better start planning lol
 

Hi Guys
After our WC adult only trip last year we have decided to take the kids to LA and LV in august .. we are in LA 2/8 - 13/8 and LV 13/8 - 19/8.
I have apartments booked for all but the last 3 nights in LA and could do with some advice what to do ?
in LA we are staying just off Hollywood boulevard but not sure where to book the last 3 LA nights .. last year we stayed in Santa Monica but that was expensive and would like somewhere a we bit cheaper ;)
we are driving LA to LV and don't mind if its a stop between (even slight detour)

so any recommendations guys ?

Lisa x

I like Palm Springs as a stop between. You can explore Joshua Tree, the aerial tram, the town itself is lovely, there’s a big outlets there and accommodation will be cheap is summer. You can get a whole house with pool on Airbnb, it will be hot though but so will Vegas. If you want cooler go to the coast along Orange County or north of Ventura.

Spend a night in death valley as part of the drive to Vegas. Go up past Lancaster and into the park that way so you can visit the ghost town in Darwin

Hi am I correct your doing 11 nights LA. ! San Diego and then Palm Springs perhaps 2/3 nights. Have you done San Fran or coast ,Monterey ,whale watching ,yosemite.

I had misread your dates. So it’s 8 nights LA, 3 days ? and then 6 in Vegas? Imo it’s too long in both LA and Vegas with kids.

What are your plans in LA, are you doing Disney and theme parks? I would do what jdouds suggested and maybe go down to San Diego and across to Palm Springs. In full disclosure I’m biased because Vegas wasn’t for me but with 6 days you could look at doing some day trips. It’s very hot in Vegas for pool time during the day in August. How old are your children?

11 nights is easily filled in LA. It is a very big place though and can take a long time to get places. If you plan to do Disney from a Hollywood base you are looking at 1-2 hours of driving each way each day.

I would look at what you want to do and group them into north and south and split the stay across two locations. This will also help make sure you don't have spare days you could be using for something else.

I'd go with Palm Springs too, or Palm Desert area. There are the hot springs resorts at Desert Hot Springs, and if it's really really hot then you can have a wander along the flatish mountain trails on top of the tramway which being 8000ft up should be a bit cooler. If not then go for the coast, north as far as Santa Cruz if poss, or south down to San Diego.

thanks for the replies guys .. the boys are 16,16 and 12.
me and OH have done San Fran and it was fab but just way expensive to take the kids lol.
I do keep telling OH how hot it's going to be in Vegas and I'm sure he doesn't believe me 🤔
Palm springs sounds good or death valley .. the youngest does get travel sick sometimes and we were planning drive from L.A. to LV.
off to research options 👍
OH really want to go see scenery like trees n stuff as he loved this last trip but me and the boys are more theme parks pools and activity.
we are planning to do universal but give Disney a miss as the boys are a bit sick of Disney and we are planning a big family trip to Orlando next year 😁 x

It will be like standing in an oven! It was so hot the glue holding my book together melted! It was manageable but you do need to plan activities around the heat.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is 30 minutes north of Hollywood and has a theme park with bigger rides and also a water park next door. That may be an option for a day or two.

Are the boys into films like Fast and Furious, there are quite a few filming locations around LA as well.

In Vegas you have some of the Discovery TV shows that you can go to, like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, Counts Kustoms, WelderUp etc and museums like the Shelby museum.

If Death Valley is a bit much, then there is Red Rock Canyon which is 30 minutes outside of Vegas and a 2 hour or so loop, or Valley of Fire which can be done in half a day or so.

If the heat in Vegas gets too much then you could go for a drive up to the lodge at the top of Mount Charleston where it will be a good 10-15 degrees cooler and sit on the veranda for a meal.

So much more to do than the strip in Vegas.