by Amanda T.

When planning a vacation, it is of utmost importance to figure out where you will be staying, so that you can schedule your activities accordingly. You do not want to lose valuable vacation time driving hours from a remote hotel location to vacation hot spots. It would be wiser to look into what attractions you want to see on your vacation, and then find a place to stay within that vicinity. This is especially important in California due to its immense size not only of the state itself but of its traffic jams too.

Lifeguard tower in Venice Beach, L.A.

Before choosing where you will be staying, you must first choose the type of housing you will need. If you are vacationing in Southern California, then a beach house rental would likely be the best option. San Diego vacation rentals are mostly inexpensive and provide a SoCal atmosphere that cannot be attained in a hotel. Imagine spending a week or two right on the beach. You can spend all day swimming and sunbathing, and then walk just a few feet to retire for the night and repeat it all over again the next day. Many Californians do not even get to experience such a luxury.

Now that housing type has been covered, let’s return to location. You want to find a vacation rental that is located near or in the center of all the vacation spots you would like to see during your visit. Mission Beach (top photo) is a great central location to plan your vacation around. It boasts two major tourist attractions, Sea World and the Mission Bay Boardwalk, in addition to plentiful beaches. The Boardwalk is suitable for families as well as single adults. The historic Belmont Park amusement park is sure to entertain children and young adults, while parents and adults can check out the various bars, such as the Wavehouse and the Coaster. Nearby Pacific Beach is also noted for its bars, clubs, and nightlife in general.

The Legoland entrance. Photo courtesy california.legoland.com.

Carlsbad is another good starting point for a Southern California vacation. It is home to Legoland (the only US location) and the new Sea Life Aquarium, as well as a myriad of beaches and lagoons. Located in North San Diego County, Carlsbad is well-situated for those who would also like to explore Orange County and Los Angeles during their Southern California vacation. If you do plan to see Orange County in addition to San Diego, make sure to leave between the rush hour periods. SoCal freeways get clogged up during rush hour, so not heeding this warning could result in lost vacation time.

For more travel tips check out the Travelated Newsletter.

Amanda is a writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA. She loves to boast about the beauty of her hometown and often recommends to family and friends who are staying at San Diego vacation rentals to hit up all the trendy beach hangouts like Mission Beach, La Jolla and Pacific Beach.

by Emily C. Sims

I set out for Los Angeles with two things on my mind: Ikea and Landon Donovan. I love them both, and in one glorious, quick trip to the city of angels, they would both be mine.

My boyfriend, Alex, and I left Las Vegas for the drive to L.A. one Friday at about noon. The drive supposedly took less than four hours, but we rolled into the parking lot of our hotel, the Doubletree in Carson, at about 4:30. We knew nothing of the horror that is the Los Angeles freeway, and our drive took longer than expected.

After receiving the Doubletree’s ‘warm welcome,’ a hot oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie, we headed up to our room to change for dinner. The plan was to meet our old high school friend Jason  and his fiancée at a Japanese restaurant called Musha before going to the L.A. Galaxy v. New York Red Bulls game at the Home Depot Center.

Dinner was an adventure. It was a Japanese tapas style restaurant, which I’d never seen before. We ordered small plates of sushi, noodles, shrimp, and beef. The beef was truly an experience—Jason ordered it, and he had to cook it. The waiter delivered a pot of hot coals with a small grill grate on top of it. Along with the hot coals, he was given half a dozen medallion-sized pieces of raw meat and a miniscule pair of tongs.

Jason cooks his meal over hot coals.

We left dinner later than intended, and fought our way up Avalon to the Home Depot Center. We would have made it to the game on time, but thanks to a screw up at Ticketmaster (ordered tickets two and a half months in advance, yet somehow they never arrived), we had to go to Will Call and pick up our tickets. Of course we had little choice about where to park, and we were miles away from the Will Call booth. Finally, tickets in hand, we rushed through the gate and ran through the Home Depot Center to our seats—our magnificent, awesome, I-can-see-the-sweat-on-David-Beckham’s-forehead seats.

We were 12 rows off the field, nearly dead center. Because I’m a moron, I had tossed my point and shoot Kodak into my bag instead of my kick ass Canon Rebel. What does this mean? The photos suck, my friends, they really do, but thankfully the memory does not. The Galaxy lost that game, but I hardly care. It is a rare thing for me to enjoy a sporting event, but I thoroughly enjoyed that soccer match. I enjoy soccer, particularly games that involve Landon Donovan, and the view from our seats was fan-freaking-tastic.

David Beckham (in white) runs across the field.

I did have to turn around and give the death stare to a few twelve year olds who were unclear on how to behave properly in public—it turns out their parents were seated in an entirely different section. They brought half a dozen pre-pubescent boys to a major sporting event and left them on their own. Seriously?

The next morning, Alex and I set out for the Holy Grail for twentysomethings on a home decorating budget: Ikea. After a two for 1 $1.99 breakfast, we loaded up on pillows, rugs, tables and chairs and somehow managed to cram all the goods into my trusty, overworked and underpaid Corolla.

The $1.99 Ikea breakfast. Oh, yes.

I was determined to see the ocean—there was no way my native Midwestern heart was going to allow my being so near to the beach and leaving without seeing it.

Armed with a map, Alex navigated us through the streets of L.A. while I drove through the thick traffic. Our goal was either Redondo or Hermosa Beach. We knew nothing of either of these places, we just knew that they seemed to be the easiest to find.

We drove west, figuring that at some point we’d hit the ocean—the continent ends at some point, right? Indeed it does. Thinking we must be somewhere near the coastline, we dove into a parking spot the second we spotted a ‘public parking’ sign. We parked just in front of the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis Club, a small, squat building standing between the street we were on and a park. We cut through the park back to the street (there was a Spiderman birthday party going on. Spiderman was doing magic tricks for a dozen enthralled ten year olds), and to my amazement, we only had to walk a few minutes before we found the ocean.

Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles.

We weren’t exactly wearing beach attire, but we didn’t care. I rolled up my jeans, threw out a towel, and flopped down in the sand. The ocean is always an awe-inspiring sight for me—I grew up landlocked. This ocean viewing was particularly wonderful as it was the first time I’d ever seen the Pacific.

When we got too hot, we trod down to the shore and stuck our feet in the water. Icy doesn’t begin to describe it—the water was at near hypothermic levels. We didn’t care. It felt wonderful after being stuck in the car for so long, after dealing with the feeling of stuck for so long. We stood in the surf like kids, jumping when a wave came and running from the big ones.

That's me, uber excited to see the Pacific for the first time.

But we’re not kids—we’re grownups, grownups who understand that skin + sun – sunscreen = bad. So we had to leave, regretfully. We walked back to the car, and from there headed home.

The drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles is supposed to take three and a half, maybe four hours. People who come up with these estimates obviously do not take the insanity that is L.A. traffic into account. It took us close to five hours to get there, and six to get home. If you are planning to drive between these two cities, keep in mind that driving on the highways, interstates, and freeways in L.A. is nothing short of a stress-inducing nightmare. There are so many highways in L.A., and they all merge on top of each other, keeping traffic a solid mess.

Whining aside, our jaunt to L.A. was worth all the traffic headaches. The sight of the Pacific Ocean, the joy of Ikea, and the luxury of sitting feet away from Landon Donovan’s strangely attractive receding hairline all ensure that I will be back…

…as soon as I buy a helicopter to get me there.

Emily C. Sims is an ex-teacher, ex-obituary writer, and ex-yuppie. In her free time, she volunteers for Wings of Hope and is a writer and amateur photographer. Emily has lived all over the United States and France. She currently resides in Las Vegas. Keep up with her adventures on her website, www.emilycsims.com.

Los Angeles is known worldwide for its beautiful weather and for the beautiful celebrities who reside there.

Los Angeles Climate

Los Angeles has a Mediterranean-like climate. The city enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 days of sunshine and only 35 days with rainfall per year.

Busiest Travel Seasons for Los Angeles

Los Angeles tourism peaks from July through early October. It is nearly impossible to find lodging in Los Angeles during this time unless you make reservations well in advance.

If you are looking to avoid large crowds, visit in the spring. The weather will be just as nice as during the busier summer months, but the crowds will be much smaller.

Average Airfare To Los Angeles

Prices given are for Round Trip, coach.

Typical Hotel Prices

Typical Car Rental Rates in Los Angeles

Popular Attractions and Activities in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has almost limitless numbers of activities and attractions for visitors to keep themselves entertained with. After all, Los Angeles is home to tons of world famous celebrities, so you know that the shopping and nightlife in Los Angeles are among the best in the world. Other attractions such as Disneyland and the movie studios will ensure that no tourist in LA has a single dull moment.

Below is a chart that shows some of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles, by Type.

Travelated Recommendations for Los Angeles

If you visit Los Angeles it can be easy to get stuck in just one location, but remember, Los Angeles is a huge area with great things to see and do spread all over the place. Be sure you make time to see at least one of each of the following types of attractions

• Go to a Beach!

Try surfing at Zuma Beach, people watching at Venice Beach, or just take a relaxing stroll along Manhattan Beach. Just make sure you find time to visit at least one of Los Angeles’s great beaches.

• Go to a Television Taping

Los Angeles is the center of the entertainment world, and you would be robbing yourself of a truly unique experience if you didn’t make it to a Television taping. Have some laughs at the tonight show, or maybe try to win a new car on The Price is Right.

• Go to a Famous Restaurant!

Go have a meal at one of LA’s iconic eateries. Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea Ave is great for a quick lunch where you might see a few celebs, or have breakfast under the giant donut at Randy’s Donuts. These are true LA landmarks that no visitor should miss.

Resources to Book a vacation in Los Angeles

Check back soon for exclusive travel deals for Los Angeles through Travelated.com.