87 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
87 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
# Sep 26 (Sat) — Miramonte → Los Angeles
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**Stay:** Los Angeles — additional night TBC; extending the booked [DTLA Airbnb](../bookings/stays/airbnb-la-dtla.md) is operationally simplest
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*All times are PDT.*
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## Logistics
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- Group leaves the Miramonte cabin early, one day before the booked checkout
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- **8:00 AM PDT** target departure · approximately 4.5–5 hours to Los Angeles before stops and traffic
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- LK is already in Los Angeles; reunion time depends on the group's arrival
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- Avoid another driving excursion after the Miramonte transfer
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## Plan
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> Menu: [`la_sights.md`](../la_sights.md)
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- **1:00–2:00 PM** Group reaches Los Angeles; lunch, luggage and check-in
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- **Afternoon** Rest
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- **Late afternoon** Easy walk near the accommodation; save Santa Monica for the Sep 27 group itinerary
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- **Evening** Dinner together
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## LK solo options before returning the car
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These options do not repeat the group's Malibu, El Matador, Point Dume, Santa Monica or Venice day. Schedules use DTLA as the starting-point baseline and assume an LAX return target of **4:30–5:00 PM**; adjust them once LK's hotel is known. The Hertz booking must be changed and confirmed first. Drive times below are routing baselines—allow additional time for Saturday traffic.
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### Option A — [Crystal Cove](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=644) and Laguna Beach · recommended
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Best balance of ocean, hiking and manageable driving. Approximately 104 miles total from DTLA via Crystal Cove to LAX; about 2 hours 45 minutes of baseline driving.
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**Crystal Cove hiking choices:**
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- **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
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- **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
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- This is a dry, open canyon—not a narrow slot canyon like Annie's Canyon. Carry water and stay on marked trails
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**Laguna Beach afterward:**
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- Start at Crescent Bay Point Park for the headland view
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- Walk the coastal path through Heisler Park toward Main Beach
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- Have lunch downtown; if time remains, continue to Treasure Island Park for another bluff walk
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- 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
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**Working timing:**
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- **6:30 AM** Leave Los Angeles
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- **8:00–10:30 AM** Crystal Cove hike
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- **11:00 AM–1:30 PM** Crescent Bay, Heisler Park, Main Beach and lunch
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- **1:30 PM** Leave for LAX
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- **3:45–4:45 PM** Return the car; meet the group afterward
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### Option B — Palos Verdes coast · least driving
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Best low-stress choice. Approximately 49 miles total from DTLA via Point Vicente to LAX; about 1 hour 20 minutes of baseline driving.
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- **8:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
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- **9:00–11:30 AM** Point Vicente Interpretive Center and the open coastal paths
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- **11:30 AM–1:00 PM** Scenic Palos Verdes Drive and lunch near Redondo Beach
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- **2:00–3:00 PM** Return the car; meet the group early
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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.
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### Option C — Vasquez Rocks · geology and desert scenery
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Best non-ocean option. Approximately 98 miles total from DTLA via Vasquez Rocks to LAX; about 2 hours of baseline driving.
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- **7:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
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- **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
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- **12:00 PM** Lunch in Agua Dulce
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- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
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- **2:30–3:30 PM** Return the car
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This route is exposed and can be hot; carry water and start early.
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### Option D — Annie's Canyon and Torrey Pines · ambitious
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Best scenery, but by far the most driving: approximately 217 miles and 4 hours 25 minutes of baseline driving before traffic.
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- **5:30 AM** Leave Los Angeles
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- **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
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- **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
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- **12:00–1:00 PM** Lunch in Del Mar
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- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
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- **4:00–5:00 PM** Return the car, allowing a substantial traffic buffer
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Choose this only if the drive itself is acceptable and both places matter to LK.
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