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[KeRaSh]

Hey LAGAF / HonoluluGAF! My wife and I are going to L.A. and Honolulu for our summer vacation this year in September and would like some recommendations on what to do / see and what to eat from locals or people who've been there before.

Our first stop will be a three day stay in downtown L.A.

- What is there to see and do besides the obvious tourist attractions?
- Which restaurants and bars should we definitely check out?
- What's the best area to go shopping?
- What's the best way to get around town?
- Are there some nice areas to run? I'm running a half marathon two days after we get back from our vacation so I'd like to get some miles in before the race. (Jetlag will kick my ass anyways...)

After that we'll spend another ten days on Oahu (Waikiki, near the Honolulu Zoo)

- What are the nicest beaches?
- Food recommendations?
- Which place has the best Mai Tai?
- Snorkeling recommendations? Turtles are my favorite animals and I'd love to see one in the open up close.
- Any scenic running / hiking routes?
- What's the best way to get around? Does it make sense to book a bus tour to see other parts of the island? If so, what are some good agencies and what are some must see places?

This will be our first time visiting the West Coast. Let me know what we should look out for!

 

[Clydefrog]

Bump for the poor guy.

I'm sure if you search on GAF, you'll find various "going to LA/Hawaii" threads with some great info.

Youre going to be on Oahu for 10 days? I would definitely rent a car. Spend a day on the North Shore. Laniakea Beach is famous for its turtle-viewing.

 

[KeRaSh]

Bump for the poor guy.

I'm sure if you search on GAF, you'll find various "going to LA/Hawaii" threads with some great info.

Youre going to be on Oahu for 10 days? I would definitely rent a car. Spend a day on the North Shore. Laniakea Beach is famous for its turtle-viewing.

Yes, 10 days on Oahu. We thought about splitting up our stay to see another island but we went on some smaller vacations already this year and decided to save the money and check out the other islands another time.

Thanks! I'll put Laniakea Beach on the list.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

LA = In N Out and Roscoes Chicken and Waffles.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

Sugarfish in downtown for some sushi. Check out Little Tokyo for some ramen. El Taurino for their tacos. Gotta get that red sauce. Go a little more west and hit up some kbbq places. Silverlake has microbreweries. It's been a minute since i lived in LA. Can't remember all the names.


I used to do my hiking and running in griffith park. Start from the greek theatre or the merry go rounds and get up to the observatory.

Hit up the grove on la brea or the Americana in glendale for your shopping needs. Or hit up the promenade in santa monica. May as well run on the
beach there if you do go that far west.

Oh, and i hope the Getty's on your itinerary, both the center and the villa.

 

[TestMonkey]

So if you're staying near the zoo you're actually staying in Waikiki.

 

[hateradio]

LA = In N Out and Roscoes Chicken and Waffles.

Pretty sure Roscoe's is going bankrupt so it may be too late for September.


Also, as far as months go in LA, September is one of the worst. It's dry-ish. They days are kinda short. The smog just makes the whole place kinda pink/orange more so than at other times.

Kinda gross all around.

 

[Shogmaster]

Sugarfish in downtown for some sushi. Check out Little Tokyo for some ramen. El Taurino for their tacos. Gotta get that red sauce. Go a little more west and hit up some kbbq places. Silverlake has microbreweries. It's been a minute since i lived in LA. Can't remember all the names.


I used to do my hiking and running in griffith park. Start from the greek theatre or the merry go rounds and get up to the observatory.

Hit up the grove on la brea or the Americana in glendale for your shopping needs. Or hit up the promenade in santa monica. May as well run on the
beach there if you do go that far west.

Oh, and i hope the Getty's on your itinerary, both the center and the villa.

For fuck sakes don't go to that pretentious POS sushi place called Sugarfish. Tiny portions drowning in sauce is what passes for sashimi there. $50 meal will leave you hungry and angry. There are metric tons of better sushi places in LA for reasonable price than Sugarfish. Sugarfish is only for hipsters who thinks they know sushi.

 

[breakfuss]

LA = In N Out and Roscoes Chicken and Waffles.

Roscoes got shut down lol

 

[Clydefrog]

Pretty sure Roscoe's is going bankrupt so it may be too late for September.


Also, as far as months go in LA, September is one of the worst. It's dry-ish. They days are kinda short. The smog just makes the whole place kinda pink/orange more so than at other times.

Kinda gross all around.

"have fun though!"

 

[KeRaSh]

Thanks for all the recommendations.
September was the only month my wife and I both could take two weeks off at the same time.

 

[Measley]

Pearl Harbor is nice to visit on Oahu. Lots of cool history.

I would also recommend taking a hike through the mountains of Oahu. It's beautiful up there.

 

[Trident]

Eat as much poke as possible in Hawaii and in life.

 

[hateradio]

"have fun though!"

Did I lie though? Sorry, OP.

"Fall" is pretty awful here.

 

[Lemming_JRS]

Having a car is key in LA if you want to get nearly anywhere, but if you're staying downtown, the Expo Line lightrail is finally complete, so you can take the train from downtown LA to the beach in Santa Monica; it drops you off right by the pier and takes about 30-40 minutes. https://www.metro.net/riding/maps/expo-line/ But definitely rent a car!

Downtown, Grand Central Market is a good place to stop for some good food: Eggslut for breakfast (be ready for massive lines) or Wexler's Deli for lunch w/a stop at McConnell's for ice cream. Little Tokyo is worth a visit for ramen or sushi. Sushi Gen is a popular place with no-frills but fresh fish; you can try Sushi Zo if you want something higher end. Koreatown is a short drive away from downtown if you prefer grilled meats to sushi. And since you're on NeoGAF I'll assume you like videogames, so you should check out the 82 barcade: http://eightytwo.la/

Food-wise, LA has a ton of phenomenal restaurants - Jonathan Gold's list is a good reference point. Not everything on this list is a super-expensive high end joint, so check it out: http://guides.latimes.com/101-best-restaurants-map-jonathan-gold/ You can also try the Eater list: http://la.eater.com/maps/best-los-angeles-restaurants-38 My favorite sushi place, Kiriko, appears on both lists. Take that for what you will.

I'm not a runner myself, but Griffith Park has some great places to run. If it's too hot, you can always head to the beach and run along the bike path which runs from Pacific Palisades through Torrance (about 15 miles): http://file.lacounty.gov/dbh/cms1_149605.pdf There are also tons of hikes and trails in the Santa Monica mountains: http://www.modernhiker.com/area-maps/santa-monica-mountains/

 

[Clydefrog]

Eat as much poke as possible in Hawaii and in life.

truer words have never been spoken. gorge yourself on fresh fish!

If you want local/tourist flavor, visit Tamashiro Market, which is about 10 minutes outside of Waikiki. I would NOT recommend going to Tsukiji's @ Ala Moana shopping center. It's an overpriced buffet that steals the fame from Japan's famous Tsukiji fish market.

The Willows is also a decently priced buffet right outside of Waikiki, in downtown Honolulu. It'd be a $5 uber ride from your hotel. Their buffet is sooo good. Everyone steals the ahi though

 

[Snarfington]

Oahu is so lovely. I can't speak too much for Honolulu, but I can say if you're feeling historical I recommend doing the tour of the 'Iolani Palace which is really well put-together and very informative, if a bit touristy for my liking. Definitely worth doing.

 

[Mdk7]

As I was saying in a different thread, I recently discovered by change an amazing place: a library called The Last Bookstore, and it's really one hell of a place.
If you're into weird books and art (or if you feel like buying a book signed by Hemingway himself...), it's really really really worth a visit.

I mean... just take a look.

It's in the downtown area, do not miss it!

 

[KeRaSh]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I will look up every single place that has been mentioned and make a list. Can't wait to try all the great food!
There's been a lot of Sushi recommendations. I love mexican food. Any places I definitely should check out while we're in L.A.?