Southern California here we come!!!

[hmwnick]

We have a 2 week trip planned to So. CA in June. We are doing the usual stuff...DL, SeaWorld, SD Zoo, Knott's but want to see some "not so touristy" things as well. 2 years ago we visited San Francisco, Napa & the north coast & loved it!

DH loved buying fresh produce from the fields & the winery trips were great. Finally, here is my ???. Are there any places to get produce or visit a winery in So. CA that you can recommend? Also, if you know of some "Not To Be Missed" places, I'd appreciate hearing about those as well. Thanks!!!

 

[hmwnick]

bump

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know about produce or vineyards but we enjoyed visiting Coronado Island while we were in San Diego. It was great to explore the Hotel del Coronado and to walk along Coronado Beach. We had dinner at a little pizza place along the island's main street.

San Diego also has some great historic neighborhoods with lots of restaurants, shops and things to see. I would recommend digging up a good San Diego website to get some pointers because there's a lot.

We also toured the Queen Mary while we were in the LA area. They have a haunted mystery tour complete with effects that's fun.

 

[Tina]

You might want to move this post to the Disneyland board for additional comments. They are fantastic over there and the board is frequented by So Cal locals. I'm sure they'll have some great suggestions for you.

 

[Pembo]

La Brea Tar Pits, Santa Monica Pier

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Inland, between Los Angeles & San Diego, there is Temecula, which is wine country. There is a dinner train ride that supposed to be nice, but I haven't been on it myself. There's also hot air ballooning, helicopter rides ...

You can go to Newport Beach, rent bikes, and drive to the end of the peninsula (the channel there should look familiar - it's the same one that the SS Minnow left on that 3-hour tour). You can visit the fun zone, and take the ferry across to Balboa Island - makes for a nice day.

If you go to the top of the DL board there is a thread stuck up there that gives some tips on things to do in the area.

 

[Mishetta]

When I lived in So. Calif, I used to love to go down to Marina del Rey just to watch the boats. The shops are so picturesque & the restaurants were great.

Santa Monica Pier & the park just above it....

Drive thru Bevery Hills, visit the shops (laugh at the prices)...

L.A. Observatory waaaaaaaay up in the hills & you can see L.A. down below......

Be sure to have the famous chicken dinner at Knott's Berry Farm. The shops there too are fun to visit (you don't need to enter the park to enjoy the restaurant or shops)

If you're heading down to San Diego, then you can stop at this quaint absolutely gorgeous town called San Clemente & have lunch on the pier. Be sure to turn around & look at the city behind you while you're standing on the pier...it is so beautiful & perfect, it doesn't even look real!

Oh boy...why the heck did I move to MI??? I loved living in California!! WAAAAAAHHHH!!!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

LA Observatory is closed until 2005 - they're refurbishing it -- but you have the Greek Theater there, which is nice, and it's always fun to drive around the Hollywood Hills.