Looking for shit to do in LA/SF
by Faux on Apr 12, 2008 9:05 PM PDT
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PrintI know there is probably something about this somewhere in the archives, but I can't find it/there was never one for LAAAA.
My GF and I are coming from NJ, to LA and San Fran, to get LA out of the way for our ballpark tour, and visit SF.
Our itinerary:
SAT - Flight in
SUN - Ms @ LAAAA, ?????
MON - ?????
TUE - LAA park tour, ?????
WED - LAD park tour, AZ @ LAD
--------------------->Drive to Oak/SF
THUR - MIN @ OAK, ?????
FRI - SF park tour, CIN @ SF
SAT - Alcatraz, ?????
SUN - Flight out
I'm looking to fill in the ?????s. Any suggestions from the Cali people? Also, Erika is looking to get a good picture of the HOLLYWOOD and a nice sunset picture.
PS - We have two tickets for the A's, that she bought for the Wed we are going to LAD. I am willing to give them up for less than cost. Row 5, Sec 108, Aisle.
They cost us 85 total, but I'll take whatever I can get.
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To make this more interesting.
I saw something odd when I went to the circus.
Apparently, our man Silva has a brother.
He also has another
'Giant Silva' is a side reference to... Giant Silva, a 7'5" pro wrestler and MMA fighter who is pretty bad at both.
Magic Mountain if you're into roller coasters
and Disneyland is always a good place to go as a couple just for a day. Give me an hour and I'll come up with some better suggestions.
Alcatrez is really cool
For someone that's spent a lot of time in SF I'm surprised I can't come up with anything else.
Bradtastic!!
DISREGARD!!!!
I'm sick and slightly out of it. For some reason I read and typed LAD, but thought you meant LAA. Doger's Stadium is sweet, enjoy.
by SethGrandpa on Apr 12, 2008 11:15 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm actually going to both.
I want to get in as many park tours as I can, and all but OAK were available. I'm looking forward to seeing all the rats.
Funny thing, the LAA park tour is $3, compared to 10 and 15 for the others.
San Francisco?
Head down to the M5 labs and say hi to Adam Savage and Jamey Hyneman.
And try to get compromising photos of Kari Byron.
Yes, yes it was.
I have no regrets over the contents of the post in question.
Also, Kari Byron is really, really hot.
To the point that my girlfriend doesn't like me to watch Mythbusters anymore.
God, I should die.
Support local music.
by Aaron Campeau on Apr 13, 2008 1:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Wow, you weren't kidding.
I wish I could fit that in, but the GF would catch on, being how I never watch TV.
I like the Getty a lot
If you're into art and good views of LA sprawl.
How are you driving to Oakland? Hopefully up the coast. It's a lot slower (wake up early), but it's also about a billion times more fun. Perilous coastal cliff curves > straight arrow highway.
by iheartjavelinas on Apr 12, 2008 11:52 PM PDT reply actions
Getty is nice, but I doubt you can kill a whole day there
It is free though, so that's always a bonus.
by seattlebruin on Apr 13, 2008 12:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmm.
Is this Getty the Getty Center, i.e. getty.edu? Sounds like something not so much our style, but might be fun to go to for half a day or so.
Since I can't find anything decent online about LA, maybe some more detail on my part will stir some suggestions? (Not necessarily directed at either of you.)
Where's some places to get a good sunset picture, or spend a day looking at stuff? Any minor league teams worth seeing, or gardens and trails and such?
There's a minor league team in Anaheim
but it looks like you already have that covered.
Ummmmm sunset wise... there's Third Street in Santa Monica (you're going to see a developing trend here of me recommending things near UCLA btw), which is a great little outdoor shopping mall (more of a visit for fun than real shopping place), and is right on the water, so the sun is setting right in front of you over the ocean. You could definitely kill a day there too.
Don't go to the southern (Venice/Imperial) beaches unless you like sunsets with 737s flying right over your head.
Rodeo Drive is kinda fun the first time, pretty meh after that.
I'd definitely recommend the Getty Center even if you aren't into art - it's a very interesting place to visit and the views are just spectacular. Plus, like I said above, it's free besides parking.
I'm pretty serious about Six Flags Magic Mountain if you like coasters or Disneyland if you just want to go. Pretty much all the theme parks are nice - California Adventure is pretty fun too, and you can get the park hopper pass (it's like $10 more) that allows you to go to both parks. Disneyland is a blast - SFMM is AMAZING if you like roller coasters.
Can't really toss a recommendation on the Hollywood sign - never tried it. But it is kind of out of the way, unless you're intent on exploring all of Hollywood.
OH - studio tours - I know NBC does one, and I think the WB does too. NBC is in Torrance (about 30 miles south, a reasonable drive in the middle of the day) and WB is in Burbank. I believe (don't quote me on this) they're both free as well.
The more I think about it, if you're just looking to kill a day screwing around and catch a nice sunset and good dinner, Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is the way to go. Plus you can hit the Getty too, since they're about five miles apart.
Hope that helps a little. If you have more specifics, I'd be happy to take some more time off work to think more =).
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions
The Third St thing looks great for Tuesday.
All we have that day is the LAA park tour.
Getty sounds taylor-made for before Third St and after the park tour.
Is there some sort of day trip outside of theme parks that we could take Monday, maybe to somewhere cooler and/or with some wilderness? She would love to go on studio tours, but I really can't stand most TV, so I'm not going to bring that up to her. Are there any good trails or hikeable viewpoints anywhere, or should I just give in and go to disney (or take a bus tour of the star's houses, like the GF wants to do)?
I've never done the bus tours, but I've heard they're not that exciting
and can't really recommend anything outdoorsy... unless you want to go to Catalina Island, but that's a HELL of a day trip, and I can't say I recommend it.
I'd go with Disneyland if you're looking for a compromise - don't know when the last time either of you went, but it's a really fun place to go as a couple.
Also, where are you staying? The drive from Anaheim --> LA is not a fun one at certain times of day, mainly because the 5 narrows to three lanes in LA before expanding back out to 5 in OC.
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm actually not sure where the hotel is in LA.
But I really only plan on visiting LAAAA twice (game on Sunday afternoon, tour on Tuesday midday).
I would venture to guess that the GF got one right in the middle of the two stadiums, because that's how she thinks. It would put us in/around Norwalk, which I'm sure isn't a good area (given her luck). Either that, or she is going to stay close to the airport, maybe Hermosa Beach or Hawthorne or something like that.
I like the idea of SB over disney, is there a particular spot I should look to go to (I really like Third St., after looking at the website) ?
Is there a good area to stay in that we might want to change our hotel to, that would give us easier access to places around? I figured we would end up spending a couple hours in traffic a day no matter what.
PS
We'll have to find each other, if you're going to the Sun M's @ Angels game. I owe you a beer for all this.
You don't want to find me during the game =(
I'm going with rabid Angels fans...
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't judge people by their friends.
Most of mine are Yankee fans. It's a consequence of geography.
It's up to you. You can give a guy a free beer, you can't make him drink it.
Also, I just found out that the GF got a hotel just out of Compton. I could really use some help finding a better place. (Her excuse, BTW: All the other ones were expensive. I told her that some things are worth paying for.)
Hahaha
I'll sneak away from my friend during a Batista break. I never say no to a free beer!
Plus I haven't gotten to meet any LLers yet, seeing as how I live in SoCal full time and didn't have transportation until late last year. email me - dkfukushima@gmail.com
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Do. Not. Stay. Near. Compton.
Honestly, it's really unlikely you'd run into trouble (we used to go there every once in a while for Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, etc.) but it's really not worth the risk and for peace of mind, I'd stay somewhere else - I'm working on a reply to your above response with some suggestions =)
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
SB is really more of a random beach town/activity kinda place than anything else
so I don't have too many recommendations there. But the main street into town (State Street) is a pretty neat area, and the whole town is just a really cool beach town. State Street has some decent nightlife too if you're into that and want to stick around late that night. The only downside to SB is that it's kinda far from LA - like 90 minutes if you drive fast. The good news is that there's no traffic (unless there's the always present construction in SoCal, then all bets are off).
Another place you could go is San Juan Capistrano - they have a really neat Spanish Mission there, and it's a really cool place to visit. The only thing is that it's a 90-100 minute drive from LA and I'm not sure you could kill a whole day there. SB is an easy place to kill a day. Last time, we went kayaking and then just walked around the beach.
I'd recommend staying in Santa Monica, Westwood (where UCLA is, yay!) or West Hollywood. West Hollywood also offers decent proximity to Griffith Park, which from what I've heard is a good place to get a pic of the Hollywood sign. Those are also all farther north, closer to Third Street/Getty/and about 20 miles closer to SB. Plus they're all pretty nice areas. I'm sure you can find a decently cheap place somewhere in those areas. Anaheim really isn't that far away, and I wouldn't recommend trying to stay near there. If you can avoid too much awful traffic, it's probably 40-45 minutes from Santa Monica, tops. Last time for NCAAs, we got there in like 35 minutes. I don't know if they offer a tour, but if they do, I'd recommend checking out the Honda Center while you're in Anaheim. They're right next door, and that's a GORGEOUS arena.
Oh and on the subject of food - I'd recommend trying Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. I know it sounds weird and it's not really in a nice area, but that is some killer soul food.
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Wow.
You rule, seriously.
I have all these copied over, and I'm going to rework the LA schedule and get a new hotel (guess what, downtown Compton after all, ugh).
I have to get going now, Dr's appt and then softball. But I'll drop my email addy off with you later tonight, and get in touch before the game Sunday.
On a last note for now, I actually visited a whole bunch of chix and waffles restaurants while I did my traveling in the south. I don't regret any of it (especially the biscuits, gravy and fried chicken).
Thanks again for your help, and I'll be in touch.
Cya.
Oh, duh, I'm retarded
If you want a pretty killer day trip, try Santa Barbara. Really beautiful beaches, lots of outdoorsy stuff to do, good food =).
by seattlebruin on Apr 14, 2008 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
That's the worst part of the trip.
We are going up at night, right after the LAD game, and then the game in OAK is early.
I used to live in OR, and took her on the drive down the southern Oregon coast. It's pretty comparable, so she's not missing too much by it. It would have been great if we could have fit it in.
Are you shitting me?
You're making the ~6 hour drive AFTER a night game? Fuck.
by iheartjavelinas on Apr 13, 2008 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions
There's no way to get around it.
If we want to get all 4 stadiums in that week, that's how it has to go.
Next trip is nice and easy, AZ and SD. Jeff, I'm coming for you. That's probably not until mid-summer, though.
Go to Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills
Incredible views up there, really fun to hike around. Also, make sure you go out to eat as much as possible in SF – expensive, but this city does not fuck around with it's food. Here's a good list of worthy restaurants.
In the City, just try to get to the top of as many hills as possible to check out the view and see as many neighborhoods as possible. It's a fantastic place. Oh, and dress in layers – the sun is quickly obscured by the fog and you'll find yourself in a tee shirt in 50 degree spitting fog.
I would visit Tilden, but it looks out of the way for us. We probably won't have the time for that wedged into the 3 days we have.
That eats list is huge, though. There are quite a few of them within a few blocks of the hotel. I'm stoked that Michael Mina is so close, his restaurant in the MGM is awesome. Are there any good lunch places near ATT Park? We have the tour there until noon, then about 6 hours until the game. We were going to hit lunch in that area, and wander north/west for a bit, have dinner, and go back down to the game.
Speaking of, should we go west to Civic Center Park, or north to Embarcadero Plaza? Or is there somewhere else comparable withing walking distance? I'm just going by a map.
Ok, here is my bay area suggestions
(I'm a grad student at Berkeley and therefore broke so view this as the cheap way to enjoy the bay)
Alcatraz is really cool and really nice if the weather is great (like it was today...75F!).
-Grizzley Peak Blvd @ sunset in the Berkeley hills is pretty amazing.
-Stinson Beach @ sunset (or any other time) is really nice although a little out of the way depending on where you are staying.
-China town is a great place to walk around. Makes you feel like you are a little cultured. Stop in somewhere and get some sort of pastry (bean curd roll is my fav i think).
-North Beach is also a pretty nice area. Pretty good place to find some dinner.
-Walking up to Coit tower is a nice stroll and you get a good view of the city. There are some resident parrots you might see which is pretty cool. Last time I did this we must have seen 40 of them (although hoping for 1 or 2 is more realistic).
-Stay away from Pier 39 and fisherman's wharf. Its just a little too touristy for me. Union square is a nice area of the city but is mostly shopping so I don't know if you really want to open that can of worms.
-San Fransico has some very nice resturants but keep in mind anything you eat will probably be overpriced. The east bay is slightly more reasonable but still will be overpriced.
-Golden Gate Park is also very nice and might have something fun going on.
-Like previously mentioned, the bay has some interesting weather patterns. Make sure to dress so you can be comfortable between 80F and 50F otherwise you'll be sorry.
-I can give a bunch of suggestions for food in Berkeley and a little advice for SF. My favorites in Berkeley are probably Zachary's Pizza (the Rockridge one is better) and Bangkok Thai (I just really like Thai food).
-Oakland also actually has some good stuff but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.
-Oh the SF Zoo is suppose to be good. Just don't fuck with the tigers.
Its too bad you are missing the game on Wedsnday. You are missing $1 hot dogs!
If you want more suggestions just let us know.
Wow, that's a lot of info.
And some things I will work into the schedule, like the Coit Tower, GGP, or maybe the Zoo. I'll let her pick out some of that stuff. Is there anything besides shopping in Union Square? I'm not too concerned about that, she's tighter than even I am, but that's a short walk from our hotel, so if there's something interesting, I'd be willing to hit that as a small side trip in between places.
I don't think I'm going to be making any trips into Berkeley, unfortunately. I think the closest we'll get to there is the A's game. I think we'll be spending most of our time in SF, as that's where our hotel is.
The OAK game on Wed is the $ hot dogs?
Damn, I knew I read something about that when she bought the tickets for that day. If you want those tickets, make me an offer. Like I said above, I have no way of getting to that game, and I'm just looking to not waste the whole 85$ (She bought them from Ticketmaster before we made our schedule). If I get 40-50 in spending cash back, I'll consider it a success.
The only two real questions I have about SF now:
What to stay away from, really. Thanks to your first answer, I have more than enough stuff for two days. She's been scouting the internet, and found a bunch of shit on her own, and quite a bit of it sounds pretty marginal.
Also, is the transit good enough to ditch the car, especially to go to the OAK game? If it's a pain in the ass, we have a rental, but I like to use buses if they're handy.
Thanks for the offer but I'm already going with a group and got the $2 tickets
Truthfully I haven't explored Union Square a bunch. Its a nice area and from what I can tell is mostly a shopping area with a bunch of huge stores.
The transit system is pretty decent. The buses in SF are just ok but its nice not having to worry about parking. The BART (light rail/subway) is amazingly convenient and will take you right to the A's stadium from downtown SF. That would be way better than driving there as long as you don't really plan on doing much in the east bay. I really enjoy just walking around SF.
by Edgar for Pres on Apr 14, 2008 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
2$ tickets?
No wonder I can't sell these things. I might just have to call it a wash.
Thanks for the info, especially about the buses and all the stuff to do.
Yeah I mean I've already got tickets
otherwise I'd take you up on the offer. They do look like some mighty fine seats. Too bad you can't make it up in time.
by Edgar for Pres on Apr 14, 2008 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh if your into music Amoeba records either in hollyood or SF owns.
Isotopes (comic book lounge that serves alcohol) is pretty cool as well, oh its in SF.
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