Christine Delsol - Frommers EasyGuide to Los Angeles and San Diego

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ISBN 978-1-62887-160-9 (paper), 978-1-62887-161-6 (e-book)

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AN IMPORTANT NOTE

The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and busses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about, these hotels, restaurants, museums and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-to-date, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suffered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Christine Delsol became immersed in Southern California culture at a tender age during sum mers with her Los Angeles cousins and has spent an inordinate portion of her adult life traveling I-5 between her Northern California home and L.A. She has spent most of her career in newspapers, including 8 years as a travel editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. She has won an Associated Press writing award, two Lowell Thomas awards from the American Society of Travel Writers, and Mazatlns Golden Deer Award. She is the author of Pauline Frommers Guide to Cancn & the Yucatn and co-author of Frommers Mexico and Frommers Cancn & the Yucatn. She still writes frequently for the Chronicle s travel section and contributes monthly travel columns on California and Mexico to its website, SFGate.com . She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and has an absurdly well-traveled 27-year-old daughter.

Maribeth Mellin is an award-winning journalist and photographer based in San Diego, CA. She has been awarded the prestigious Pluma de Plata, Mexicos highest award for travel writing. In addition, her articles on medical, social, and legal issues have garnered numerous awards. Mellin has authored several travel books and her articles and photos have appeared in the U-T San Diego, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Endless Vacation Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. She also has contributed to multiple websites including Concierge.com and TravelCNN.com . When not traveling the globe, she enjoys time at home with her husband near the beach in San Diego.

ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommers has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history, and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, criticalboth pro and conin their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs weve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com .

I have high hopes for the future of Frommers. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace.

Arthur Frommer

The Best of Los Angeles & San Diego

A ngelenos know L.A. will never have the sophistication of Paris or the historical riches of Rome, but they lay claim to one of the most entertaining cities in the United States, if not the world. It really is warm and sunny most days of the year, movie stars actually do live and dine among regular folk, and you cant swing a smartphone without hitting an in-line skater at the beach.

San Diegans boast about their climate as well, but turn their backs on big-city woes. Blue skies are the norm and although traffic has increased, its still possible to drive several miles without coming to a car-clogging halt. Laid back, mellow, and chill to the max, San Diegans surf before work, swim toward sunsets, and enjoy Shakespeare and Santana under moonlit skies.

The choices for adventure, amusement, and illumination are endless. Weve highlighted our favorites here to help guide you to the ultimate L.A. and San Diego experiences.

The best of Los Angeles

The Best Only-in-L.A. Experiences

Cruising the Coast: Driving along the sunny coastline with your hair blowing in the warm wind is the quintessential Southern California experienceone that never loses its appeal, even for locals. See for ideas.

Basking at the Beach: While youre tanning, you can watch a volleyball tournament at Hermosa Beach, take surf lessons at Manhattan Beach, or gawk at the worlds vainest weightlifters pumping iron at Venices Muscle Beach. See .

Cruising Sunset Boulevard: Yes, cruising is inevitably a major part of your stay, and this one provides a cross-section of everything L.A.: legendary clubs, studios, and hotels recognizable from movies and TV. You end up at Malibus fabled beaches, where those classy Baywatch episodes were filmed. See p. .