California Trips

[amnstypls]

Ha! Drive thru western Kansas friends. Or southern Illinois. Or all of Iowa.

You mofos got shit to see!

Been through Kansas and Iowa. I stand by what I said. Southern Illinois?? Never did dat.

[abovetheearth]

Oh gawd. You have to do it. For comparing/research. It's dreadful.

[cwhitmuzik]

i'm driving two hours from the top to bottom of virginia on thursday. that should be fun

[IanRees]

Here's another vote for in n out over any other burger place, but the real spot you gotta hit is titos tacos

[cwhitmuzik]

I mean obviously the food is the most important part of the trip right!?!

absolutely no sarcasm there at all.

my mom, dad, and i are real foodies but my sister's a pain in the ass so hopefully we can still get to some nice places.

[IanRees]

I'm a foodie so any trip I take I'm scouting the best food spots. The thing about LA food is you don't want the nice places, unless its the stinking rose, fogo de chao or lawrys.

If you like hot dogs obviously pinks should be on the list, Phillips or Coles for French dips & there are a million hole in the wall taco/burrito stands. Try and get a la street dog if you can, your best bet is usually later at night near sporting events or concerts.

[Shitty Rambo]

people who say in-n-out isn't good are just trying to go against the grain. fuckin' hipsters. in-n-out is the shit.

rambo's right. as much as i miss suburban southern california i can't think of a single damn thing that makes it unique. go to the beach, i guess. and you're not going to see jack shit between OC and SF. you should start farther south.

In N Out isn't bad at all. I don't eat red meat so I don't go there often (the grilled cheese is a good time though). I'm more of a Del Taco guy. I will bring home In N Out guts and toss a Boca patty in it. Gold!

It's true though, living in the Inland Empire is cool because everything worth a damn is within driving distance. I would hate to live in LA but at least the history their is interesting, the bay area is the only place in CA that gives a fuck about the bay area. Unless you like tech stuff and Fat Wreck there's not a whole lot going on there.

Bring sunscreen OP and use Google+/Street View to find cool restaurants. Too many places here over-charge for garbage. Trust your instincts. 9 times out of 10 the little hole in the wall Mexican joint will have a killer burrito/enchilada combo plate opposed whatever those clowns on Yelp! are recommending.

Don't eat at El Torito or El Tio Pepe. Do get Pink Berry if can and hit up Portillo's (best dogs ever, Pink's doesn't hold a candle to it) by Knots if you're in the area. Strawhat Pizza is legit too. California Pizza Kitchen is for bitches :3

[chamb117]

In N Out isn't bad at all. I don't eat red meat so I don't go there often (the grilled cheese is a good time though). I'm more of a Del Taco guy. I will bring home In N Out guts and toss a Boca patty in it. Gold!

It's true though, living in the Inland Empire is cool because everything worth a damn is within driving distance. I would hate to live in LA but at least the history their is interesting, the bay area is the only place in CA that gives a fuck about the bay area. Unless you like tech stuff and Fat Wreck there's not a whole lot going on there.

Bring sunscreen OP and use Google+/Street View to find cool restaurants. Too many places here over-charge for garbage. Trust your instincts. 9 times out of 10 the little hole in the wall Mexican joint will have a killer burrito/enchilada combo plate opposed whatever those clowns on Yelp! are recommending.

Don't eat at El Torito or El Tio Pepe. Do get Pink Berry if can and hit up Portillo's (best dogs ever, Pink's doesn't hold a candle to it) by Knots if you're in the area. Strawhat Pizza is legit too. California Pizza Kitchen is for bitches :3

 

i'm flying home next week and i told my best friend "first meal home is in-n-out or del." i eat stupid amounts of food when i go there. oh, and my girlfriend looooves in-n-out grilled cheeses. i love them too but i'd have to get like three of them to be full, unfortunately

[cwhitmuzik]

I'm a foodie so any trip I take I'm scouting the best food spots. The thing about LA food is you don't want the nice places, unless its the stinking rose, fogo de chao or lawrys.

If you like hot dogs obviously pinks should be on the list, Phillips or Coles for French dips & there are a million hole in the wall taco/burrito stands. Try and get a la street dog if you can, your best bet is usually later at night near sporting events or concerts.

There's actually a Fogo De Chao in DC. Love it, so delicious.

[jhook]

Walk over the Golden Gate bridge and stop half way through and think about everyone who has jumped off of it.

[tittus]

Little Luccas in San Bruno is ridiculous for sandwiches, some of the best I've ever had, but it's a little outside the city. Everyone will tell you to go to Ike's place for sandwiches, which is still good but not great IMO.

Thank you so so so much for this. Here now as just had the best sandwich I've ever tasted. It was incredible. Going to hit ameoba now.

[cwhitmuzik]

Guess I need to do that though. Excited.

When I find out what day I'm going to Amoeba I'll let you guys know, maybe I'll be able to meet up with some of ya'll.

[xadamhudsonx]

In N Out is gross. Go to say you went, but don't be surprised when you're underwhelmed.

Don't call it Cali.

The Getty is amazing. Also LACMA. If you're family is into weird shit there is also the Museum of Death.

Amoeba in LA or one of the two in SF. Obviously.

Santa Monica Pier and 3rd street promenade are worth an afternoon. Nice spots to walk around.

Malls in LA: The Grove (swanky outdoor mall plus an attached Farmers Market). Glendale Galleria or Beverly Center.

In SF: Best city to walk around in. I love it. Check out Loved To Death on Haight. Kooky taxidermy and oddity shop. Otherwise all the touristy stuff. Worth it.

As for your drive up: if you take the quick drive (the 5) it'll take about 4-5 hours and its a boring drive. If you take the 1 (PCH) it's an amazing drive up the coast. Crazy scenery. Lots of little places to stop. Small beach and cliff side towns. It"ll double your drive time though.

Also, if you make it over to San Jose check out the Winchester House. Crazy old lady build a crazy old house yada yada. Maybe haunted, stairs into the ceiling windows in the floors, doors to know where etc. Fun tour.

[Youinreverse]

Make sure you order you get your burger "Animal Style" when you go to In-N-Out.

[cwhitmuzik]

Didnt want to make the title even longer sorry Californians won't Cali it again!!!

[xadamhudsonx]

For sure order Animal Style if you want it to look like somebody barfed all over your burger and/or fries.

[circuit bored records]

Thank you so so so much for this. Here now as just had the best sandwich I've ever tasted. It was incredible. Going to hit ameoba now.

 

No problem, glad you enjoyed it!  Everyone I've ever recommended it to has yet to be let down and happy to hear that you're no different. It's definitely the best sandwich I ever had up North and in my overall top 3.  I miss living in the bay 

 

Also probably should have mentioned but I hope you got the dutch crunch!  Best bread ever!!!

[Questhate]

When are you going to be here? It can help us recommend some things that may be going on in the area when you're here. Here are some San Francisco suggestions:

 

In & Out

For sure stop into In & Out at least once during your trip. Screw the haters, those burgers are tasty as hell -- especially for fast food. Can you get a better burger at a diner? Of course you can. You can also get much worse at a diner too. 

 

But don't waste a meal on In & Out while you're in LA or SF, since there are plenty of places to eat. Wait until you do the 5-hour drive between the two cities to get your In & Out fix, because there will be nothing but fast food choices along the way (other than Harris Ranch or Andersen's Pea Soup).

 

Another great burger place in SF is Super Duper burger. I think there are about 3 locations, and they're a slight cut above In & Out. It's fast food burger fare, so don't expect anything gourmet (there are plenty of places in SF to get a $20 burger if that's your thing) but they are great.

 

Biking in San Francisco

Someone earlier mentioned that SF is a great town to walk around, and I'd be inclined to agree. Much better town to bike around because you can cover more ground that way. 

 

The best bike ride is from Embarcadero to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. You start at the Ferry Building, go along the Embarcadero, through Fisherman's Wharf, pass along Crissy Field then across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. You'll be biking along the water the entire time, with great views of the bay. Here is a map of the ride: http://goo.gl/maps/cdVAV . It's 10 miles round trip, so it will take a good part of a day.

 

There are two places to rent bikes, one is across the street from the Ferry Building (fancy market with eateries. Go on Saturday for an awesome farmer's market. Also try the macaroons at Miette). There will be bike rental vendors on the street. The other is at Sports Basement at the Presidio which is halfway into that ride. From there you can choose to go west and have a scenic bike ride along Crissy Field and across the Golden Gate Bridge, or go east and have a more touristy bike ride (with shops to stop at) through Fisherman's Wharf (lots of tourist shops. Get clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudin, and then a hot fudge sundae at Ghiradelli) and along the Embarcadero. 

 

Another bike ride would be in Golden Gate Park on Sundays. They close the park down to car traffic, so the park is filled with cyclists, roller skaters and pedestrians. Very cool, relaxed vibe. Bring along sandwiches for a picnic, or stop by San Tung right off the Lincoln Ave side of the park for some fantastic Chinese food (dried fried chicken wings are an SF staple). 

 

While you're in the park, check out the Academy of Sciences or the De Young Museum. They are right across from each other, so you can do both, or just see if you're in the mood for science or fine art. Both buildings were built fairly recently (within the last decade or so), so there are some cool features to each. Also, the De Young Museum has a tower that gives a pretty good view of the city (although best view of the city is from Twin Peaks. If you have a car, then take a drive up there on a clear, sunny day). Also, between the museums on Sundays is Sam's Chowder Mobile which has awesome lobster rolls. 

 

Record Stores

Your best shot is Amoeba in SF. It's huge, and it's in a neighborhood that you'd want to explore anyway. Have your folks drop you off as they make their way down the shops on Haight Street. Rasputin Records is about 2 blocks away, but this SF location isn't that great (the Berkeley location is amazeballs though). Then about 4 blocks past that is Recycled Records, which stocks only used records. 

 

Aquarius Records in the Mission is another good one, and it's in a pretty hip neighborhood (The Mission). It's very small, and you can get through it in about 20 minutes. But there are lots great restaurants in the area, and a nice walkable neighborhood in general. Actually, you should try a legit burrito while you're in California since you don't have many on the East Coast. My personal favorite burrito joint is Taqueria Cancun on Mission Street, or El Farolito if you can't make it there for some reason. Also there are some great ice cream shops in this vicinity (short drive) -- Bi-Rite Creamery is fancy artisan ice cream, Humphrey Slocombe specializes in odd flavors like Whiskey+Cornflakes or Jesus Juice, and then Mitchell's which has been around forever and is fantastic as well. 

 

Other ones to check out are Rasputin Records at Union Square (if you're touristing, you'll no doubt stop around Union Square at some point if only to check out the cable cars), or Streetlight Records on Market which is across from the Castro district (the gay district of SF). 

 

Other random sights:

-Twin Peaks -- Best view of SF. Make sure you go on a clear day.

-Bay Bridge -- They just installed a light exhibition on the Bay Bridge, so find a place along the Embarcadero to get a good view of the bridge. Maybe grab dinner at the Ferry Building beforehand.

-Exploratorium -- Science/Tech museum that just re-opened along the pier. It was my favorite place to go on field trips as a kid.

-Alcatraz -- As popularized by Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery movies, check out Alcatraz. Best part is that you have to take ferry over, so you'll get some nice views looking of SF.

-Stern Grove -- In the summer on Sundays, they have free concerts here. It's a really cool vibe, bring some picnic stuff (or better yet head a few miles to Little Lucca's in South San Francisco and grab sandwiches as someone suggested). They just had Deltron 3030 perform two weekends ago with an orchestra. Look at the schedule here: http://www.sterngrove.org/home/2013-season/

 

As far as food goes, way too many to recommend. Other than getting a Californian burrito, I'd for sure get a Vietnamese sandwich while you're here, and the best place is Saigon Sandwiches. Alexander's Steakhouse is probably the best steak in the city. House of Prime Rib is an old school style prime rib joint that's awesome as well. Wayfare Tavern is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. Brenda's Soul Kitchen is my favorite brunch joint. Foreign Cinema is a really cool spot in the Mission that projects old or foreign movies on a huge screen in the patio area. Burma Superstar is a Burmese joint that's one of my favorites as well. Honestly, there's way too many to name.

 

Anyway, I gotta run, but I'll add more recommendations later. 

[cwhitmuzik]

flight leaves on sunday i'll let you guys know what i end up doing!

[BuzzersonKillwell]

I'm doing the same thing. I'll be in LA the 4th, 5th and some of the 6th. San Luis Obispo on the 7th, Big Sur the 8th and San Francisco until the 14th. I'll check out the record stores listed for sure, wouldn't mind connecting with a few folks out there if time allows. 

 

Anyone going to see Mark Lanegan at the Troubadour? Anyway, real reason for the bump is unlike OP, I am of legal drinking age and I like beer. 

 

 

Get at me. Also seeking taco recommendations since I won't be far enough south to hit Tacos El Gordo this trip. 

[jhook]

I will be in the Bay area for a wedding in a couple weeks. I need to go record shopping.

[cwhitmuzik]

I'm doing the same thing. I'll be in LA the 4th, 5th and some of the 6th. San Luis Obispo on the 7th, Big Sur the 8th and San Francisco until the 14th. I'll check out the record stores listed for sure, wouldn't mind connecting with a few folks out there if time allows. 

 

Anyone going to see Mark Lanegan at the Troubadour? Anyway, real reason for the bump is unlike OP, I am of legal drinking age and I like beer. 

 

 

Get at me. Also seeking taco recommendations since I won't be far enough south to hit Tacos El Gordo this trip. 

That's exactly the same trip I did. Where are you staying in San Luis Obispo? The hotel we stayed in was legitimately the weirdest place I've ever stayed, hahaha.

[cwhitmuzik]

Also edited the OP to make it valid for everyone!

[BuzzersonKillwell]

That's exactly the same trip I did. Where are you staying in San Luis Obispo? The hotel we stayed in was legitimately the weirdest place I've ever stayed, hahaha.

 

I don't remember right now. One of the more popular ones on Tripadvisor Where did you stay? What was weird? 

 

Also, where did you stay in Big Sur? 

[amnstypls]

That's exactly the same trip I did. Where are you staying in San Luis Obispo? The hotel we stayed in was legitimately the weirdest place I've ever stayed, hahaha.

Madonna?