Where to stay.

Business travelers should usually stay near their work especially in Los Angeles where the morning rush hour is a tourist attraction in itself. The downtown hotels are totally self- contained with enough restaurants and shops that you never need set foot outside. That’s good because at night you won’t want to. The city center is abandoned at night to the street people. Southern California is an automobile society and you can easily count the people walking around at night.

If you don’t need to stay downtown, I would avoid it. Another place to avoid staying is Hollywood. The boulevard is kooky and offbeat in daylight but sometimes intimidating at night.

Families will much prefer Anaheim near Disneyland or some of the beach areas. There are lots of entertainment options and restaurants competing to feed your kids. For couples looking for nightlife, the beach areas, West L.A. or Pasadena Old Town should give you plenty of activity. Accommodations range from the hundreds of motels around Disneyland to Victorian bed-and-breakfasts to beach condos.

Other areas to consider are Catalina Island, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, and Santa Barbara.

Hotels.

The Queen Mary ocean liner is now a hotel in Long Beach . For around $100 per night you can have a bit of history. The rooms are not as large as you are used to but are quite comfortable. (Don’t bother paying extra for a porthole unless you are claustrophobic.) The ship is decorated in Art Nouveau and is a real treat to explore. Hundreds of people a day pay $8 each just to walk its decks. There are several restaurants on board and a beautiful cocktail lounge. At night you can watch the lights of Long Beach across the harbor. Although kids love the ship, you may want to stay here when they are at Grandma’s. A stay here is ‘romantic’ in a couple of senses of the word.

Condos at or near the beach are rented on a weekly basis and can be surprisingly affordable compared to daily hotel rates. There is usually a security deposit required and there is no maid service. Remember this is someone’s house in the off-season. You are expected to provide your own linens and towels. You usually need to make reservations well in advance. Often two families share a condo with the adults taking the bedrooms while the kids share the living room. I have never seen a kid get tired of the beach but take plenty of sun block and tee shirts.

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If you have comments about this page or would like to suggest additional picks or pans of interest to visitors to Southern California, we would be happy to hear from you.

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