Need Day Trip Recommendations Please :)

[Cruiser1969]

We'll be using our DVC to stay at the beautiful Grand Californian in May. We will do about 3 days of Disneyland, but I would like to venture out and do some day tripping as well (we have a car rental).

So, I need suggestions for day trips only, as we will be staying at the Californian the whole time. My kids are 13 and 11, and we've already done the Hollywood touristy stuff on our last trip to California.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[kalamazoo]

Since you've already been to the Hollywood area you must be aware of the potential for delays due to traffic - that, to me, is the biggest obstacle when trying to do day trips in SoCal. Also, Anaheim/Garden Grove are not really all that close to anything. You will have to allow for between a 1 and 3 hr drive each way on your day trips.

That aside, you can visit Catalina Island - take the ferry and rent a golf cart to tour the island, drive down to San Diego and either go to the zoo or Sea World or just tour the town, go to beaches in the LAX area for swimming (I recommend Santa Monica because it is a nice walkable town with lots of shops and restaurants and the pier with the little amusement park). There are other beaches that are closer though. If you go to the beaches just south of LA (Laguna Beach, Dana Point, etc) there is a lot of rough surf - beautiful but rough. There are beaches that have tidal pools there. We went dolphin watching out of Dana Point and had a blast. If you want to go inland you can go see Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park.

HTH

 

[Judy from Boise]

If you would expand that to an overnight trip I would recommend Santa Barbara.

Maybe with your kids ages they would like a day trip to Malibu.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Thanks for the help . . . I have A LOT of research to do

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

For what it's worth, my 14 year old nephew had a great time at the Getty Museum last time we went. And no he's not a a nerd either!! ....... Hands down the greatest FREE attraction in Los Angeles.