Next May, my niece is getting married in Las Vegas. We’ve decided to take advantage of the opportunity and also visit Los Angeles, Anaheim and some of California’s well-known beaches, whilst we’re over there. We’ve started to plan our trip, so I thought I’d share our plans with you on here with you.
The flights
We’ve already booked our flights with Virgin Atlantic. We got a great deal by booking through American Express. They were just under £500 each. We fly from Heathrow to Las Vegas and the return flight is from LA to Heathrow. Virgin has recently changed their economy service to provide three different options (just to make life more confusing!) and we’ve booked Economy Classic, meaning that we get a baggage allowance and are able to book our seats in advance.
Las Vegas
Before we had kids, Las Vegas was one of our favourite places to visit and we used to go quite a bit. We’ve only been once since having kids – we took Oscar when he was about 9 months.
Although Las Vegas isn’t really geared up for kids, there’s still plenty to keep us busy. We’re planning to stop at the Mirage Hotel, which has a great pool. There’s also a good selection of family-friendly restaurants and the Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat, which I think the kids will enjoy.
Whilst in Vegas we’re also planning to visit:
The home of ‘Pawn Stars’ the TV show
We’ll also explore some of the other hotels. I think the kids will particularly enjoy The Venetian, New York, New York, Excalibur and Luxor.
The road trip – Las Vegas to Los Angeles
We’re planning to hire a car and drive from Las Vegas to LA. With three kids, who have a tendency to bicker on car journeys, this may not be the best idea, but hopefully if we plan it carefully it be bit more bearable!
We’re going to make lots of stops along the way and are considering some of the following places:
Baker – to see the world’s largest thermometer
I’ve also recently found this site, which provides info on a range of places to stop.
Los Angeles
We’re planning on having three or four days in LA and are planning to stop at the DoubleTree Suites Santa Monica, which is situated in a great location, isn’t too expensive and they will allow us to have all five of us in one room. As a family of five we often struggle to find hotels who allow this, so it’s a real bonus when they do. Simon and I have been to LA a couple of times before and we love Santa Monica. It’s a great base for families. The beach is great and the pier has lots of rides and attractions for the kids. There’s also lots of family-friendly bars and restaurants away from the pier.
Whilst staying in LA, we’re also planning to visit:
Hollywood
Beverley Hills
Manhattan Beach
Anaheim
After we’ve explored LA, we’re planning to stay at Anaheim for five nights. We’ve booked to stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Anaheim – Orange County we’ve chosen to stay here as it’s located next to the The Outlets at Orange, which is apparently a decent shopping and entertainment venue. The hotel also provides a complimentary shuttle to Disneyland and again, they will let all five of us stay in a hotel room.
Obviously the main attraction in Anaheim is Disneyland! We’re planning to spend two days exploring the Disney parks – one day in the main park and one day at the Adventure Park. The other days, we’re planning to explore the beaches and are keen to visit Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Depending on how we get on, we may go to Knotts Berry Farm, but we’re still undecided.
As you can see we’ve made a good start on the planning front. However, we’re definitely open to suggestions. We’d love it if you could let us know your recommendations.
Jemma x
