Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Planning Your Trip to
Los Angeles
Although the best vacations are the ones that allow for spontaneity,
there's no substitute for a little pr e-trip research when it comes to planning a gr eat vaca-
tion. E rgo, this entir e chapter contains practical information to help y ou pr epare the
perfect trip to L.A., including topical w ebsites, r ecommended pr e-trip arrangements,
ideal times to visit, and local r esources for those with specialized needs.
For additional help in planning your trip and for more on-the-ground resources in Los
Angeles, please turn to “Fast Facts,” on p. 316.
1
WHEN TO GO
Many visitors don't realize that Los Ange-
les—despite its blue ocean, swaying palm
trees, green lawns, and forested foothills—
is actually the high deser t. B ut with the
desert climes tempered by sea breezes, and
the landscape kept gr een with water car-
ried b y aqueducts fr om all ar ound the
West, L.A. might be the most accommo-
dating desert you've ever visited. No mat-
ter how hot it gets, lo w humidity usually
keeps things dry and comfortable.
Tourism peaks during
summer,
when
coastal hotels fill to capacity , r estaurant
reservations can be har d to get, and top
attractions ar e packed with visitors and
locals off fr om wor k or school. S ummer
can be miserable in the inland v alleys,
where daytime temperatur es—and that
famous L.A. smog—can be stifling, but
the beach communities almost always
sneak up on the unsuspecting city; pr e-
cipitation is most likely fr om February to
April and is vir tually unheard of betw een
May and N ovember. E ven in J anuary,
daytime temperatur es r each into the 60s
(teens Celsius) and higher—sometimes up
to the 80s (high 20s Celsius).
Pundits claim L.A. has no seasons; it
might be more accurate to say the city has
its own unique seasons. Two of them ar e
“June Gloom” and “the Santa Anas.” The
first refers to the ocean fog that keeps the
beach cities (and often all of L.A.) overcast
into early afternoon; it's most common in
June but can occur any time betw een
March and mid-A ugust. The middle of
autumn (O ct-Nov) often brings the
“Santa Anas, ” str ong, hot winds fr om
across the deser t that incr ease br ush-fire
danger (sur fers lo ve the offshor e condi-
tions they usually create).
Winds and coastal fog aside, Los Ange-
les r emains r elatively temperate y ear-
round, with an average of 320 sunny days
each y ear and an av erage mean tempera-
ture of 66°F (19°C). I t's possible to sun-
bathe thr oughout the y
remain comfor table. M oderate tempera-
tures, fewer crowds, and lo wer hotel rates
make travel to L.A. most pleasurable dur-
ing the
winter.
The city is at its best fr om
early autumn to late spring, when the skies
are less smoggy. Rain is rar e in Los Ange-
les—about 34 days a y ear, on av erage—
but it can cause flooding when it does
ear, but only
die-hard enthusiasts and wet-suited surfers
