L.a. Times Concierge: I Live In O.c. My Kids Live In Santa Clarita. Looking For Nice Spots To Meet Halfway. - Beritaja

My hubby and I unrecorded successful Mission Viejo. Our older son, his woman and 2 children (ages 5 and about 4) unrecorded successful Newhall. We emotion spending clip together, but it’s rather a trek connected the 5 Freeway. Last year, we went to the aquarium successful Long Beach, which was awesome fun. Another day, we enjoyed a time of hiking and a picnic astatine Placerita Canyon Nature Center adjacent my son’s home. We would emotion immoderate suggestions about different places to sojourn which would possibly beryllium a small much centrally located and nosy for the full family. Thanks
— Cathy McCoy

Looking for things to do successful L.A.? Ask america your questions and our master guides will stock highly circumstantial recommendations.

Here’s what we suggest:

Cathy, I understand your pain. Driving 80 miles could consciousness for illustration an odyssey, particularly successful SoCal. Thankfully, location are loads of nosy places wherever your family could meet successful the mediate (or adjacent to it). I’ve rounded up immoderate coagulated options. By the way, the driving times mentioned present are a unsmooth estimate for a play time without traffic, but arsenic you about apt know, your existent clip whitethorn vary.

Since you each enjoyed the Aquarium of the Pacific successful Long Beach, really about switching it up and spending the time pinch a different group of animals astatine the Montebello Barnyard Zoo for your adjacent outing? That would beryllium about a 40- to 50-minute thrust for some of you. Open since 1968, the zoo is location to horses, goats, sheep and donkeys that you could pet (and provender them for an other $3). If you’re emotion adventurous, you could thrust a pony aliases return a leisurely travel connected a John Deere tractor train. “It’s a awesome spot for young ones to study that animals extracurricular the location request and merit the aforesaid benignant of attraction that we show our pets,” Etan Rosenbloom writes successful a Times guideline to things to do pinch kids about L.A. General admittance is $11, and you could sometimes find deals connected Groupon arsenic well. Afterward, caput to Blvd Mrkt, a nutrient hallway successful Downtown Montebello that sells a assortment of nutrient truthful everyone could get what they want.

Another awesome action is the South Coast Botanic Garden connected the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which mightiness beryllium about an hr thrust for some of you. I learned about this spot from my beloved precocious colleague, Jeanette Marantos, who was a farming master successful her ain right. The garden, which has much than 2,500 type of plants and 5 miles of trails, besides features a kids area, which features “a nursery rhyme taxable pinch a ample dollhouse, a charming span and plants matched to the stories,” Marantos writes. My editor Michelle Woo besides loves this garden. “You could return a leisurely locomotion on the accessible loop way aliases get really into the nooks and crannies of the place, discovering trees pinch elephantine roots that kids emotion to climb connected and koi food swimming successful a shaded pond,” she says, adding that she’s excited for Thomas Dambo’s trolls grounds that opens successful March. If you get hungry, you could extremity by Dottie’s astatine the Koi Pond, which sells food, beer, vino and specialty cocktails connected Saturdays and Sundays. Carry-in nutrient is permitted if pre-prepared.

If you’re willing successful abstraction travel, past you should decidedly sojourn the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which is the eventual cosmic playground. Located successful Downey (known arsenic “home of the Apollo”) — about a 40-minute thrust for you and a 50-minute thrust for your son’s family — the recently renovated depository features a play area, robotics laboratory and interactive exhibits connected abstraction exploration including a shuttle landing simulator. Admission is $5 for adults and kids, $3 for seniors ages 65 and up and free for children ages 3 and under.

Speaking of aviation, different spot that is worthy checking retired is the Proud Bird successful El Segundo, about a 45- to 50-minute thrust for some of you. Here, you could bask delicious bites arsenic you watch planes return disconnected from Los Angeles International Airport, which is conscionable a mates of miles away. Woo calls it “the cleanable spot for a multi-generation gathering.” “Our extended family erstwhile celebrated Christmas location erstwhile everyone was excessively tired to cook,” she adds. “You could bid coagulated barbecue from Bludso’s, person a portion by a bonfire pit and fto the kids play connected the playground arsenic planes alert by.” She besides suggests the Point successful El Segundo. It’s an open-air shopping and eating halfway that has a ample section wherever the kids could play and the grownups could drawback a portion from Lil’ Simmzy’s.

I dream these recommendations are useful arsenic you scheme your adjacent family outing (and that they besides prevention you immoderate state money). Whatever you extremity up doing together, I’m judge that your family, particularly the small ones, will conscionable beryllium grateful to walk value clip pinch you. Have fun!