Summer Vacation to Southern California

Southern California has so much to offer, to highlight would not do justice. However I will try.

Beaches: There are so many beaches from Malibu all the way to the San Diego/Mexico border. Each beach offering its own style and scenery. Each beach has a unique aspect about it. We stopped at almost every beach from Malibu to Imperial (that's in San Diego) and each has something special about it.

Food: So much to choose from. I could not believe it, with so many choices I don't know how we actually choose anything. Food ranges in a variety of prices from dirt-cheap to OHH my gosh I can't believe food can cost that much. There is also a wide variety of types of food, seafood, Mexican and sushi being the most common.

Activities: surfing, beach combing, skiing, rollerblading, bike riding, walking, running, swimming, tanning, working out, shopping, sight seeing, tours, skate boarding, boat rides, snorkeling, scuba diving, volleyball, basketball, parasailing, and many other activities are available and several of the beaches. San Diego has the zoo, sea world, Animal Park, and the Padres. L.A. had Disney Land, Knot's berry farms, the Dodgers, and the Angels, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Grauman's Theater. These are just a few of the activities available. There is so much to do and I could not tell you about it all in this little area.

Lodging: There are also several places to lodge in this area. Depending on your preference. We stayed in cheap Days Inn hotels and we liked it just fine. We really did not spend much time in the hotel so we really just needed a place to stay the night and shower in the morning.

Quick Tips:

Take a map. The streets and highways are a bit confusing and with out a map it might be hard to get around.

Be ready for traffic. Traffic, Traffic, Traffic everywhere you go. It is really crazy how much traffic there is. Especially when you get away from the beach area and get on the highways.

Bring lots of quarters, all the beaches have meters and they do ticket. Make sure you have money to park and except to have trouble finding parking on weekends and evenings.

Search out all the places that Southern California has to offer. Make the most of your time. There is so much to see and do and if you schedule wisely and know ahead of time what all you want to do and see you might get to see and do most of it.

Look for coupons and specials, everywhere has then and lots of places take them. It can save you a little money here and there. Ask the locals, they know the area best.

Best Way To Get Around:

I recommend a car. That is how we got around and it seemed to be just fine. Just be prepared for traffic and be patient.

You have several options: boat, foot, buses, taxi, car, bike, scooter, and a few others. I guess just see what works best for you and your needs.

Located on the southern side of Los Angeles, just outside of San Diego, this La Quinta is located close to both big cities. We stayed one night at this hotel with a free night voucher.

The location was a little of the beaten track for us, but it was a free night and we really did not have much choice. It was a very nice hotel, the rooms were very clean, the beds were comfortable, and the service was great. Even though we did not have to pay anything, we were still treated as every other customer.

My favorite thing about staying at La Quintas is that they almost all have a continental breakfast with cereal, toast, bagels, yogurt, fruit, juice, coffee, milk, strudels, waffles, and muffins. Almost anything to have a great breakfast to get your day going and take a few snacks along as well. We were going to the zoo that day, and being 6 months pregnant it was great to have a few snacks for the day. As well as this continental breakfast, there is a few restaurants within walking distance.

Some of the amenities in the rooms are alarm clock, voice mail, cable, high speed Internet, blow dryer, iron and ironing board, coffee maker, and data port phones.

Some area attractions around this hotel are Old Town San Diego, The zoo, the San Diego Animal Park, and La Jolla Shores.

Check out www.lq.com to make your next reservation. It is a great place to stay and I always enjoy places that you can save a little money on a meal.

This restaurant is in downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter, I believe. The food was great. It was a very unique place to eat, and with every main entree you get a choice of soup or salad; bread; tea, coffee, or your choice of beverage; and a scoop of ice cream. It was like an entire meal all together: drink, bread, meal, and dessert. Almost all of there meals were under $10 as well. The man who created this restaurant started it this way and hoped that it would never change, making it a cheap but nice place to eat and enjoy dinner with out having to break the bank. I agree. When we go out to eat, we don't like to have to spend a ton of money on an appetizer, drinks, and dessert, as well as the meal, so with a place like this when you're on vacation, we were able to eat a nice meal out at an affordable price. The atmosphere was great, very festive, with a warm, welcoming feeling. The service was great—kind, friendly, very helpful, and attentive—and, surprisingly, the food was great. It was not horrible-tasting food. We were very impressed to learn how good the food was for the price, along with getting everything we did. We loved it and I would highly recommend it. See http://www.osf.com/.

In-N-Out Burger is only found in three states, Arizona, California, and Nevada. They are famously known for their fresh food and cheap menu. It is a very limited menu, but it is great. The thing that makes this place unique and great is that EVERYTHING is made fresh and before your eyes. The potatoes are peeled and sliced where you can see them, they have huge slabs of freshly ground beef—and yes, it is even red, not a frozen brown—the lettuce and tomatoes are cut from fresh produce, and everything they do to your food is right out in the open so you can see it. This also tells me that they must take great concern with their sanitation standards to be able to do that with the public watching. So not only is everything fresh, but it is really good, with reasonable sizes to fill you up and at reasonable prices. Now, I mentioned that the menu is limited. Well, this is how they are able to keep everything fresh and tasting great. Your choices are a hamburger, a cheeseburger, or a double double burger; fries; and a drink or shake, and that is pretty much it. So this keeps you from having to make a huge decision. Do you want one or two patties and fries? The prices are quite low for such freshness and uniqueness. I think like a hamburger is $0.99 and a double double is like $1.99. Two people can eat for $10 having two burgers a piece, sharing a fries, and each having a drink—now that is a bargain to me. In-N-Out provides a '50s diner-type atmosphere and is very friendly and welcoming to all their guests. Be prepared to wait just a little since this place is always busy, but it is worth the wait even for fast food. See http://www.in-n-out.com/menu.asp.

Espressos, mochas, ice blended, teas, and many more drinks are what The Coffee Bean offers. The Coffee Bean is a cute little coffee shop in Beverly Hills that is comparable to a Starbucks, however I think it is better. I am not a huge coffee drinker and I got the best flavored coffee drink I have ever had anywhere. It was just the right amount of coffee flavor, and sweet with vanilla and cream. My husband was also very impressed with the coffee there, he is a big coffee drinker and kind of a coffee snob, and he really like it. The Coffee Bean allows you to buy mugs, coffee and coffee pots in their store. They have treats and snacks. The Coffee Bean also provides tables and chairs for you to sit and enjoy your coffee drinks. When we went it was a little crowded and busy but we were still able to sit and enjoy our drinks. The hours are: Monday-Saturday 6am-9pm, Sunday 7am-9pm. They have several locations in California.

Specializing in baked goods and serving several varieties of pies and desserts is what Marie Callender's is known for. Obviously that is all. We went to eat there for lunch and the food was not very good at all. My husband ordered chicken tenders and asked for gravy with it, I guess you have to be specific on what kind of gravy because they brought him brown gravy not cream gravy, when he finally got cream gravy it was cold. Next, my food was not a very big portion even if it was a lunch special, I hardly had any food on my plate. The service was not at all what I would expect from a place like this. They were very slow and would not substitute any items on the menu (vegetables, potatoes, etc.). It was as if you can only get what it says that it comes with. This is always a frustrating thing because not everyone likes the same sides or a salad. The server never came to fill our glasses, check on us after we got our food, and never brought us our check. It was as if we did not even exist.I guess we could have gone at a bad time, but I am sure not going to consider going there first on my list next time. Maybe if we are starving and cannot find any where else to eat.

El Torito is a great Mexican food restaurant where you are sure to find something to feed your appetite. They provide a menu that will leave you wanting to try everything. The food is very good and is cooked where it tastes like authentic Mexican cuisine. When we ate there we went on a Sunday and had the Sunday brunch. Now, do realize in California people do not get going until late so they are not opened for breakfast. They open about 9:30 or 10am, I do not really remember for sure. Anyways, the brunch cost $14.95 for adults and includes hot Mexican entrees, a taco station, an omelet station made to order, fresh made waffles, soup and salad, aguas frescas, desserts and champagne, tons of fresh fruits and pastries and some regular stuff also like rice, beans, eggs, potatoes and tariso. It is a great place to get all your favorite Mexican flavors on one plate. It is all-you-can-eat, so make sure you try everything and fill up your favorites.The service at El Torito is great, just like any buffet they fill your drink, bring you new plates, and if you order something specific they will bring it right to you when it is ready. The people working the omelet station and the buffet are also very kind and will get you whatever you need and help you in any way they can.The restaurant is decked out in authentic Mexican decorations and you get the feeling of a true Mexican experience. It was an enjoyable and yummy place to eat, and definitely fulfilled us for a day of sightseeing and beach going, and the price is reasonable since the food is good and it is all you can eat.

The San Diego Zoo was pretty unique. Comparing it to other zoos we have been to, it was not as great as I had heard people say it was. The atmosphere and the homes they made for the animals was great and much different than most zoos you go to, but I guess people talked it up so much to us that it still was not that impressive. We were a little disappointed by the lack of animals that we saw. It seemed like there were not that many out and the zoo was very hard to navigate, as you went back and forth.

What was neat was that they had the panda bears, but they really did not do anything--they just laid there. You don't really see panda bears at any other zoos. There were also a lot of pig- animals and deer-type animals. The most interesting animal was the giraffe.

There were lots of benches to sit and rest at, and also several little drink stops. It is gets very hot and there are not many shaded areas.

The zoo had this huge sand sculpture in the middle somewhere; it is all real sand, and it is huge.

The zoo provides a guided bus tour, Skyfari Aerial Tram, Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, and ENTCO Wild Earth Safari Ride. All of these can be added to the admission price.

I would recommend checking out the zoo, especially if you have kids, but I will not talk it up to anyone so you are not disappointed.

The zoos hours are:
Open daily and holidays from 9am-4pm

Admission is $22 for adults and $14.59 for children ages 3-11.

Hollywood, when you hear that word you always think celebrities. Well I have yet to see a celebrity in Hollywood, since it is mainly a tourist hot spot. When you go you will see many sightseers and vacationers, not celebrities. However, this particular area does host some of the hottest events filed with A-listers. Namely the Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland.The Kodak Theater host the Academy awards, the finale of American Idol and other award shows like the Emmys. During these events the place is packed with celebrities, but limited to the tourists and sightseers.Gramanns Theater is also a common place to find celebrities at different times, as this is one of the many theaters that host movie premiers. In the courtyard of the theater you will find many well-respected and honored actors of the past, handprints or foot prints in the ground. Along with that you will see the Hollywood walk- of-fame, which is where you will see where certain celebrities have, received a star for an outstanding effort in radio, television, or film. These stars line the streets for several miles and are still added today. At times you could probably catch a celebrity receiving their start while you are there.One of the main attractions and highlights that most people have to see when in Hollywood is the HOLLYWOOD sign up in the Hollywood hills. This sign is a universal language that many tourists can relate to of something they see from there own home as well as in person. It is like a celebrity itself. It is a very cool thing to see. You almost feel as like you are in the movies.On Hollywood Drive there are several things to do and see for tourists. There are hundreds of souvenir shops and stores, each selling several items that would be a great memorabilia of your trip. There are shopping stores like the Gap and Banana Republic. There are tours of celebrity homes and hot spots in the area. Wax museums, the world record museum, clothing museums, thrift stores that you can find clothes from movies and TV, and also a mall. At the Hollywood and Highland intersection is a huge outdoor mall with a gigantic courtyard, with huge elephant statues. There is a sky bridge that you can stand on and see the HOLLYWOOD sign from and look out around the area.For a day of fun and filled with activity visit Hollywood, don’t be disappointed that you do not see any celebrities for this is just not where they hang out. But do enjoy what the area has to offer and what it stands for and represents as a place we can all relate to in that we know what it means. Watch out for parking, it can be tricky and you will get ticketed or towed. But most of all have a great time.

Grauman’s Theater holds lots of history. First opening in May of 1927 was the most spectacular theater opening in motion picture history. You can not come to Hollywood and not visit this landmark. Grauman’s is also the host of several big movie premiers, the first being "The King of Kings" by Cecil B. De Milles. Grauman’s Theater has always been one of those places that were a real treat to see. The architecture and history is very intriguing and fascinating to me. This is a place that when I see on TV I get excited to say hey I have been there and now there is Reese Witherspoon or Drew Barrymore or whoever there to promote a new movie at a premiere.Grauman’s does show movies; one at a time and you can sit in the same theater as the stars and watch a movie. The ticket prices are $11.25 for an adult and $8.00 for children and seniors. You can also take tours of the theater and the VIP lounge 7 days a week. The ticket prices and times are available by calling (323) 463-9576. The movies sell out fast so you want to make sure and get your tickets early and the tours are usually full every time.In the courtyard of Grauman’s is where you can find several actors’ footprints and hand prints. I think they even have Donald Duck’s feet prints, as well as the stars from the walk of fame right out front. These stars go for miles and miles down the road and on several other roads. While visiting Grauman’s you can expect to see several tourists and people checking out the area, this is a big tourist attraction in Hollywood. There are also characters from movies (Sponge Bob, Spiderman, Homer Simpson, etc…) walking around and taking pictures with you. Like I said a huge tourist spot so you will see some crazy and weird stuff.The area that surrounds Grauman’s have another theater upstairs, Mann Chinese 6, that shows a few more movies. There is a place to eat and other shops and stores as well. Across the street is another theater the EL Capitan, which host movie premiers and shows a few movies as well. The whole street and area is so captivating and filled with so many things to do. You could literally spend the whole day here.Don’t come to Hollywood and miss seeing Grauman’s Chinese Theater, it is a place you will never forget and one of the most popular places in the world.