Suggestions needed for our upcoming California trip during Christmas

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
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Depends on the interests of everyone but here are some SF and LA things that spring to mind…
SF:

  1. Cable car and if mechanically inclined/interested, the cable car museum
  2. Chinatown - Z&Y is a popular choice. If you want dim sum on the go, Good Mong Kok Bakery is always busy. There’s a fortune cookie museum you can visit.
  3. Exploratorium is a science museum on the Embarcadero - super interactive
  4. Ferry building - food hall (lots to eat - check out Humphry Slocombe ice cream with unusual flavors) and sometimes farmer’s market (Saturday is best day) - if you are at the ferry building/along the Embarcadero, you can hop a fairly scenic street car to fisherman’s wharf; the street cars are regular public transit and 18 and under are currently free on normal transportation (not cable cars though)
  5. Alcatraz tour might be of interest - the ferry leaves kind of near fisherman’s wharf
  6. Fisherman’s wharf is kind of a touristy nightmare but can be fun in small doses and it gets into christmas
  7. Ghirardelli Square gets done up for the holidays and obviously the chocolate place/ice cream store is fun (but packed at times)
  8. Those little yellow cars someone mentioned are kind of a menace but honestly probably fun and you can do some very scenic drives along Crissy Field to the GG bridge and through the presidio
  9. The Presidio itself has very nice trails and views. Disney Family Museum could be nice if kids are artistic or into Disney. There’s an express bus that goes from the Financial District straight to the Presidio that’s currently free (search PresidiGo bus).
  10. Chinatown gets all the tourist attention but there’s a Japantown too - good ramen spots (Marufuku, Hinodeya), a Japanese bookstore, etc.
  11. My teens sometimes go to Haight-Ashbury and Amoeba records or thrift shopping, but it’s a little sketchy at times so be aware if you’re not used to that kind of thing
  12. The Mission is pretty big but has a high number of restaurants. A Mission/SF Burrito is a particular style without rice (popular places are El Farolito, La Taqueria), or you can get Tortas (Torta Gorda). Garden Creamery is v good ice cream. There’s a pirate store that might appeal to a whimsical teen (it is affiliated with a creative writing program founded by Dave Eggers; the space was zoned for retail so they added a store - 826 Valencia).
  13. Golden Gate Park has many hidden gems - notably a fly fishing pool area, a disc golf course, a pedal boat for rent area at Stow Lake, a bison paddock, some windmills and several cool museums. There’s usually some kind of Christmas light installation.

As others have said, do be careful not to leave ANYTHING in your car if you have one particularly if you are in tourist zones like the palace of fine arts or Lombard. Not even for 5 minutes.

LA:

  1. Definitely Universal Studios theme park - it’s perfect for teens, fun, easier than Disneyland plus you can do a movie tour
  2. Santa Monica beach/pier.
  3. They might want to stroll UCLA, get shirts or something at the Bruin store. Diddy Riese cookie ice cream sandwiches in Westwood are classic.
  4. The Griffith Observatory is very cool.
  5. Farmer’s Market food court at the Grove, though the Grove itself is just an outdoor mall.
  6. If you love magic and want a logistical challenge, look into how to get into the Magic Castle for brunch (watch the dress code)
  7. Alternatively, catch a comedy show at Largo
  8. Would probably skip Hollywood/star walk but might look at briefly if you say go to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel or something
  9. Malibu
  10. Sushi - lots of choices ranging from local favorites in strip malls around the city (esp the valley - this is super LA) to Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, Nobu in Malibu (or La Cienega), Sugarfish in various locations
  11. Lots of teens like shopping on Melrose or for particular labels like Supreme etc…
  12. Beverly Hills driving around, maybe checking out Rodeo etc.

LA traffic is insane and the city is sprawling so be careful about your itineraries and when you’ll be driving from one area to the next if you don’t want to live the beginning traffic jam of LaLa Land without the singing.

Agree with not taking the 5 but the 101 from SF to LA. You can do the 1/PCH piece or skip it and just take the 101 all the way down. You can stop in San Luis Obispo for lunch or if you wait longer, perhaps Solvang (touristy Danish style town) or Santa Barbara.

Have fun!

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Wow. My wife and I are humbled. So many great recommendations and some of you have truly gone above and beyond with long responses. We picked up some California guides from the library and will do some online searches before we finalize our itinerary. Suggestions here will help us a lot, so THANK YOU!

Since it is asked, let me provide a few things about what we are looking for. My wife likes museums, zoos, aquariums and she loves Universal studios. She and I also like walking in the nature. Boys are boys you know. For them everything is boring except both love some fine dining. I am very high on space related topics. Planning to visit Pasadena Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Kids are not looking into California schools but thanks for the suggestions on hitting a few colleges along the way as well.

Thanks everyone and truly much appreciated.

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Don’t skip L.A. there are tons of things to see and do there. I visit my son there and we go to the beach, hike in canyons, etc. There are lots of restaurants for any foodies in the crowd, and more museums than you would expect. Too many to list but there are some good suggestions up thread.

I would plan a stop in Santa Barbara as it is lovely.

SF to LA by car is still on my bucket list (2020 trip cancelled for obvious reasons).

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Fine dining recommendation in San Francisco—Saison. The restaurant has two Michelin stars. My H’s company did a project in California and we lived in the city for six months. We went to Saison for our anniversary—the staff was friendly, not snobby, and very accommodating. The food—amazing.

Golden Gate Park is a great place to walk—I loved the Japanese Tea Garden. The Presidio is another good place for walking. It’s not close, but I would drive out to Yosemite National Park. It’s spectacular.

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@spoonbender’s suggestions are great. I especially love the Exploratorium, Japantown (my teen son’s favorite place in SF—we always eat at Hinodeya, go to the bookstore, the mall, etc) and the Ferry Building. Since it’s the holidays Ghirardelli Square is fun. Golden Gate Park is a gem, with the Academy of Sciences, DeYoung Art Museum, and plenty of walking paths. Also, if you want to leave your kids on their own for a bit, the House of Air (indoor trampoline park) and Planet Granite (rock climbing gym) in Presidio are my boy’s favorites. You can then go on a little hike in the presidio while they jump or climb.

For aquariums, definitely Monterey. For zoos, San Diego’s is world famous and beautiful. If your wife loves zoos, it might be worth going down there. The wild animal park is also special, but a little out of the way.

In Santa Barbara, we have loved renting the 4 person peddle bikes with the canopies. I forget what they are called, but it’s been fun for my teens. Shopping on State street, the beaches, Santa Barbara is stunning. Depending on your appetite for such things, you might look into booking a surf lesson or renting a kayak. SB also has a small zoo that’s very nice.

If you head inland (and the 101 will take you inland to some extent — not like the 5, but not right on the coast), you might try to get tickets to the Field of Light in Paso Robles. It’s pretty busy during the holidays. Paso is also home to a big wine business, second to Napa.

Central CA itself is a special place that it’s worth exploring as you make your way from SF to LA. SLO and SB are the most common stops, and for good reason, but you can also find fun and beauty in Pismo Beach, Paso, Ojai, Carpinteria, Los Olivos, Cayucos, and more. Big Sur and driving over Bixby Bridge is the CA postcard everyone wants.

Finally, I know your kids are into fine dining, and California has plenty of it on offer. But I think California’s casual dining sets it apart from other places… the taco stands, food trucks, farmer’s markets, and burger joints are an important part of the experience. In and out is famous and worth a stop, but also explore the other burger places wherever you are.

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Both SF and LA have many museums.
SF: CA Academy of Sciences
LA: The Getty
LA: The CA Science Center and Natural History Museum are both in Exposition Park which is adjacent to the Coliseum and USC. Banc of California stadium is on that property as well. Traffic and parking can be a bear if there are concerts or events at the Coliseum or Banc of CA stadium so check the calendar in advance.
Pasadena: In addition to JPL, you might be interested in the Huntington (art museum & garden)

If you like hiking and the weather is nice, hiking to the Hollywood sign can provide some great views and photos.

If you are into space, you might enjoy the Griffith Observatory.

All of these take a lot of time so you won’t be able to visit all in 6 days.

There is a lot of fine dining in both SF and LA so you will have to narrow it down to what types of cuisines your family enjoys or is interested in trying.

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I think we enjoyed the safari park more than the zoo. Where else are you going to see a cheetah running full-tilt. We were also lucky that the rhinos came to our truck. The earth literally shook. I have pictures of the kids feeding the rhinos. Priceless.

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Both the Zoo and the Safari Park are fantastic but it should be noted that the rhino experience would be extra - $55/pp on up depending on the day of the week. Also the good viewing seats for the cheetah run are $10/pp and only 100 per day so sell out fast. The Safari Park especially has a lot of upsell experiences.

With only six days, though, there is so much to see in San Francisco and Los Angeles and points in between that trying to get to San Diego would be a hard push. Much as I think San Diego is a great place for a vacation, you’d need a couple of more days to consider it, especially with the flight home out of LAX.

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I’m a CA native and spent a significant part of my life in both northern and southern CA. Since then, I’ve been back with my family many times. It’s a shame you only have six days. But San Fran is nice and compact, so it’s easy to see a lot of stuff in a short time.

A six day must do itinerary, from SF to LA would be Alcatraz, a cable car ride, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Coit Tower. You could do most of that in a day, if you really wanted to. Then Big Sur, San Simeon (Hearst Castle is simply amazing), and Santa Barbara. That’s going to take a couple of days. However, you could just get on I-5 and whiz down to LA in six hours.

I’d allow the most time in LA. It’s fun to do the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Chinese Theater, (BH Hotel for cocktails for mom and dad, but could skip too.) I love Olvera Street. I love the Art Deco vibe of Union Station.

Your kids will love Pink’s Hot Dogs

and Randy’s Donuts.

Take them to the truly weird and wonderful museum of Jurassic Technology. I loved it, and my kids, who were 12 and 14 at the time did too. https://www.mjt.org/

Then there’s one day left for Disney, and only a cruel, deranged parent doesn’t take their kid to Disneyland when they are in So Cal. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I even love the ridiculous and iconic Theme Building at LAX, but you will see that when you leave. Randy’s isn’t far from LAX, so you could hit that up on the way out.

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There’s tons of great food in LA, and you could of course hit the Michelin star places, but here’s some delicious mid-range food to consider:

If you’re in Hollywood, and trying to avoid pure tourist traps or fast food, consider Superba bread bar. Cool outdoor atmosphere (there is indoor seating, too).

In Koreatown, for takeout, try Kyochon chicken (definitely the honey wings, and I don’t even like honey), or for upscale atmosphere and meat try Daedo (love their side dish of Dongshimi - cold pickled radish soup), or for upscale non-Korean food try Here’s Lookin’ at You (likely will need a reservation). K-town isn’t on most people’s must-see LA tourist list, but for food and authenticity it’s great.

If you end up in Century City (a mall), get soup dumplings (and dessert chocolate soup dumplings) at Din Tai Fung.

For a light but nice sushi lunch: Sugarfish.

If you’re looking for food-hall style dining because of different cravings within the family, there’s the Farmers Market next to the Grove (another mall, but a cute outdoor one) and in downtown LA there is Grand Central Market. If you end up downtown for whatever reason, a fun (and free) stop is The Last Bookstore (go upstairs!)

If you’re in the museum district (La Brea Tarpits and LACMA), there’s two great brunch places called Met Him at a Bar and Met Her at a Bar (right next to each other). Go for the Thai-flavored fried chicken and waffles.

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Great suggestions, but I’ve been here 47 years and haven’t tried half of them, good luck in planning for 6 days, lol.

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+1 for Monterey Bay Aquarium and Santa Barbara

DS2 loved Solvang

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You can hit up Solvang on the way to SB. Good for a couple of hours, but after that, your kids will probably be bored.

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Except they are going to be there Christmas week, which is also Rose Bowl week, which means it will be really really crowded. I went with my daughter once on Christmas day and it was okay in the morning but by they afternoon I swear I could lift my feet off the pavement and not fall over. There were just so many people we just left.

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If you’re going to go to Disneyland in the week between Christmas & New Year’s, speaking as a huge Disneyland fan, here’s what you should do:

  1. Decide very soon (i.e., by the end of this month) which day(s) you’ll be there.
  2. Buy your tickets & make your park reservations.
  3. Decide if you want table service/sit down meal & book that if there’s space still available. If none available, read up online about Mobile Order at Disneyland…this will save you lots of time of standing in long food lines at quick serve restaurants.
  4. Stay at a hotel on Harbor Blvd w/in walking distance of the main entrance.
  5. If park opening time is 8:00 am (which it probably will be), be in line at security no later than 7:00 am. You laugh, but just trust me on this.
  6. Probably 15-20 min before park opening, they will let non-Disneyland hotel park guests into the park. You’ll be allowed down to the end of Main Street or in the hub area in front of the castle. There will be ropes held across the entrances to all of the lands. Pick a land to start in.
  7. Right at 8:00 am, they’ll drop the rope and you can go in. Head straight towards a big headliner ride. For example, go to Indiana Jones first because that will break down a lot. Then Pirates & Haunted Mansion. Don’t forget to buy Genie+ as soon as you scan your tickets to get into the park. After the Genie+ purchase (on the Disneyland app on your phone), make your 1st Genie+ selection. Rise of the Resistance, Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run, Indiana Jones, Space Mtn, Peter Pan will all run out of Genie+ return times by probably 11 am, maybe 10-10:30 am. Set a timer on your phone for 2 hr later. That’s when you can make your next Genie+ selection.

Park hours will probably be 8:00 am - 12:00 am all that week. People staying in 1 of the 3 on site hotels will be able to get into the parks starting at 7:30 am, but at Disneyland park, they’ll only be able to go on rides in Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. So when you’re there for rope drop, head to Adventureland, Frontierland, or New Orleans Square first.

Park hopping:
If you have park hopper tickets, you’ll be able to hop to the opposite park starting at 1:00 pm.

During busiest part of the day (about 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm), consider leaving. Take break at your hotel across the street. Or go have a cocktail and snacks at Trader Sam’s at the Disneyland Hotel or one of the lounges in the Grand Californian Hotel. Don’t forget to continue getting Genie+ ride selections every 2 hour.

If you’re not getting to the security until after 8:00 am, then you’re already behind the rest of the pack.

Also, don’t expect it to be like WDW. It’s similar, but different. Pirates is better. Space Mountain is better. Indiana Jones is better than Dinosaur. I’d expect that the Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes will be open during Christmas & New Year’s…that’s a lot of fun.

If your kids want to make lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop, then look up online NOW for how far in advance you can make a Savi’s Workshop reservation. It’s in the $230 a piece price range now. You can also buy the fancy lightsabers at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Also, remember that you can get in line for a ride up to close time (12:00 am, for example). They’ll keep running the ride until the last person in the queue rides on it.

Good luck!

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I’ve been to Disneyland dozens of times. There’s always a way to minimize queueing times. Probably a great reason to spend the extra cash on those fast pass tickets, Genie or whatever it’s called now.

Agree, Davy Crockett canoes are a blast. Should add, Disneyland is a blast for all ages. Star Wars land it completely spectacular.

I also think Solvang is boring, apologies to the Solvang lovers.

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Wow!

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La Boulangerie in SF has four locations. Authentic and delicious bakery items. I am also biased and think you should book another trip that is San Diego-centric for the Christmas after this one!

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Is California Adventure still there? We went to Disneyland in 2007 during Christmas times, and we liked this park much better than the original one. Apparently, at Christmas time everyone and their MIL tries to get into the classic park, and we found California Adventure almost deserted. The Soaring Above California ride was our favorite!

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DCA is still there. They’ve replaced Soarin’ over California with Soarin’ Over The World. California Screamin’ is now Incredicoaster. Make sure you don’t miss Carsland…it’s pretty awesome, like being inside the movie.

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