Southern California Please Help me plan a LA/Hollywood day

[nikkistevej]

So can someone help me plan a day here. I have certain places I want to go- maybe someone could help me with time frames, etc. We will have a car, and are doing a late Surf's up Breakfast before we head to LA. We would like to be maybe 4-5 hours(or less). Here are the places I want to go:

LaBrea Tar Pits- just gonna look around the outside of it- don't think we are gonna do the museum inside.
Griffith Observatory
Hollywood sign- would like to get pics with it behind us- so need a good spot for that
Hollywood Blvd- Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater
Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park
Palisades Park(maybe)
Pinks Hot Dogs

Thanks for any help or ideas on an itinerary!!!

 

[Barry Browning]

We have done this twice, my son is a CM so we usually try to do something away from the parks.The most important rule here to me is to leave way early say 7:30 or so.We did Hollywood sign first--there is a place you can stop thats say 3/4 of the way up and take pics.It is not"legal" to park there but there are folks there anyway as long as you leave one in the car or do it quickly you should be fine.We went to Manns, honestly we dropped the kids and we went to a gas station and had a coke and they called and we went to pick them up.Parking around here can be tough.We then went to Warner Brothers and did the tour this runs around 2 hours.It is different each time but overall we had fund both times.Buy your tickets ahead of time the tour sells out everyday so plan ahead--we learned that the hard way.We had time for Taco Bell nearby.After the tour we went to Santa Monica Beach.It is really pretty they film a lot of movies there, they were filming a sci fi one the day we went which was kind of neat and unexpected.

As far as Warner Brothers each time we saw something neat.The first time we went we talked guide into seeing Big Bang set.The second time we had two Pretty Little Liar girls with us they loved it we saw the set and saw one of the stars so they really enjoyed it.You can find coupons on the net here for like $5 off.

I might skip the tar pit if you decide to do the Warner Brothers. One trip we went to Jay Leno that was alot of fun if you are all over 18, otherwise it won't work.We saw Sandra Bullock and Jay comes out prior to taping and just talks and answers questions.I really am a Jay fan had seen him in Las Vegas its really a treat if you get there.If you have questions just post them on here be glad to follow up.

And I will not lie to you the traffic back is a total bi#$ from Santa Monica.I am from a big city and drive in traffic but never seen anything like LA freeways.Anyways be careful motorcycles are allowed to go up through the lanes so you are watching the mergers or whatever and one comes out of nowhere so it does require full attention all the time.We got back for the last h our of happy hour at Embassy Suites so it was a pretty full day.Interestingly enough we saw a couple 18 wheelers squeeze a cyclist and he laid down the bike, we call it fiving, nothing like it.

 

[nikkistevej]

We have done this twice, my son is a CM so we usually try to do something away from the parks.The most important rule here to me is to leave way early say 7:30 or so.We did Hollywood sign first--there is a place you can stop thats say 3/4 of the way up and take pics.It is not"legal" to park there but there are folks there anyway as long as you leave one in the car or do it quickly you should be fine.We went to Manns, honestly we dropped the kids and we went to a gas station and had a coke and they called and we went to pick them up.Parking around here can be tough.We then went to Warner Brothers and did the tour this runs around 2 hours.It is different each time but overall we had fund both times.Buy your tickets ahead of time the tour sells out everyday so plan ahead--we learned that the hard way.We had time for Taco Bell nearby.After the tour we went to Santa Monica Beach.It is really pretty they film a lot of movies there, they were filming a sci fi one the day we went which was kind of neat and unexpected.

As far as Warner Brothers each time we saw something neat.The first time we went we talked guide into seeing Big Bang set.The second time we had two Pretty Little Liar girls with us they loved it we saw the set and saw one of the stars so they really enjoyed it.You can find coupons on the net here for like $5 off.

I might skip the tar pit if you decide to do the Warner Brothers. One trip we went to Jay Leno that was alot of fun if you are all over 18, otherwise it won't work.We saw Sandra Bullock and Jay comes out prior to taping and just talks and answers questions.I really am a Jay fan had seen him in Las Vegas its really a treat if you get there.If you have questions just post them on here be glad to follow up.

And I will not lie to you the traffic back is a total bi#$ from Santa Monica.I am from a big city and drive in traffic but never seen anything like LA freeways.Anyways be careful motorcycles are allowed to go up through the lanes so you are watching the mergers or whatever and one comes out of nowhere so it does require full attention all the time.We got back for the last h our of happy hour at Embassy Suites so it was a pretty full day.Interestingly enough we saw a couple 18 wheelers squeeze a cyclist and he laid down the bike, we call it fiving, nothing like it.

Thanks for the feedback. Is Santa Monica beach on the way from Anaheim to LA? I am also from a big city(Baltimore), so pretty used to driving in traffic(work downtown), so I'm ok with that. We really wanted to do that character breakfast, but maybe will change it to dinner at Goofy's, and go a little earlier. It will be a Friday in August- so anticipating lots of traffic and people.

 

[ashley0139]

So can someone help me plan a day here. I have certain places I want to go- maybe someone could help me with time frames, etc. We will have a car, and are doing a late Surf's up Breakfast before we head to LA. We would like to be maybe 4-5 hours(or less). Here are the places I want to go:

LaBrea Tar Pits- just gonna look around the outside of it- don't think we are gonna do the museum inside.
Griffith Observatory
Hollywood sign- would like to get pics with it behind us- so need a good spot for that
Hollywood Blvd- Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater
Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park
Palisades Park(maybe)
Pinks Hot Dogs

Thanks for any help or ideas on an itinerary!!!

That is much more than a 4 or 5 hour day. It's 40 minutes to get to LA from Anaheim, in no traffic. Traffic to get to/from Santa Monica is horrendous and could take up to an hour. To actually see Hollywood Blvd you need a couple hours. Etc etc. That's at least a full day of sightseeing.

 

[nikkistevej]

That is much more than a 4 or 5 hour day. It's 40 minutes to get to LA from Anaheim, in no traffic. Traffic to get to/from Santa Monica is horrendous and could take up to an hour. To actually see Hollywood Blvd you need a couple hours. Etc etc. That's at least a full day of sightseeing.

Hmmm- may have to rethink my plans. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Sherry E]

I moved this thread over to our Southern California forum (which is in the California & the West section). as it is not really about Disneyland planning.

Yes, ashley0139 is correct -- it is at least 40-45 minutes to get from Anaheim to L.A., and vice versa, and that depends on how fast the person is driving the car. This is all not even counting traffic, which can be awful depending on the time of day or day of the week.

I also agree that your day is jam-packed. Just the Griffith Observatory alone would take some time. You may have to rethink the plans!

If you do stop at the La Brea Tar Pits, make sure to wander a few feet next door -- to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- and take a photo with the crazy street lamp art installation out in front of LACMA, and then visit the crazy Gigantic Rock (also known as Levitated Mass) -- which you can walk underneath -- out in back of LACMA. It's totally free to see those two things, and it's free to wander around the Tar Pits and look at the tar. The George C. Page Museum inside the Tar Pits park has a small fee, I think.

 

[nikkistevej]

I moved this thread over to our Southern California forum (which is in the California & the West section). as it is not really about Disneyland planning.

Yes, ashley0139 is correct -- it is at least 40-45 minutes to get from Anaheim to L.A., and vice versa, and that depends on how fast the person is driving the car. This is all not even counting traffic, which can be awful depending on the time of day or day of the week.

I also agree that your day is jam-packed. Just the Griffith Observatory alone would take some time. You may have to rethink the plans!

If you do stop at the La Brea Tar Pits, make sure to wander a few feet next door -- to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- and take a photo with the crazy street lamp art installation out in front of LACMA, and then visit the crazy Gigantic Rock (also known as Levitated Mass) -- which you can walk underneath -- out in back of LACMA. It's totally free to see those two things, and it's free to wander around the Tar Pits and look at the tar. The George C. Page Museum inside the Tar Pits park has a small fee, I think.

Thanks for moving this Sherry, after I put it there, realized it would be better suited in the California area. I think we are actually gonna cut out LaBrea tarpits. We are only want to see some of the stuff on Hollywood Blvd, thinking take some pics on the Walk of Fame, take some in front of the theaters. Do you all really think Griffith is worth a visit? I think we would enjoy it, just wondering how long a casual walk through would take?

 

[perlster]

If you are set on a photo with the Hollywood Sign in the background, you can do that at the Griffith Observatory:

 

[nikkistevej]

If you are set on a photo with the Hollywood Sign in the background, you can do that at the Griffith Observatory

Oh great!!! That cuts down one thing. Is it pretty close to Griffith?

 

[ashley0139]

Is Santa Monica beach on the way from Anaheim to LA?

No, they make a lopsided triangle. Santa Monica and Hollywood are about on the same latitude, but Santa Monica is on the coast and Hollywood is much more inland. Anaheim is much further south.

If you are interested, Walt Disney's star is on Hollywood and Sycamore, which is only 2 blocks west of where the Kodak (Dolby now) and Grauman's are.

 

[nikkistevej]

No, they make a lopsided triangle. Santa Monica and Hollywood are about on the same latitude, but Santa Monica is on the coast and Hollywood is much more inland. Anaheim is much further south.

If you are interested, Walt Disney's star is on Hollywood and Sycamore, which is only 2 blocks west of where the Kodak (Dolby now) and Grauman's are.

Oh I am interested, will have to jot that info down. Would love to see his star. Thanks so much!!!

 

[ArielSparrow]

I understood that you can not actually visit the Hollywood Sign since the restoration. You can get a good shot of it from the Observatory if it's light out. I prefer night so you can use the telescope, but there's plenty to see and do during the day.

If you go to the La Brea Tar Pits, I'd recommend heading over to the Science Center, which is free. The Space Shuttle Endeavour is free as well, but you need advance tickets (which have a $2 service fee) or can buy a combo with another ticketed exhibit (such as IMAX film). I believe there's another free museum there as well (these are all accessible from the same $10 parking lot), but it's not the George C. Page or LACMA, as those cost.

A walk down Hollywood Blvd and passing the theaters is quick but it takes time to get there. Same for Santa Monica. Also keep in mind that anywhere you go in LA you are going to have to pay for parking, even if it's just two hours, and it's sometimes hard to find or at least difficult to navigate. It may not the original, but there's a Pink's at Knott's if you can't find time to fit it in while in LA.