LA Zoo and Aquarium of the Pacific

[Dot2Vegas]

We are planning a weekend trip to visit the LA Zoo and Aquarium of the Pacific sometime this summer. We are driving from Vegas, so we have a car.

Where do you recommend staying? LA area or Long Beach? We know we will stay near one attraction and drive to the other. We are looking for something under $200/night. Clean and safe are the top priorities (obviously!). We don't mind driving a bit if it means we can get a nicer hotel (I can't do a lot of walking with my bad back anyways so we would probably eliminate walking to and from the attractions and save my energy for touring).
Also, anything else that you recommend checking out while we are there? It will be DH, myself, and DDs- 7,7, and 9. Is there any Disney related stuff in Hollywood (Disney history maybe)?
We always go to Anaheim and Newport Beach so I am totally clueless with the rest of the LA area! Thanks!!

 

[qoodoo]

California Science Center(Free but fee for space shuttle parking fee), Natural History Museum(Fee and parking fee but next to CSC), Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum (Tar Pits free Museum fee Parking fee), Griffith Observatory, Travel Town, LACMA (Fee but in Brea tar pits) and of course the Beach!

Travel town and the observatory are in Griffith Park just like LA zoo.

CSC and NHM are both next to USC campus south of Koreatown.

Brea tar pits and the Page LACMA are west of Koreatown.

Sorry bout approximating by Koreatown lol...but I have apartment buildings there and I travel back and forth between AZ and CA monthly

Edited to add fee's