I grew up in San Diego, and believe me when I say we never went to Los Angeles… like, EVER. I’m not sure of the reason for this. Sure, San Diego has plenty to keep families busy weekend after weekend, and it’s tempting to sit tight in our beautiful city. But Los Angeles is chock full of vibrant neighborhoods and kid-friendly activities and is worth the short jaunt up north. For a quick weekend adventure, here’s my itinerary from San Diego to Los Angeles for 24 hours (with kids in tow!).
Getting There
When people think of Los Angeles, one of the first things that comes to mind is TRAFFIC. Let me tell you… they aren’t wrong. When we decided we wanted to spend the weekend in LA, my number one request was that we take the train. Nothing can ruin a weekend trip faster than spending hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I had always assumed Amtrak was the only way to get from San Diego to Los Angeles. However, if you leave from Oceanside, you can also take the Metrolink, which is much more affordable. Here’s the breakdown of the train options:
Amtrak
About five trains leave at decent hours throughout the day from San Diego to Los Angeles Union Station (and vice versa for the return trip home). You can go from the downtown San Diego Station (Santa Fe Depot), Solana Beach, or Oceanside.
The journey from Santa Fe Depot takes three hours and costs $72 roundtrip, from Solana Beach is two hours and 15 minutes and costs $62 roundtrip, and from Oceanside takes two hours and $56 roundtrip. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on www.amtrak.com or their app.
Metrolink
The Metrolink can only be caught in Oceanside, and their schedule is a bit more limited than Amtrak. However, they have a great weekend deal that makes it worth it.
A few trains run daily, and the journey will take a little over two hours. You can check the schedule here: https://metrolinktrains.com. The weekend ticket deal is SWEET; it is $10 each way per person, AND kids ages 17 and under ride for free with a paying adult.
This means a family of four can take the train from San Diego up to Los Angeles for $40 on the weekend. PLUS, you avoid the traffic on the 5 – win-win!
Pro-tip on the Metrolink: You’ll buy your tickets from the Metrolink app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/metrolink/id1083843914 BUT they can only be purchased on the day of travel. Then, once you board the train, you will go back into the app to activate the tickets. Expect at some point in the journey to have someone come around and scan the QR code you received on each ticket once it has been activated.
Arriving at Union Station
I love Union Station. It was built in 1939 and has a rich history and an art deco style of architecture that feels very Gatsby-esque. We tend to rush through airports and train stations to reach our final destination. Still, Union Station is worth stopping and appreciating because it is stunningly beautiful.
Once you have finished admiring Union Station, you’ll make your way out through the main exit. We ended up Ubering to our hotel, and the ride-sharing service pickup is direct to your right upon exiting the main doors.
Where to Stay
You know your girl uses hotel points to book a one-night stay like this. There are a handful of options (best hotels to book with points in Los Angeles). At the moment, we are sitting on a stash of Hyatt points and Globalist status, so we opted for the Andaz West Hollywood
If you want to explore only the Downtown LA area, you are better off booking the Ritz, the JW Marriott, or the Conrad. But we also wanted to squeeze in some Hollywood sights, so the Andaz was great. Either way, you will need to use Uber to get around town. Our joke for the weekend was that no matter where you go, Uber will say it is 3 miles away and will take at least half an hour. Traffic in the city is no joke, so prep yourself for short journeys to take some time. Also, ensure you budget at least $100 for Uber or Lyft.
What to See
There is SO much to see in Los Angeles. We will need a ton more weekend trips to even begin to scratch the surface. Here are the sights we decided to see for this particular trip:
Hollywood
Since we were staying in Hollywood, we decided a trip to the Hollywood Walk of Fame was in order. Truth be told, the kids could have taken or left this part of the trip.
There were a few stars that they were mildly intrigued by (Big Bird, for example). For the most part, though, they were bored by this experience. There are also a lot of street performers on the Walk of Fame. Again, some of these they found interesting, but I don’t feel inclined to revisit this area again on future trips.
Tip: Next to Dolby Theater and the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is an outdoor mall called Hollywood & Highland. Inside this mall will be multiple lookout points that offer great views of the Hollywood sign in the distance.
Griffith Park
This was the main reason for our trip, and you’ll want to block out a lot of time to see this area. For a guide to all the park offers, check out their webpage: https://www.laparks.org/griffithpark/.
Griffith Park is home to the Los Angeles Zoo (which we decided to skip since we live so close to the famous San Diego Zoo), a train museum, bicycle rentals, views of the Hollywood sign, and the Griffith Observatory.
We opted to Uber to Griffith Park, but there is also a public bus called the DASH that leaves every 20 minutes from the Vermont/Sunset station. It makes one stop at the Greek Theater and a second at the Griffith Observatory. The ride is $.50 each way and takes about 25 minutes. Double-check the schedule here: https://www.ladottransit.com/dash/routes/observatory/observatory.html
Walking around the park is a definite must-do, but the highlight for us was the observatory. Admission was free, and there were many interactive science exhibits, shows, and telescopes. The views of Los Angeles from up here are BONKERS, and you can’t go wrong with a visit during the day or the night.
Some Things to Note
The Observatory hours are limited (they are closed Mondays), and Tuesdays-Fridays don’t open till noon. Weekend hours are great; they are open from 10 am-10 pm. Be sure to double-check the hours before you head out: https://griffithobservatory.org
Conclusion
Los Angeles is a dynamic city with so many entertaining activities for kiddos. The train is quick and affordable and adds an extra “we’re on a mini-vacation” vibe to the experience. Twenty-four hours may seem short, and it is! But it is doable for a fun weekend activity and will leave you eager to plan your next quick trip north!
