Wedding Our mini-moon in L.A.: help with traffic, driving to Vegas

[CJ2008]

Hi guys,

FI and I are going to be spending a few days in L.A. in June after our wedding, driving to Vegas, and then heading back to L.A. for a couple of more days. We're staying at the Sofitel (on Beverly Blvd.).

- Will we be in a good location, with access to a lot of good/fun stuff? Any thing we should definitely check out near there?
- Are we better off not driving while in L.A.? (is the traffic really that bad?)
- How long can we expect for the drive to take from L.A. to Vegas? (we would be leaving on a Sunday, very early in the morning). Any advice on this, things to avoid, etc.?

Thanks!

ETA: I just did a search on the forums and saw that many have less-than-great opinions about L.A. Even though our hotel is booked, we are still in time to cancel. I do not want to say in L.A. if it isn't nice! We decided to go over there for no particular reason...neither of us has ever been to California, and since we're landing in L.A. we figured we'd stay in L.A. But I am TOTALLY open to other suggestions! I want to stay/be somewhere nice!

 

[sunnygirl]

Hi Claudinam!

The Sofitel is in a great location - I don''t know how much shopping you will be doing on your honeymoon but you will be across the street from The Beverly Center shopping center and very close to a lot of cute boutiques on Robertson Blvd. You will be fairly close to the beaches. Will you have a car? I don''t think the driving in LA is that bad, especially if you time things right. (Although the part of LA where you will be has pretty bad street traffic.) Just avoid peak rush hour times and you will be fine.

If you are going to beaches, my favorite beach is Manhattan Beach which is in the South Bay followed by Newport Beach which is in Orange County so pretty far. Santa Monica beach itself is a little yucky but the famous Santa Monica pier is there and then you could also go to Third Street Promenade which is a street that is closed off to cars with shops, restaurants, street performers, etc. (We saw these amazing guitarrists there once and we actually bought their CD. I emailed to ask if they do weddings and they charged something obscene like 2000 an hour!)

As far as your drive to Vegas, Sunday morning will be perfect. The road should be empty and it should take you about 4 hours.
The bad times to drive to/from Vegas are Friday after work and Sunday nght (for obvious reasons). It could double or triple the time! One time, because of an accident, it took me 14 hours to drive home from Vegas. It was ridicuous!

Let me know if you have any other questions? What other things are you looking to do in LA? I''ll help if I can!

 

[CJ2008]

Thank you so much sunnygirl!

You know how it is when you're on vacation, you try to hit everything you can! So I am sure we'll want to check out some beaches, maybe not to go to the beach, but to see them...my FI loves the water...

ETA: Always good to have shopping nearby

I was thinking of surprising my FI with a trip to a baseball stadium - either for a real game or to see a team practice. Is the Dodgers stadium near where we'll be, and do the Dodgers practice there all the time? (warning: I know ZERO about sports so if that question was retarded, that's why).

Glad to hear Sunday morning will be perfect...we need to be in Vegas in time to make it to the "O" show (Cirque de Soleil) at 8:00 P.M.

We plan on leaving really early, so it sounds like we'll be fine, might even allow us time to take a nap!

Let me think...well, we definitely might want to check out some cool restaurants and bars at night...we like Latin music, so if you know of a hip/cool club for that, I'd love to know. I can't think of specific things we'd like to do during the day...we're not "museum" people but if there's one that we should definitely not miss, again, would be good to know about it...maybe another area to visit while we're there? We're planning on taking a couple of road trips, too...I would love to do a winery but from what I've seen they seem too far to be able to do...

 

[musey]

You'll be right by us! It's a very fun neighborhood.

- Will we be in a good location, with access to a lot of good/fun stuff? Any thing we should definitely check out near there?

Like sunny said, you're right by lots of shopping, for sure! Robertson Blvd. is one of my faves, you should eat at The Newsroom (not the Ivy!) and stop in some of the boutiques (if you like to shop). Neil Lane (plus a bunch of other estate jewelry shops w/in the same building) is also very close, walking distance, even.

- Are we better off not driving while in L.A.? (is the traffic really that bad?)

Well, it sort of depends where you're coming from. If you're from a SMALL town, the traffic will be a shock. My parents still tear out their hair a bit while visiting, but they are from a town where five cars at a red light equals rush hour.

It doesn't really bother me at all. I use the traffic feature on googlemaps to check stuff before I leave, and plan routes accordingly.

If you're only here for 3 days, I'd say skip the rental. You'll have enough within walking or short cab distance to keep yourselves busy for that amount of time. Longer than that though, unless you're REALLY into shopping, you might appreciate exploring a little further than your feet will allow

- How long can we expect for the drive to take from L.A. to Vegas? (we would be leaving on a Sunday, very early in the morning). Any advice on this, things to avoid, etc.?

Ditto what sunnygirl said. It takes FI and I about 3.5 hours usually, because he drives FAAAAAST (musey=not a big fan). Again, Friday night going there is bad, and Sunday (anytime, even early) coming back is bad.

ETA: I just did a search on the forums and saw that many have less-than-great opinions about L.A. Even though our hotel is booked, we are still in time to cancel. I do not want to say in L.A. if it isn't nice! We decided to go over there for no particular reason...neither of us has ever been to California, and since we're landing in L.A. we figured we'd stay in L.A. But I am TOTALLY open to other suggestions! I want to stay/be somewhere nice!

Here's my take. When I visited the first couple of times, I thought it was cool but NO way a place I'd want to live.

After I moved here, I slowly began to LOVE it more and more. I love this city. The thing is--you REALLY have to be choosey about where you spend your time or no--you won't like it. If the Hollywood walk of Fame, Downtown LA and Miracle Mile are your only destinations... no, you won't like it all that much (probably, IMO). I think it's a resident's city as opposed to a tourist's city, because you have to find what stuff will truly be enjoyable for you, and if you don't have insider info/help, that takes awhile--longer than a 3-day trip.


That said, if you're looking for a 'beach town' type of trip, LA is not ideal. I'd recommend San Diego for that. Unless you spend most/all of your time in the south bay area--Manhattan Beach is the best blend of closeness to the airport and niceness, I think.

 

[musey]

Date: 5/15/2008 12:59:36 PM
Author: claudinam

I was thinking of surprising my FI with a trip to a baseball stadium - either for a real game or to see a team practice. Is the Dodgers stadium near where we''ll be, and do the Dodgers practice there all the time? (warning: I know ZERO about sports so if that question was retarded, that''s why).

I googlemapped it and the driving time is supposed to be 22 minutes. Probably more likely 40 since you won''t know your way that easily, as a visitor.

I love LA.com, Ideal Bite and Citysearch for attraction/restaurant recs. A lot of times, too, I''ll just use the "search nearby" tool on googlemaps (can you tell I love googlemaps?) to find stuff, too.

 

[sunnygirl]

I just checked the Dodgers schedule and they have home games from June 2-8 and 20-29 so that is definitely a possibility (if you rent a car) - the stadium is close to downtown LA.

I agree with Musey - I think LA would be a hard place to visit as a tourist. But if you plan things well, you can see and do a lot!

If I were visiting and didn''t have a friend who could drive me around, I would rent a car. I know three days isnt very long but you really can''t do much in LA without a car.

 

[peridot83]

Sorry for the long post!

It''s hard to be a tourist in Los Angeles; sights aren''t near each other, there''s traffic for large amounts of the day, the city itself is ugly....but I''ve lived here for 7 yrs and love it! So I guess some tips:

TRAFFIC:

Traffic means street 15 mins per mile, and 8-20 mins per mile on the freeway. Despite times below, sometimes you''ll just hit traffic, randomly at 11 pm, on a Thursday..

During the weekdays: Traffic from 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m,
Traffic starts up again 3:00 pm - 7:30 p.m.

Weekends: Saturday & Sunday morning are BEAUTIFUl times to travel. Saturday traffic 11:00 a.m. - 7 p.m. (but less packed).

Should you have a car?:

YES. As long as you aren''t a nervous driver. Why? It gets HOT here, over 90 degrees, no-one else is walking on the sidewalk, bus time waits are long, cabs aren''t readily available

THINGS TO DO (ask your conceirge for addresses/directions):


Beaches: Santa Monica & Venice are grimy and overcrowded, If you want a nice beach, I''d go to the OC (Newport, Crystal Cove, Laguna)

Food (make reservations to be safe, 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m. is busiest):
Sushi: We''ve go the best sushi outside of Japan. In your area:
High-end (50 + per person): Matsuhisa
Midpriced (30-50): Sushi Sushi

Celebrity Sighting Restaurants in your area (and good food!):

Urth Caffe on Melrose (brunch/lunch/coffee) (20+)
Pizzeria Mozza (dinner) (20+)
Osteria Mozza (dinner) (50+)
The Ivy (brunch/lunch) (50+)
Koi (dinner) (50+)
Cut (dinner)(50+)

Bar scenes (to avoid hassle you''ll want to go at 10 or eat dinner there, people arrive/the line stops moving by 11-11:30):

Bar Marmont
Social
Les Deux

Shopping:

Melrose: Lots of boutiques, Fred Segal!
Beverly Center: Popular High-end Chain Stores (Bloomingdales too!)
Robertson: Less well-known high-end brands, flagships, (saks, Neimans, etc. in this area)
Rodeo Dr: ''nough said

Misc:

Museums:
Near: LACMA (i''d go only if the special/travelling exhibit is cool, or not a lot of museums where you are)
Further: The Getty (the art isn''t the best, but the architecture!!! the views!! & it''s free)

Hollywood Bowl: is an awesome place to see a concert, it''s outdoors, you can bring wine/groceries in and have a picnic.

The Arclight: A really nice theater to enjoy movies, both big blockbusters, and small indie things. They have a bar etc.

 

[KCCutie]

It''s been a while since I lived in LA but here are my suggestions:

I know you said you aren''t museum people but the Getty center is really very nice and it has an awesome view of the city so it''s fun to walk through the gardens even if you don''t want to see all the art.

If either or both of you are movie or TV buffs there are some pretty fun studio tours and if you go to Hollywood a million people will ask you to come to a taping of a show...can be fun but be picky don''t just got to any show. If it sounds weird it probably is.

Food-

I love Miccelli''s(that''s probably spelled way off) for good Italian there''s one just of Hollywood Blvd that has this nice dark atmosphere and the servers sing Italian art songs and such. To me it''s right out of an old mob movie.

There''s a fun Tapas place down in Orange on the citywalk...something Tango...Oh darn....someone local help me out here. They have live music, dancing and Tapas.

I also love Killer Shrimp in North Hollywood. If you like spicy food and shrimp you can''t go wrong it''s really yummie.

HTH

 

[peridot83]

Just wanted to add as others said: Santa Barbara (wineries, hiking, less crowded beaches), San Diego, Carmel/Monterey. Are beach towns things are relaxed, laid back and beautiful

Note: Santa Barabara is only a 2 hr drive up 101 from LAX (depending on traffic)

Los Angeles is a city, in the way NY or Chicago is. What's cool about it are the restaurants, night life, shopping, museums etc. The diversity of people, foods, & fashion make it more unique then some cities...but it's not going to give you the beachy/ca vibe (besides the ever-present blondes and flip flops)

 

[musey]

Oh I just thought of a fun restaurant... Cobras and Matadors (on Beverly Blvd north of The Grove) is a YUMMMMMMY tapas place, if you like that kind of food. I am kind of a picky eater and eat very plain things most of the time, but the night we went to C&M I decided to be brave and try everything our group ordered--and it was all DELICIOUS! Especially the bacon-wrapped dates and the sweet potato fries.

 

[sunnygirl]

Oooh yummy! I love Cobras and Matadors! Another restaurant to consider is Pane e Vino on Beverly Blvd. It has a really cute and romantic outdoor patio...

 

[musey]

Date: 5/15/2008 7:33:04 PM
Author: sunnygirl
Oooh yummy! I love Cobras and Matadors! Another restaurant to consider is Pane e Vino on Beverly Blvd. It has a really cute and romantic outdoor patio...

Oh yes!! This one is good too! I saw Jennifer Tilly once there, soon after I moved to the city. I was quite starstruck even by the ''little guys'' back then

While we''re doing restaurants, I actually really love Saddle Ranch. I know it''s cliche and overdone, but whenever we go on off-nights they really take care of us. I can''t remember a time when they didn''t comp us a dessert or drink! And of course, it''s lots of fun for tourists, being a Sunset spot.

I''ll have to think some more. Peridot already mentioned my healthy fare fave, Urth Caffe, and I mentioned The Newsroom (which I''m fully obsessed with) earlier. There are just so many, though...

 

[CJ2008]

I don''t have time to respond to you guys like I want to, and like your so-thoughtful posts deserve, but in the meantime, just wanted to say

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU!

You guys are awesome!

P.S.: Before moving to Florida about a year and a half ago, FI and I lived in Long Island, NY, about 40 minutes away from New York City. Just thought you''d want to know that...we love the whole restaurant/bar thing...(even though we could "hang" a lot better when we were younger! haha)

 

[diamondfan]

Driving in LA is not AWFUL. But pretty trafficky.

The Sofitel is near B Center, Melrose, Beverly Hills and Robertson.

Farther from Santa Monica and Brentwood and Montana Ave, but certainly doable in a car.

Both the Ivy and the Ivy at the Shore have great food and great people watching.

To LA from Vegas is about 5 hours...

 

[sweetlime]

Sofitel is a great hotel - the lounge there is really nice. My favorite restaurants near Sofitel are: Izakaya by Katsuya (order from the specials board, not the menu), A.O.C. (french tapas), Tasca (wine bar), Cobras & Matadors, Gyu-kaku, Lawry''s, Versailles. For breakfast/brunch, I''d recommend Toast (great for people watching) or the Griddle Cafe in W. Hollywood. There is so much to do around that area - visit Hollywood, Sunset strip, Melrose Ave, Robertson Blvd., the Grove. Have a great time!

 

[TravelingGal]

I''m a South Bay gal, so I''d vote for at least some time in either Manhattan or Hermosa Beach.

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 5/15/2008 1:41:27 PM
Author: musey

You''ll be right by us! It''s a very fun neighborhood. Awesome! I''m so excited now! I am so tempted to say "let''s meet for a cup of coffee!"

- Will we be in a good location, with access to a lot of good/fun stuff? Any thing we should definitely check out near there?

Like sunny said, you''re right by lots of shopping, for sure! Robertson Blvd. is one of my faves, you should eat at The Newsroom (not the Ivy!) and stop in some of the boutiques (if you like to shop). Neil Lane (plus a bunch of other estate jewelry shops w/in the same building) is also very close, walking distance, even.

You know, I used to LOVE to shop and go on 10-hour shopping marathons. I still like it, but I have to be in the mood - I get tired of trying things on. That said, I would definitely go check out all those shops, even if just to window-shop.

You know I have to ask...why not the Ivy? Bad food or bad something else?

- Are we better off not driving while in L.A.? (is the traffic really that bad?)

Well, it sort of depends where you''re coming from. If you''re from a SMALL town, the traffic will be a shock. My parents still tear out their hair a bit while visiting, but they are from a town where five cars at a red light equals rush hour.

It doesn''t really bother me at all. I use the traffic feature on googlemaps to check stuff before I leave, and plan routes accordingly.

Moved to FL from NY near NYC - so traffic won''t surprise us.

If you''re only here for 3 days, I''d say skip the rental. You''ll have enough within walking or short cab distance to keep yourselves busy for that amount of time. Longer than that though, unless you''re REALLY into shopping, you might appreciate exploring a little further than your feet will allow

Yeah, I''m SURE we''ll want to venture out beyond L.A., just for fun and trying to squeeze in as much as we can during our first trip to California. Reminds me of that salsa song "Me voy pa'' Cali" (I''m going to Cali) it''s supposed to be referring to Cali Colombia but of course FI and I go around singing it and mean California. hehe

- How long can we expect for the drive to take from L.A. to Vegas? (we would be leaving on a Sunday, very early in the morning). Any advice on this, things to avoid, etc.?

Ditto what sunnygirl said. It takes FI and I about 3.5 hours usually, because he drives FAAAAAST (musey=not a big fan). Again, Friday night going there is bad, and Sunday (anytime, even early) coming back is bad.

Yeah, Claudinam not a big fan of FI''s fast or tailgating when we''re in a rush either...
3.5 hours isn''t bad at all...even if it takes us double, we''ll make it with plenty of time to do all the things we''re going to do that night in Vegas.

ETA: I just did a search on the forums and saw that many have less-than-great opinions about L.A. Even though our hotel is booked, we are still in time to cancel. I do not want to say in L.A. if it isn''t nice! We decided to go over there for no particular reason...neither of us has ever been to California, and since we''re landing in L.A. we figured we''d stay in L.A. But I am TOTALLY open to other suggestions! I want to stay/be somewhere nice!

Here''s my take. When I visited the first couple of times, I thought it was cool but NO way a place I''d want to live.

After I moved here, I slowly began to LOVE it more and more. I love this city. The thing is--you REALLY have to be choosey about where you spend your time or no--you won''t like it. If the Hollywood walk of Fame, Downtown LA and Miracle Mile are your only destinations... no, you won''t like it all that much (probably, IMO). I think it''s a resident''s city as opposed to a tourist''s city, because you have to find what stuff will truly be enjoyable for you, and if you don''t have insider info/help, that takes awhile--longer than a 3-day trip.

I''ve got the coolest insider info. there is!

And coming from NYC, I totally get what you''re saying. We''ll probably hit those places you mention just because, but I think in our minds we''re thinking we''ll spend our time like we would in NYC, walking around, hitting cool restaurants, mixed in with a few mini-road trips.

That said, if you''re looking for a ''beach town'' type of trip, LA is not ideal. I''d recommend San Diego for that. Unless you spend most/all of your time in the south bay area--Manhattan Beach is the best blend of closeness to the airport and niceness, I think.

No, not looking for a beach town thing at all. We''ll hit a few beaches, just to see what they''re all about. I think someone else also said Manhattan Beach is pretty nice. These are such good things to know because if we have time to visit only one beach...that''s the insider info. that makes the difference!

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 5/15/2008 1:45:49 PM
Author: musey

Date: 5/15/2008 12:59:36 PM
Author: claudinam

I was thinking of surprising my FI with a trip to a baseball stadium - either for a real game or to see a team practice. Is the Dodgers stadium near where we''ll be, and do the Dodgers practice there all the time? (warning: I know ZERO about sports so if that question was retarded, that''s why).

I googlemapped it and the driving time is supposed to be 22 minutes. Probably more likely 40 since you won''t know your way that easily, as a visitor.

Cool! I looked on there to buy tickets, but I keep going back and forth thinking "a baseball game is so long, is that how we want to spend one of our days/nights?" He might not even want to do that...maybe I''ll just ask him instead of trying to surprise him.

I love LA.com, Ideal Bite and Citysearch for attraction/restaurant recs. A lot of times, too, I''ll just use the ''search nearby'' tool on googlemaps (can you tell I love googlemaps?) to find stuff, too.

Good to know.

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 5/15/2008 2:05:15 PM
Author: sunnygirl
I just checked the Dodgers schedule and they have home games from June 2-8 and 20-29 so that is definitely a possibility (if you rent a car) - the stadium is close to downtown LA.

Thank you! Yes, after I read your post I went to their site. I''m getting a little selfish now and thinking it might not be the best way to spend time over there...but I''ll ask FI instead of surprising him, if he wants to do it we will. It will help me get excited if I see he''s excited about it.

I agree with Musey - I think LA would be a hard place to visit as a tourist. But if you plan things well, you can see and do a lot!

If I were visiting and didn''t have a friend who could drive me around, I would rent a car. I know three days isnt very long but you really can''t do much in LA without a car.

Yeah - like I was telling Musey, I''m sure that even if we LOVE L.A. itself (which I have a feeling we will) we''ll want to venture out, too.

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 5/15/2008 4:03:44 PM
Author: peridot83

Sorry for the long post!

What?! Thank you for all the info.!

It''s hard to be a tourist in Los Angeles; sights aren''t near each other, there''s traffic for large amounts of the day, the city itself is ugly....but I''ve lived here for 7 yrs and love it! So I guess some tips:

TRAFFIC:

Traffic means street 15 mins per mile, and 8-20 mins per mile on the freeway. Despite times below, sometimes you''ll just hit traffic, randomly at 11 pm, on a Thursday..

During the weekdays: Traffic from 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m,
Traffic starts up again 3:00 pm - 7:30 p.m.

Sounds like NY!

Weekends: Saturday & Sunday morning are BEAUTIFUl times to travel. Saturday traffic 11:00 a.m. - 7 p.m. (but less packed).

Should you have a car?:

YES. As long as you aren''t a nervous driver. Why? It gets HOT here, over 90 degrees, no-one else is walking on the sidewalk, bus time waits are long, cabs aren''t readily available

THINGS TO DO (ask your conceirge for addresses/directions):


Beaches: Santa Monica & Venice are grimy and overcrowded, If you want a nice beach, I''d go to the OC (Newport, Crystal Cove, Laguna)

We''d go to the beaches only to check them out, not to "go" to the beach...I had a feeling Venice beach was not a "nice" beach, but didn''t know about Santa Monica.

Food (make reservations to be safe, 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m. is busiest):
Sushi: We''ve go the best sushi outside of Japan. In your area:
High-end (50 + per person): Matsuhisa
Midpriced (30-50): Sushi Sushi

Good to know where there is good sushi! I''ll have to convince FI

(hopefully they have other things on the menu for him?)

Celebrity Sighting Restaurants in your area (and good food!):

Urth Caffe on Melrose (brunch/lunch/coffee) (20+)
Pizzeria Mozza (dinner) (20+)
Osteria Mozza (dinner) (50+)
The Ivy (brunch/lunch) (50+)
Koi (dinner) (50+)
Cut (dinner)(50+)

I had actually found Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza on my own too. I think we''ll definitely have to check either one of those out.

Bar scenes (to avoid hassle you''ll want to go at 10 or eat dinner there, people arrive/the line stops moving by 11-11:30):

Bar Marmont
Social
Les Deux

Cool! Good to know (I''m so NOT into waiting in lines any more! haha)

Shopping:

Melrose: Lots of boutiques, Fred Segal!
Beverly Center: Popular High-end Chain Stores (Bloomingdales too!) I like Bloomie''s.
Robertson: Less well-known high-end brands, flagships, (saks, Neimans, etc. in this area)
Rodeo Dr: ''nough said

Misc:

Museums:
Near: LACMA (i''d go only if the special/travelling exhibit is cool, or not a lot of museums where you are)
Further: The Getty (the art isn''t the best, but the architecture!!! the views!! & it''s free)

I''ve seen The Getty mentioned quite a few times. We''ll have to keep it in mind, especially if it''s free. I go through museums pretty quick. ahah But it sounds this one''s more about the actual place itself, so that would be right up our alley.

Hollywood Bowl: is an awesome place to see a concert, it''s outdoors, you can bring wine/groceries in and have a picnic.

The Arclight: A really nice theater to enjoy movies, both big blockbusters, and small indie things. They have a bar etc.

I''m sure we''ll end up at the movies one night. Like I told you guys, I can''t hang like I used to!

 

[CJ2008]

OK girls - I''ll have to continue responding later!

In the meantime, as I''ve already said, thank you! I''m so excited about our trip now!

 

[noelwr]

hi claudinam. I''m excited for you! and for my fiance and myself. we are also going to LA/Vegas (but not on our honeymoon). we went last year and we loved it so much we''re going again this year.

we rented a car (you have to be able to get around) and we did the following things. mind you, we did LA for 2 weeks and Vegas for 1 week.

Dodgers Game
Live Audience for Two and a Half Men
Universal Studios
Hollywood Homes Tour (where famous people live) - saw Peter Falk in his driveway
Hollywood & Beverly Hills Tour (history, theatres, etc)
Sony Studios Tour (saw Will Smith)
Dolphin/whale boat tour out of Long Beach
Fashion Mall, Newport Beach
Muscle Beach, Venice Beach
Walked from Venice Beach to Santa Monica
Seaworld San Diego

We loved Orange County and driving along the Pacific Highway (south of LA).

We had dinner one night at Ketchup on Sunset Boulevard. I think it might be owned by Kevin Smith. My fiancee wants to go have dinner on this road again - which is saying a lot because he doesn''t usually like upscale restaurants! I think he just wants to do more celebrity spotting.

This year we''ll stay in Costa Mesa, closer to Newport Beach. If we were millionares we''d move to Newport. We''ll try to catch another filming of a tv show this time around and have bought tickets to a Jeff Dunham show.

Enjoy your mini-moon.

 

[monarch64]

Great tips you''ve received...but the best honeymoon sex we had was after a helicopter ride! Isn''t that what Vegas is all about for newleyweds...sex and food? ROFL. seriously, take a tour of the GC and go back to your hotel room straight after, you will have the best S of your life and then collapse in happiness!

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 5/19/2008 4:46:25 AM
Author: monarch64
Great tips you''ve received...but the best honeymoon sex we had was after a helicopter ride! Isn''t that what Vegas is all about for newleyweds...sex and food? ROFL. seriously, take a tour of the GC and go back to your hotel room straight after, you will have the best S of your life and then collapse in happiness!

From your post to God''s ears! hahahaha

Guys, thank you so much for all the excellent advice - like I said earlier, I feel like we have some definite places to go to that we can be excited about. I probably won''t get to answer each post individually, but know that I appreciate every suggestion (I know nobody expects that anyone answer every post, but when I start a thread I feel so responsible!).

I do have one more question for you L.A. experts. We''re staying at the Sofitel during the first "leg" of the trip - before Vegas. But I still don''t have a hotel from when we get back from Vegas (Tuesday and Wednesday, checking out Thursday). I''d love to stay at the Sofitel again but it''s now more expensive than what I originally paid, and if we can avoid the expense, it would be better. Any suggestions for something huh...cheaper haha that you know is well kept and clean?

 

[CJ2008]

bump

 

[musey]

Date: 5/20/2008 11:06:38 AM
Author: claudinam

I do have one more question for you L.A. experts. We're staying at the Sofitel during the first 'leg' of the trip - before Vegas. But I still don't have a hotel from when we get back from Vegas (Tuesday and Wednesday, checking out Thursday). I'd love to stay at the Sofitel again but it's now more expensive than what I originally paid, and if we can avoid the expense, it would be better. Any suggestions for something huh...cheaper haha that you know is well kept and clean?

Are you wanting to stay in the same area? Or somewhere different?? If you're only there for two days and then flying out (?) on the third, maybe you'd wanna stay in the Manhattan Beach area, which is so lovely, and would keep you close and convenient to the airport.

I can't really help with hotels from experience, I never really hotel-d in LA except for right next to USC during my application/audition process--and you do NOT want to stay there! I do know that the 'swanky' hotels in the Hollywood area are priced more reasonably than the 'swanky' hotels in the Beverly Hills area, if you're interested in changing it up.

Probably the best most residents could do is look around for you on tripadvisor, and you'd be better off doing that yourself, since you know what you want better than we do. You could start a new thread (probably in Hangout) about traveling to LA, then people who've visited (as opposed to lived) here can help more!!

 

[LAJennifer]

If you want to stay in the same general area - you might try the Beverly Laurel Motor Inn. I've never been in the rooms, but I've been to the diner a lot - Swingers. Here are some reviews from tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32655-d82578-r8664578-Beverly_Laurel_Motor_Hotel-Los_Angeles_California.html

ETA - ok, so maybe not the Beverly Laurel according to some of those reviews.

There is a Best Western on Sunset - you can walk to a lot of fun stuff (I've had friends stay there - they liked it):

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g33252-d81649-Reviews-Best_Western_Sunset_Plaza_Hotel-West_Hollywood_California.html

 

[LAJennifer]

When I have out-of-towners, one of my favorite things to do is the drive on Sunset Blvd from Hollywood all the way to the ocean, with a few stops along the way:

Greystone Mansion (free): http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g33252-d81649-Reviews-Best_Western_Sunset_Plaza_Hotel-West_Hollywood_California.html

Lake Shrine (free): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Realization_Fellowship_Lake_Shrine

lunch or dinner at Duke''s Malibu: http://www.dukesmalibu.com/

 

[musey]

Date: 5/21/2008 1:27:21 PM
Author: LAJennifer
When I have out-of-towners, one of my favorite things to do is the drive on Sunset Blvd from Hollywood all the way to the ocean, with a few stops along the way:

Greystone Mansion (free): http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g33252-d81649-Reviews

Lake Shrine (free): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Realization_Fellowship_Lake_Shrine

lunch or dinner at Duke's Malibu: http://www.dukesmalibu.com/

Good call, Jennifer!! That sounds like a really fun drive--you get a pretty good sampling of LA's different 'personalities' just on that one road.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 5/21/2008 1:42:18 PM
Author: musey

Date: 5/21/2008 1:27:21 PM
Author: LAJennifer
When I have out-of-towners, one of my favorite things to do is the drive on Sunset Blvd from Hollywood all the way to the ocean, with a few stops along the way:

Greystone Mansion (free): http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g33252-d81649-Reviews

Lake Shrine (free): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Realization_Fellowship_Lake_Shrine

lunch or dinner at Duke''s Malibu: http://www.dukesmalibu.com/

Good call, Jennifer!! That sounds like a really fun drive--you get a pretty good sampling of LA''s different ''personalities'' just on that one road.

Thanks, Musey. Sometimes I take that drive by myself - whenever I need to remind myself why I live here.