signtalker said:
were currently planning our Aug 07 trip. Were doing a 3 week tour, possibly driving down from Vegas(weve stayed here before), looking to stay onsite at disney(im a cast member so get good rates), then have alook round Hollywood, and do a few sites before driving down to san Diego, and finishingup in Palm Springs before the drive back to Vegas.
are there any areas that are a no go, or really seedy tacky tourist area's?
were looking to rent a private beach house rather than hotel in San Dieago, and go for a Villa option In palm springs, so if anybody could point me in thedirection of some nice places in nice area's(not to noisy, good neighbour hood ), that would be appreciated.
still in the early planning stage at present, so any info greatly recieved.
Jules
Let me try to chip away at this a bit... Driving from LV to Anaheim is about a 3.5 hour trip IF you avoid the traffic peaks. That means you don't rerally want to go LV to LA on a Sunday afternoon OR arrive in LA between 2PM-6PM on a work day / nor do you want to head to LV on a friday afternoon. DOing so will add a lot of fustration in slow traffic. If by any chance you encounter traffic - it might be best to pull off where you can kill some time in a Mall/outlet center or catch a movie. ALso, with the price of fuel being higher - and due to the time and energy involved with driving - you don't save much by driving. It might be worth while to do a round trip flight from LV to Ontario Airport - or even Santa Ana (John Wayne). LAX is OK too as there is huge availability and volume there for economical flights. Santa Ana (John Wayne Airport) is closest to
Disneyland and convenient to hit DL and San Diego - but probably less so for Palm Springs. Ontario is slightly further from Anaheim - but comparatively more convenient to Palm Springs. I have not driven from LA to Vegas in a decade due to the traffic and energy lost. Time is about the same - but condition is compromised by driving. HOWEVER - if you're gonna drive then that's OK too.
As for good areas of San Diego to renbt a house - I would NOT rent from anyone south of Coronado. If you select from sites north of Down town then you would do fine. Depending on what you are seeking - you could enjoy a week at the pacific ocean from almost ANY beach north of downtown San Diego all the way up to LA at Seal Beach. North of Seal Beach it is a checker board of good - OK - and unsafe IMHO. So... you can also say that if you don;t want to step from your back door onto the SAND of a beach - then you could have a great time anywhere within 2 or 3 miles of the beach. A sand rental is most valuable where there is lots of activity at your doorstep. On the other hand - this again will vary with your intentions and standards for "fun". I was just shopping for house rentals for Hawaii in August - and we have not found exactly what we were looking for... yet.
Oh - before I get any further along.... why do you want to go to Palm Springs? Was there something in particular that held anallur or interest to you? PS is a sort of worn out destination IMO - and more than anything else - it is intensely HOT out there. As in 110 degree F temperatures. In the evenings and early mornings it is tolerable - but if you went ANYWHERE ELSE you would have the whole day and nite to do things and get around. IF you felt there were movie stars in PS - well - there are fsr better places to catch real world encounters with the so called fameous. I was just entertaining friends from Kansas who are huge Cher fans. We spent an afternoon at a Malibu beach that is adjacent to Cher's private residence. Shopping and dining in her community may not give a chance sighting - but it IS where she shops and dines (especially considering how small Malibu is).
At any rate - PS has some decent shopping, lots of golf if you can drive a cart and play in the heat without stroking out - and I undersatnd there must be some sort of nite life since thats' all those poor residents have - the nite. Oh yeah, there's an indian gambling casino there + outlet shop; cable car to an adjacent peak and probably an arry of typical outdoor diversions in the mountians. But in the daytime it's just a matter or SURVIVING by staying under A/C digs. So... ????
At any rate - I'm not a PS fan.
As for bad parts of town anywhere. Just use your common sense. I've not been to Norfolk - UK yet (we've been through Wales and several times to London - and we've enjoied a chunnel journey to Gare de Nord) - but I imagine there are places around London and possibly Norfolk where at some times of the nite you should not be walking alone much - or leaving a nice rental car parked - with luggage in the back seat or boot. SO - that said - if you're in an area that looks less then glamorous then just head to a gas station for directions and get to your freeway to get out. Don't ask a tatooed patron at the gas station in gang garb with a bandana tied around his forehead - especially if he has the heavy chromed wheels and jumping car (air hydrolics). Actually, they're not the ones to worry about - it's more the ones you don't see. And even so - petty crime is far more likely then physical harm in spirte of what statistics suggest about American culture - and yes... I've met europeans who ask about the "violent" USA.
And as for seedy and tacky - lets' talk about tacky a bit. I think much of LA at any given point looks similoar to any other place in America. You have you garden variety homes (row after row); a 7-11, strip centers, Malls and gas stations. No character. Now if this is tacky - then I understand what you're talking about. FOR A VACATION - you may want memorable and worth while wanderings. Again - this will invoke a detailed level of discussion that should be best answered with more of your schedule and more particulars about targets desired to visit and experience. It never ceases to amaze me at the wide variation in tastes among others... as I'm sure some folks think I'm a total nut. Many folks used to say my spouse and I would travel more in a year (for holiday - not business) then anyone THEY KNEW did in a lifetime. That is scary from BOTH POVs.
So, sside from that defensive bit of nonsense one paragraph up... if you come up with more specific info on beaches under consideration (characteristics desired or general locations preferred) - or if you narrow the plans down a little more somehow then I (and others probably) can offer useful advice. We have maybe 25-30,000,000+ people in Southern California - tons to do and tons of variety out here. I've lived 43 years in the area and would be happy to offer what-ever BIASED advice and insight I might possess on your queries. Plus - I used to traqvel 50% in my business - so I've spent meaningful time away from home (in San Diego, PS, Vegas, as well as many other places in the USA). It's nothing to brag about - more so - folks can offer me a little sympathy for the nomadic career I've led for a decade and a half. I am quite tired of the travel to be candid. However - I am always up for pleasure travel!
You are welcome to PM me if any info is too "particular" for a public thread.
Oh yeah... even without tips and ideas from a local - you are likely to have a fun and safe time out here. Most folks get little or NO advice from anyone - and they keep coming back in the millions. Hey, we got the weather and the beaches, the attractions and entertainment industry allure. Plus a huge mutlifaceted economy for folks to mix business with pleasure in flattening the learning curve in staging a fun and effective vacation out here. Just yesterday I was entertaining my friends from Kansas - and their daughter commented at one point that they had nothing like what we saw that day in Kansas. Well - I commented the opposite was probably true for me regarding my views of Kansas too. They had the allure and charm that the Wizrard of Oz eft me with - plus a healthy respect for tornadoes!!! LOL!
Cheers!
