Help with LA Planning

[2DoubleFives]

Hello! I am wondering if anyone has advice for scheduling our days in LA next month based on wanting to visit the following:

Warner Brothers Studio Tour
Griffith Park Observatory
La Brea Tar Pits
Santa Monica Pier
Reagan Library (I realize this is a bit of a drive, but worth is to see AF One and the Oval Office replica)
A trip to Torrance/Redondo (I have family there - it's where I grew up, so we will probably head down there for a dinner or something)

We might do these IF we have time:
Getty Museum
Farmers Market
California Science Center


We will be there from a Saturday afternoon through mid-afternoon Tuesday (traveling back home via Amtrak from Union Station). We are staying in Hollywood. I know my way around relatively well (I lived in SoCal until age 10 and lived in Hollywood for a few years in the early 1990s), but I'm assuming traffic is even worse now. Are there certain things we should be sure to do on Sunday to avoid rush hour traffic? Things to save for the weekdays?

Thanks for the help!

 

[2DoubleFives]

Just realized I should have put this on the Southern California board - sorry! If a Mod would like to move it, please do

 

[teambeaman]

Traffic is almost as bad on the weekends now as it is during the week. I would just plan on spending a lot of time in the car and prioritize your to do list so that you do the things you really want to do first. That looks like a lot for the short amount of time you're there.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

On one day: Visit Observatory - be there at 10 when it opens, then head over to La Brea Tar Pits, and end your day at the Grove/Farmers Market (eating at Farmers Market), or head over to Santa Monica Pier. Depending on the time you spend at the Observatory and La Brea Tar Pits you might have time to visit Santa Monica Pier. I once took friends on a Saturday on a drive through Downtown, passing Olvera Street & the Disney Concert Hall, Observatory, Hollywood/Highland Center, and Santa Monica Pier. Other friends, I took to Observatory, Tam O'Shanter (where W Disney used to eat - they have his table marked), drove past Hollywood, to La Brea Tar Pits, and then ended at Farmers Market.

Another day you can do Science Center and Torrance area (I live in Carson, so know the area ). When you go to the Science Center I recommend watching the IMAX show related to the shuttle. We saw the one for the International Space Station. It was so interesting.

Warner Bros tour is another day. You can end the day w/dinner at City Walk near Universal Studios, as a thought.

Reagan Library is another full day. I found it to be very interesting. We ended up eating at a popular diner called Brents Deli in Westake Village http://www.brentsdeli.com/.

I agree about the traffic. It's always busy -- except for Sunday mornings, more or less.

 

[2DoubleFives]

Thanks, Mary Jo! Your info is very helpful

Do you really think Warner Brothers is a full day? The tour is 2 hours - I don't know that we were planning to stick around after. I was actually thinking about doing Griffith Park Observatory and the WB tour the same day, since they are in the same general area. Does that make sense?

ETA: I don't think we are going to go to Universal/City Walk, so no big deal to skip that.

 

[ILUVALASKA]

Thanks, Mary Jo! Your info is very helpful

Do you really think Warner Brothers is a full day? The tour is 2 hours - I don't know that we were planning to stick around after. I was actually thinking about doing Griffith Park Observatory and the WB tour the same day, since they are in the same general area. Does that make sense?

ETA: I don't think we are going to go to Universal/City Walk, so no big deal to skip that.

Correct. You can do both on one day!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Correct. You can do both on one day!