![]() Los Angeles County is also set to tighten restrictions Wednesday with a new ban on outdoor dining, and may soon implement additional “safer-at-home” measures.Īll of that adds up to a predicted 13.5% drop in Thanksgiving trips across the region, according to the Auto Club of Southern California, the largest year-over-year drop since 2008.īut after decades of bemoaning that infernal traffic jam - of news outlets across the country pointing to it as an insane, hellish nightmare that further exemplifies why no one would ever want to live in L.A. ![]() This year, the freeway may look a little different: State officials are pleading with people to stay home and avoid holiday travel amid an alarming surge of cases of COVID-19. News helicopters hover overhead and photographers perch on overpasses to capture the familiar glow of city folks en route to Grandma’s house, or returning from whence they came. Headlights and taillights snake across the asphalt and disappear beyond the horizon. No, not the Christmas tree kind: the freeway kind.Įvery year, the 405 Freeway’s bumper-to-bumper traffic on Thanksgiving eve becomes a symbol of America’s holiday travel mayhem. And let me add that in 2010, Lexus was wayyyy ahead of their time.In L.A., nothing signifies the start of the holiday season like those twinkling red and white lights. But for $55 for a full day, it was totally worth it. Alas, weather had other plans and instead we capitalized on the heated seats. The heaviest holiday traffic in Los Angeles will be Wednesday, Nov. So upgrade we did again, to a 2010 Lexus convertible that I was damn sure planning to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway in, top down. Thanksgiving traffic: Wednesday will be the worst day of holiday week to travel in LA. We chose Turo because it allowed us to get a nicer ride for the same price as your average economy rental. Don’t worry, you can include insurance in your package and they have a whole process for making it as kosher as staying in other people’s homes. This trip was my first time experimenting with Turo, which I like to describe as ‘Airbnb for cars.’ Through this app you can rent other peoples cars for weeks, or even just a few hours. Case in point, this helicopter footage taken Tuesday evening. One of those exceptions is Los Angeles, California, where the holidays dont bring about a little traffic, but rather the apocalypse on wheels. The rest of the weekend we were fine getting around with Lyft (tip: much cheaper than Uber!). With very few exceptions, the holidays always bring about a little traffic as people rush en masse to get home to their loved ones. Since we’d be there Thanksgiving Day, I knew having a rental for at least that day would be our best option for hopping around freely. LA County has a very expansive footprint, so how you get around really depends on what you plan to do while you’re there. In comparing pricing with standard Airbnb homes there was maybe a $100 difference, so upgrade we did. If you’re unfamiliar with Airbnb Plus (not to be confused with Airbnb Luxe, my travel funds aren’t there yet), these homes are only offered in select cities, are thoughtfully designed with generally nicer, upgraded features, and have been inspected and verified by Airbnb for quality. Once the location was nailed down, I jumped into Airbnb to find our temporary nest and discovered that the LA area offers Airbnb Plus. We chose Venice, a beachfront neighborhood that’s laid back, eclectic, tastefully hipster, and most importantly, boasts a prominent food scene. ![]() For this trip I wanted to feel a little luxe, it is LA after all, and also stay somewhere walkable, preferably near a beach. Typically prices are much better than hotels, and therefore you can stay in nicer neighborhoods and better quality spaces for the same price as a meh hotel. Deciding Where to StayĪirbnb is my go-to for a few reasons. So like any good planner I had boatloads of backup activities in the archives, so I revised the itinerary accordingly, rethought the entire packing list (bye summer clothes), and off we went. So what that SoCal’s typical 70s and sunny dropped to 50s and rainy, just in time for the long weekend? At least weather doesn’t impact ones ability to eat, and food is truly where LA shines. A recurring theme throughout the trip was this uncharacteristic tranquility and ease, allowing us to pause, take in the surroundings, and appreciate where we were. Which means that us visitors get to enjoy the touristy spots without the crowds, get from one end of the city to the other sans LA’s infamous traffic, and eat at top restaurants minus the waitlist. The “transplants” as LA natives call them head back to Wherever Hometown, USA. There’s a major advantage to visiting Los Angeles over the Thanksgiving holiday.įact: most people who live in LA, aren’t actually from there. ![]()
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