Might need a stop somewhere between Los Angeles and San Diego

[C-Man 27225]

Wife and I are headed to a friend's wedding in San Diego in July. We're thinking of going out a day early to rent a car and drive up the cost to see CAAMP at The Greek Theater. We *might* be able to stay with a friend in LA after the show but I don't want to impose if we're not asked. We might just head back down towards SD after the show. If we wind up doing that, what is a good place to stop along the way? I was thinking we could find a little hotel, B&B or VRBO/AirBNB to crash since it will be kind of late. (Wife doesn't drink so she can drive but I don't want her driving the full 2+ hours home after the show if there's a cool spot to stop along the way.)

Been to LA a handful of times but I've never been to SD so I don't know this stretch of California at all.

[RPM 26320]

Dana Point is about halfway.

[Vegas64 675]

I can understand and appreciate the sentiment, but I think ultimately you'll find it's best to just make the drive from LA -> SD straight, unless you consider like Del Mar or La Jolla apart from SD.

[Foosters 17856]

Newport Beach

Laguna Beach

Dana Point

But I'd echo the sentiment just to stay in LA...

[Guest]

No votes for Oceanside?

 

LOL.

 

Agree with the folks saying to drive all the way in to San Diego/ stay in LA.  FWIW, I prefer San Diego, but whatever...

Edited May 31, 2022 by slorch

[6th Street 6400]

San Clemente is a gorgeous town if you do decide to stop halfway.

[elfenix 34240]

san onofre nuke plant is nice that time of year

[Upgrayedd 5812]

Why don't you just see them at Humphries in SD?

If that isn't an option - take train to LA.  Stay in LA.  Take train back to SD.

[C-Man 27225]

12 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Why don't you just see them at Humphries in SD?

If that isn't an option - take train to LA.  Stay in LA.  Take train back to SD.

Wednesday is the absolute earliest we can leave Texas. We're already pushing forward by a day to see them in LA plus I've always wanted to see a show at The Greek Theater.

We are staying in La Jolla for the wedding.

[C-Man 27225]

Oh, and wife had two corneal transplants a couple of years back so I'd rather not have her drive for too long in the dead of night on a stretch of road neither of us is familiar with.

[Ramsalot 25]

Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach

[Carl Spackler 3483]

Wanna splurge?  Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel. 

Another option is the Inn at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano.

Otherwise, there should be plenty of options in the Mission Viejo/SJC/Dana Point/San Clemente area, which is roughly halfway between the Greek and La Jolla. 

 

 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52498]

21 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Oh, and wife had two corneal transplants a couple of years back so I'd rather not have her drive for too long in the dead of night on a stretch of road neither of us is familiar with.

Maybe the dead person who’s eyes she now has was familiar with the area. 

[Texzilla58 4735]

I’d make the drive as it’s easy at night.

But if not listen to Carl. The Ritz at Laguna Niguel is spectacular.

[chainsaw 9868]

29 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Oh, and wife had two corneal transplants a couple of years back so I'd rather not have her drive for too long in the dead of night on a stretch of road neither of us is familiar with.

Pro-tip: if your head grows heavy or your sight grows dim, do not stop for the night

[huge 3793]

There is a Legoland in Carlsbad.  That's all I got.

[VABuckeye 2472]

Newport Beach.

[LW Goatman 1124]

2 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

I’d make the drive as it’s easy at night.

But if not listen to Carl. The Ritz at Laguna Niguel is spectacular.

I'll third this suggestion. 

[C-Man 27225]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. The Ritz doesn't make any sense for us since we probably wouldn't spend more than 10 hours wherever it is that we stopped.

(Sounds like there's plenty of room to  crash at my old FWST friend's house in LA after the show. Then we could take a leisurely drive down the coast to SD/La Jolla the next day. Of course she said she doesn't blame us if we wanted to stay on the coast/beach somewhere.)

[Brisketexan 105139]

3 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. The Ritz doesn't make any sense for us since we probably wouldn't spend more than 10 hours wherever it is that we stopped.

(Sounds like there's plenty of room to  crash at my old FWST friend's house in LA after the show. Then we could take a leisurely drive down the coast to SD/La Jolla the next day. Of course she said she doesn't blame us if we wanted to stay on the coast/beach somewhere.)

The Mission at Capistrano is actually an amazing little visit, if you're doing a leisurely drive down, it's worth a stop.  There's also a really good little taco joint right across the street.

We spend a week in Laguna Beach every summer.  You could swing down and walk through the "downtown" area, lots of shops, lovely weather, pretty beach.  Get a drink, sit on the boardwalk and watch the surfers and such -- again, if you're just going to spend a couple of hours on your drive stopping somewhere.

[Carl Spackler 3483]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. The Ritz doesn't make any sense for us since we probably wouldn't spend more than 10 hours wherever it is that we stopped.

(Sounds like there's plenty of room to  crash at my old FWST friend's house in LA after the show. Then we could take a leisurely drive down the coast to SD/La Jolla the next day. Of course she said she doesn't blame us if we wanted to stay on the coast/beach somewhere.)

That CAAMP show is on a Wed. night, which means you'll be driving down to La Jolla on Thursday.  I wouldn't leave your friend's place in LA until approximately 10 a.m. at the earliest that day so that you avoid the worst of the morning rush hour, esp. if you're taking I-5 south.   Even then, you're going to hit some level of freeway traffic at various places along the way-- it just won't be as bad as during rush hour.  Mapquest, Waze, and sigalert.com are your friends, so use them.  And don't wait until 2 or 3 in the afternoon to head south from LA.  Doing so will only leave you battling shit-tastic traffic not only in LA and Orange Counties, but also once you get down to SD County as well.  Your LA friends can also probably offer you good advice for avoiding the worst of the traffic depending on the route you take.   

[phdhorn 6224]

I think that's a great idea. Just because it's not so far from LA to San Diego doesn't mean you can't stay overnight and soak in one of the little coastal towns.

Wife and I did this last fall and I really enjoyed the drive. Personally I liked Encinitas, then Del Mar. Cozy little beach towns and something about Encinitas just warmed up to me.  Lots to eat and shop. Perfect for a night stay then couple hour look-around, and then back on the road. Plus it's near Cardiff State Beach which is a wonderful place to stop for an hour or so and just kick around with your feet in the surf. Encinitas has a variety of 2-3 star places for $150ish.

Don't regret making the stop although I probably wouldn't now that I know what it's like. But for a first-timer I think it was really fun.

 

[C-Man 27225]

43 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

That CAAMP show is on a Wed. night, which means you'll be driving down to La Jolla on Thursday.  I wouldn't leave your friend's place in LA until approximately 10 a.m. at the earliest that day so that you avoid the worst of the morning rush hour, esp. if you're taking I-5 south.   Even then, you're going to hit some level of freeway traffic at various places along the way-- it just won't be as bad as during rush hour.  Mapquest, Waze, and sigalert.com are your friends, so use them.  And don't wait until 2 or 3 in the afternoon to head south from LA.  Doing so will only leave you battling shit-tastic traffic not only in LA and Orange Counties, but also once you get down to SD County as well.  Your LA friends can also probably offer you good advice for avoiding the worst of the traffic depending on the route you take.   

Gotcha. That all makes perfect sense. Am I completely stupid to think about heading over to get on the PCH north of Long Beach and going down through Newport etc for the drive down to La Jolla? I don't really care if it takes an extra hour.

[Gil Bang 25957]

7 hours ago, slorch said:

No votes for Oceanside?

 

LOL.

 

Agree with the folks saying to drive all the way in to San Diego/ stay in LA.  FWIW, I prefer San Diego, but whatever...

Fucking old Marines talking shit about Oceanside...ignore them. 

 

Oceanside is fantastic, has the best beaches in San Diego, a nice harbor, and fabulous new hotels. Cool bars and restaurants too. 

https://theseabirdresort.com/

https://missionpacifichotel.com/

 

 

[Guest]

Is Oceanside California a safe area?

 

 

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Oceanside is 1 in 44. Based on FBI crime data, Oceanside is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to California, Oceanside has a crime rate that is higher than 65% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

 

It's a fucking dump.  There are better choices to be made.

Edited June 1, 2022 by slorch

[Gil Bang 25957]

18 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Gotcha. That all makes perfect sense. Am I completely stupid to think about heading over to get on the PCH north of Long Beach and going down through Newport etc for the drive down to La Jolla? I don't really care if it takes an extra hour.

Long beach is ugly as fuck.  Take 405 to Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach, down to PCH.  Take PCH through San Clemente, and you'll be forced to get on the 5 when Pendleton starts.  You can exit again in Oceanside, and take it all the way down after that. 

[Gil Bang 25957]

2 minutes ago, slorch said:

Is Oceanside California a safe area?

 

 

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Oceanside is 1 in 44. Based on FBI crime data, Oceanside is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to California, Oceanside has a crime rate that is higher than 65% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Bullshit.  Oceanside has gang neighborhoods that drive up the crime stats, and the beach area isn't one of them. Oceanside is absolutely safe, particularly west of Interstate 5 an.d even moreso west of Coast Highway

Edited June 1, 2022 by Gil Bang

[Guest]

nm.

Enjoy Oceanside...

Edited June 1, 2022 by slorch

[Gil Bang 25957]

2 minutes ago, slorch said:

Maybe we just define safety differently.  There are better choices.

https://www.areavibes.com/oceanside-ca/crime/

 

don't you live in Houston?   Go ahead and compare Oceanside to Houston. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Gil Bang said:

don't you live in Houston?   Go ahead and compare Oceanside to Houston. 

No i don't, but Amarillo is worse, numbers wise.

They must have invested massively in renovating Oceanside because it was a fucking dump.

I'd still rather stay in San Diego proper, regardless.

[Carl Spackler 3483]

15 hours ago, C-Man said:

Gotcha. That all makes perfect sense. Am I completely stupid to think about heading over to get on the PCH north of Long Beach and going down through Newport etc for the drive down to La Jolla? I don't really care if it takes an extra hour.

Gil's advice above is pretty spot on.  Don't bother taking PCH through Long Beach -- the road runs through some rough areas and you're not in view of the ocean anyway.  Catch PCH farther south, like around Huntington Beach (as Gil suggested) or Newport Beach.  PCH in that area is a nice drive.  Once you hit the Capistrano Beach area, PCH ends and you'll have to jump back on the 5 heading south toward La Jolla. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Carl Spackler

[66BUFF 2562]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler said:

Gil's advice above is pretty spot on.  Don't bother taking PCH through Long Beach -- the road runs through some rough areas and you're not in view of the ocean anyway.  Catch PCH farther south, like around Huntington Beach (as Gil suggested) or Newport Beach.  PCH in that area is a nice drive.  Once you hit the Capistrano Beach area, PCH ends and you'll have to jump back on the 5 heading south toward La Jolla. 

I would drive Ocean Blvd east of downtown Long Beach and take that to the 1 in Seal Beach.  There are some really cool old houses that face the beach on Ocean.

 

[MalibuSheriff 1090]

I’d you make it to Laguna, hit Top of the World park for a hike.  Winter pics from a couple of years ago:

[RollLeft 5045]

17 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

... Mapquest...

??

second Dana or San Clemente

[otisdog 365]

Start your southbound journey on PCH at Seal Beach....

[Texzilla58 4735]

Start your southbound journey on PCH at Seal Beach....

My son lived in Seal Beach. It’s like a New England village or at least it was back then

[Carl Spackler 3483]

4 hours ago, RollLeft said:

??

second Dana or San Clemente

It's like Google Maps or Waze.  Actually, Google Maps is probably better.  

I'll defer to those recommending that the OP get on PCH farther north around Seal Beach.  I haven't been on that stretch of PCH in many, many moons and just don't recall it.  It takes you past Bolsa Chica, so it's probably lovely.  Just know that the farther north you hit PCH, the more time it will take to get down to La Jolla.  Gauge your time accordingly.    

  

 

[RollLeft 5045]

8 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

It's like Google Maps or Waze.  Actually, Google Maps is probably better.  

I'll defer to those recommending that the OP get on PCH farther north around Seal Beach.  I haven't been on that stretch of PCH in many, many moons and just don't recall it.  It takes you past Bolsa Chica, so it's probably lovely.  Just know that the farther north you hit PCH, the more time it will take to get down to La Jolla.  Gauge your time accordingly.    

  

 

I didn't know it still existed...I have it in the Rand McNally category.

[Doc Sam Beckett 5793]

On 5/31/2022 at 11:39 AM, C-Man said:

Oh, and wife had two corneal transplants a couple of years back 

[Gil Bang 25957]

21 hours ago, slorch said:

No i don't, but Amarillo is worse, numbers wise.

They must have invested massively in renovating Oceanside because it was a fucking dump.

I'd still rather stay in San Diego proper, regardless.

Median home price in 92054 zip is 1.2 million.   I'm not arguing that Oceanside was or was not a dump when you were here decades ago.  I'm saying, as a local resident and Realtor, that it's a pretty fucking nice town today. 

[Gil Bang 25957]

5 hours ago, MalibuSheriff said:

I’d you make it to Laguna, hit Top of the World park for a hike.  Winter pics from a couple of years ago:

Pretty sure that if you look closely, you can see @Sbbruin in the lower pic.  Just a speck in the ocean, headed to Catalina for the Wine Mixer.

[Sbbruin 21853]

2 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

Pretty sure that if you look closely, you can see @Sbbruin in the lower pic.  Just a speck in the ocean, headed to Catalina for the Wine Mixer.

Ha, funny thing is the Catalina Wine Mixer IS this weekend.

https://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/catalina-wine-mixer/

[Carl Spackler 3483]

17 hours ago, RollLeft said:

I didn't know it still existed...I have it in the Rand McNally category.

Love those old atlases.  I still carry paper maps in my truck in case my phone craps out for some reason, esp. when I'm in the backcountry.

Edited June 2, 2022 by Carl Spackler

[Muny_Tex 293]

Didn’t read the whole thread, here’s my .02 as someone who briefly lived in downtown SD and commuted to LA for concerts regularly.

Greek Theater is my favorite music venue on the planet, by a fairly wide margin. It is imperative that you do not miss that opportunity.

It is kinda dumb to stay overnight between LA/SD, but it is way dumber to make the drive all the way back after a concert (will kill the vibes and may end up being a multi-hour shitshow…getting out of the immediate surroundings of the venue right after a show is not an easy task in…and parking may be a whole separate $$$ debacle).

My reco is to find/splurge on an Airbnb directly in Los Feliz that will enable yall to walk to/from the show and make the most of that experience. You’ll also be able to go hike up to Griffith Observatory depending on how long you stay which is always worthwhile.

Half the appeal of the Greek is the way it’s situated on the neighborhood hilltop, and there’s a great food/drink scene (and cool old houses) all over the area…kinda like a Dallas Bishop Arts only with extremely nice natural scenery….you lose all that benefit if you try to just drive up and park like you’re going to Six Flags or some shit.

Yes, there technically are “nice” places to stay along the way back…but that should be a whole separate activity, unless you’re just extremely passionate about getting into frigid cold water at the beach for ~10 minutes the following morning.

Bottom line, the concert is the prize and should be prioritized accordingly…don’t overcomplicate things trying to check a box in fucking Oceanside.

[crash_davis 23113]

if OP is concerned with driving on the 405 and the 5 at night due to poor eye sight and not knowing the area from LA to SD, then a 30 min detour off the 405 and 5 is prob not a good idea either. it's pretty much a 1.5 hour straight shot down a 3-5 lane highway. if they can't do that...

plus if they are going back to La Jolla, having them stay in Encinitas or even up to Carlsbad doesn't make sense. Just drive the extra 20-30 mins to La Jolla. 

also, they are only staying at the pit stop for a night. it's not like they'll be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the pacific at night.

my advice is to get a place in LA for the night (Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach), or get a hotel 1/3 of the way down to La Jolla. i would think any place closer to half way, might as well drive the rest and save yourself $130-250. if you are going farther than Dana Point, then might as well drive to La Jolla.

[RPM 26320]

19 hours ago, RollLeft said:

I didn't know it still existed...I have it in the Rand McNally category.

Check your Mapsco.

[Carl Spackler 3483]

2 hours ago, crash_davis said:

if OP is concerned with driving on the 405 and the 5 at night due to poor eye sight and not knowing the area from LA to SD, then a 30 min detour off the 405 and 5 is prob not a good idea either. it's pretty much a 1.5 hour straight shot down a 3-5 lane highway. if they can't do that...

plus if they are going back to La Jolla, having them stay in Encinitas or even up to Carlsbad doesn't make sense. Just drive the extra 20-30 mins to La Jolla. 

also, they are only staying at the pit stop for a night. it's not like they'll be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the pacific at night.

my advice is to get a place in LA for the night (Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach), or get a hotel 1/3 of the way down to La Jolla. i would think any place closer to half way, might as well drive the rest and save yourself $130-250. if you are going farther than Dana Point, then might as well drive to La Jolla.

At this point, it sounds like (see post #19) the OP has a place to stay in LA the night of the concert, and all we're doing now is talking about routes he could take the following day if he's interested in driving PCH south to La Jolla, what time he should leave in order to avoid the worst traffic, etc.  

[crash_davis 23113]

well screw him for getting us all riled up trying to impress random internet people of our SoCal geography knowledge.

[mdleast 8289]

On 6/1/2022 at 6:26 PM, Sbbruin said:

Ha, funny thing is the Catalina Wine Mixer IS this weekend.
https://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/catalina-wine-mixer/

Wife and I went to this in 2016. The Dan Band (the band that played the F-bomb laden version of Total Eclipse of the Heart from Old School) was the headline act. As funny as their versions of the songs were, his ability to riff with the audience and incorporate into their songs was truly impressive. Good times. Glad I visited Catalina Island though imo you don’t need more than one night there.

Edited June 2, 2022 by mdleast

[Gil Bang 25957]

By the way:  There is a Texas-style 'que place in San Juan Cap that is off the charts good.  Heritage BBQ is right across from the Mission, and was just named "Restaurant of the Year" by the OC Register.  

 

[quote]

When you pull off the freeway and swerve down the hill toward San Juan Capistrano’s historic core, roll down your windows. You might not see Heritage Barbecue’s thousand-gallon smokers right away, but you’ll know when you’re getting close. The seduction of 14-hour smoked brisket is palpable. Up and down Camino Capistrano, wafting through the park, all the way to Los Rios Street, you’ll catch the occasional whiff and feel its pull.

Central Texas barbecue isn’t merely a genre of cooking, it’s a way of life. A person doesn’t just wake up one day and decide to smoke brisket and ribs like the ones at Heritage. It is something that must be lived and breathed, and rare is the band of hardcore believers who come together to create something as special as this. Daniel and Brenda Castillo haven’t just changed the way San Juan Capistrano smells, they have fundamentally changed barbecue for Orange County, maybe even California at large.

What this team does is not easy. They are fanatical. The talent in the kitchen runs deep. That includes not just chefs Nick Echaore and Eric Linares but also the pit crew who keep the California white oak embers glowing at a steady 200 degrees all night while the rest of us sleep. It would have been enough, beyond the smoked meats, if the kitchen had just stuck to the basics — potato salad, corn bread, cole slaw, baked beans — but no.

They obsessively create, tweak and tinker while also constantly collaborating with neighboring businesses and other artisans. For example, FKN Bread, a new bakery across the street, makes their cornbread while OC Baking Company in Orange bakes custom-designed loaves of potato bread, delivered every morning still warm. Every day brings something new, whether it’s smoked crawfish for Mardi Gras or glazed pork belly musubi to celebrate the smokehouse’s first anniversary. But I can’t imagine going here and not eating brisket.

Yes, they serve barbecue on aluminum trays, and you’ll eat beans out of paper boats with a plastic spoon. And no, they don’t take reservations. You’ll have to stand in line, sometimes for hours if you try to eat here on a weekend. But there’s no lack of hospitality. This is, all around, the best restaurant in Orange County right now.

Don’t fear the wait. It’s worth it. Once you’ve tasted the brisket and beef ribs here, it’s hard to even think about eating what passes for barbecue elsewhere again. Plus, they do offer limited curbside pickup, but only if you want your car to smell like brisket and beans for the rest of its life. Must order: Brisket. 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, heritagecraftbbq.com (no phone) ★★★

[/quote]

ADVERTISE

Edited June 3, 2022 by Gil Bang