What are great things to do in Southern California?

Drive north to NorCal.

Surf or what Astro said.

- Visit the Getty Malibu
– Camp in Joshua Tree
– Drive Sunset Boulevard & PCH, then Topanga Canyon
– Window-shop in Laguna Beach
– Have a lobster enchilada at Taco Mesa
– People-watch on Balboa Peninsula

@AstroChuck – Ouch!

Here are some ideas from a So Cal girl:

The Citywalk at Universal Studios
Santa Barbara (State Street, the Pier, Paseo Nuevo, the Art Walk on Sunday)
Solvang
LA Live Steamers in Griffith Park (free)
Travel Town (also in Griffith Park, also free)
Lunch at Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park
Norton Simon Museum of Art
LACMA
La Brea Tar Pits
Santa Monica Pier
Take a ride over Decker (not for the faint of heart or inexperienced driver) take PCH north to Potrero take it back up to the 101.
Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica
Take a hike in the Santa Monica mountains
The Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley (fun ever for us liberals, my grandmother made nasty comments about Ron and Nancy through the whole thing and a great time was had by all).

If you are going to be a true tourist you must:
Visit Rodeo Drive
Put your feet and hands in the imprints at Groman’s Chinese Theater (now just the Mann).
Follow the walk of fame for a few blocks.
See some stand-up at the Comedy Store

LONG BEACH! Everything’s fun in Long Beach!

The suggestions so far are great. Here are a few others:

Huntington Library.
Autry National Center for the American West.
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.
Armand Hammer Museum.
Dodger Stadium (during baseball season)
California Science Center
The L.A. Zoo in Griffith Park
Palomar Observatory
Gamble House in Pasadena
The L.A. County Arboretum in Arcadia
The Fowler Museum at UCLA
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Music Center in Downtown L.A.
Hollywood Boulevard, just for the experience

spray tan

Play golf at Torrey Pines (South).

Watts Towers. And Disneyland!!!

San Diego? Are we that far south?
If so go to Mission Beach and ride the roller coaster.
CHeck out the Mission Beach Boardwalk
Rent a cruiser bike or borrow a skateboard and cruise the boardwalk.
GO body surfing
Body Boarding
Or surfing if you are brave enough and have some time to learn.
Build a Sand Castle
FInd a skatepark and just watch the pros skateboard and wipe out.
Pacific Beach is fun for adults.
La Jolla SHores is a mixed bag for kids and adults.
Go to the Scripps Aquarium right near La Jolla SHores Drive.
Watch surfers on a big day at the beach! Woot.
Listen to them holler!
CHeerz

Find a nice, grassy, people-less patch of land (this is harder than you think), plunk yourself down with a Pacifico and lime, lay on your back, watch the clouds, SOAK UP SOME SUN. Take a picture and send it to me – here in the Pacfic Northwest, I won’t see the sun for like 5 more months.

Go to the beach and watch all the hotties surf! I like to jog along the parking lot at the beach where the surfers are changing out of their wetsuits with just a towel wrapped around their waist! mmmmmmm. Sunset is the best time to go for that! ;-)
Check out Venice Beach! Trippy! Oh, and have a toasted bagel with hummus, onion, tomato, and sprouts with a dash of lemon pepper. Dude.

Santa monica pier isn’t much to me becaause I live here but you might like it the actual fun goes down under the pier where you climb the things that hold the pier together and find a place to sit and enjoy the ocean that’s right beneath you

PCH is fun!! There’s so many cuts you could find and just sit back, relax and watch the sunset or find the caves where Charles Manson used to go to with his followers.
Venice-just walking on the boardwalk makes you feel like you’re walking through all these different time periods it’s crazy and then you can go look at the walls and apreciate the free art.

You can go Surfing, Skiing, Rock climbing , paint-balling, Off Roading, Fishing, horseback Riding, Disneyland, Sixflags, KnotsBerryFarm, Zoo, WineCountry…

All under 30 min of driving…(45 MAX)

sea world is always fun. kayaking at La Jolla cove, hiking, coronado beach, and all the other stuff listed. Santa Barbara stuff is mentioned earlier. that’s great.

Catalina Island.