I'm headed to the LA area (Oxnard specifically) in mid November and I'm looking for things to do. I'll be with the wife and boys who are young but fantastic travelers.
Up for consideration is: eating amazing Mexican food, visit Santa Barbara, Beverly Hills bjj, Joshua Tree park, Mt. Baldy hike… maybe a Compton tour (I know, I know…)
I'll have a good bit of free time and a car. Touristy stuff is ok but outside of legoland, no amusement parks. Any ideas?
This is my first post here, or at least first post in a long time but i had to make the following recommendation. I live in this general area and if you can at all swing it I recommend a trip to the USS Iowa. There is also a victory ship just down the road from it and a few other museums around so you can make a day of it.
If you decide to go see the Hollywood Sign, if the Fam is up for a hike, the hike that takes you behind the sign is worth the time.
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/...ood-sign-hike/
The Reagan Presidential Library is worth seeing as well.
+1 on the Iowa, especially if you've never been on a big Navy ship. I've been before, and would go back in a heartbeat.
You might get highs in the mid 70s, so a day a the beach in Oxnard or Ventura is a possibility. I went to the beach 3 days ago with my grandkids. Many of the beaches have great bicycle paths. Renting a multi-person cycle is touristy but can be fun; I just did that also.
You can check out Solvang (1 hr 20 min drive) or Ojai if you are into that sort of thing, or go wine tasting in Simi Valley.
We usually get roped in to taking visitors to the touristy things of Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive (just looking) and the Star Walk. Santa Monica has a nice walkable shopping/people-watching area close to the pier. I actually *really* enjoy the warped view of humanity that is Venice Beach, or you could go the other way and go high class at Malibu. I'm ashamed to say I've never been to Griffith Park but I've heard it is wonderful.
Or if you want to drive a little further you can come down to Long Beach and I can show you the Queen Mary, Downtown Long Beach, and Snoop Dog's old hangouts
Lots of great food but since I stay in the Long Beach area mostly to avoid traffic, I can't really give you specific recommendations. Keep in mind traffic can be horrendous. Oh, and the 2 speeds on highways are "80" and "parking lot". Google maps traffic is pretty accurate, I'd check out various times when you are planning your schedule.
I love that you intend to avoid all things Disney. It's the first advice I give if someone asks what they should do.
Having moved from LBC to TX a few years ago, I seriously miss the food. My general rule of thumb is to avoid chains, go ethnic, and if I and whoever I'm with are the only white people there, I'm in the right place. There are a lot of different neighborhoods all over the place. For non-ethnic food, Sly's in Carpinteria is excellent. (The owner is an old friend of mine.) You must hit In-N-Out at least once.
I can recommend the Mt. Baldy hike. It's probably the best payoff of view relative to effort I'm aware of anywhere. The trailheads don't take forever to get to, and the view from the top is 360 degrees of some really amazing country, from the high desert out to Edwards AFB, out to Catalina Island, and the entire LA basin. Totally worth it if you're up to it. There are three routes: Easiest is to ride the ski lift to the lodge, then do the last 1200' from there. Manker Flats is about 4.2 miles and 3500 feet. The "church lot" starts in Baldy Village and is 6 miles, 6000 feet, each way. Most people will notice weight loss in the week or two after doing that. The top is 10,064 feet, and it's possible for weather to change quickly, so layer appropriately. If you're into driving twisty roads, Glendora Mountain Road is a fun and scenic way to get there if it's open. You can take the shorter route back to the 210 freeway afterward.
There are also a few cool hikes much closer to Oxnard. Mt. Boney, Escondido Falls in Malibu (short, and may not have much of a falls if it hasn't rained) and the Punch Bowls in Santa Paula are all fun.
There might be whale watching tours out of Ventura. Pretty cool. Catalina Island is neat, though I've only passed through Avalon on my way to one of the camps.
If you're into hot rodding history at all, El Mirage is worth a visit. They're scheduled to run speed trials there November 11-12. http://www.scta-bni.org/ Check that the event is actually going to happen before you go out there, as it's subject to the weather conditions. It's like a smaller scale Bonneville event. Lots of the same racers. There probably isn't anywhere else your boys can get that close to a blown, alcohol-burning (makes your eyes burn, too) big block with open headers in a 1932 Ford just before it goes 240 mph, or walk right up to a belly tank streamliner that's been running there for fifty years with Ardun (Zora Arkus-Duntov, "Father of the Corvette") heads. The lake is a state recreational vehicle area, generally open to anybody 24 hours. The surface is closed where muddy or wet. One of the most amazing places I've been, any time.
Going north up the coast, Pismo Dunes is fun. There are off-road vehicle rental places, if you're into that. Pea Soup Andersen's in Solvang is the official lunch spot.
I also like the beach in Santa Monica and Venice. People watching is awesome, and the scenery itself (beach, weather, architecture...) ain't bad. Your kids are likely to see things that some people wouldn't want their kids to see, so think about whether your family is OK with that.
There's a Cars and Coffee event in Santa Barbara that usually has some good hardware turn out.
Field Time Tactical & Training is an excellent indoor range in Stanton if you're in that part of town and want to get some rounds in.
Last edited by OlongJohnson; 11-01-2016 at 08:56 PM.
Oh, yeah. I've seen fresh black bear sign on the trail in the Angeles Forest/Mt. Baldy area. Mountain Lions are liable to turn up anywhere in SoCal, including Malibu and Griffith Park. I've never seen either critter in many years of hiking the area. Bobcats and coyotes are common. Rattlesnakes are to be expected.
Last edited by OlongJohnson; 11-01-2016 at 10:06 PM.
Definitely Griffith Park.
Gaming will get you killed in the streets. Dueling will get you killed in the fields.
-Alexander Hamilton
I agree on the Reagan Library. I could spend a couple of days in there.
J. Paul Getty museum for amazing artwork, gardens, architecture, and city views. Free but parking can be limited.
These are all really great ideas. Thanks! Very excited about the trip.
I've seen some great outdoor locales suggested by you guys. Is Joshua Tree worth the trip?
Also, I've seen parts of the Mt. Baldy trail called "steep". Is it dangerously exposed (for smaller children, that is)?
Last edited by jc000; 11-02-2016 at 05:03 AM.
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