Where in SoCal should I go for a weekend in late June?

I'm entertaining suggestions for places to visit for a quiet weekend with someone I'm "trying to get to know" (if you catch my drift). Here are the caveats:
1. Please keep hotel costs under $150 per night.
2. Please keep it within 2½ hours driving from LA.
3. I'm NOT outdoorsy, so please don't suggest camping.

Please elaborate on your reasons. Just telling me to go to San Diego isn't enough. WHY should I go? And WHAT should I see?

2009-05-01T15:57:38Z

'Tis true, camping is a way to show one's true colors. Unfortunately it brings out the worst in me. I'm a bit of a climate-controlled germ freak.

I love SB, problem is, it was a favorite destination for my ex-boyfriend and me. I'd consider it, though. Do you all think that be awkward?

LedHead2009-05-02T10:42:12Z

Favorite Answer

Dear Gumdrop:

Consider Venice Beach or Santa Monica.

Taste the Local Flavor!
Street Artists~
Biking~
Roller Blading~
& Strolling The Pier.

A gf & I stayed at The Best Western
on Venice Beach.

Capt. Obvious2009-05-01T15:41:41Z

Several areas come to mind:

San Diego and Santa Barbara come to mind because of their slower-paced lifestyle and cleaner air. It's a nice break from the hectic pace of LA.

Santa Barbara has State Street, a 2-mile long street of shops, restaurants, and bars/clubs. It's a great place to just poke around, and goes all the way to the ocean. You can even meander out on the pier. The mission-style architecture is very evident by the nearly-omnipresent spanish tile roofs. For a fun meal, go to the Acapulco restaurant, and eat in the courtyard al fresco by the fountain. If you get a little tired, not to worry: There is a shuttle that runs up and down State Street that only costs a buck or so.

San Diego has Old Town as well as the gaslamp district, which has a similar assortment of shops, restaurants, and bars/clubs. Old town is more of an Olvera Street type of experience. And of course, you have Sea World.

(Just so you know, the Bahia is one of those older properties, and nothing is fancy about it at all)

If you really want to get to know this person, why not take the train? It's a very relaxing way of travel, and you don't have to worry about traffic at all, which reduces stress. Both San Diego and Santa Barbara have adequate public transit, so you don't really need a car like you do in LA.

BTW, when you got to the point where you REALLY want to get to know this person, go camping anyway. I know you're not outdoorsy, but you will each learn VERY quickly about the other. Camping tends to bring out more of what each of us are made of, kind of like fame does.

amt6192009-05-01T14:43:10Z

I would go to Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Beach in San Diego its about $109 a night its a block away from the beach and there are bars and restaurants all over. There is nothing like a nice dinner a walk on the beach and a drink in the jacuzzi to get to know someone and relax. Hope that helps. Good luck and have funn!!!

Anonymous2016-12-20T05:36:11Z

There are plenty of passions to follow in San Diego and this hotelbye is the spot to begin discovers what San Diego has to offer. In the San Diego vacation you'll step outside of one's safe place and you will examine new activities while you're here and you could only find that discovering a new goal is definitely an adventure in itself. One of many places should see from San Diego is Balboa Park. This park has around a 1400 acre and here you will find traditional houses, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was made for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916. The commonplace architecture is Spanish-Mexican type, minimal stage houses that blend in with the natural surroundings. Among the highlights of the park are the Botanical Gardens and lily pool, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the popular San Diego Zoo. Even though you never enter a creating the park is simply a beautiful place.

loves christmas lights2009-05-02T02:24:14Z

So your taking this guy on a overnight date? Hm okay............ Go down to Abalone Cove State Park on the ocean side of Rancho Palos Verdes, theres no hotels there, but you can then travel over to the South Bay area (Torrance, Redondo Beach etc area) and find a hotel easily. Use google maps to find this spot. The beach a lil further over is awesome too, and you can walk between the two. Tide pools and cliff side secluded beach. I know you dont like hiking, you can be totally dressed and walk around this area, dress comfy.
Inside, visit local museums, 4th street prominade in Santa Monica, the Mall. Kinda hard to pick places indoors, but that beach is worth your getting over your phobias, I dont do the mt hiking scene type thing either but I can totally easily enjoy a stroll on this lovely beach area that I mentioned!

Show more answers (5)