SWEET 16 IN LA
When my daughter turned 16, several of her friends held elaborate Sweet 16 parties. Instead of chaperoning teens at a party, I offered her a trip to celebrate the milestone. Southern California promised a warm and sunny experience, so we opted to go visit Laguna Niguel and LA for a week in early April. We hit the beach, looked for celebrities and visited friends for a fun week of celebrating.
Day 1
- Upon arrival at LAX, rent car and head south. Find an In & Out burger for lunch.
- Drive down the coast to the charming town of Laguna Beach.
- Check into a hotel by the beach for a couple of days. We opted for an older hotel with a beachfront location and loads of character! Daily breakfast was included as was parking – which was a bonus!
- Stroll around town that evening and check out the cute shops.
- Take out dinner. Bring it back to the room and enjoy an early night.
Day 2
- Go for an early morning walk on the beach.
- Eat a hearty breakfast on the rooftop patio and drink in the gorgeous views.
- Visit the tiny jewel: St. Francis By the Sea Cathedral. It’s beautiful and a local “must see”.
- Shop again, of course! The stores are individual and fun. The Hat Box is a great stop!
- Drive to Dana Point Harbor and have a light lunch at an outdoor restaurant.
- Relax on the beach near the hotel.
- Dinner with friends who live nearby.
Day 3
- Last day to have an early morning walk on the beach. Go for it!
- Enjoy breakfast on the rooftop patio.
- Take a drive to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. Gorgeous property with a fun restaurant 180blu. Stop in for a visit and tour.
- Drive north to LA to continue the birthday celebration.
- If too early to check into a hotel, drive around LA. We chose to buy a frame and then find the three houses seen on the sitcom Modern Family. We took at pic at each house. Hysterical! And a memory my daughter and I will always remember.
- Check into a hotel in LA for the next several nights. You need a car in LA – but it’s smart to choose a hotel with amenities within walking distance.
- Easy dinner and early night.
Day 4
- Breakfast at The Farmer’s Market We chose The French Crepe Company and loved it. Sat on barstools and watched our crepes being cooked by an expert crepe maker.
- Hike to the Griffith Observatory – -near the famous Hollywood sign.
- Return to the hotel to shower and change.
- Drive to the Santa Monica Pier and ride the roller coaster — lots of fun!
- Rent a bike and ride on the pathway along the water. We opted for a tandem bike – and managed to do pretty well on our ride to Venice Beach. Lots of laughs.
- Stop along the way and people watch – it’s a great area for it! We stopped to watch a film set on the way.
- Hang out in Venice Beach for a while and relax before returning the bike.
- Return to the hotel.
- Quiet dinner near the hotel. Watch a movie.
Day 5
- Breakfast at Du-Par’s in the Farmer’s Market. So many restaurants to choose from!
- Take a self-guided tour of Hollywood Forever Cemetery listed as one of the top 10 beautiful cemeteries, tour for an hour an hour. Pick up a map in the small gift shop.
- Drive around and admire the gorgeous landscaping in the middle of LA while seeing graves of Alfalfa, Charlie Chaplin, Johnny Ramone, Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks, and more.
- Drive to Universal Studios.
- Have lunch at and then take the back lot tour. Really fun to stop at Wisteria Lane and the town square for Back to the Future to have pictures taken.
- Drive back to the hotel, park the car and walk over to The Grove to window shop and search for celebrities. Beautiful shopping area with lots of top brand stores.
- Enjoy dinner at The Grove after shopping.
Day 6
- Breakfast at the Farmer’s Market. Choose a new restaurant to try or return to a favorite!
- Drive to the Huntington Art Gallery and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. They offer one free day/month. Call and check on available passes!
- Wander through the permanent collection. It’s fascinating.
- Walk the gorgeous grounds and wander among the fragrant rose gardens. The Japanese Garden is stunning. Very easy to spend hours here.
- Drive to Simi Valley and visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Tour – and have your picture taken — the Boeing 707 that served as Air Force One for President Reagan and six other presidents. The library and grounds are gorgeous.
- From Simi Valley, drive south through Thousand Oaks on Route 23. Follow some back roads – Mulholland, Decker, etc. — for a beautiful ride through mountains. At the end there’s a steep drive down to Route 1 north of Malibu. The ocean views are spectacular.
- Head back to the hotel for a short nap after a long day.
- Call a cab later in the evening and drive to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Enjoy the Hollywood atmosphere and see if anyone famous is in the place!
- Back to hotel for a good night’s sleep!
Day 7
- With an early lunch planned, have coffee and pastry on the way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Find your favorite stars’ names along the walk and visit the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater to see the foot and hand prints of Hollywood legends.
- Walk in the Dolby Theater and picture as it’s usually seen on the Academy Awards.
- Drive to The Ivy restaurant and enjoy a lovely lunch. The setting is charming and popular! You never know who you might see!
- After lunch, drive to the Getty Villa in Malibu. It’s a beautiful setting and will give you a chance to walk off lunch!
- Head back to the hotel for a quick nap and a light dinner.
- Get dressed and go to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica for the last night in LA. Shopping, loads of musicians, dancers and people watching – all in all a great time!
Day 8
- Check out of the hotel, head to LAX and get ready to head home after a fabulous week!
- Sign your children up for frequent flier programs…even if they don’t fly enough to earn a ticket, you can use their balances to add to yours. It can really help if you’re shy a few miles.
- Send yourselves a daily postcard. Your hotel will likely sell stamps and mail them for you! When you arrive home, enjoy reliving the experiences all over again.
- Be flexible. If your daily itinerary is weather-dependent, don’t hesitate to switch activities and make the most of a sunny day.
- If you’re traveling over a weekend in Europe, do a little research and make sure activities/places on your itinerary are open on Sundays.
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