After Panorama

[CharmCity2000]

My head is spinning and I need help planning our after cruise vacation.  We debark in Long Beach on Dec 30.  Its me and 2 teens.  We are going to California Adventure before we go on the cruise.  We want to see Santa Monica, Venice, Hollywood sign, Rodeo drive, walk of fame, observatory, tar pits, and a back lot tour.  I have 2, maybe 2.5 days for this.  On Jan 1 we are going to the Rose Bowl parade and have to be through security by 6:30am.  We fly out of LAX at 7am on Jan 2.

Here are the options I'm running through

1. Stay in Santa Monica, check in after the cruise, rent a car and use SM as a base.  Drive to shuttle bus pickup stop in Pasadena.  How long of a drive do you think this would be?

 

2. Stay in DTLA, not rent a car and jump on tours to see what we want.  Take metro to Rose Bowl parade

 

3. Spend 1 night somewhere (SM or DTLA) and then move to Pasadena on Dec 31 for 2 nights.  Most hotels have a 2 night min.  Would rent a car.  Being in Pasadena on 12/31 seems easiest for getting to the parade.  I would need to figure out what to do in the late afternoon after naps but we'll be getting up early for the flight home the next day so just some walking around and an early dinner most likely.  

I could really use some advice.  Even as I type this, it sounds exhausting.  Maybe this isn't a good plan.

[travelin.sisters]

11 hours ago, CharmCity2000 said:

My head is spinning and I need help planning our after cruise vacation.  We debark in Long Beach on Dec 30.  Its me and 2 teens.  We are going to California Adventure before we go on the cruise.  We want to see Santa Monica, Venice, Hollywood sign, Rodeo drive, walk of fame, observatory, tar pits, and a back lot tour.  I have 2, maybe 2.5 days for this.  On Jan 1 we are going to the Rose Bowl parade and have to be through security by 6:30am.  We fly out of LAX at 7am on Jan 2.

Here are the options I'm running through

1. Stay in Santa Monica, check in after the cruise, rent a car and use SM as a base.  Drive to shuttle bus pickup stop in Pasadena.  How long of a drive do you think this would be?

 

2. Stay in DTLA, not rent a car and jump on tours to see what we want.  Take metro to Rose Bowl parade

 

3. Spend 1 night somewhere (SM or DTLA) and then move to Pasadena on Dec 31 for 2 nights.  Most hotels have a 2 night min.  Would rent a car.  Being in Pasadena on 12/31 seems easiest for getting to the parade.  I would need to figure out what to do in the late afternoon after naps but we'll be getting up early for the flight home the next day so just some walking around and an early dinner most likely.  

I could really use some advice.  Even as I type this, it sounds exhausting.  Maybe this isn't a good plan.

not an expert but here are a few thoughts for you to consider:

• how comfortable are you with city driving/traffic/parking? It can be challenging to navigate SoCal freeways & even city streets & parking can be challenging & expensive. google maps driving times are pretty accurate, but local traffic can change a short trip to unreasonable very easily depending on day/time/accidents/events.
• do you want to spend time packing, changing hotels & repacking when time is so tight? I don't have any input on whether it would be better to stay in Santa Monica or DTLA, but there are a number of threads here where people give their opinions & experiences with this so you could see what each offer & maybe decide what would be best for you.
• tours take away the freedom to do what you want & change things up, but they also take away the stress of having to plan all the details & if you can find one that covers many of the things you would like to see that might make it less stressful & exhausting.
• will you be tired or rested after your cruise? do you have high-energy always on the go teens or ones who need some time to decompress & chill? 
• oh & bring clothes to bundle up in for the Rose Parade, do you have assigned seats? or just come & see what you can get?

[riffatsea]

Hi

You should probably post this question on the LA board of Trip Advisor to get,first hand info

I would pick one hotel as changing is a big pain and loses time

Rodeo Drive is high end shopping

Is that what you want to do there?

The tar pit,walk of fame and seeing the Holluwood sign from afar will not take much time at all

You need to make a res for the studio tour and then plan the other activities around that timing

You can use uber/lyft to get around instead of driving yourself

You know your teens but in my experience it's not easy getting them up to be somewhere at 6:30 AM!

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Stay in Downtown LA near LA Live, meaning JW Marriott, Residence Inn Marriott, Hotel Figueroa (Hyatt), Sheraton Grand or InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. This is a dead time for business travel so you should see some good rates.

 

You can then use the Metro to Pasadena for the parade and use the Metro subway to Hollywood. The Starline Hop On Hop off bus would hit every site on your list except the Griffith Observatory.

 

https://www.starlinetours.com/en/city-sightseeing-hop-on-hop-off-double-decker

[CharmCity2000]

On 2/13/2023 at 10:11 AM, riffatsea said:

Hi

You should probably post this question on the LA board of Trip Advisor to get,first hand info

I would pick one hotel as changing is a big pain and loses time

Rodeo Drive is high end shopping

Is that what you want to do there?

The tar pit,walk of fame and seeing the Holluwood sign from afar will not take much time at all

You need to make a res for the studio tour and then plan the other activities around that timing

You can use uber/lyft to get around instead of driving yourself

You know your teens but in my experience it's not easy getting them up to be somewhere at 6:30 AM!

 

I’m concerned about my ability to there by 6:30!  It’s too bad the parade is at the end of the trip.  If it was at the beginning, we could take advantage of the time change.

 

Thanks for the insight about the studio tour.  It helps me a lot because it anchors our site seeing.  Of course this week Nintendo world opened so now I’m going to try and work that in somehow.  Something is going to have to give.  Can’t do it all!

Edited February 17, 2023 by CharmCity2000

[CharmCity2000]

On 2/13/2023 at 12:19 PM, scottca075 said:

Stay in Downtown LA near LA Live, meaning JW Marriott, Residence Inn Marriott, Hotel Figueroa (Hyatt), Sheraton Grand or InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. This is a dead time for business travel so you should see some good rates.

 

You can then use the Metro to Pasadena for the parade and use the Metro subway to Hollywood. The Starline Hop On Hop off bus would hit every site on your list except the Griffith Observatory.

 

https://www.starlinetours.com/en/city-sightseeing-hop-on-hop-off-double-decker

Thank you for the specific recommendations.  Figueroa is one of the hotels on my list.  The other one is the Doubletreee Downtown.  I love the starline tour idea!

 

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

2 hours ago, CharmCity2000 said:

Thank you for the specific recommendations.  Figueroa is one of the hotels on my list.  The other one is the Doubletreee Downtown.  I love the starline tour idea!

 

I love the DoubleTree, but I think you are better off in the LA Live area. The DoubleTree is in Little Tokyo, which is great for me because I love all the Japanese food all around it, but for your vacation, I think LA Live is a better area.

[CharmCity2000]

8 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

I love the DoubleTree, but I think you are better off in the LA Live area. The DoubleTree is in Little Tokyo, which is great for me because I love all the Japanese food all around it, but for your vacation, I think LA Live is a better area.

Thank you