City in CA to Visit in March

My wife (teacher) wants to go to California for her spring break at the end of March. Since it won't be beach weather in any of the cities I'm really torn between San Fran, LA, Orange County and San Diego.

I've been to all of them except LA for anywhere from 1-4 days, but am not really sure where to go with the wife. My wife loved Orange County and San Diego when we went, but with the weather I'm not sure if the best idea is to go back.

Any suggestions? We'll probably be out there for 5 days.

 

if i were you, i would split the time between LA and Orange County.... it's only an hour drive if you're smart about avoiding traffic, and you'll get the best of both worlds.

in LA you can always visit Hollywood, the Getty Museum, Beverly Hills, Downtown LA and other touristy spots. i know you're concerned about the weather, but by the end of march/early april it will already be warming up in Orange County... if the weather permits you can check out some of the beaches in the OC; my favorites are Huntington Beach and Newport Beach (be sure to check out Balboa Island if you're in Newport).


if you're set on going to Northern California, i would split my time between San Francisco and the wine country in Napa Valley (a scenic 1 hour drive north of SF).

best of luck!

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 
Best Response

SF is still going to be cold-ish come March. It is never bad, but far from the "California experience" you might be looking for. Napa is an awesome suggestion. I prefer the fall, as the vines are about to be harvested, but it is still a lot of fun in the Spring.

LA/Hollywood is fun once, then you don't really want to do it again.

SD and Orange County are great if you just want someplace fun and nice to vacation. There is not a ton to do, but certainly enough to fill a few days. Sayandarula's right to recommend Balboa; it's a bit like a boardwalk. Fashion Island is fun too.

I'll recommend a drive along the coast. Check out Monterrey, Santa Barbara, stop by Pebble Beach for Golf. There are some great nature preserves along the coast too. You could check out Hearst Castle.

Finally, there are some cool things to do north of SF. Up the coast a few hours in Humbolt County, you'll find some artists colonies and old redwood forests.

 

Sayandrula,

We have gone and split time between Orange County and San Diego before. It is definitely a great way to spend a 4 or 5 day trip. My only thought is that my wife has never been to SF (and I only spent a quick weekend there) so maybe that would be a better option. Even though it won't be warm enough for the beach, southern california is probably the way to go.

Gstackle - I recommended Cabo, but the wife is a little worried about violence and airfare to LA or SF is significantly cheaper. We are doing a larger trip in the summer, so we're trying to do this one a little cheaper. Also, we're in our later 20s so we're trying to avoid any college spring break activities.

West Coast - someone at work told me to go north of LA and stay in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica or Malibu. Would you recommend that over Orange County or San Diego?

To anyone in Chicago - Virgin is offering rt airfare to LA and SF for $230 all-in for the first half of next year if you book in the next week.

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 

Santa Barbara/North of LA has more to do than Orange County, and the weather is still awesome. If you choose this, I recommend Monterrey, Catalina, Hearst Castle, and Pebble Beach (if you like golf).

If you just want to chill on the beach, do some hiking, etc. OC is pretty nice. If you go to SD, you could even drive to Tijuana for a day.

 

^^ good call west coast. dude, sometimes i forget that there is life between San Jose and Los Angeles.

OP: I don't know if you're into scenery and stuff... but the coastal redwood forests in Big Sur, CA are absolutely beautiful... closest thing to Pandora on earth IMO. it's more of a camping destination but well worth a stop if you are near Pebble Beach (just an hour drive).

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

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