How to Time Your Trip to Los Angeles for the Summer
Time flies when you are having fun and moves very slow when you are forced to wait your turn in line. Knowing how to manage time is something most of us wish we could do better. Many people find that there is never enough time in a day to do everything that needs to be done. If you are planning a trip to Los Angeles this summer, knowing how to use your time wisely will help you get more out of your visit.
Summer is a very popular time of the year for families to take a trip to Los Angeles and the surrounding Southern California area. Residents may be used to dealing with the traffic and crowds around the popular attractions, shops and restaurants, but tourists also need to know how to make their way around during their trip to Los Angeles.
Consider the climate
Whether you are visiting Los Angeles this summer or at some other time of the year, the weather is almost always sunny. With more than 320 days of sunshine in the average year and temperatures typically in the 70’s and 80’s on most days, you rarely need to worry about wearing a coat. High temperatures in the summer average about 85 degrees Fahrenheit and in the winter, they average about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are planning to spend some time at the beach and take a dip in the Pacific Ocean, the water is a pretty warm 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months, but can drop down to a chilly 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months.
Expect to encounter high humidity of about 80 percent in the mornings and as the sun warms up the day, the humidity drops to a much more comfortable 65 percent. There is no denying that on a hot summer day, the air can become musty and people with asthma or other respiratory problems can find it uncomfortable to breathe.
While it is true that the second largest city in America has a smog problem, the quality of the air is not so bad that more than 18 million people choose to live in the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area. The movie stars and millionaires are very happy in their Beverly Hills mansions and Malibu Beach homes.
Keeping your cool
If the day is particularly humid and you want to escape from the heat, you can jump in your hotel’s swimming pool. The Los Angeles-Anaheim-Long Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) contains a number of great beaches for surfing, sunbathing and swimming. If you want to know how to cool off, take a short trip to Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier. Both spots have nice beaches, shops and entertainment. You can grab yourself a cold drink or an ice cream cone, people watch and enjoy the gentle ocean breezes that make the hot weather just a little more tolerable.
How to spend your time in L.A.
Whether you are taking a trip for business or pleasure, you have a vast number of options on how you can spend your time. You can relax at the beach, tour the motion picture studios or visit the many area attractions. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is home to some of the most exclusive shops and boutiques. Maybe you would like to have lunch at the famous Brown Derby? If you like placing a few bets on the horses, Hollywood Park and Del Mar offer some of the best thoroughbred racing in the country.
Getting around
With more than 200 metro bus lines and five metro rail lines, L.A. has one of the better public transportation systems in the country. You can get practically anywhere in the county using this service.
If you are staying in the downtown areas like Los Angeles, Hollywood or the Sunset Strip, it is quite convenient to use public transportation. If you are planning to explore the area and maybe visit some of the theme parks or take a ride along the coast line, you are better off renting a car so you have the freedom to come and go as you please.
Cool off at a water park
You can have a cool time going down the water slides and splashing in the wave pools at a water park. Three of the most popular places to get wet are Raging Waters, Knott’s Soak City USA and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.
Spend a day at a theme park
Southern California is well known for its many fantastic theme parks. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park are located out in Anaheim. Other great places to spend a fun day include Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Pacific Park and Knott’s Berry Farm.
Animals and fish
If you have time during your trip, take the kids to the see their favorite furry friends at one of the two area zoos. The Los Angeles Zoo and the Santa Anna Zoo are both great, with the former being the larger of the two. For a real fishy experience, take a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific and get a glimpse of all of the creatures that live in the ocean.
See how movies and television shows are made
There are several dozen motion picture studios located in and around Hollywood. In addition to the most popular Disney and Universal Studios, you can also visit such major studios like Paramount, 20th Century Fox and CBS Television City.
The Internet is a great travel tool
Planning your summer trip to Los Angeles is much easier today than it used to be when there was no such thing as the Internet. Before you go, take the time to go online and find a great hotel, make travel arrangements and learn about all of the different attractions you might want to visit. By being organized and having a general plan of what you want to do, you can pack the maximum amount of fun into your visit to the City of Angels.
