it as a base for San Diego.

Book a Warners Brothers studio tour for your Hollywood Experience. And with kids those ages, I’d probably do Universal Studios over Disney unless you have a huge Star Wars fan. Although Disneyland is an amazing experience and is superior over World.

With 12 days plus travel, you have a lot of time to do stuff. I’d consider going to the Bay Area also - vastly superior to LA for a tourist.

[Anonymous]

Hi -

La Jolla is lovely but it can be overcast.

Look into Mission Beach in San Diegeo for the initial beach portion. It’s also close enough to San Diego you could go into eat or for evening entertainment (we saw an amazing magic show dinner theater when we were there but that was pre Covid and I’m not sure it survived). Mission Beach h is a long board with a beautiful beach and you can find plenty of apartment rentals right on the beach across from the sand. There are also a handful of restaurants.

I’d spend 5-6 days there (you can do La Jolla as a day trip from there, also Torrey Pines for hiking)

Another option or stop might be Laguna Nigel. The Riz is a gorgeous property there if you don’t want to deal with an AirbNB. There are beaches plus shopping / galleries / lots of dining.

for LA I’d stay in Hollywood Hills if you can find a place with a view. Or, you could do Venice Beach too. Hiking the Hollywood sign for sure. I’d pass on Disney but you could do a universal also. Or the Warner Bros Studio tour is also good. Venice Beach boardwalk is also a ton of fun to walk. Maybe 3 days? LA is a massive city but very spread out so it can be tiring with all the driving.

Driving to San Fran, Santa Barbara can be a lunch stop. You could do overnight (or a couple of night) but you can also make the drive in a day. Malibu which is close to LA also has some great restaurants along the beach.

Just south of LA Santa Cruz has a great amusement park boardwalk. Also Big Sur is gorgeous.

For San Fran, it’s beautiful but not a ton of activities. Since you like hiking I would do Muir Woods for sure.

[Anonymous]

Just don’t call it San Fran.

[Anonymous]

Look out for the wild fires.

[Anonymous]

I was planning on a trip like this for August, spending a few days in LA, a few days in Monterrey/Carmel, and then onto San Francisco. We ultimately decided against it b/c Monterrey Car Week is in August, during the only time we could make it work, and hotel prices were exorbitant and I didn't want to deal with the traffic/crowds. So, just a warning to check when car week is before booking if you're looking to go to the same area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
for LA I’d stay in Hollywood Hills if you can find a place with a view. Or, you could do Venice Beach too.

Just south of LA Santa Cruz has a great amusement park boardwalk.

For San Fran, it’s beautiful but not a ton of activities.

Couple of corrections/opinions on these:

1. I would never suggest someone stay in the hills or in Venice as a first time visitor, too distant from the main sites and you will spend your first 20 minutes of the day driving out of those areas (unless you are seeing something there specifically)

2. Santa Cruz is south of San Francisco, not LA

3. "Not a ton of activities" in San Francisco is a WILD take. So much to see and do, especially if you include the close-in parts of the East Bay and Marin and the islands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was planning on a trip like this for August, spending a few days in LA, a few days in Monterrey/Carmel, and then onto San Francisco. We ultimately decided against it b/c Monterrey Car Week is in August, during the only time we could make it work, and hotel prices were exorbitant and I didn't want to deal with the traffic/crowds. So, just a warning to check when car week is before booking if you're looking to go to the same area.

Thanks for the warning about car week. I checked the dates and it shouldn’t be a problem since we would fly on 15th.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

You do know that California beaches aren't like east coast beaches, right? People don't rent beach houses and stay for a week, they go for a few hours, dip their feet in, or put on wetsuits and surf for a couple hours. Maybe for a brit it won't feel cold, but the water is chilly year round. (California native)

12 days is enough to do the coast, but if you're going to spend 5 or 6 days in San Diego area, want to hit LA and SF, it's going to be tighter. I really would do 3ish days San Diego, 2 nights in LA if you want to do a WB studio tour or go to universal, and then drive up the coast. Stop in Santa Barbara for lunch, do a tour of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, do a beach day in Santa Cruz if that's a priority and then head into the forests and finish up in san fransisco. 3 days in SF will get you all the highlights, so spread the rest around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

Runyon Canyon is where to go hiking in LA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

You do know that California beaches aren't like east coast beaches, right? People don't rent beach houses and stay for a week, they go for a few hours, dip their feet in, or put on wetsuits and surf for a couple hours. Maybe for a brit it won't feel cold, but the water is chilly year round. (California native)

12 days is enough to do the coast, but if you're going to spend 5 or 6 days in San Diego area, want to hit LA and SF, it's going to be tighter. I really would do 3ish days San Diego, 2 nights in LA if you want to do a WB studio tour or go to universal, and then drive up the coast. Stop in Santa Barbara for lunch, do a tour of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, do a beach day in Santa Cruz if that's a priority and then head into the forests and finish up in san fransisco. 3 days in SF will get you all the highlights, so spread the rest around.

+1 there is a ton to see and do in CA and it's a great summer destination especially northern CA as it's temperate weather and a break from DC humidity. But it's not a "lie on the beach" place. I'm not sure why you are going to CA rather than just the DE beaches etc, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

Runyon Canyon is where to go hiking in LA.

Plenty of good similar places in Griffith Park, nothing special about the Hollywood portion of the hills. Definitely drive up through one of the canyons at least once and maybe go up to a side street or two for nice views and gawking at houses.

[Anonymous]

The coastal areas can be really overcast that time of year and you might be disappointed. It's not typically raining, just cloudy and chilly. The sun typically comes out in the afternoon though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I think at least 5 days on one beach is probably nonnegotiable from DH’s POV. He’s British and is more than happy to beach himself like a whale on the beach to bake his lily white flesh. He’s also exhausted from work so needs to recharge.

What is special about the Hollywood Hills? I’m not particularly interested in Hollywood or celebrities but I do like hiking - is this some of the best there is along our route?

If you like hiking and your DH's main interest in the beach is just laying on the sand, you could consider a few days near Lake Tahoe. It's a unique place in the world, IMHO, and it has the virtue of beach (on the lake), mountains, and lots of outdoor activities.