Question for our wonderful west coast experts

[goodml]

Two weeks from tonight I'll be on a plane California bound! Yay me! There are 8 of us traveling. Four adults and four teens and I've got everything pretty much worked out. The first night we're staying at an airport hotel that includes breakfast (Laquinta - tell me it's not a complete dump please) because we don't land till around 10 pm. Picking up two rental cars in the morning and then touring around for the day - heading over to Santa Monica pier and Third St Promenade area then driving south possibly as far as Laguna Beach seeing the sights. We'll check in at the Radisson Suites in Buena Park (thanks for the previous info on that folks!) for a couple of nights and do Disney for one day for the family that hasn't been before. On Monday we'll sail out on Monarch for the four nighter.

 

When we get off the ship on Monday we're renting cars again because our flight doesn't leave till around 10:30 pm. We thought we'd try to see the Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, Walk of Fame etc. My question is, how's the parking situation in that area? Are there lots close by or is parking unheard of?

 

I always like a stop at Farmer's Market so we thought we'd also go there possibly for lunch and then check out The Grove for some people watching and shopping.

 

Does anyone feel energetic enough to give me some driving directions from the pier to the Chinese Theater area and then to Farmer's Market? Scenic routes are fine as we obviously have TONS of time to kill!

 

When it comes time to head to LAX we'll be looking at Friday evening traffic. Realistically, how early do we need to head for the airport in order to turn in the rental cars and be there by say 7 or 7:30 pm. We figure we'd rather be there early and just have dinner in the terminal rather than worry about making it on time.

 

Thanks in advance for the help:) .

[JJ2sail]

We did this a couple of years ago. I don't still have the directions, but I would recommend you rent a car with a GPS system, like Tom-tom, then you could just put the addresses in and go. We did this last weekend, when we drove down for our Monarch cruise, and it really took all the headaches out of finding the hotel and restaurants etc... If I remember correctly there is some parking around the corner from the Chinese theatre and the Kodak theatre.

[Bruin Steve]

When we get off the ship on Monday we're renting cars again because our flight doesn't leave till around 10:30 pm. We thought we'd try to see the Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, Walk of Fame etc. My question is, how's the parking situation in that area? Are there lots close by or is parking unheard of?

 

I always like a stop at Farmer's Market so we thought we'd also go there possibly for lunch and then check out The Grove for some people watching and shopping.

 

Does anyone feel energetic enough to give me some driving directions from the pier to the Chinese Theater area and then to Farmer's Market? Scenic routes are fine as we obviously have TONS of time to kill!

 

When it comes time to head to LAX we'll be looking at Friday evening traffic. Realistically, how early do we need to head for the airport in order to turn in the rental cars and be there by say 7 or 7:30 pm. We figure we'd rather be there early and just have dinner in the terminal rather than worry about making it on time.

 

Thanks in advance for the help:) .

 

From San Pedro, you are going to get on the 110 North...Don't worry about a scenic route here, you are passing through some of the worst neighborhoods in LA--so stay on the Freeway...

 

Just past Downtown LA, you'll switch over to the 101--the Hollywood Freeway...Exit at Hollywood Boulevard and turn left...Head through Hollywood to the intersection of Hollywood and Highland (The "Walk of Fame starts before Hollywood and Vine, but really no great reason to stop there...but, a few notes: On all four corners at Hollywood and Vine, there is a special star commemorating the Moon Landing...at the Southeast corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga is the best "Newsrack" in LA--the one that's in the intro to Jay Leno's Monday night "Headlines" feature)...

 

At Hollywood and Highland, at the Northwest corner, is a commercial complex with a lot of nice restaurants and shops and the Renaissance Hotel...and, in this complex, the Kodak Theater...Grauman's Chinese is directly adjacent...Park somewhere in this area...though, you will likely have to pay a few $$...If you see a meter, great...otherwise, there is a public pay lot just north of Hollywood, enter off Orange, right next to Grauman's...If not here, you can park in the massive underground parking for Hollywood & Highland...I think there's an entrance on Orange...if not...or if you miss it, circle on Orange, north to Franklin, turn right and right again on Highland and there's an entrance near the Renaissance...

 

From this area, you can get some distant views of the Hollywood Sign from the upper decks of the commercial complex...The Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Blvd right in front...

 

When you leave here, Go West on Hollywood to Fairfax and make a left on Fairfax...

 

As you go south on Fairfax, at Melrose, on your left is Fairfax High School--alma mater of Steely Dan, the late Warren Zevon, Slash of Guns'n'Roses and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among many others...

 

A block or two south of that, on your right, is Canter's Delicatessen--an LA institution...I have seen everyone from Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. to Frank Zappa eating there...seriously...open 24 hours and not unusual to see the cool and famous there late, late into the night...

 

Continue South on Fairfax....At Beverly Boulevard, on your left, is CBS Studios...Directly South of that is the Grove and Farmers' Market...If you're eating lunch there, my recommendation is Wood Ranch...a local BBQ chain which actually started out in my area, but has grown throughout SoCal in recent years...

 

 

From here to LAX on a Friday evening, leave yourself a decent amount of time..I'd say an hour...Of course, the most direct route from the Grove to LAX actually avoids freeways...relying mainly on LaCienega Boulevard...Of course, major arteries like La Cienega aren't immune to rush hour either...But, you can continue South on Fairfax...and just across the 10, it merges into La Cienega...keep going south, then left on La Tijera and left on Sepulveda to LAX...

 

But, if you leave the Grove and still have lots of time, you may want to head Weston 3rd or Wilshire and into Beverly Hills...and cruise around Rodeo Drive or up into the residential areas north of Santa Monica Blvd....Then catch Wilshire west into Westwood Village, maybe drive around UCLA (Trust me, one visit and your kids will all want to go there for college)...just turn right off Wilshire onto Westwood Boulevard, follow it right into campus, turn onto Circle Drive and ride the big loop around campus...

 

Then head over to the 405 and take it South to Howard Hughes Parkway...right off the offramp, then left onto Sepulveda and down to LAX...

 

If you don't want to eat at LAX and would rather sample the local favorite, there is an In'n'Out Burger on Sepulveda (on your right) just before LAX...

 

Hope that helps...

[goodml]

:) Thanks JJ2, we'll be taking our GPS with us and while they're great, they can't tell me which areas I shouldn't be driving through so it's great to have access to some locals here that are so willing to help out.

 

Steve, you're a gem! Thank you, thank you, thank you!:)

[goodml]

I just re-read my first post and noticed I said we'd be getting off the ship on Monday. Doh! That should have said Friday.