september in LA

[diane & paul]

hello i was wondering if anyone could share a little information regarding our holiday for next year.
we are having a fly drive from the UK to LA and then we would like to travel round part of California stopping at different places for either 1 or 2 nights. would it be best to book the hotels before we travel or when we arrive there. any information would be highly appreciated.

Sounds like a great holiday! While you can usuallly find a hotel room without much notice, it's a good idea to book ahead if you know your itinerary well, particularly if you're looking to stay in trendier places. You should definitely book in advance at least for Labor Day Weekend (first weekend in September - most businesses are closed on Monday) if you'll be here then, since that's a very popular travel weekend and many vacation spots become completely booked, especially in smaller towns without much lodging (like Avalon, which is a fun small town on Catalina Island which isn't far from Long Beach, accessible by ferry or helicopter), Santa Barbara, etc.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Mendocino is a bit a drive from LA, but one of our favorite north coast towns. Our lodging choice is the Stanford Inn -- http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/stanford.htm

On the other end of the state -- The La Jolla Cove is warm southern california beach hang-out.