So, my middle child has asked that instead of the school senior trip to WDW, can we take her ourselves to DLR and spend a day doing some of the “True Crime” tours in LA.
I honestly don’t blame them, the school trip is kinda pricey, and very rushed. Plus, you have to share a room, you don’t get to choose your roomie, and as a non binary LGBTQ person, it’s a little scary.
So, I figure it would be a great way for me to learn about DLR too.
How doable is a day in Downtown LA?
Also, if anyone has any experience on these type of tours, that would be great. They specifically want to see the Cecil Hotel, The Biltmore, as well as any of the other Black Dahlia sites.
We did a day in downtown LA last time at DLR. But keep in mind the drive from the resort is filled with nasty traffic. I’d consider switching from DLR to a hotel in downtown for your day.
We didn’t do any set tours. Just wandered on foot, as well as drove to different spots. Parking was plentiful downtown.
I hope your middle child has a great time!!
Kind of depends on how long your trip is. If you’ve never been to DLR before, you’ll need at least 3 days, preferably 4, there if you want to do everything. A day trip to LA is feasible, but it would be a long day. It’s only 30 miles or so away, but given LA traffic it will be a 1-1.5 hour drive (and if there’s a major accident, longer). I would definitely recommend doing this on a weekend as the traffic will probably be a bit lighter.
I’ve never done any city tours there so I recommend that you look into the various tour companies and find one that you like. I’m assuming that there are both half and full day tours available. LA is not an easy city to navigate on your own and it takes longer to get anywhere than you think it would, so I wouldn’t recommend doing it on your own unless you have lots of time to spare.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but maybe someone with first-hand experience with the kind of tours you’re looking for may chime in.
Thanks!
Yes, the plan would be to do 3 days at DLR and then move to a hotel in LA.
I’ve been to CA before but only San Diego/Carlsbad area, so LA is a completely different animal and I know it.
Would probably fly into SNA and leave via LAX.
Sounds soooo fun!!! And totally doable. On a blocked day we took the Amtrak from Anaheim ARTIC station to Union Station in downtown LA then took the Metro redline to Hollywood. I don’t think it was more than $25 round-trip. I want to say there is a Haunted Hollywood tour too. Tells of crimes/hauntings of the super old theaters and Hotels
I second the recommendations above. Don’t try to navigate on your own - driving is a hassle. I don’t recall if you have an ECV or mobility limitation in your family, if so that complicates things. But between mass transit, Uber/Lyft, walking, and tour buses, you should be able to get wherever you want to go.
Try to time intercity travel between 10am-2pm or after 7pm (or even later if possible). Once you’re in the downtown / Hollywood area, travel between points of interest isn’t as bad, even at rush hour, but there are choke points that savvy drivers should know how to get around.
Normally yes we do, but this trip would just be middle child and I. It’s the youngest with the mobility issues. That’s good info for the future, though, so thanks!!
