Where/what to drink/do in LA for a day?

WINE TALK
1

So the wife & I are heading to LA most likely May 3rd at night for a wedding. (flying into SNA airport, staying at/wedding is at Westin South Coast (in Orange county?)

May 4th - Saturday is the wedding of her friend… she’s a bridesmaid so will probably be occupied most of the day. I’ll be bored senseless (but i do have access to a car)… so help:
What’s there to do in LA for a day until dinner time? Any wineries? or wine bars? or events that day? go to disney and meet Micky?

May 5th - Sunday. I was thinking of leaving early, driving to Joshua Tree (2 hours) visit for 4-5 hours, then 2 hrs back to airport (SNA) and flight home around 7pm. is that reasonable? or is 4-5 hours at Joshua Tree not nearly enough/not worth while to bother?

Thanks folks!
[cheers.gif]

2

You’re in Orange County not Los Angeles :p. find some OC ppl to get lunch and wine with!

Or go shopping at south coast plaza which is right across from you. I think they have a wine bar there too

3

Agreed - OC is not LA. Keep in mind it could take you well over 2 hours to get back to the OC for dinner on Saturday night.

Also, driving back from Joshua Tree to the OC on a Sunday late afternoon is going to take you WAY more than 2 hours. You’d spend the entire day in the car.

Best to find some things to do the OC. I hear they have beaches there. [snort.gif]

4

Man… bummer about Joshua Tree… :frowning: thanks for the note tho… better know now then being stuck on the road!

Edit: wife said: let’s go to Disneyland for a day…

ahm. tell me this is a bad idea? [head-bang.gif]

5

Yes, bad idea, especially on a weekend…

6

disneyland for a day? so you’ll get maybe get in 4 rides with all the waits on a saturday. Then she has to do all her bridesmaids stuff?

I’m confused. Are you bringing your kids?

7

You should check out a wine tasting at Hi-Time in Costa Mesa Saturday afternoon. Newport Beach is nearby for sight-seeing before or after. Avoid those towns on Sunday, however, because that is the day of the O.C. Marathon.

8

Sorry, Disney would be Sunday - free day… late night flight back to Seattle. (disney to replace Joshua Tree on Sunday)
no kiddos… yet. :slight_smile:

Hi-Time… aren’t they board folks here? 5 miles from hotel. great idea. :slight_smile:

9

veronica is a board member here. you should go to hi times for a drink and Shunka is right next door for a great lunch omakase.

10

Hi Time has tastings Thursday through Saturday nights, though what the producer / region / theme will be that night is unknown, and you won’t find out until shortly before (they are announced for the month right around the beginning of the month).

Another good wine hangout spot is the Wine Gallery in Corona del Mar (a neighborhood of the City of Newport Beach), which has a nice tasting bar, a good selection of some tastings or wines by the glass, and a good small wine shop.

I agree with the general sentiment above – you’ll be better off doing something around here than driving round trip somewhere far that day and trying to get back for an evening flight, though of course it’s up to you to decide what interests you. Los Angeles would be a lot more doable for your day Sunday, if you don’t find anything that interests you around here, as compared to driving east to the desert. Sunday night, there is often a lot of traffic heading back west towards LA and OC, people coming home from Vegas, from Palm Springs area, from offroading or boating in the desert areas, etc.

11

If you have a car, consider driving to Laguna. Walk around the downtown area and then head a bit south to the Montage for a glass or two.

12

Yeah, I would say don’t bother the extra driving to get to LA. There are better places up here :slight_smile:, but there are places in OC that that crew can steer you to. Personally, I might make a quick visit to Hi-times and then concentrate on getting in some coastal/beach time in Laguna.
Unlike others, I don’t think Disneyland is a terrible idea for Sunday. It really depends upon whether you have been before and have other chances to go. We locals have many more opportunities so avoid certain times. You would be spending the $ on a limited visit, but if you’ve never been or very rarely go, what the heck.

13

As the others have pointed out, OC is not really LA. Why are you only spending a weekend there? If you added a couple of days to your visit, you could make a most excellent trip. As it stands, you only have enough time to visit the Richard Milhous Nixon Library. You can do better than that.