In the end, it's what your parents will be comfortable with. Familiarity with a place always brings the anxiety level down. Maybe they'll be OK with driving to LGB. For me, however, after commuting to the port area for 3 years, I was so glad my drive no longer involved being surrounded by large container trucks. When I have extra time, I now usually take a slight detour and use the 605 instead of the 710 to get to Long Beach.

Santa Anita is a magical place. Racing at the Pomona Fairgrounds in September doesn't quite compare. But the fair is always fun.