8. SoCal

Beaches, spas and Route 66. Plus, you might be surprised to hear there are world class farmers markets to explore as well!

This episode is a little different to normal with May talking to three different experts on the 'SoCal' experience. We start our Southern Californian trip in San Diego, before moving to Palm Springs and ending in Santa Monica!

Hear advice from locals in the know, with expertise on everything from travelling,  to eating, to shopping,

For a free factsheet on SoCal, email May at her website:  https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/may.swan-easton

Transcript

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Iconic beaches, rejuvenating spas, and the end of route 66. Plus you might be surprised to hear there are world-class farmer's markets to explore. Welcome to episode eight of travels with May

I'm May Swan-Easton. And you're going to find this episode a little bit. As we explore the so Cal triangle, Southern California's best road trip includes three amazing and unique regions all within a few hours. Drive. No keep listening, because I'll be telling you how you can download a free fact sheet on the whole experience, but let's get going with my three guests today.

Ben Eastman, Gary Orfield and Todd Mitsui, Hassell all with their individual expertise on the so-called expert.

We start our adventure in San Diego with Ben who's director of tourism development at San Diego tourism authority. So Ben, whysouthern California?. Oh, um, well, you know, I would say California should definitely be on your list 100%. And, uh, you know, San Diego is, is on the top of the California list as well. Um, when I talk about San Diego, I always say there's a little bit of something in San Diego for everybody.

The only thing that we truly don't have in, in San Diego is downhill skiing. And to be honest, within a couple of hours drive, you can even get that during the winter time. Uh, no matter who you are, whether you're a couple of family seniors, so, you know, girlfriend group, boyfriend group, there's something that's happening in the destination, um, that, that you will enjoy.

Um, so I'll, I'll maybe highlight some of those things for you. Uh, On the attraction front, we have, uh, certainly a number of major attractions. The San Diego zoo is a very popular, um, very well-known well-known zoo from around the world. They also operate the safari park, which is about a 40 minute drive outside of downtown, uh, SeaWorld San Diego was the first sea road that was ever created.

Uh, and, uh, it was a great experience right on the bay. The water. They've got a great mixture of rollercoasters and shows and education and animals. They also operate during the summer months, the aquatic, a waterpark, which is about 20 minutes south of downtown. Uh, the USS midway is an aircraft carrier museum.

It's one of the most popular aircraft carrier museums in the country. Uh, really interesting, uh, military history, but also very, hands-on so great for families. Uh, great for people who love the military. You can sit in the cockpits of, uh, jet planes and helicopters and push all the buttons. They really encourage you to, uh, experience what it was like to live on an aircraft carrier.

And then lastly, uh, Lego Cal, uh, Legoland, California, uh, is a little bit north of downtown San Diego, uh, over 60 different rides. It's not just about Legos. It's about rides. They have a water park as well during the summer. And the Sealife aquarium. So lots of, if you're, if you're really focused on attractions, uh, those definitely have lots of options here.

Uh, but you know, we're also very well known for our beaches, 70 miles of beaches, seven miles of coastline, uh, whether you just want to sit on a, on a beautiful Rocky beach and enjoy the, the, the waves and the ocean. Or whether you want to be sunbathing or surfing or kayaking. Um, there's lots of options up and down the coast of San San Diego.

Um, we're definitely well known for that. Uh, and really the, the, the vibe of the Southern California vibe really comes through in San Diego. People are very relaxed, um, very welcoming to, to each other, to visitors. Um, and we all just want to have a good time and enjoy the space that we're in. It's easy enough to get around San Diego.

Yeah. Um, especially for the British, um, coming to the U S and coming to San Diego, we do have typically a non-stop, uh, daily flight on British airways from Heathrow. Um, and if you haven't been to California before, let me just tell you why that's exciting. Um, typically if you're coming into California, Uh, you're flying into Los Angeles or San Francisco, which are great airports, but they are huge airports with lots of international flights arriving at the same time.

Uh, you may take you awhile to get through the queue in immigration because you're there at the same time as hundreds of other people from other countries that are trying to get through. Typically in San Diego, uh, the British airways is the only international flight that's arriving at that time. So you're the only one going through the queue.

It's a much faster transition through the airport, getting your bags, and then we're actually a city airport. So you're within 10 minutes drive downtown once you've arrived at the airport. So it's a much easier experience, especially after you know, 10, 12 hours, uh, on an airplane. You just want to get to your hotel and unpack and relax.

California is definitely a driving destination. We all love the drive. There's lots of places that you want to go. Uh, so rental car is definitely a recommended, but you can certainly, if you're just looking for more of an urban experience, you can be in downtown, uh, you know, Uber's taxis very easily accessible and in town, uh, we do have a trolley system, public trolley system that is a couple of dollars each direction.

Um, that won't take you to places like sea roads, uh, or the zoo or some of the more major, um, Uh, tourist attractions, but they will take you to a lot of different neighborhoods, uh, and to, to downtown and old town and some of the areas that you might want to go. You mentioned about neighborhoods and districts.

Is there, how many districts are there? Where, where would people stay if they visited San Diego? Yeah, so, uh, we promote that there are roughly a hundred different unique neighborhoods within San Diego. Typically visitors coming to the region will stay in, you know, one of five of those regions, um, you know, downtown.

Certainly if you're looking for that, that urban. Experience with the nightlife and the cuisine and the culture. Um, a lot of people that are looking for a little bit more of a beach experience will stay in the mission bay area. I've got some great properties out there, uh, like paradise points. Um, the San Diego mission bay resorts is also great to be here on the catamaran are also are very popular.

Um, those are all great kind of tropical resorts, grateful areas, right near the beach and the bay people looking for a little more of an upscale beach experience. We'll look at either the LA Jolla neighborhood. Which is a little bit more of a historical, um, properties up in that direction, uh, with some great ocean views or, uh, down on Coronado, which is a little island that is in the bay, uh, just south of downtown, you access it with either by ferry or a bridge that goes over from downtown onto the islands.

Um, there's some, you know, the beautiful. A historic hotel Del Coronado, which is over a hundred years old, uh, sitting right on the beach, uh, with some, uh, fantastic amenities is there as well as the Lowe's and a couple of other properties, as far as visiting and experiencing. Um, there's so many to go into.

I, I couldn't list them all, but let me list a couple more. Uh, old town is great. Uh, it's the historic downtown of San Diego. Uh, so it has a very, uh, unique Mexican feel to it. You know, originally this part of California was part of Mexico before the U S and California annexed it. So lots of great Mexican restaurants, uh, there's actually a California state park.

So it's a lot of history there. There's a lot of museums, people dressing up in period costumes to greet you and walk around. Talk about the destination little Italy, great for dining right now, it's a part of downtown, easy to scroll around, choose any of the Italian restaurants that you find. There's also some non Italian restaurants like born and raised, which is a very, uh, popular, uh, uh, independent steak restaurant, right there.

There's some speakeasies that are there as well for those who like their cocktails. Uh, and speaking of beverages, I mean, I'll go off topic. Um, we are definitely a beer town. If you're into beer, uh, we call ourselves the copier capital of the United States with over 150 breweries in the region. So lots of beer options.

We, we, we coined the frame, the west coast IPA style, which is a very hoppy, uh, style of beer. Uh, if you like hoppy beers, you'll definitely find that in San Diego, but obviously we branch out to others with 150 breweries, but definitely leaning on beer. A lot of people don't know we have about 90 wineries within the San Diego region as well.

So we are definitely a wine region. I go so far as to say that we rival Napa or Sonoma, as far as the quality of wines, they certainly, um, produce some great wines up there. But for those who are looking for a wander experience, you can definitely get that in San Diego as well. So roughly how much isn't the average cost of the mill would you say?

So I, I started on through, I didn't really get into it too deeply. You know, our local cuisine is definitely. Mexican where our downtown is only half an hour from the border of Mexico. So you certainly will see that, um, the regional cuisine that we really like to promote is called Cali Baja cuisine, which is a little bit more of an upscale, uh, version of your standard taco shop fair.

You can go five blocks and you'll find a 24 hour taco shop. That's going to serve you burritos and tacos and case the Diaz and my mouth is watering as we speak. Now it's talking about all this Kelly bar is a little bit more upscale. Um, we are on the coast, so you've got this great fresh seafood. San Diego actually has the largest concentration of small farms within California.

So, um, from these thousands of small farms that you're going to have in San Diego county, they're bringing all this great, fresh vegetables and fruits. So the Kelly boss is really opted more to seafood based with a Mexican flare to it. If you're going to a taco shop, you know, it's easy to spend maybe 20, $25, uh, for, uh, a very filling meal, uh, for our couple.

Um, you know, if you're going to more of like Cali Baja style, you know, sit down with some wine and, and, um, you know, some more upscale dishes then you're, you're probably looking closer to 60 or 70 or $80 per couple. And, but certainly where we are a very international town. So you will find cuisine from lots of Asian cultures, uh, lots of European countries as well.

Certainly we are well-known for Mexican and we do definitely eat a lot of Mexican food. Uh, but you can find just about any kind of cuisine in there. And how long would you recommend somebody stays in San Diego for the first time visit?

I, when I have conversations with people, you know, San Diego traditionally has kind of been known as an add-on to Los Angeles. And people have often made the mistake of only Addie on a day or two days to experience the destination. And there's just so much to do here. Yeah. If you're an attractions person there alone, you've got five attractions to go to, which is going to take you longer than two days.

But really, you know, I encourage people when they come to the region, you want to spend a little time relaxing by the pool or the beach you want to, uh, maybe see one or two attractions. Uh, you want to experience for a couple of the different, uh, neighbors. You know, get on a bike, ride, bike around and give them a kayak, go on a sailboats, do something active and outdoors within the region.

So when you really can't experience those things without at least three nights and truly, I mean, obviously I'm a little biased, so I would say 10 nights, but you know, at a minimum, please, please give yourself at least three nights to really, you know, dig into the destination a little bit more and get past the superficial.

I have to do these three things on the destination to say that I've been here. And when's the best time to visit San Diego climate wise? Uh, so our, our high season, our most popular season is the summer months. We are very well-known, uh, family destination, both domestically and internationally. So that is when the higher rates.

Um, you know, definitely good weather. I think typically you push people a little bit further in the year. So looking more like September, October, even into November, the weather is still fantastic here. It's after school is returned. So the prices and the crowds are a little bit smaller because the families are back home, taking their kids to school with the caveat, I'll say.

Um, San Diego does offer a kid's free month in October, uh, encouraging families to come out in October. So most of the attractions, a lot of the museums and activities will offer, you know, by an adult to get, get a kid's ticket free. So for those families that are looking for a deal. Uh, or some discounts, October is a great month to visit for them, but, um, some of the most amazing sunsets you'll ever see will be in October, November in San Diego.

And what's your top tip for somebody visiting San Diego for the very first time. I'm a big fan of Balboa park. I didn't mention that earlier, but that is our urban cultural park, which is just a few minutes north of downtown. It is larger than central park. It's um, a great mixed use area of park area. Um, 15 museums, botanical gardens, rose gardens.

There's a replication of the old globe theater there. Uh, indoor and outdoor performances, some great cafes, great architecture, uh, you know, California is still relatively new, obviously compared to the UK. So a hundred years of architecture is really old for us. Um, so you know, really fun to experience.

There's a artist colony. There is where, where people are painting and taking photos, sonography, and doing Jules. It's really fun to walk around and see them, um, creating and selling their art. If that's something that people are interested in, uh, it's so close to all the neighborhoods where you're most likely going to be staying in.

Um, so I encourage people to just take, take an afternoon, if not more, and, you know, pop your head into a couple of museums block through the gardens. And, um, you know, you really kind of get a sense of what San Diego is in that park. You, you hear a lot of people. Speaking different languages. Uh, it's just a very kind of quiet serene place where people are really enjoying culture and outdoors at the same time.

Well, thank you very much for joining us today, Ben, um, Shango, your expert knowledge and insider tips on San Diego. Thank you. Thank you Robyn.

Thanks Ben. The soul caliph venture continues now as we move to Palm Springs, 125 miles road, two and a half hour drive. To hear from Gary who is our resident expert and director of tourism development at greater Palm Springs. Gary, what makes Palm Springs an important part of the SoCal experience? Well, I think it is a very unique destination, not only in California, but throughout the world.

It is. Um, and I conic area that is really all about peace and relaxation. And rejuvenation and, um, you know, visually it is stunning with, are there mountains on either side of us? I mean, we're adjacent to Joshua tree national park and, um, you know, it is a place just to really reconnect and get to a shore, uh, slower pace of life.

But at the same time with the beautiful weather and scenery, there's a lot of activities. But you can do so you can, you can choose to be as active or as restful as you, as you want here in the destination, because he can get quite full content. It does get hot. I mean, we are a desert, so there's no getting around that fact, but I'm sure many of your visitors are traveling, um, during the summer and going to Las Vegas or maybe the grand canyon and, you know, we're going to be no different than, than those areas.

And, and I think what's also interesting about our desert is we're a very green day. Uh, very, you know, with all due respect to the Phoenix and Las Vegas and places like Dubai, we have a lot of vegetation, a lot of greenery, and that does make it feel cooler. And what's the best way to get around if people don't want to have a self-driving car whilst they're here.

Great to Palm Springs. Well, I think just like Southern California, I mean, it's, it's a car driven culture. So, um, my recommendation would definitely be to have a car. Um, however, there's certainly ways to enjoy a trip here or your time in greater Palm Springs. Without that we do have, uh, transportation options with a city bus service.

But there are no rail services here. What sort of accommodation is generally available in, um, great Palm Springs. Yeah. You know, we're fortunate, we've got a very wide array of accommodations here. Uh, probably over about 150 hotels. And they're made up of mixed of, you know, your high luxury resorts to the boutique style properties, uh, lifestyle kind of trendy hotels, like an ACE hotel, um, or a Kimpton.

And then of course, the great collection of moderate and economy, class hotels. And I think the one thing that's interesting about our accommodations, uh, offerings is that, uh, about a third of the hotels are less than 60 rooms. So you have a lot of really unique, one of a kind small intimate properties that really resonate.

You know what this destination is all about. Do you have separate neighborhoods? I mean, where would somebody stay the first time they're visiting the area? Yeah, that's a great question. And I'm glad we're talking about that. So a lot of people that have never been here just really think of Palm Springs is one little.

Small community, but we're actually a region made up of nine different cities. Uh, and although they do blend together, each one has a little bit of a different feel and ambience. And I think, um, for the first time visitor, when you're looking at the map and you see these cities kind of lined up in this valley, um, if you just think of the city of Palm Springs as the city center or the downtown area, you know, this area has most of the hotels and restaurants and shops.

Um, very much kind of condensed in a small. Very easy to walk around to get to all these different places and shopping and restaurants. And then the other communities are going to be a little bit more of a resort oriented, um, type of feel with the, the larger resorts, the, the big golf courses, a little bit different shopping districts.

So, um, you know, but within the whole region, I mean, you can get from one end to the other by car going on surface streets in about 45 minutes to an hour. So. Very easy to get around, regardless of where you're sitting. But if you like kind of that city center, high activity, high energy, um, kind of feel that the town of Palm Springs would be your choice, but if you're more into the luxury resorts, a little bit more slower pace, um, definitely the other cities are kind of going to give you that.

And what's your record recommendation for tours and attractions? Yeah. Some of the tops tours that we're known for is, um, the, uh, Jeep tours that will take you into the San Andreas fault or back into the, what we call the Indian canyons, where the native Americans first settled, um, tours going into Joshua tree national park.

These are only about 30 or 45 minutes from the park entrance. So it's. Common for people to stay here and, and go into Joshua tree national park for, for day trips. Uh, we're very well known for a mid century architecture, probably the highest concentration of that type of architecture than anywhere else in the world.

So those tours run throughout the year. We also have the world's largest rotating, uh, cable car or tramway, the Palm Springs area. Thanks you up to about, uh, 3000 meters to a beautiful Alpine forest, a lot of hiking trails. In fact, there's a lot of hiking trails everywhere throughout the destination.

There's probably close to 50 trail heads you can find, and literally just going to park behind a grocery store and you can find, uh, a great trail head to go on. And is the destination good for families as well as couples and singles? Yeah, I think that it works best for, for all types of travelers. Um, I think there's lots to do.

And, you know, with the big resorts, they, they all pretty much have great kids' camps. There's specialty museums for kids as well. Um, we actually have a really wonderful zoo, the living desert zoo that has some really great behind the scenes, um, things you can do with the animals animal encounters. Um, so yeah, it, it definitely has a lot to offer for everybody.

That sounds fun. That zoo. Yeah. And what sort of restaurants, um, am I lucky to find? You know, it's, we're, we're lucky as well in that respect as well, because just to our south is, is a very large agricultural growing area for, for Southern California. And that's really allowed us to attract some, some top shifts, uh, throughout the states.

And you'll find a lot of, uh, you know, that farm to table style, very fresh California. Cuisine, uh, in all of the restaurants and, you know, the, the other nice thing is most of them are already set up for amazing, um, dining experience on outdoor patio. So regardless of the time of the year, um, you've got a lot of, uh, great opportunities to, to dine not only in some unique settings, but a lot of great patios with the beautiful scenery surround.

Sounds wonderful. And what's the average cost of a meal? I would say probably in the 20 to $30 range for an entree. And when you're looking at a more of the nicer restaurants, but again, big collection of restaurants and a lot of, um, you know, recently a lot of increase in kind of these small pop-up, um, restaurants where, you know, these chefs are kind of trying and experimenting with new.

Um, new projects or new types of food. And, you know, you'll see it pop up on Instagram or there'll be at this, you know, they've rented out a space for a month or two. Um, and food trucks are also pretty popular as well. We've got a lot of great events and even weekly farmer's markets where you'll see a lot of high-end food trucks coming through.

So a great destination for people that really do enjoy that. Absolutely. Absolutely. And how much is tipping? Yeah. You know, for the restaurants, I mean anywhere from 15% to 20% of the tabs, so. Somewhere in that range, depending on, you know, the level of service, um, that you would expect and what would be your top tip for a first time?

Visitor? I would say this for any international guests, but I mean, just slow down, take your time. Don't try to see Southern California or California or the west in one, you know, maybe week trip, you know, we've seen over the past probably five or six years, how the average length of stay. Gradually increased.

And I'm talking about from specifically from the UK. So this is a big country. It's a big region, even Southern California is really big. So take your time, do it right. Spent at least two or three nights in a destination and just. And absorb everything that has to offer. Do most of the hotels offer spars.

They do, you know, and, and that's really one of our brand pillars, uh, health and wellness. So, um, as I kinda mentioned earlier, we've always been known to play as a place to really get away and relax. That whole health wellness and, and peace of mind is really one of our hallmarks. So you'll not only find great spas and all of the, all the resorts, but, you know, plate in one of the communities out here is called desert hot Springs.

And they're very well known for the natural hot mineral spring waters that come up. Um, so a lot of the native American indigenous kind of treatments are, are very powerful. Sure. I sense, very relaxing. I must say it is. Yeah. And that's again, one of the. I think two of the biggest things I hear from first time visitors are, is, you know, they thought it was just a small town and then number two, they just, they just really, they felt this load come off their shoulder and just this peace and relaxation, as soon as they enter the destination.

And it's really. Something that's intangible and it's hard to explain, but it definitely affects most first time visitors I speak with, we do work off kind of four brand pillars that I think most people experience out here and that's outdoor adventure, health, and wellness, arts, and culture and culinary.

And so a lot of the. Experiences and memories, you're going to take home a really kind of, kind of fall into one of those four buckets. And you know, the other thing I like to point out is that if you were to really look at all of the, you know, world renown, annual events that we're so fortunate to have in our destination, whether it be Coachella, music, festival, arts festivals, um, film, festivals, culinary, you know, I think it really speaks a lot to the destination.

Um, And just kind of showcasing how, what, what it is that we're, we are a part of, you know, what kind of life we live, what kind of interest we have as the destination. And I think what kind of experiences that our guests are going to have when they come here. Um, I think it's just a really good reflection of the community and our values.

And, um, you know what again, what your guests will experience out here. Thank you so much for joining us today, Gary and sharing your expert knowledge and insider tips on greater Palm Springs. Thank you, man. It's been a pleasure. I really appreciate you including us. We've heard from Ben and Gary about the various experiences available in San Diego and Palm Springs.

Our third and final stop is Santa Monica, 130 miles away or two and a half hour drive with Todd who is director of global business development for Santa Monica. Traveling too. So tell us why should Santa Monica be on everyone's wishlist to visit? Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, the short of it is that Santa Monica really, I think, embodies that quintessential Southern California experience that a lot of travelers are looking for.

So I think it's just that wonderful balance of, of laid back lifestyle. Um, and also. You know, we're very close to a lot of the big attractions in other neighborhoods in Los Angeles. So whether you want to spend your entire time, you know, in our beach city, or do you want to go out and kind of explore the best of LA, it's a really convenient base of stay to be able to do that.

So I think you get the best of both worlds. Uh, we do sit kind of at that convergence of route 66 and highway one. So two of those really iconic roads that a lot of people are taking. So I think whether you're starting your trip in Santa Monica, Or you're ending it here. Um, you know, it's, it's a great place to be able to do that and, and, you know, stay in recuperate.

And I think we're also just the destination. That's great for all different types of travelers. So obviously very family friendly, great for couples, weddings, lots to do outdoors, um, and shopping and culinary as well. So I think all those combined with the fact that, you know, we have almost 300 days of sunshine a year, um, and we're a very walkable beach city.

It's just a very unique, uh, destination. And I think one that, you know, I think that's why people really love coming here. So, and driving time from the nearest airport, how far is that? So we're about eight miles, I believe roughly 13 kilometers from Los Angeles international airport, which is basically about 20 minutes by car, by Uber.

And that's possible without having to take the freeway as well. So really, you know, very, very, um, convenient access to the airport. I think it's actually easier to get to. Santa Monica from the airport than it would be, let's say, going to Hollywood or even downtown LA. Um, and then of course we're adjacent to Venice beach and the Malibu as well.

So, um, yeah, very easy access to the rest of the region. So you're on the coast. You're mainly a beach resort. Um, you know, that's a good question. I think that we offer that mix of different, um, activities. So yes, there are some hotels here that offer that resort like experience. Um, but I think, you know, there's other, you know, activities in the destination that are also.

Yeah, kind of a city-like as well. So it's a good, it's a good mix of a little bit of all of those things, I think. And can you tell us about some of the tours and attractions that are available for families and couples? Sure. So, uh, you know, obviously first and foremost, uh, our pier is, is super iconic, a big attraction for families.

We have Pacific park amusement park, which is. No, it's the, it's the only admission free museum park in LA county that sits on that pier there. So a lot of different rides attractions right there. Um, just a Stone's throw away from that is the south bay bike trail, otherwise known as the strand or the Marvin Browdy bike trail.

So it's a big attraction, I think for families. It's the world's longest ocean front bike paths. Yeah. And I rent a bike for $20 for two hours cycle along the bike trail, go down to Venice beach. Um, and then also along that bike trails, the Annenberg community beach house. So this actually happens to be the only public beach club in the United States and they have a pool playground beach cafe, uh, so very family friendly as well.

And then obviously, Right there near third street promenade in downtown Santa Monica. We have two really big museums that are geared for families and for children. One is the cadence children's museum, which is, uh, a really large, uh, museum with a lot of interactive exhibits. Hands-on. As well as, uh, something that opened up in the past year called the 3d, augmented reality trick art museum, which is all about using, you know, kind of your it's a mobile app.

Um, but you go in and there's about 40 different murals that come to life when you're using that. And it's geared for social media. So that's all great. I think for families. And then I think for other types of travelers, let's say if it's couples or solo travelers, um, you know, everything from starting your day with beach yoga.

So, you know, start the morning. We're all about wellness. Uh, do a yoga class or meditation class on the beach. If you want to maybe kick back, uh, we have something called Perry's beach Butler service, where they'll deliver all of your drinks and food to, you know, we've got a new. Experience from Santa Monica picnic company.

And they do these really beautiful, elegant, curated beach picnics on the beach. So if they're all about just RNR and relaxing, you can do that. And then even, you know, going up into the Santa Monica mountains, I think a lot of people don't realize we're just a 15 minute drive, you know, up PCH, uh, into those Hills.

And there's probably about 50 vineyards that are out there and people can do a guy. Wine tour, uh, cruise the coast and do that as well. So, um, lot options, depending on what you're into a lot of auctions. And, and where would the tourists stay in the area? So we have 41 in hotels in Santa Monica, I think. Um, depending on, you know, if you're a first time visitor or you're, you're coming back again.

Uh, you know, downtown Santa Monica and ocean avenue or some of the most, I think, popular neighborhoods, of course, if you're staying in those areas, you're, you're basically right next to the beach and to the people. Close to third street promenade and Santa Monica place, which are our main shopping district.

So I would recommend staying within those areas to have access to those main attractions. However, you know, as we kind of mentioned earlier, being that we're only in 21 square kilometers, it is a very walkable destination. And so I think depending on where you're staying for the most part, you'll find that it's really easy to go out from your hotel, walk to those main shops and restaurants.

And I think. You know, is something that separates us from, you know, many other parts of Los Angeles and Southern California, um, the ease of which you can really walk and bike to get around. And that's really part of the Santa Monica experience too. So. And what sort of restaurants, um, am I likely to find and the types of food that's going to be served?

Yeah. So I, uh, I would say, you know, similar to a lot out of other California destinations, uh, where you hear a lot about farm to table and farmer's markets, we have four weekly farmer's markets in Santa Monica, and I'm bringing that up because a lot of the chefs here and actually in Los Angeles in general, those top chefs come to the farmer's markets to source their ingredients.

So a lot of them. Based on what's fresh and what's in season, but you know, we are, we have a lot of different restaurants, just very eclectic dining. Um, yeah. Everything from Caribbean food to Mexican Indian, Japanese, Italian, there really is a full range of different restaurants. So yeah, I think if you're someone who enjoys vivid there, there really is, you know, something for everyone.

And this is probably going to be a hard question, but what's the average cost of a meal. Yeah, I would say, obviously it depends on what you're looking at. I mean, you can, if you want to get a slice of pizza, you know, you can do that for $5. If you want to sit down and have a meal, you know, an average, I would say if you're budgeting around, let's say 20 to $30 for a meal.

I think that's probably a safe bet. Again, going back to your earlier question, everything from, you know, really casual too, we also have Michelin starred restaurants and the destination. Um, so if he want to go on. More higher end in something. Let's say like a tasting menu. You can do that as well know.

Generally I think 20 to $30 for a meal is probably a safe bet and California is, um, a great destination for wine. Um, cause you've had a lot, you've got a lot of vineyards there. We do. I mean, I. You know, Santa Barbara, which I certainly is, is probably the closest wine region, um, to us is only about a two, three hour drive away.

So that's certainly for someone who wants to come in the LA region, you can always do that as a day trip. Um, you know, as you mentioned earlier, The Malibu Hills and Santa Monica mountains while they aren't necessarily, uh, you know, on the, probably the level of a Napa or, uh, you know, Santa Barbara are within, you know, literally a 30 minute drive of the hotels here.

And that's enough. A really wonderful way to experience local wines and views. And, you know, from the, um, you know, the craft beer perspective, which obviously is a big thing. We actually have Santa Monica brew works as well, which is located in our mid city area. It's our first and only craft beer. They've got an amazing outdoor beer garden, food trucks come there on a really on a daily basis.

So, um, going back to your question about, you know, what's good to eat and how much do things cost, you know, you can get a taco for probably, or a couple tacos for, you know, five, 10 bucks and then get a, a beer that's brewed onsite. And that's, that's just as much a California. Uh, so Cal Santa Monica experience as, uh, as wine tasting as well.

And with regards to tipping, is it, uh, as like most places in the U S like 10, 15%? I think generally, uh, you know, the rule of thumb without, I would say is, you know, anywhere from 15 to eight to 20%, um, obviously it, depending on the service level. So if you're getting something that's really good service, I would say.

We'll look at doing 18 to 20. If you're feeling generous, 25% is great. Again, going back to that, they were having dinner at a Michelin star restaurant. There is exceptional service, but generally between, um, you know, I would say in the range of 15 to 20%. So what's your top tip for somebody visiting Santa Monica for the very first time, one of my top tips would be considering visiting the Dyson nation.

Either in perhaps fall or spring. And I bring it up because summer obviously is peak travel season for a number of reasons. Obviously, you know, families and kids have holidays during that time. But I think you'll find that certainly in the fall and even the spring, the weather is still very warm. So, you know, here, um, in Santa Monica, it's not uncommon for us to have weather that might be, you know, say, you know, 74 degrees Celsius, uh, Which, uh, I believe would kind of be roughly, uh, maybe 24, um, uh, or 75 Fahrenheit, I'm sorry.

In 24 Celsius. So still very warm weather, but you'll find that the rates are, you know, much lower than traveling during that summer peak season and same thing with spring. Um, I think you're going to get better rates. So I think. That would probably be my biggest tip for people looking to, um, to travel here and perhaps, um, get a better deal, uh, would be, you know, looking at those other off-peak seasons.

And even in winter, it doesn't really get that cold here. So, uh, you know, maybe high sixties Fahrenheit's around 20 Celsius during the day. We don't get much rain. It'd be great. If we did get more rain for California in general. Yeah, winter, it can still be a great time to travel. So, and COOs, the airfares from the UK are a lot cheaper as well in the winter.

So when do your children start the school holidays in the summer and when do they finish? I think generally for most, you know, children's students, they would be out for summer break by June, uh, certainly in July. And then going back to school typically for, in the, you know, late fall could be run September.

What do you recommend is the average time somebody to stay in Santa Monica for, I would say a minimum of three nights, uh, in Santa Monica, really to enjoy the best of our destination. If you are looking to branch out and let's say one day go to Disneyland or universal studios, as we talked about before, that could easily be longer.

Um, but I would say, yeah, if you could stay a minimum of three nights, I think you'll really get that full Santa Monica experience and kind of be able to really also kick back a little bit, you know, again, a lot of people, uh, want to do the road trips and that's great, but I think once you arrive in Santa Monica being able.

Not have to be in a car everywhere, deal with traffic. Um, again, being able to just, you know, have your toes in the sand and walk to places. Um, that is really, I think what draws people here is that experience of just literally staying at a hotel that's, you know, a couple blocks from the beach, uh, walking to a farmer's market.

Having that really laid back local experience. But again, if you want to go to Disneyland or universal studios, I'm not sure if we mentioned this earlier, you know, we've got a Metro opened up here in Santa Monica about cheese four or five years ago now. Um, but rail and yeah, and the real system is relatively new to Los Angeles.

So you can literally hop on a train from Santa Monica from the beach, go up to universal studios in about an hour. Same thing, going to Hollywood. And have that type of experience. So I think that is a huge draw and, and certainly for international visitors, you know, huge convenience to be able to have when you, when you come to Santa Monica.

So, um, yeah, it sounds like a really chilled out relaxed. Type of destination just that's right up my street. Thank you so much for joining us today, Todd and sharing all your expert knowledge and insider tips on Santa Monica. Of course it's been my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

I forget you can start your SoCal experience at any of the destinations we've heard about today for free fact sheet on Socal triangle with some great hints and tips. Visit my website, https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/may.swan-easton and request by email. And don't worry if that's a complicated web address, I've included it in the show notes on this podcast.

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