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Mini road trip around LA?
Just booked a 9 day trip to LA in April. Will be traveling from Scandinavia with my wife and 2 (almost 3) year old daughter.
My thoyrigjt now is to have about 6 days in LA and do a 3 or so day m… Hi,
Just booked a 9 day trip to LA in April. Will be traveling from Scandinavia with my wife and 2 (almost 3) year old daughter.
My thoyrigjt now is to have about 6 days in LA and do a 3 or so day mini-roadtrip. Don't want to drive to far since we have the kiddo with us. For example San Fransisco is probably a bit too long. What recommendations do you have for places to go outside LA?
Joshua tree seems great but would tree days be to much? Can it be combined with something good in the same general direction? Maby Palm Springs?
We love the outdoors, but hiking or such is not vital.
Any other ideas would be very helpful!
Thanks,
honestly with a 3 year old i'd skip joshua tree entirely and do something closer. the drive alone is 2.5 hours each way and that's rough with a kid who needs snacks and bathroom breaks every hour
check out the griffith park area for a mini road trip without actually leaving LA. the observatory is free and there's a little train called the travel town train that runs on weekends for like $4. your daughter will lose her mind over it. then drive over to atwater village for lunch at the tamery, they have this outdoor seating area with a sandbox
if you really want to get out of the city for a night, head to ojai. it's about 80 minutes north and has this tiny downtown with a park in the middle where kids can run around. the hiking trails are easy and shaded, and there's a place called the nest that does farm to table breakfast with chickens wandering around outside. your wife will love the boutiques on the main drag too
yeah joshua tree for 3 days with a toddler might be a lot honestly. the park itself is pretty spread out and there's not a ton of kid-friendly stuff to do in town, plus it gets hot even in april. i'd do 2 days max there and tack on palm springs for the other day, the aerial tramway is fun for kids and you can just walk around downtown
if you want something closer, santa barbara is a solid 2 day trip. it's about 90 minutes up the 101, the mission is cool and the zoo is small but perfect for a 3 year old. you could also hit solvang on the way back for a weird danish-themed afternoon, your wife might get a kick out of it
another option nobody's mentioned is heading south to san clemente or laguna beach. both are way less crowded than santa monica and have these cute beachside downtowns. san clemente has the pier and a little trolley that runs along the beach, my niece loved that at 3
if you do palm springs for a day or two, check out the living desert zoo and gardens. it's got a ton of animals your daughter will love and a little train ride. way easier than joshua tree with a toddler and you can still get that desert vibe
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How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.