TRAVEL-202609-uswest/days/2026-09-26.md

# Sep 26 (Sat) — Miramonte → Los Angeles

**Stay:** [Airbnb — DTLA](../bookings/stays/airbnb-la-dtla.md) · ✅ extra night confirmed Sep 15 — booking now runs Sep 26–30 · check-in from 4:00 PM PDT · 1100 W Temple St

*All times are PDT.*

## Logistics

- Checkout day at Miramonte — out by **11:00 AM** (booking shortened to Sep 26 on Sep 16)
- **8:00 AM PDT** target departure · approximately 4.5–5 hours to Los Angeles before stops and traffic
- LK is already in Los Angeles; reunion time depends on the group's arrival
- Avoid another driving excursion after the Miramonte transfer

## Plan

> Menu: [`la_sights.md`](../la_sights.md)

- **1:00–2:00 PM** Group reaches Los Angeles; lunch and luggage. Airbnb check-in
  begins at 4:00 PM PDT. Use the host's temporary curb-parking and front-door
  instructions, then retrieve the parking fob and move the car to the assigned
  gated spot on level 2; do not use level 1. Detailed access credentials are in
  the [booking record](../bookings/stays/airbnb-la-dtla.md).
- **Afternoon** Rest
- **Late afternoon** Easy walk near the accommodation; save Santa Monica for the Sep 27 group itinerary
- **Evening** Dinner together

## LK solo options before returning the car

These options do not repeat the group's Malibu, El Matador, Point Dume, Santa Monica or Venice day. Schedules use the [Brand Plaza Hotel](../bookings/stays/brand-plaza-hotel-glendale.md) as the starting-point baseline and target an early LAX return at **4:30–5:00 PM**, although Budget is booked through 18:45 PDT. Drive times below are routing baselines—allow additional time for Saturday traffic.

### Option A — [Crystal Cove](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=644) and Laguna Beach · recommended

Best balance of ocean, hiking and manageable driving. Approximately 112 miles total from Brand Plaza via Crystal Cove to LAX; about 2 hours 55 minutes of baseline driving.

**Crystal Cove hiking choices:**

- **Recommended if hiking is the priority:** Moro Canyon → East Cut Across → Moro Ridge → BFI loop · 4.9 miles / 7.9 km · about 2 hours · 1,053 ft / 321 m cumulative gain and loss. The steep climb reaches a ridge with Pacific views before descending to the canyon
- **Easy alternative:** Moro Canyon out-and-back · 3 miles / 4.8 km · about 1 hour · broad coastal-sage canyon with oak and sycamore near seasonal Moro Creek
- This is a dry, open canyon—not a narrow slot canyon like Annie's Canyon. Carry water and stay on marked trails

**Laguna Beach afterward:**

- Start at Crescent Bay Point Park for the headland view
- Walk the coastal path through Heisler Park toward Main Beach
- Have lunch downtown; if time remains, continue to Treasure Island Park for another bluff walk
- Tide pools are worthwhile only when the tide is low and the rocks are safe. The predicted low on 2026-09-26 is **3:39 PM PDT**, later than the conservative airport schedule

**Working timing:**

- **6:30 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **8:00–10:30 AM** Crystal Cove hike
- **11:00 AM–1:30 PM** Crescent Bay, Heisler Park, Main Beach and lunch
- **1:30 PM** Leave for LAX
- **3:45–4:45 PM** Return the car; meet the group afterward

### Option B — Palos Verdes coast · least driving

Best low-stress choice. Approximately 58 miles total from Brand Plaza via Point Vicente to LAX; about 1 hour 30 minutes of baseline driving.

- **8:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **9:00–11:30 AM** Point Vicente Interpretive Center and the open coastal paths
- **11:30 AM–1:00 PM** Scenic Palos Verdes Drive and lunch near Redondo Beach
- **2:00–3:00 PM** Return the car; meet the group early

Avoid Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach and their access trails; the city lists them as closed because of land movement. Recheck trail alerts before departure.

### Option C — Vasquez Rocks · geology and desert scenery

Best non-ocean option. Approximately 93 miles total from Brand Plaza via Vasquez Rocks to LAX; about 2 hours of baseline driving.

- **7:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **8:15–11:30 AM** [Vasquez Rocks Natural Area](https://parks.lacounty.gov/vasquez-rocks-natural-area-and-nature-center/): rock formations, viewpoints and a short section of the Pacific Crest Trail
- **12:00 PM** Lunch in Agua Dulce
- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
- **2:30–3:30 PM** Return the car

This route is exposed and can be hot; carry water and start early.

### Option C2 — Vasquez Rocks + Point Vicente · two landscapes in one day

Yes—this is feasible and avoids all of the group's planned sights. Approximately 128 miles total from Brand Plaza via Vasquez Rocks and Point Vicente to LAX; about 3 hours of baseline driving. It is a better use of the car than either stop alone if LK is content to meet the group for dinner rather than the afternoon.

- **6:15 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **7:15–9:30 AM** Vasquez Rocks: formations, viewpoints and a short hike before the heat
- **9:30–11:00 AM** Drive south to Rancho Palos Verdes
- **11:00 AM–1:00 PM** Point Vicente and open coastal paths; lunch nearby
- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
- **2:00–3:30 PM** Return the car, with additional traffic buffer available before 5:00 PM

Start at Vasquez Rocks and finish at Point Vicente: the desert is cooler early, and the coast is better later in the day. Avoid the closed Abalone Cove and Sacred Cove access trails.

### Option D — Annie's Canyon and Torrey Pines · ambitious

Best scenery, but by far the most driving: approximately 225 miles and 4 hours 35 minutes of baseline driving before traffic.

- **5:30 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **8:00–9:15 AM** [Annie's Canyon Trail](https://naturecollective.org/location/annies-canyon-trail/) — 1.4–2 miles, 40–60 minutes, narrow slot canyon with stairs and short scrambles
- **9:45 AM–12:00 PM** [Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=657) — coastal overlooks and a short trail; gates open at 7:15 AM and all trails were open when checked
- **12:00–1:00 PM** Lunch in Del Mar
- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
- **4:00–5:00 PM** Return the car, allowing a substantial traffic buffer

Choose this only if the drive itself is acceptable and both places matter to LK.

## Addresses

| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb — DTLA | 1100 W Temple St, **Unit 703**, Los Angeles, CA 90012 · temporary curb access, then gated parking for 2 cars | [34.06325, -118.25149](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=34.06325,-118.25149) |
| Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte | 48753 Todd Eymann Road, Miramonte, CA 93641 · **door code 0110 + unlock** · Booking PIN 2531 · host +1 559-790-6432 · no cell service | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=48753+Todd+Eymann+Road+Miramonte+CA+93641) |
| Brand Plaza Hotel — LK | 339 1/2 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=339+N+Brand+Blvd+Glendale+CA+91203) |
| Budget rental — LK | 5251 W 98th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045 · LAX · 18:45 PDT return | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Budget+5251+W+98th+St+Los+Angeles) |