Weekend Getaways
The Las Vegas Strip
Whether you live in LA, or are just visiting, the area offers many other excellent attractions in many directions. From the desert to the sea, here are some of the many opportunities the surrounding areas afford you.
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Catalina
Catalina Harbor
The island of Catalina is visible off the coast of Los Angeles, some 20 or so miles away in the Pacific Ocean, and reachable by ferry from various locations along the coast. Sparsely populated, it is a popular tourist attraction. Avalon is the only town on the island and is where you will arrive if you come over via ferry from the mainland.
Las Vegas
The old meets the new in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada, “Sin City”, is a 1 hour flight or 4 hour drive from Los Angeles. The drive in and of itself, is an adventure, taking you through the desert landscapes of Joshua Tree National Monument and into the flats, while all around lay barren landscapes as far as the eye can see until the neon signs form the gambling establishments signal the start of the Nevada border.
Vegas has gone increasingly up-market over the years with some of the most luxurious hotel accommodations, restaurants and shopping to be found anywhere in the world.
If you are visiting Los Angeles, try to save some time to go to Las Vegas as there truly is no place like it in the world!
Las Vegas Hotels
The fabulous Wynn Hotel & Casino and its newer sister hotel Encore
Few places in the world have the selection of accommodations that Vegas has. From budget motels to five star luxury hotels with every imaginable amenity. We partner with Hotels.com to offer great deals and packages on Vegas hotels.
While in Vegas be sure to catch a show. A current favorite is Love at The Mirage, Cirque Du Soliel & George Martin’s masterpiece feauturing the music of The Beatles. Martin remixed and re-arranged many classic songs for this show. The amazing sound quality and mesmerizing Cirque characters make this a must see!
Also the ever popular O at the Bellagio. If you see one show in Vegas, see O. It is truly spectacular. We’ve seen it several times and it still moves us every time we go. The music, the stunning performers, the sets…it has it all. A fantastic show.
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The “OC”
As in Orange County. Orange is the county south of Los Angeles County and you can pop down here in an hour or less. You can make it a day visit, or a 2 or 3 day trip or more, especially if visiting Disneyland, located in Anaheim. The OC includes such areas as Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.
San Diego
The San Diego skyline
Approximately a 2 hour drive South of LA, San Diego is a beautiful city and a fun place to visit, with several major attractions. Just North of the Mexican border lies this beautiful city with its almost perfect climate. Sea World and many other attractions are in the area.
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La Jolla
The coastline at La Jolla, an affluent town just outside San Diego.
Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara pier
About a 90 minute drive North of LA, lies this picturesque town on the Pacific Ocean. Both a very upscale community and a college town, Santa Barbara has a relaxed, unrushed atmosphere. Nearby Montecito has grand estates and a quaint town center with delightful restaurants.
The Desert (Palm Springs and surrounding cities).
Typical Palm Springs house
In LA terms “The Desert” usually refers to the Palm Springs area in The Coachella Valley of Riverside County, which also includes Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and La Quinta. Everyone from Elvis to Sinatra have had a house in this area. It’s climate, as would be expected, is a desert climate, which means scorching hot temperatures in summer and very little rain.
Indian Hills Golf Course
The area has an abundance of golf courses and many homes have swimming pools to cool off, given the high temperatures On the drive into town on the 10 freeway, heading East from Los Angeles, huge windmills line the landscape to take advantage of the gusty winds in the area, providing power for many surrounding communities.
There are many casinos in the area also for those who wish to try their luck. Cabazon has a large premium outlet mall for those looking for retail bargains of every kind Also be sure to take the Palm Springs aerial tramway up into the mountinas for astounding views.
