Holiday to LA

Author
Discussion

Robwt

Original Poster:

167 posts

236 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Apologies if this is a little insensitive and selfish given what is happening and the first world problem that it is, but could do with some advice and there seems to be some LA locals on here.

I am due to fly out to LA a week on Saturday for a holiday. Plan was to road trip in and around LA Up to San Fran and down to San Diego.

Am I best canceling - don't want to add to the burden.


Johnspex

4,517 posts

193 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
You’ve answered your own question.
Of course it’s best to cancel. What are you going to do, tour the fire sites and breathe in smoke?
Cancel and go next year.

xx99xx

2,381 posts

82 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Personally, I think 'road tripping' in/around LA would be mostly spent sitting in traffic on a freeway. You could stay in the UK and do that much more cheaply.

I'd still go and visit SF and SB as planned and skip the LA bit. The fires are fairly localised and LA is a big place so I don't think you'd be getting in anyone's way. Unless of course you booked a hotel in Pasadena.

croyde

24,217 posts

239 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Head out to Vegas with stuff to visit on the way then head up to SF via Death Valley and Yosemite.

I've stayed in LA quite a bit and you don't want to spend your days driving around the city.

Look at Waze on a typical day there and marvel at the amount of accidents. Despite being in a car, Angelino's will be doing everything but actual driving biggrin

Robwt

Original Poster:

167 posts

236 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Thank you for the responses - thankfully have only booked hotel in San Fran for the moment so can amend trip accordingly. Original plan was to drive down to la via a few places then visit a number of areas in and around la. Bit of a bucket list trip for the wife to celebrate a big birthday whilst we are away. Circumstances mean it may be our last opportunity to do the trip so reluctant to cancel, but equally don’t want to spend a fortune and add to the problem by being an ignorant tourist.







Blackpuddin

17,620 posts

214 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
We’re hoping to go in March, trying to work out which would be cheaper, renting a motorhome or renting a car and motelling it.

S600BSB

6,240 posts

115 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Cancel.

ChocolateFrog

29,734 posts

182 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
I doubt it'll be that hard to avoid. It's a big place.

AdeTuono

7,452 posts

236 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
There are plenty of places to go to in California. Just fly in as planned, and go somewhere other than LA.

Having said that, not all of LA is aflame.

vaud

52,948 posts

164 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Option 1 - postpone
option 2 - can you move the flight to SD, SF or Vegas instead
option 3 - go, but get out of LA and head north, there is loads to see on the coast road, in SF and into Marin/Napa/Sonoma.

Peterpetrole

435 posts

6 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
ChocolateFrog said:
I doubt it'll be that hard to avoid. It's a big place.
California is twice as big as the UK, pretty sure there are other things to see than Mailbu.

vaud

52,948 posts

164 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Peterpetrole said:
California is twice as big as the UK, pretty sure there are other things to see than Mailbu.
LA is a good part to avoid.

ChocolateFrog

29,734 posts

182 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
vaud said:
Peterpetrole said:
California is twice as big as the UK, pretty sure there are other things to see than Mailbu.
LA is a good part to avoid.
And not necessarily because it's on fire.

vaud

52,948 posts

164 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
ChocolateFrog said:
And not necessarily because it's on fire.
Indeed. Some nice bits but CA has a million things to see and do before venturing to LA.

(I lived in the Bay Area for a while and have toured CA extensively)

mikey_b

2,214 posts

54 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
croyde said:
Head out to Vegas with stuff to visit on the way then head up to SF via Death Valley and Yosemite.

I've stayed in LA quite a bit and you don't want to spend your days driving around the city.

Look at Waze on a typical day there and marvel at the amount of accidents. Despite being in a car, Angelino's will be doing everything but actual driving biggrin
This is what I would do for sure, if you can change your flight to LV instead of LA. Just rent a car from there instead. Either of the two routes suggested above is a great road trip (I've done both) and you can still see SF and northern California.

wrencho

317 posts

74 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
I would definitely go and just do other things. SF to LA must be the equivalent of London to Newcastle surely? SF is an incredible place (don't listen to the naysayers!) I would go back in a heartbeat so I say go and enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow is promised to no one!

Ambleton

7,035 posts

201 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
CA is amazing.

After visiting SF a few years back I wouldn't bother going. It's a disappointment.

Instead do the highway 1 coast road and national parks.

Sequoia, kings canyon, Sierra, yosemite.


We did a loop to/from SF. Down highway1 to Pismo beach, then went inland to sequoia and up through the NPs. We then spent 5 days in/around SF. The last day "in" SF we actually went up to the NAPA valley

Looking back, we should've done an extra 4 days in the parks and just done one day in SF. The drive in/through the parks from Sequoia to Kngs Canyon is several hours but well worth it.

Might be all snowy up there at this time of year. Spring is the best time to go. We went in September.


City's are city's (most western world cities are much of a muchness) but the vast expanse and nature over there is unlike anything I've witnessed before or since (but then I'm not spectacularly well travelled)

2 GKC

2,091 posts

114 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Ambleton said:
CA is amazing.

After visiting SF a few years back I wouldn't bother going. It's a disappointment.

Instead do the highway 1 coast road and national parks.

Sequoia, kings canyon, Sierra, yosemite.


We did a loop to/from SF. Down highway1 to Pismo beach, then went inland to sequoia and up through the NPs. We then spent 5 days in/around SF. The last day "in" SF we actually went up to the NAPA valley

Looking back, we should've done an extra 4 days in the parks and just done one day in SF. The drive in/through the parks from Sequoia to Kngs Canyon is several hours but well worth it.

Might be all snowy up there at this time of year. Spring is the best time to go. We went in September.


City's are city's (most western world cities are much of a muchness) but the vast expanse and nature over there is unlike anything I've witnessed before or since (but then I'm not spectacularly well travelled)
SF is absolutely worth seeing

vaud

52,948 posts

164 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
Ambleton said:
CA is amazing.

After visiting SF a few years back I wouldn't bother going. It's a disappointment.

Instead do the highway 1 coast road and national parks.

Sequoia, kings canyon, Sierra, yosemite.
SF is mixed bag these days. Safety will vary almost block by block. Very big homeless and drug problems.

You are the only poster that mention the gem that is Kings Canyon, it's a relatively quiet (compared to Yosemite) joy of a park.

Highway 1 can offer the likes of Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel, Morro Bay, Bigs Sur, Monterey (worth it for the aquarium) etc

fiatpower

3,258 posts

180 months

Friday 10th January
quotequote all
I'd say you'd be fine. You'll just have to miss out the start of the Pacific coast highway and probably rejoin it around Oxnard. Unless you were planning on going celebrity house spotting in the Hollywood hills I don't think it would impact you that much.