LA & SAN Diego?

[dave]

In the event the holiday is cancelled (due to go 9th August) and rioting stopped
Anyone stayed at the Millenium Biltmore in LA, rather than me driving everywhere, anything nearby to walk to worth seeing, recommendations on places to eat?
Also if zoo not open anything else to see in San Diego you would recommend?
Thanks

[Olympiad]

I've been in the Biltmore but not stayed there (it's used for a lot of TV and movie sets so had a quick look).
It's bang in the middle of downtown LA which brings with it pluses and minuses.

On the plus side it's really central and there is plenty you can do and walk to in the vicinity (e.g. Pershing Square, City Hall observation tower, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Skyspace, Angels Flight, Olivera Street etc as well as a fair selection of good restaurants and shops including the unmissable Grand Central Market (for food)). You can also easily get to some of the nearby districts such as the Arts district, Japan town etc. There's also access to the metro which can easily get you north to Hollywood and Universal or west out as far as Santa Monica. Certainly if you didn't have a car I'd say it would be an ideal place to base yourself for LA.

On the negative, having a car there would be expensive for parking as well as a pain, basically going into and out of the city centre all the time - however relatively speaking August is not as bad and the very city centre often doesn't get as snarled up as the surrounding freeway network. Also being in the central business district the area is a bit quiet in the evenings.

A lot of people who visit LA tick off Hollywood and Santa Monica and think they've 'done' LA - staying central and seeing more of what the city has to offer is a good idea.

[dave]

Originally Posted by Olympiad

I've been in the Biltmore but not stayed there (it's used for a lot of TV and movie sets so had a quick look).
It's bang in the middle of downtown LA which brings with it pluses and minuses.

On the plus side it's really central and there is plenty you can do and walk to in the vicinity (e.g. Pershing Square, City Hall observation tower, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Skyspace, Angels Flight, Olivera Street etc as well as a fair selection of good restaurants and shops including the unmissable Grand Central Market (for food)). You can also easily get to some of the nearby districts such as the Arts district, Japan town etc. There's also access to the metro which can easily get you north to Hollywood and Universal or west out as far as Santa Monica. Certainly if you didn't have a car I'd say it would be an ideal place to base yourself for LA.

On the negative, having a car there would be expensive for parking as well as a pain, basically going into and out of the city centre all the time - however relatively speaking August is not as bad and the very city centre often doesn't get as snarled up as the surrounding freeway network. Also being in the central business district the area is a bit quiet in the evenings.

A lot of people who visit LA tick off Hollywood and Santa Monica and think they've 'done' LA - staying central and seeing more of what the city has to offer is a good idea.

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Thanks for the reply. I did see parking was $50 a night but the other one we was looking at near a freeway and suffered from noise during night plus $35 a night parking.
We’re only in LA for 3 nights and saw it for what I thought was a great price. Just thought more central in case some things aren’t open due to covid. That’s if we still get to go

[Olympiad]

Yep I've noticed you can get some really good deals on the Biltmore and other downtown hotels - almost booked a week there last October.

Not sure what the exact Covid situation is in LA but if business stays closed/people work from home it might actually be that the downtown is quiter with more things closed but who knows. I'd bank on most of the beachside areas (Redondo, Manhattan, Santa Monica etc) being pretty much up and running so they're worth a look as well.

Fingers crossed you get to go, I have a trip booked for 12th August (to Japan rather than US) but that's looking less likely.

[cornishfrogboy]

I have not stayed at the Bitmore, but can offer the following on San Diego. During our 5 days, we...
1. Went Horse riding including in to the sea at the US / Mexico Border.
2. Walked the area around the Tijuana Border, seeing plenty of birds including Ospreys.
3 Visited the awesome USS Midway.
4 Had lunch at the Kansas City Bar and grill (The Top Gun Bar).
5. Visited pretty Seaport.
6. Did harbour cruises to both North and South. (Fascinating).
7. Seaworld
8. Natural History Museum. (Balboa Park)
9. Airspace museum (BalboaPark)
10 visited the English Tea House (Balboa Park)
11 Visited the old fashioned amusement park at Mission Beach (Belmont Park).

We missed
Coronado Beach.
Flying leathernecks museum.

In addition and on the route N to LA you encounter..
Scripps Aquarium at La Jolla.
Legoland at Carlsbad
Oceanside (location of Kelly McGillis house in Top Gun.

For all of the above, see the link to my trip report in my signature.

[dave]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I have not stayed at the Bitmore, but can offer the following on San Diego. During our 5 days, we...
1. Went Horse riding including in to the sea at the US / Mexico Border.
2. Walked the area around the Tijuana Border, seeing plenty of birds including Ospreys.
3 Visited the awesome USS Midway.
4 Had lunch at the Kansas City Bar and grill (The Top Gun Bar).
5. Visited pretty Seaport.
6. Did harbour cruises to both North and South. (Fascinating).
7. Seaworld
8. Natural History Museum. (Balboa Park)
9. Airspace museum (BalboaPark)
10 visited the English Tea House (Balboa Park)
11 Visited the old fashioned amusement park at Mission Beach (Belmont Park).

We missed
Coronado Beach.
Flying leathernecks museum.

In addition and on the route N to LA you encounter..
Scripps Aquarium at La Jolla.
Legoland at Carlsbad
Oceanside (location of Kelly McGillis house in Top Gun.

For all of the above, see the link to my trip report in my signature.

See more...

Thanks for all those tips on SD, will take a look at them and your trip report. Cheers

[Aims]

Hi Dave I hope you are able to make your trip out to the west coast as planned. I have a sticky thread posted at the top of this forum with a guide to what there is to do in San Diego. As of this moment, there isn't any official reopening date yet for the San Diego Zoo- they were hoping and trying for June but the county health officials denied that, so I hear they are hoping for a July date now. I have heard that Sea World is planning for reopening on July 1st. Hopefully you will find most things open by August though. Museums have been given the ok from our governor to open by June 12th, but they will only do so as they meet the requirements set up by county officials for social distancing.


June 8th: edited to add that it was announced this morning that the Zoo and the San Diego Safari Park have been given the ok to open in June, as long as they meet a long list of requirements and they will have to be approved first by the county health department.

[dave]

Originally Posted by Aims

Hi Dave I hope you are able to make your trip out to the west coast as planned. I have a sticky thread posted at the top of this forum with a guide to what there is to do in San Diego. As of this moment, there isn't any official reopening date yet for the San Diego Zoo- they were hoping and trying for June but the county health officials denied that, so I hear they are hoping for a July date now. I have heard that Sea World is planning for reopening on July 1st. Hopefully you will find most things open by August though. Museums have been given the ok from our governor to open by June 12th, but they will only do so as they meet the requirements set up by county officials for social distancing.


June 8th: edited to add that it was announced this morning that the Zoo and the San Diego Safari Park have been given the ok to open in June, as long as they meet a long list of requirements and they will have to be approved first by the county health department.

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That’s great. Will take a look.
Good news on the zoo now. Hopefully if all goes to plan August should be fine.
Can’t believe it’s like here, opening up indoor places but zoos in the outdoors still being shut🤔 nonsense imo 🙄

[Aims]

Originally Posted by dave

Can’t believe it’s like here, opening up indoor places but zoos in the outdoors still being shut🤔 nonsense imo 🙄

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I agree! Over here, they have been stressing how people should be outside more (with social distancing, of course)...encouraging our newly reopening restaurants to use outdoor spaces as much as possible...yet, the zoos have to wait longer than the restaurants and gyms to open again. I've got my fingers crossed everything will be up and running before August- it's looking good, so far. Now, we just have to hope they start allowing international visitors to arrive by then, too...

[dave]

Originally Posted by Aims

I agree! Over here, they have been stressing how people should be outside more (with social distancing, of course)...encouraging our newly reopening restaurants to use outdoor spaces as much as possible...yet, the zoos have to wait longer than the restaurants and gyms to open again. I've got my fingers crossed everything will be up and running before August- it's looking good, so far. Now, we just have to hope they start allowing international visitors to arrive by then, too...

See more...

Madness isn’t it🙄 We have safari parks where family’s drive round it in there own cars, obviously they don’t get out yet they still can’t open😳

We could have cancelled our trip but decided still to go if we can. Just have to hope rioting stops, get FCO to drop travel restrictions, US allow us in (without out self quarantine) and VA to be still trading, not much really😂