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Things to do in Southern California during the summer?

Fun cheap or free things to do in Southern California in the summer?

  • I live on the east coast, but I am a California girl born and raised. I'm visiting from college for a couple weeks this month and I want some ideas for things to do with family and friends that are inexpensive and fun, in the Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego areas (or anywhere nearby that I forgot.) I will be going to Laguna Beach with my bff :) I plan to tan, swim, see the cute sea animals, cruise the shops, take a bunch of pictures, and visit a club in the O.C, maybe swing by In-N-Out. I am also going to the Santa Barbara area, but I don't have many ideas except for taking pictures and cruising shops. Please give me some cheap (or free) ideas of stuff to do in that area? Thanks so much!! :)

  • Answer:

    1) Santa Barbara: A. Stearns Wharf (walk through the shops, have lunch at one of the restaurants) B. Walk along the Beach C. Lots of cafes/Shopping along State Street D. Mission Santa Barbara (A MUST!!!! $5.00 Admission) Beautiful gardens, visit the church, take some pictures in front of the fountain!! (Very interesting and educational) 2) Solvang (Above Santa Barbara) A. Visit the quaint shops in Solvang B. Mission Santa Inez is right next behind the shops in Solvang C. Visit the Solvang Restaurant and stop in for their ableskivers (pancake balls with jelly and powdered sugar...YUMMY!!!!!!!) D. Ride the horse trolley around town 3) Lake Cachuma (Between Santa Barbara and Solvang....on Hwy 154) A. Visit the Nature Center B. Have one of their fantastic hamburgers at their lakeside cafe 4) Ventura A. Mission San Buena Ventura (very interesting and educational) Take pictures in front of the fountain across the street from the Mission 5) Griffith Park A. Griffith Park Observatory (Observatory is very interesting, planetarium show is VERY interesting) B. Hollywood sign next to Observatory on the hill.....great views of Downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean!! There is a cafe where you can buy food and then sit outside and enjoy the views!! Lots of places to take pictures!! C. Los Angeles Zoo 6) Arcadia A. Los Angeles County Arboretum (Beautiful gardens, pretty waterfall and plenty of fountains outside the arboretum to take pictures in front of) 7) Pasadena A. Shopping and lots of restaurants along Colorado Blvd B. Visit JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) C. Norton Simon Museum 8) San Gabriel A. Mission San Gabriel (Very interesting and educational) 9) Monrovia A. Drive up to Canyon Park and hike up to the waterfall, picnic area next to the creek 10) Anaheim A. Downtown Disney...lots of shops/restaurants B. Several fountain to take pictures in front of C. Disneyland 11) Buena Park A. Knotts Berry Farm B. Shops outside the park are nice to walk through C. Have dinner at the Chicken Restaurant (outside of park...this is A MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) 12) Riverside A. Riverside Glass Museum (saw it on tv once...looks very interesting) B. Climb up to the top of Mt Rubidoux 13) San Bernardino A. Visit the San Bernardino Museum (off the 10 freeway) 14) Big Bear A. Visit the shops in the village..lots of neat shops B. Camping/hiking/walking trails along the lake C. Take a drive along the lake (lots of places to take pictures along the lake) D. Take the narrated nature cruise on the lake...I think its called the Ms. Liberty Paddlewheel boat E. Visit the Discovery Center (North Shore) F. Northwoods Resort has a great restaurant and a lake with fountains next to the restaurant...very pretty!! 15) Lake Arrowhead A. Visit the shops at the Village B. The Lake is right next to the Village shops 16) Laguna Beach A. Walk through the shops B. Walk along the beach C. There is a walking trail that goes along the bluffs west of the main beach. Gazebo where you can have a romantic dinner or sit and enjoy the view of the ocean!! 17) La Jolla A, Birch Aquarium (Take I-5 south to La Jolla Village Drive and turn right. Turn right onto Torrey Pines Road , Left on Revelle College Drive which becomes Expedition Way.....follow this road to aquarium 18) San Diego A. Old Town B. Coronado Island (Hotel Del Coronado) walk on the beach, walk through the hotel...really beautiful C. Seaport Village (lots of shops, ride the carousel, eat at one of the restaurants there, walk along the harbor D. San Diego Harbor Cruise...its like $25.00, but definitely worth the 2 hours on the cruise and you get up close to the naval ships!! D. Lots of interesting museums along the harbor to walk through E. Balboa Park-lots and lots of museums, visit the Spreckles Organ Pavilion (free concerts during the Summer) F. Sea World (of course) G. San Diego Zoo H. Mission San Diego (very interesting and educational) 19) San Juan Capistrano A. Mission San Juan Capistrano (walk through the mission...very interesting and educational) 20) Oceanside A. Mission San Luis Rey (Very interesting and educational) They have a pepper tree in their courtyard which was planted there in 1830!! Go see it!! 21) Balboa Island/Newport Beach (North of Laguna) A. Newport Fashion Island Shopping Center B. Drive your car onto the Balboa/Newport Ferry and ride across to Balboa Island C. Lots of neat shops on Balboa Island and I dont know if its still there or not. Wilmas Patio is a nice place to eat and is inexpensive...walk along the canals!! 22) Brea A. Lots of shopping/cafes/restaurants in downtown Brea B. Carbon Canyon Regional Park (straight up Lambert Road toward the foothills) beautiful park with a lake...take a picnic and sit under the shady trees.....nice place to go and relax and be alone or with that somone special!! C. Lots of shopping at Brea Mall

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In L.A. you can visit Hollywood Blvd. see the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theather, see the famous intersection of Hollywood & Vine and the famous Captitol Records building. Drive the Sunset Strip. Drive down/up Mulholland Dr. to see the fabulous views. Go to Griffith Park and have a picnic. Visit the beach or visit the boardwalks in Santa Monica and Venice.

Dresden Rose

downtown disney, hollywood blvd, venice, malibu, etc

Tennis Star

There are literally hundreds of things to do here in LA. Here is my list of “must sees”. Visit as many as you have time for: Even if you don’t visit Disneyland or Universal Studios Tour, Downtown Disney District and Universal City Walk are very fun places to visit for shopping and eating. And they’re free to visit. If you’re adventurous, try the indoor skydiving (www.iflyhollywood.com). It’s a blast! Hollywood: Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Chinese Theatre and more. The Hollywood & Highland complex has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater. The El Capitan theater, right across the street, is where Disney shows their movies. And the Hollywood Bowl is a GREAT place to listen to concerts outdoors. Olvera Street/Union Station: Olvera Street is the birthplace of LA, and it emphasizes our Mexican heritage. In addition to the Avila Adobe (oldest building in LA), you can eat at some pretty good Mexican Restaurants, do a little shopping, and taste a churro. If you don’t want to go to Tijuana, this is as close as it gets without going there Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something. Venice Beach: Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore. Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste. Santa Monica: Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach. Sunset Boulevard began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way. Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, It is right next to CBS, so walk across the lot to see if they are taping "The Price is Right". Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage. Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art, architecture, or view better, the Getty is sure to please. Free. Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, tvtix.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the Tonight show. Places to eat: In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone. Pink’s Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. You might even see a celebrity. Maybe. Tommy’s Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. The original location is at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown. Canter’s Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, you might spot a celebrity. Phillippe’s: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station and Olvera Street. Tito’s Taco’s: Voted best tacos in LA, even though it’s in Culver City. King Taco is a good alternate if you can deal with East LA. The Pantry: Corner of Figueroa and 9th, downtown. Huge portions, they never close, GREAT steak and eggs. Medieval Times and/or Pirate’s Dinner Adventure: Dinner and an adventure show, both are on Beach Blvd in Buena Park, you get to eat with your hands. Places to Shop: Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica The Grove, Los Angeles Americana @ Brand, Glendale Beverly Center, Los Angeles Citadel Outlets, Commerce Brea Mall, Brea The Block at Orange, Orange South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa Fashion Island, Newport Beach Santee Alley, Los Angeles

Obviousman

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