What to do in California om july

[hen]

Hello Californians, I am staying in Newport Beach in july and wondered if you have any tips on what to do. I really like to see some of your national parks, like Big sur on the pasific coastal hw. I Also like to visit museums and other historical slites, like the tar pits in LA. Car and motorcycle meets would Also be great. Finaly concerts or music festival Are Also interesting mostly of the harder kind like punk and heavy rock. Any sugestions Are much apreciated thank you.

 

[sheepdoll]

They say that to many 100 years is a short time. For those of us on the west coast 100 miles is a short distance. Be prepaird for long drives to get to places.

Plenty to do in the southern part of the state. Sylmar has the Nethercut collection which is mostly cars. There is a second part which one needs to make arrangements for which is a Museum of industrial arts. There they have one of the largest pipe organs, The rest of is is pretty amazing.

Nethercuts founded Merl Norman cosmetics, most of the cars were purchased new. They also have private rail cars.

The Desert is also worth a visit. Getting a bit late in the season. There are places where one can rent ATVs and such. Some parks are for offload use.

There are the usual amusement parks, so called studio tours and the other usual stuff that can be found almost anywhere. For the more offbeat there is Griffin park and the Descanso gardens in Flintridge.

Concerts and stuff are also found in the usual places. Vegas is a day trip away.

The central cost up to Santa Barbara is also nice. They have a wine growing district there. Much closer than Big Sur which is 100s of miles from S.California. These parks are popular at this time of year. Reservations are a must. The Hearst castle is well worth a visit.

South to San Diego also has a lot of attractions.

I myself am located 500 miles to the north near the wine country and of course San Francisco. Which is a world apart.

 

[hen]

Thank you so much sheepdoll, I Will check those places out.

 

[RevZMan123]

sheepdoll

They say that to many 100 years is a short time. For those of us on the west coast 100 miles is a short distance. Be prepaird for long drives to get to places.

Plenty to do in the southern part of the state. Sylmar has the Nethercut collection which is mostly cars. There is a second part which one needs to make arrangements for which is a Museum of industrial arts. There they have one of the largest pipe organs, The rest of is is pretty amazing.

Nethercuts founded Merl Norman cosmetics, most of the cars were purchased new. They also have private rail cars.

The Desert is also worth a visit. Getting a bit late in the season. There are places where one can rent ATVs and such. Some parks are for offload use.

There are the usual amusement parks, so called studio tours and the other usual stuff that can be found almost anywhere. For the more offbeat there is Griffin park and the Descanso gardens in Flintridge.

Concerts and stuff are also found in the usual places. Vegas is a day trip away.

The central cost up to Santa Barbara is also nice. They have a wine growing district there. Much closer than Big Sur which is 100s of miles from S.California. These parks are popular at this time of year. Reservations are a must. The Hearst castle is well worth a visit.

South to San Diego also has a lot of attractions.

I myself am located 500 miles to the north near the wine country and of course San Francisco. Which is a world apart.

I did a drive from San Diego to San Mateo once and it was so striking to see so much change in a relatively short amount of time. But that was like 20+ years ago, so I'm sure much has changed since then.

Edited: Jun 29, 2023

 

[hen]

RevZMan123

I did a drive from San Diego to San Mateo once and it was so striking to see some much change in a relatively short amount of time. But that was like 20+ years ago, so I'm sure much has changed since then.

Did you drive the pasific coastal high way? I would like to drive there, it looks like a fantastic road with great scenery

 

[calalum]

hen

Hello Californians, I am staying in Newport Beach in july and wondered if you have any tips on what to do. I really like to see some of your national parks, like Big sur on the pasific coastal hw. I Also like to visit museums and other historical slites, like the tar pits in LA. Car and motorcycle meets would Also be great. Finaly concerts or music festival Are Also interesting mostly of the harder kind like punk and heavy rock. Any sugestions Are much apreciated thank you.

Instead of the La Brea Tarpits and LACMA, head downtown and go to the Broad and also choose from LOTS of great restaurants. Way too hot to go to the desert in July, but maybe Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez, and Big Sur if the roads are open. Hiking in Malibu is fun. And go to the Hollywood Bowl and see a concert. Great historical venue.

 

[calalum]

hen

Did you drive the pasific coastal high way? I would like to drive there, it looks like a fantastic road with great scenery

PCH going north of LA is much nicer than the roads to the south.

 

[josiahg52]

I'd head north to Lassen County for the fair. It's a great part of the state. People leave you alone, let you live your life, it's not jam-packed with idiots, or people. Just beautiful up there.

 

[sheepdoll]

RevZMan123

I did a drive from San Diego to San Mateo once and it was so striking to see some much change in a relatively short amount of time. But that was like 20+ years ago, so I'm sure much has changed since then.

My cousin lived in Santa Ynez. Was almost 200 miles exactly from my Driveway in Santa Clara to her driveway. I always found that amusing.

Solvang is cute, but one gets tired of it quickly. I like the Mission La Purisima near Lompoc. If one times it right they can see a rocket launch (Usually SpaceX) from Vandenburg.

The PCH is well worth the drive. Especially the parts between Big Sur and SF. That in itself can be an undertaking. Would be the main trip and not a side trip. The road is fairly stable in the summer. In the winter parts of it fall into the ocean. They call it devils slide for a reason.

CA is one for extremes. Should really be 3 or 4 states. Shasta and Lassen are more Oregon than California. (The future state of Jefferson?) Still one needs to get the water from somewhere. Actually the CA aqueduct is one of the longest on the planet. Mostly gravity fed, the siphons can be seen off of HW 5. (which I do not recommend.)

I left out the Sierras Yosemite, Tahoe etc Intentionally. These are now pretty much urban, and can be as crowded as any large metropolitan area. If one does go to Yosemite, Hetch Hetchy is interesting. Provides the water to SF 100s of miles away.

Back in the 1990s I got some Omegas from the pawn shop at Hollywood and vine. Not sure which ones they are. I think the Türler was one of them. The surplus stores can be fun. I got some great stuff in one of the Santa Ynez charity shops years ago. One has to get out of the tourist districts. Some of the old drive in theaters run flea market during the day. All my info is about 30 years out of date.

 

[josiahg52]

Yes, the Jefferson movement is VERY popular in Lassen.

Did you guys know half of Oregon wants to become part of Idaho?

I agree the PCH is worth it. I'd stay out of the valley, Tahoe, and Frisco. L.A. will probably annoy you with how busy it is, traffic. San Diego is a little better but the 8 near Point Loma can be a nightmare at times.

 

[pdxleaf]

Monterey aquarium is good.
Whale watching boat out of Monterey.
Carmel is nice.
Sequoia Natl park is nice but it's a drive inland.

 

[wagudc]

The Monterey area is great. The aquarium is great, and touristy in a cute non-cheesy way. If you get to San Francisco and want to drive another 5.5 hours North you get to Humboldt County where I live. It is home to the tallest trees in the world: Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwood National Park, etc. We also have the highest number of artist per capita of any county in California. We have lots of murals, and great old Victorian homes. You can get a flavor for the area by watching The Craftsman https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15423280/ which is filmed in our area.

 

[pdxleaf]

wagudc

The Monterey area is great. The aquarium is great, and touristy in a cute non-cheesy way. If you get to San Francisco and want to drive another 5.5 hours North you get to Humboldt County where I live. It is home to the tallest trees in the world: Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwood National Park, etc. We also have the highest number of artist per capita of any county in California. We have lots of murals, and great old Victorian homes. You can get a flavor for the area by watching The Craftsman https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15423280/ which is filmed in our area.

You're in Humboldt? I missed that. Lucky you!



Redwoods are a must see for anyone who has never seen one.

If OP wants to drive a bit north into Oregon, you can stay in a tree house.

 

[wagudc]

pdxleaf

If OP wants to drive a bit north into Oregon, you can stay in a tree house.

I have drove through Cave Junction many many times and had no idea these were there. They seem pretty cool.

Humboldt is expensive, but a lot cheaper than much of the rest of California and Portland for that matter. The out of control weed business has settled down a lot post legalization. People aren't growing in homes nearly as much, and you don't hear about violence associated with it like you used to. It does still contribute to the local economy in a significant way. It also brings in a lot of people from around the world to work in the business. It's a small rural community but I play soccer with Argentinians, Spanards, Costa Ricans, Jamacians, and Columbians. All are really cool guys, some are here legitimately but I know others work trimming the weed.

 

[josiahg52]

I haven't been to Monterey since I was in high school in the 90s but it was very nice. I'd go back there, I guess.

 

[pdxleaf]

wagudc

I have drove through Cave Junction many many times and had no idea these were there. They seem pretty cool.

Humboldt is expensive, but a lot cheaper than much of the rest of California and Portland for that matter. The out of control weed business has settled down a lot post legalization. People aren't growing in homes nearly as much, and you don't hear about violence associated with it like you used to. It does still contribute to the local economy in a significant way. It also brings in a lot of people from around the world to work in the business. It's a small rural community but I play soccer with Argentinians, Spanards, Costa Ricans, Jamacians, and Columbians. All are really cool guys, some are here legitimately but I know others work trimming the weed.

I remember the donuts and pizza shop next to Humboldt State when we visited. They knew their customers

 

[GuiltunderGlass]

As others have mentioned, but just reiterating and offering my take as a native Californian.
Drive up 1 along the coast and hit Big Sur and Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, etc. well worth it. Petersen Auto Museum is fun, in LA if you're into cars.
NorCal Mexican food is better than SoCal, but seems like may not get quite that far up north.
If you do get up to to the Bay Area, skip Fisherman's wharf and Union Square.

 

[Foo2rama]

You’re litterally in my town.
What dates and what interests? Food wants etc.

 

[joeshoup]

hen

Did you drive the pasific coastal high way? I would like to drive there, it looks like a fantastic road with great scenery

PCH is very beautiful. You should be aware that part of it is still closed due to road damage from our huge storms this year, so you can't drive all the way to Monterey on Highway 1. I second the recommendation for Hearst Castle and Santa Barbara, we visited both earlier this month! The La Brea tar pits are cool and are right next to LA's LACMA museum if you like that kind of thing!

Also, bring a sweater. The coast can be foggy and cool any time of year, even in southern California. It can be 18c at the beach and 40c a few miles inland!

 

[Watch my Whisky]

GuiltunderGlass

NorCal Mexican food is better than SoCal

The only thing Northern California does better than Southern California is weed, not Mexican food (not ever).

Fight me.