For one week every summer, my home is invaded by teenagers- and I love it! I am lucky enough to be the aunt of two wonderful teens who actually don’t mind being seen with me in public. My niece and nephew are Texans so when they come to our neck of the woods, they want to do as many “California” things as they can. Luckily, there are many great things to do in Los Angeles with teens and tweens. From beaches to Hollywood, here are some of our favorites:
Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach:
No trip to California is complete without a few good beach days. Luckily, California has more than its fair share of great beaches. Santa Monica Pier features rides, carnival games, and wide strips of inviting sand on either side. Teens will love playing in the water or attempting the rope climb on the equipment at the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach. The original Hot Dog on a Stick stand is located at Muscle Beach near the base of the pier and is a fun yet inexpensive place to get hand-dipped corn dogs and fresh lemonade.
For the ultimate in people watching, rent a bike and head south down the bike path to Venice Beach. Venice is an eclectic mix of surfers, skaters, and flamboyance. Prepare to see some very unusual sites at this beach, including old men working out in metallic Speedos, various street performers, and unique people with eclectic senses of style. Venice is a place to experience counter-culture, watch skaters perform radical stunts in the beachfront skate park, pick out a pair of cheap sunglasses from one of the stands lining the sidewalk, or enjoy a stroll along the quiet canals.
Universal Studios
Image courtesy Flickr user b00nj
Like so many teens,my niece and nephew love thrill rides and pop culture so it’s no surprise that our trip to Universal Studios was a big hit. It had been nearly 30 years since my last visit to Universal Studios and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. We started with the studio tour, which featured an amazing King Kong 3D experience, loads of Hollywood history, and even a trip to Desperate Housewives’ Wysteria Lane. The kids loved seeing a working studio, viewing sets, and getting a behind the scenes feel for how some of their favorite movies were produced. It was the highlight of our day. After the tour, we enjoyed some of the park’s 3D rides, an incredible Water World live action show, the terrifying haunted house, and a good dousing on Jurassic Park – The Ride. While there was a cute Curious George water play area for little kids, I am glad that we left my preschoolers at home- this park is definitely suited for older kids.
Visit a few of LA’s Ethnic Neighborhoods
Several US cities have great Chinatowns (and so does LA!) but how many have a Little Ethiopia? Los Angeles is home to the highest concentration of Mexicans outside of Mexico so a stop at one of the incredible neighborhood burrito joints is a definite must (my family loves El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights) but be sure to save some room for authentic Korean barbecue in Koreatown as well. The largest Korean population outside of Korea is in Los Angeles and the food at spots like Soowon Galbi is as mouth-watering as it is legendary. Still hungry for more? Be sure to explore Thaitown, Little Armenia, Little Tehran, Little Tokyo, and historic Filipinotown for a taste of the diversity that Los Angeles has to offer.
Hooray for Hollywood
If your teens have an affinity for celebrities, movies, and television, then head to Hollywood. The center of the action is at Hollywood and Highlands where you will find Mann’s Chinese Theatre, home to dozens of concrete handprints and footprints of celebrities, Disney’s El Capitan Theatre, and the Kodak Theatre of Oscar fame. Lining the sidewalks around these famous venues is the even more famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kids will love sifting through all the stars of the “old guys” to find names that they recognize and are more than happy to pose next to. After discovering your favorite celeb’s name emblazened on the sidewalk, be sure to head inside of Madame Tussaud’s to stand face to face with a very realistic wax replica of some of biggest celebrities around. If you are still looking for more celebrity-themed fun, head up to The Grove for some shopping and a chance to do some celebrity spotting. CBS studios (where shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars tape) is just around the corner and last time we re there, we spotted half the cast of So You Think You Can Dance eating dinner after a live taping. If you time it right, you just might see Mario Lopez taping his weekday gig for Extra.
Of course, their is no better keepsake for kids to take home then a picture in front of the Hollywood sign. So head up into the hills (I happen to know a great spot) and have the kids say “cheese”!
Sharlene Earnshaw is the Blog Editor for Trekaroo.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee just opened. One of our very own, Michelle Carbone (aka Runnergrrrl) went to the grand opening with her husband and 3-year old son and gives it a 5 star (aka Gotta Go!) rating for families.
“Nestled in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, the new Titanic Museum will appeal to everyone in your family!” – To read her full review on the Titanic Museum.
If you’re thinking of taking the kids to check out the Titanic Museum, here are Trekaroo’s top 5 tips:
GO
Don’t get fooled by the word “museum” and think the Titanic Museum is only for adults. The numerous interactive areas aboard the Titanic Pigeon Forge provide hands-on experiences that are designed to give children a sense of what it might have been like to actually be on board the Titanic in a fun and engaging format. They’ve even got an entire called Tot-Titanic that’s geared for kids 8 and under- Purchase tickets online.
This is a brand new attraction that’s based on timed entries. The Titanic Museum’s ticket lines are sometimes 3 hours long on the weekend and many of the mid or late afternoon time slots are already sold-out from online sales. Purchase your tickets in advance online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com. Advance purchase of ticket ensures little or no wait time and immediate entrance to the ship. Weekdays are sometimes not as busy as weekends, but by purchasing tickets in advance, you’ll be able to avoid the lines at all times. - Visit early in the morning or on a weekday
People are coming from all directions to see this new exhibit, especially on the weekend. To avoid the crowds, try to get there early for a 9am entry or come during the week. 
Leave your heavy camera equipment at home
Photography and video are strictly prohibited in all areas of the Titanic Museum. If you’re hoping to catch a snapshot on the grand staircase, you can purchase one of those tourist shots with the staircase in the background from the Titanic Museum staff, but you won’t be able to take it with your personal camera. With the hundreds of one-of-a-kind, priceless artifacts, lighting is strictly controlled by the museum to ensure the preservation of the artifacts.- Get the kids excited
Although everyone will enjoy and learn more about the story of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum regardless of how much or how little they know, we love to get our kids excited by preparing them for a visit. If you have the time to read a book or watch a movie with the kids beforehand, these are some resources we recommend:
Boats by Bryon Barton (Ages 0-3)
This picture board book teaches our youngest readers about all types of boats. There’s no Titanic in this book, but it’ll teach them about boats!
The Titanic: Lost and Found and DK Readers: The Titanic (Ages 4-8)
These two stage 3 readers are good nonfiction books on the Titanic for kids moving beyond the beginner reading stage.
Inside the Titanic (A Huge Cutaway Book) (Ages 4-8)
This big picture book gives younger kids an inside look at the Titanic ocean liner, such as the compartments, engine room, upper decks, and more, through detailed, cutaway illustrations. Great for future engineers and mechanics.
Polar, the Titanic Bear (Ages 7-12)
A true story about Polar, the stuffed polar bear of Douglas Spedden, a 6-year old boy who abroad the Titanic and was one of its survivors. A digital version of Polar can be found in the Titanic Museum in the Tot-Tanic section for those who read this story.
Titanic (the novel by James Cameron) and Titanic (the movie) (Ages 12 and up)
While based on fictional characters, the book and movie were historically accurate in many ways and a great way to get your arms around the story before visiting the museum. (James Cameron is close friends with John, the owner of the Titanic Museum).
Related articles:
- Activities for kids in Pigeon Forge
- Kid-friendly hotels in Pigeon Forge
- Kid-friendly activities throughout Tennessee
- Activities and hotel reviews across the 4 main regions of Tennessee: Eastern Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains, Nashville and the Heartland, Memphis and the Western Plains, and Central Tennessee
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Esther Lee is co-founder and CEO of Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Did you know that you can rent timeshares? It’s one of the biggest secrets in the industry and we want to share it with you because timeshare properties are perfect when traveling with kids. Separate bedrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen, dining and living room areas and located on some of the best kid-friendly resort properties around the world.
Related article: Hot Travel Tip for Families – Rent a Timeshare
Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu
For example, one Trekaroo member raves about her timeshare rental experience,
“We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village by renting a timeshare there through RedWeek. We have four kids ranging in age from 2 to 14 and were thrilled with it. The fact that it’s right on the beach allowed our 12 and 14 year old kids to go to the beach when they wanted…great to have the kiddie pool and the playground for our two youngest. And being a timeshare unit, we had space that allowed all of us to relax… Great experience for all of us.” – travelnut
You can read travelnut’s reviews on other RedWeek.com timeshare rentals that her family’s stayed at in her Trekaroo passport.
The Deal: Free Redweek.com Membership
After researching all the timeshare rental providers, Trekaroo is partnering with RedWeek.com to bring you kid-friendly timeshares properties you can rent. Together, we’ve identified hundreds of family-friendly timeshare resort properties around the world in their database. That’s not it.
They are also offering Trekaroo members FREE annual membership to RedWeek.com (Value: $14.99). Go to http://www.redweek.com/promo/trekaroo for more details.
If you’re trying to figure out where to stay this summer with the family, sign-up and check out RedWeek’s kid-friendly inventory. Here are their top family-friendly destinations.
Harborside Resort at Atlantis
- California
- Florida - Including Disney properties like the Wilderness Lodge (2 bedroom for $308/night)
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
Want to head further south? Checkout out these kid-friendly timeshare rentals:
Related articles:
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Esther Lee is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids. Trekaroo is an affiliate of RedWeek.com. We would normally make a small commission off of the annual membership, but since they’re giving it to us for free. All the value goes to you. Enjoy!
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Our Trekaroo KidsMobile has pulled into one of American’s most visited destinations:
Orlando, Florida
Just about every family who visits Orlando will make a pilgrimage to Walt Disney World. Some will not see anything else in Orlando besides their Disney resort and theme parks. Whether you’ve got eyes only for Disney or you’re hoping to explore all the other kid-friendly attractions in Orlando, we all want to know what real families say is worth it in Orlando.
First up, Trekaroo families have cast their votes and have decided that they simply love these attractions in Orlando.
Top Activities for Kids in Orlando, Florida – voted by parents
Top Kid-friendly Hotels in Orlando, Florida – voted by parents
Next, here’s what some local Floridian mom bloggers and Orlando aficionados recommend to visiting families. They’ve been there, done that, and now they’re giving you their inside scoop.
Kicking us off with a list of the 5 Tot-friendly Restaurants Favorites in at Disney in Orlando is Jen who lives in Florida and has spent lots of time at Disney World. She’s an adventurous mom of two kids (ages 2 and 4) who has not allowed having kids to slow her down. She writes in depth about their family’s exciting adventures on Two Kids and A Map.
Mary shares her favorite Disney Hotels for Teens and Tweens. She loves thoroughly researching and planning their family’s trips and we all get to benefit from her road-tested recommendations. You can follow her travel trips and tips on Travel with Teens and Tweens . Although they live in Boston, they’ve visited Disney World in Orlando every year since their kids could walk.
Amanda brings us her Top 5 “Must Do” Walt Disney World Attractions with Teens. She been a Disney fanatic since she was a wee one and has even been a Disney cast member. Being local to Orlando has made it possible for her to visit every Disney attraction, event and restaurant. If you’re heading to Walt Disney World, this is THE mom you want to talk to for the inside scoop. Heading to Disney, stop over at her blog Disney Everyday.
Melanie brings us a prized list of Free and Low-Cost Activities in Orlando for Preschoolers. She’s the mom behind the well-written and thoughtful blog modernmami where she gives ink to topics such as being a working mom and parenting a preschooler. Lucky for us she’s sharing the inside scoop on her home town of Orlando.
Other Resources for Walt Disney World and Orlando, Florida
- All 71 Activities for Kids in and around Orlando, Florida
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around Orlando, Florida
- Water Parks in Florida – Cheerio Family
- More Disney, Less Waiting – A review of RideMax – Li Er Hanson
Next stop, Memphis, Tennessee – Jump on board the KidsMobile!
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
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LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA
In celebration of Trekaroo’s launch in North Carolina, the Trekaroo KidsMobile is making a stop in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Trekaroo families love visiting Charlotte because there is an abundance of kid-friendly activities. Within a short drive, there are hiking trails galore. If you’re staying in the city, you’ll also find some world class museums that your kids will love. Trekaroo Families who live in Charlotte or have visited with their kids pitched in with their recommendations. Here’s a list of what our community recommended as the Best Activities for Kids in the Piedmont Triangle.
For our KidsMobile’s stop in Charlotte, we welcomed on board some local blogging moms and dads to give us the local scoop on what’s great for kids around Charlotte.
First up, Angela shares with us an excellent list of her family’s favorite Places to Hike with Kids Around Charlotte, North Carolina. Her family loves exploring outdoors. She is the mom behind Roses and Brambles where she shares amusing stories about their family’s adventures and misadventures in the daily life of growing and exploring together.
Jody knows how to make a dollar stretch! Here’s her list of Cheap Things to Do in Charlotte, NC with kids. After living abroad for a few years, she returned to settle in Charlotte with her family. Jody keeps the blog Charlotte on the Cheap where she complies a fantastic list of free or almost free events around Charlotte for children and adults.
Spencer Spellman is a travel journalist base out of Greenville South Carolina. He brings us a list of Kid-friendly Hotels in Charlotte, NC. Spencer is the go-to guy for tips on traveling around North and South Carolina and you can get his in depth travel advice on Carolina Nomad as well as on Uptake and Nile Guide.
Richard is a dad to 3 teens. Check out what he recommends as Fun for Dudes, Both Kids and Bigs Near Charlotte, NC. Richard is one of the dads behind A Dude’s Guide where he shares parenting tips from a Dad’s perspective. As a stay-at-home dad, he provides tips on fatherhood with a dose of humor in hopes of sparing other dudes the bewilderment he experienced as a first time dad.
Other Resources for the Piedmont Triangle, North Carolina
- All 273 Activities for Kids in and around the Piedmont Triangle (Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh)
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around the Piedmont Triangle (Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh)
- Snow Tubing and Sledding Hills in North Carolina by thelees3
Next stop, Orlando, Florida – Disney Fans and Non-Disney Fans, jump on board the KidsMobile!
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
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LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA
