Southern California Day Trips From Disneyland - Suggested Routes

[mgpan]

Heading to DL and Cali for first time late fall/early winter. Hydroguy and others are a wealth of information on great things to do and see other than DL and DCA. We will be there for a number of days, going to the parks most of them, but will have a rental car and wish to explore on two of our days.

While descriptions of individual attractions are readily available, I am having trouble finding "day trip" suggestions that include a number of sites AND preferred ROUTES to get to them and return to our hotel on S. Harbor. I've noticed many dis'ers asking for these types of itineraries and there are a few examples, but things may have changed including any admission fees. Any help would be appreciated and here are the, so far, sites my group desires to see and experience. Understand these might be two different trips, so mix and match in your suggestions.

1) Griffith Observatory for planetarium and view of Hollywood sign.
We will most likely eat at Pinks for Lunch and shop briefly in the area.
2) La Brea Tar Pits for the budding paleontologist in the family
3) Beach(es) with seals and tidal pools

What would your perfect day be, exploring the area?

Thanks!

 

[poodledogs55]

I went to LA/Disneyland/San Diego in June with my parents. On our Hollywood day, we took the Paramount Studio tour and thought it was excellent. It's about $50/adult and $10 for parking across the street and you're in a group of about 6 people, which makes it very easy to ask questions. The tour was about 2 hours long. I highly recommend it if you're a movie fan and you get a nice view of the Hollywood sign from the lot.

 

[Sherry E]

Heading to DL and Cali for first time late fall/early winter. Hydroguy and others are a wealth of information on great things to do and see other than DL and DCA. We will be there for a number of days, going to the parks most of them, but will have a rental car and wish to explore on two of our days.

While descriptions of individual attractions are readily available, I am having trouble finding "day trip" suggestions that include a number of sites AND preferred ROUTES to get to them and return to our hotel on S. Harbor. I've noticed many dis'ers asking for these types of itineraries and there are a few examples, but things may have changed including any admission fees. Any help would be appreciated and here are the, so far, sites my group desires to see and experience. Understand these might be two different trips, so mix and match in your suggestions.

1) Griffith Observatory for planetarium and view of Hollywood sign.
We will most likely eat at Pinks for Lunch and shop briefly in the area.
2) La Brea Tar Pits for the budding paleontologist in the family
3) Beach(es) with seals and tidal pools

What would your perfect day be, exploring the area?

Thanks!

This is a thread that should go into our Southern California forum, as it is not specifically related to Disneyland Resort trip planning. When a few more people see the thread and respond, I will move it over to the SoCal section.

Have you listened to the DIS Unplugged podcast? Mary Jo has a whole "Day Six" series in which she covers various day trips and things to do on non-Disneyland days.

You may want to visit the Original Farmers Market at 3rd Street and Fairfax. It's a historical site, with lots of modern updates. The variety of food available in the Market is abundant. The Grove (outdoor shopping center where celebrities are often caught by TMZ) is right next door, and the two places combined make a nice way to spend a few hours.

The Grove and Farmers Market are just a few minutes away from the Tar Pits.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is right next door to the Tar Pits, and it has a few free things to see on its property (sculpture garden, giant rock and crazy streetlamp installation), as well as the paid exhibits.


As for beaches, many people like either Newport Beach or Huntington Beach. I'm not sure about the seal sightings at either of those beaches, though.

As for routes, I like the site Travel Math, which gives distances, maps and drive times. I refer to it often in my Halloween Superthread and Holiday Season Superthread when I am recommending other seasonal things to do on days when visitors are not in Disneyland, so they know how to get from Point A to Point B. There may be routes that people prefer instead of what is given on that site, but it is at least a starting point.

 

[SMD]

Are you planning to do observatory and tar pits on different days? Because they're only about 2-3 miles apart. For something like that, the best thing to do is to map the route before you leave, but then check a map app with traffic at each stop, it will suggest a faster route if there's traffic.

Driving from Pink's to tar pits will take you buy Farmer's Market/The Grove. You could stop for Bennett's ice cream or Bob's donuts. And it's a good spot for shopping.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

This is my Pinterest board with all of our stops on a Hollywood daytrip:
LA In a Day

I used a route planner to plan the order. When we had done everything except heading to Dodgers Stadium I looked at the odometer and we had gone about 6 miles! Everything is very close together and some are just drivebys or quick stops. We spent the most time at Griffith Observatory - there is a great view of the Hollywood sign from the observation deck so that's 2-for-1!

The Ripley's Believe It Or Not and Madame Tussaud's are right there at the Walk Of Fame if you have time for something like that.

There's a Hard Rock Cafe in the Hollywood & Highland Center - we just went in briefly to check out the memorabilia. Hollywood & Highland Center is a good place to park for all of the stuff near the Walk Of Fame and it only cost us about $4 without validation.

When you go to the tar pits, you can see the tar pits for free; you just have to pay to go into the Page Museum. You can sign your kids up for LACMA NextGen and they will get in free to LACMA which is next door to the tar pits. You don't have to sign up ahead of time [at least you didn't when we went]; you can do it when you get there.

 

[TulipsNZ]

When are you going? I am planning on doing something similar but won't know until it pans out. We will be home by the 5th Oct.

 

[mgpan]

When are you going? I am planning on doing something similar but won't know until it pans out. We will be home by the 5th Oct.

We are going after you return so any routes that worked for you let me know! Thanks!

 

[mgpan]

Thanks Sherry!

Alice and SMD, thanks for the suggestions as well. It's those "go here via this road, then go here via this freeway" type trips and tips i'm looking for. Off to check out the Day Six Series. If it's anywhere as good as the hotel review podcasts, it will really help out!

This is a thread that should go into our Southern California forum, as it is not specifically related to Disneyland Resort trip planning. When a few more people see the thread and respond, I will move it over to the SoCal section.

Have you listened to the DIS Unplugged podcast? Mary Jo has a whole "Day Six" series in which she covers various day trips and things to do on non-Disneyland days.

You may want to visit the Original Farmers Market at 3rd Street and Fairfax. It's a historical site, with lots of modern updates. The variety of food available in the Market is abundant. The Grove (outdoor shopping center where celebrities are often caught by TMZ) is right next door, and the two places combined make a nice way to spend a few hours.

The Grove and Farmers Market are just a few minutes away from the Tar Pits.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is right next door to the Tar Pits, and it has a few free things to see on its property (sculpture garden, giant rock and crazy streetlamp installation), as well as the paid exhibits.


As for beaches, many people like either Newport Beach or Huntington Beach. I'm not sure about the seal sightings at either of those beaches, though.

As for routes, I like the site Travel Math, which gives distances, maps and drive times. I refer to it often in my Halloween Superthread and Holiday Season Superthread when I am recommending other seasonal things to do on days when visitors are not in Disneyland, so they know how to get from Point A to Point B. There may be routes that people prefer instead of what is given on that site, but it is at least a starting point.