To your point about the traffic in LA... on our recent trip, we sat in traffic between Santa Monica and Venice for over an hour. At the 45 minute mark, I noticed we had traveled exactly 1.25 miles. You just never know how bad it will be, but always expect traffic and don't be in a hurry to get where you need to be.
Bruin Steve, you laid this response out perfectly. My husband and I recently spent 10 days in CA, first in the LA metro area, then out in the Palm Springs area. We had a car for the entire time, and I was the sole driver. In the three times that I've visited LA, the thing that never ceases to amaze me is the expanse of the area.
When we cruise in April, I'm looking at flights into Long Beach via Southwest. We will arrive the day before, probably first thing in the morning. I'm looking at hotels in the Redondo Beach/Torrence area. I figure for just the day, we can kind of lay low and walk or catch a ride to wherever we want to go locally. Then in the morning, just get a ride to the terminal.
