California Visit
Welcome to the West Coast,
Father & Debbie
Hosted by Dalton & Corey — Highland Park, Los Angeles
Apr 30 – May 4, 2026
5 Days
Santa Barbara + Los Angeles
0
Thursday, April 30
Welcome to California
Santa Barbara, CA
Schedule
- 9:00 AMPickup at Burbank Airport — road sodas provided!
- 9:30 AMDrive to Santa Barbara (~90 min up the coast)
- 11:00 AMExplore Butterfly Beach & State Street
- 3:00 PMHotel check-in at Moxy Santa Barbara
- 3:30 PMSettle in / relax break
- 5:00 PMSunset Cruise — options below
- 7:30 PM+Dinner & chill in the Funk Zone
Cruise Options (we'll decide day-of)
| Cruise | Duration | Cost | Departs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whale & Wildlife | 120 min | $75.11 | 2:00 PM |
| Coastal Cruise | 90 min | $52.00 | All Day |
| Sunset Cruise | 90 min | $86.67 | 6:00 PM |
| Discover SB Cruise | 90 min | $63.56 | 6:00 PM |
Evening Activity
"The J Bar of Santa Barbara" — ask Father... he knows.
Meals
Breakfast
Delta Airlines
Lunch
Fish tacos in SB
Dinner
TBD in the Funk Zone
Fun Facts
1Santa Barbara is nicknamed the "American Riviera" — Mediterranean climate, red-tile roofs, and palm trees that make you question why you'd ever live anywhere else.
2After a massive earthquake leveled downtown in 1925, the city passed strict ordinances requiring all new buildings be Spanish Colonial Revival style. The disaster accidentally created one of the most architecturally consistent downtowns in the US.
3The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the best whale-watching corridors on the West Coast — blue whales, humpbacks, and gray whales all pass through seasonally. We picked the right cruise options.
Accommodation
Moxy Santa Barbara
12 E Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Room 1 Confirmation: 90409686 | Room 2 Confirmation: 90409691
2 rooms × 1 night — Prepaid: $589.24 total
1
Friday, May 1
Experience Our Hood
Highland Park, Los Angeles
Schedule
- 11:00 AMCheck out of Moxy
- 11:00 AMDrive to LA (~90 min)
- 12:30 PM+Explore Highland Park — our neighborhood, our rules
- EveningNightcap at a local spot near the house
Meals
Breakfast
Hotel Moxy
Lunch
York Ave — local HP spots
Dinner
Dinner in! Duck Confit — Father's request
Fun Facts
1Highland Park is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, annexed into the city in 1895 — it was a full-on independent town before LA absorbed it.
2The neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of Craftsman bungalows in the entire country. Those low-slung, wide-porch houses everywhere? Not a trend — the originals.
3York Boulevard runs along what was once the main trail connecting the San Gabriel Valley missions. Old bones under the taco spots.
Accommodation
TBD — Father to coordinate with Debbie
Morning views, last trip
2
Saturday, May 2
Tourist LA
Downtown LA + Griffith Park
Activities
- MorningGriffith Observatory + Hike to the Hollywood Sign
- MiddayHollywood Walk of Fame
- AfternoonGrand Central Market, DTLA — every food culture under one roof
- EveningSunset from Griffith — plan to be up there for golden hour
Meals
Breakfast
Light & easy — TBD
Lunch
Grand Central Market, DTLA
Dinner
TBD — we'll find a spot
Fun Facts
1Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America — at 4,310 acres, it's nearly five times the size of Central Park. Yes, we live next to that.
2The Hollywood Sign originally read "Hollywoodland" and was erected in 1923 as a real estate advertisement. The "land" was removed in 1949 when the city took it over. Glamorous origins.
3Grand Central Market has been open since 1917, making it one of LA's oldest continuously operating food halls. It outlasted Prohibition, multiple recessions, and every food trend since.
Accommodation
TBD — Father to coordinate with Debbie
3
Sunday, May 3
Art & the West Side
Getty Museum · Venice · Santa Monica
Schedule
- MorningThe Getty Museum — free, world-class art + architecture, views of the Pacific
- AfternoonVenice Beach Boardwalk — Muscle Beach, skate park, ocean. Walk it down to Santa Monica Pier
- EveningDinner back in Highland Park — reservations to be made
Meals
Breakfast
Foundry — local HP bakery
Lunch
Venice Beach — find something fresh
Dinner
Local & fresh in HP — reservations incoming
Fun Facts
1The Getty Center cost over $1 billion to build and opened in 1997. The travertine stone cladding came from the same Italian quarry that supplied stone for the Roman Colosseum. So, same vibe.
2Venice Beach was literally built as a replica of Venice, Italy — complete with canals and gondoliers — by developer Abbot Kinney in 1905. Most of the canals were paved over for roads in 1929. Classic LA.
3The Santa Monica Pier's Ferris wheel was the world's first solar-powered Ferris wheel when it debuted in 2008. It runs entirely on sunlight, which, given Santa Monica's weather, is not a bold bet.
Accommodation
TBD — Father to coordinate with Debbie
4
Monday, May 4
Farewell
Baldwin Hills · Mulholland Drive · Airport
Schedule
- MorningBaldwin Hills Scenic Overlook — stairs or paved trail, panoramic views of DTLA, Hollywood Sign, and the Pacific. Free + great morning light
- Mid-morningDrive Mulholland — winding canyon road, celebrity canyon vibes
- MiddaySend-off lunch on the way to the airport
- AfternoonAirport drop-off — safe travels!
Fun Facts
1Baldwin Hills is named after Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, a gold rush-era millionaire who once owned a massive swath of what is now greater Los Angeles. He got the nickname "Lucky" for consistently escaping consequences. A true LA founding father.
2Mulholland Drive is named after William Mulholland, the engineer who built the LA Aqueduct in 1913 — an audacious 233-mile pipeline from the Owens Valley that essentially made modern Los Angeles possible. Without him, this is all desert.
3On a clear day from Baldwin Hills Overlook, you can see from the San Gabriel Mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean. It's one of the few spots in LA where the whole city snaps into perspective at once.