So-Cal Road Trip Plan

 I visited Southern California back in 2013 and got a decent sampling of the area but really did not do it justice.  It was in January so needless to say, I did not go into the ocean.    Among the places that I saw or drove through were Rosecrans in South Central, Malibu, Simi Valley, Pacific Coast Highway, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Blvd and Sunset Blvd through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.  I did not venture into downtown LA, nor did I see San Diego. 

I’m still in the planning stages here but here’s my early itinerary:

Day 1- Fly to Los Angeles and find my asshole brother (inside joke).  From LAX, the quickest way downtown is probably I-105 to 110.  I figure that on a Saturday, traffic won’t be too awful.  If I get into my downtown hotel early enough, I can do some touring that afternoon.  At the very least, I should see Grand Park.  Dodger Stadium is only 2 miles away and easily accessible.  I heard that my hotel even offers shuttles.  Yes, the team will be home on the day I plan to arrive.  I thought about a rooftop bar with views of the skyline, but it requires reservations and will probably be ridiculously expensive too.  From the top deck, Dodger Stadium offers an impressive view of the skyline so that's what I plan to do.    

Day 2- Need to get an early start because this will be a full day.  I can probably walk to Vista Hermosa for views of the skyline.  MacArthur Park looks pretty cool too, but it may be too far.  The plan is to take 101 to Sunset Blvd through Hollywood and Beverly Hills then go rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun (inside joke).  From there, it will be Wilshire to 405.  I have several beach options just a bit further south but would lean towards Huntington or Laguna Beach in Orange County.  I can expect water temps around 70F so it will be comparable to New England in late summer.  Chilly but tolerable.  From Laguna, it is only about 75 minutes to Torrey Pines, where I can expect an epic sunset.  Another 20 minutes will get me to downtown San Diego. 

After a bit of deliberation, I think the best call for night #2 is a cheap motel off the interstate instead of downtown San Diego. 

Day 3- Change of the initial plan.  The cheap motel is only a few miles due east of Pacific Beach.  This is Labor Day so the beaches will be packed but, I’m an early riser nowadays.  Parking should not be a problem as long as I arrive early enough.  I’ll leave early enough to arrive in Tijuana by early afternoon.  Again, I’ll spend the night in Mexico to save money and avoid a real long line getting back to the USA.

Day 4- Back in America.  I will take a dip at Silver Strand or Coronado Beach in the morning before hitting Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.  The Padres are also home so why not see a 2^nd game?  I’ll spend the night in downtown San Diego near the stadium in the Gaslamp District. 

Day 5- Leave San Diego and go beach hopping on the way back up to LA.  I have a lot of options and will probably sample at least 2 of them.  Options include La Jolla, Blacks Beach, Carlsbad, Huntington, Redondo, Manhattan and Santa Monica.  I’ll probably spend the night near Manhattan because it is so close to LAX.  If my flight to LA is delayed, I may go back to downtown LA.  I will be able to drive through Compton on the way up if I take a short detour.  

Day 6- I’ll probably have time to take one last dip then catch the flight home.