Top Five Affordable Day Trips for Students in Southern California
Post Date: October 04, 2011
Tinsel Town
All around Los Angeles are places to go and things to see. Chinatown is a 16-square block explosion of sights, sounds and smells located just a few minutes drive from downtown. Visitors can spend all day just walking in and out of little mom and pop shops full of exotic spices and imports. Other attractions around town include the Santa Monica Pier, with their free summer concerts series, Griffith Park Observatory with its long list of movie credits from Rebel Without a Cause to Transformers, and Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum where you can see all your favorite stars in one place.
Solvang Danish Village
If you drive north out of Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll be treated to some of the best ocean views in California. Once you hit Santa Ynez Valley, near Santa Barbara, you can stop and treat yourself to something else at the Solvang Danish Village. Here visitors can check out the historic buildings and museums dedicated to the Scandinavian immigrants who settled in the area in 1911.
The Getty Museum Center
This free museum is located on a hillside overlooking LA. Once you arrive, a parking garage is available for your vehicle, and then a monorail speeds you into the Getty complex. You can spend the day wandering the four buildings, learning about art, architecture and classic gardens.
San Diego’s 59-Mile Scenic Drive
If you follow the road signs provided, you can make a drive around the city, seeing all the highlights, in about two hours, but only if you don’t stop too often. That may be easier said than done with interesting things to see and do at every corner. Harbor Island, Mission Bay Aquatic Park, La Jolla Cove Park & Cave, Junipero Serra Muesum, and Old Town State Historic Park are just a few of the places listed along this beautiful route. Look for the complete Scenic Drive at SanDiego.org.
Heritage Valley Highway 126 Road Trip
This scenic highway drive offers, literally, a little taste of everything. The route begins at Santa Clarita, just north of LA, and travels west to Ventura. All along the way are national landmarks, produce stands, orchards and history museums. Find out more at DayTrippen.com/heritage-valley.html. For extra sunshine, head north out of Ventura to the James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center, located in Laguna Canyon.
With fun things to do around every curve, it’s easy to just take a drive and make some memories in the California sun.
Photo credits: Endless Stressless Summer by Keoni Cabral/flickr; Solvang, CA 102509Su by vmiramontes/flickr
About the author: Thomas Masterson is a travel-loving career consultant and content contributor for a website featuring the best colleges and their ratings and reviews. It also provides information on a multitude of specialty programs, such as online msw degrees.
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