Well, other than being tired after your long flight into LAX your plan is totally do-able. Don't know if you would have time for a movie though. Plus, you'll be sitting enough. Santa Monica inthe late afternoon/early evening shoudl be beautiful and the weather should be good for you.

You may consider Venice, rather than Santa Monica,though , if you are more interested in people watching than in rides and games.

I think there's plenty of great people watching in SMO!

And, I would avoid the Travelodge. I've never been inside, but it seems like kind of a dump from the outside.

In N Out by the airport is on Sepulveda just north of the intersection with Lincoln, IMHO not walkable - might as well just hop the bus to SM and grab a bite at or near the Promenade, with plenty of great restaurants and pubs to be recommended in all budget levels; here are a few:

• Border Grill (famed Mexican owned by TV's "two hot tamales")
• Barney's Beanery (recent SM arrival of the West Hollywood spot)
• Ivy at the Shore ($$$$ star gazing here...)
• Ye Olde King's Head (fun British pub)
• Boa (steakhouse)
• Sushi Roku (hipster sushi restaurant)
• Many chains (Buca di Beppo, CPK, Houstons, Johnny Rockets, PF Changs, etc.)

plenty more ideas on Zagat or Citysearch, and for dusk you have the SM Pier, with typical fried food huts etc. You may also consider the Huntley Hotel, where they have cheap snacks and a great high-floor window view, great at Sunset

Assume that you'll be out of Immigration and customs around 3:30PM...plan on checking in for your UA flt at 9:00PM. Allow about 30 minutes each way for ground transport to VCE or Santa Monica. Now we're down to approx 5-1/2 hours. After a long flight I am certain you will want to do some walking. By all means, take the bus to Santa Monica. At the entrance to the SM Pier is The Lobster. At that time of day you should not have any difficulty getting a window table. The food is very nice and not insanely expensive (unless, of course, you order a lobster). They have a marvelous fresh ahi tuna sandwich and they make killer Bloody Mary's. You will have a great view of the pier, the ferris wheel, good people watching and the surf and the sand. Afterwards, leisurely stroll the Third Street Promenade and take a bus or taxi back to the airport. BTW, I wouldn't use this good and valuable time to eat a fast-food burger at In and Out. It's good, but not that good. You could, however, ask your taxi driver on the way back to the airport to stop and I&O and get the food to go. Good eating while you are waiting for your flight. BTW, forget about a movie.
Enjoy your time in my little part of the world.
O2K

Let me offer a "Plan B" if you decide that you and your son would rather rest up:

1. Obtain, via Priceline, a 2.5* room, which will "probably" be at the LAX Courtyard by Marriott. You "should" be able to get this for around USD 50, including taxes and Priceline fee.

2. Rest up / shower after the long flight.

3. From the hotel, it's about a 10-15 minute walk (depending on your pace) to satisfy the In-and-Out Urge

4. Pack up and take the shuttle back to LAX (the Courtyard and the neighboring Raddison are the two closest hotels to the LAX entrance, so the ride will be short).


The other suggestions are great if you are both energized and if you sleep well on planes (not sure which cabins you are flying in on the incoming and departing segments)..

Well if In and Out is that far away, that we can't walk it then would have to skip it. Bummer as some FT'ers sure give it thumbs up. ^

How much would a cab be one way to or from airport and SM?

We are flying coach. so we shall see just what our enery level will be.

A killer Bloody Mary...hmmm

Some real good ideas. Thanks.

IMHO In & Out is really not that hard of a walk.

Taxi fare one way to the Santa Monica Promenade is roughly $30 (without traffic delays and if they take the short route on Pacific).

If it were me, I'd rent a car. In fact, I did just that on the layover before my $51 tickets to Fiji a couple months ago.

Renting a car at LAX costs $20 / day including all taxes and fees. No need to lug around luggage all day or worry about public transportation not getting you back to the airport on time.

Of course, I don't mind driving in cities, and I know LA well enough to not need a map. But it's easy enough to get from LAX to Santa Monica and vicinity anyway.

DOn't wory about walking to In-N-Out, just hop on the Parking Spot shuttle (tip the driver a buck). The In-N-Out is right next door. Make sure you get the Parking Spot Speulveda and not Century.

Third Street Promenade is also very nice, more upscale than the pier. The walk is three blocks west to the water and then about two blocks south to the pier. Better eating at Third Street.

IMO, SM Pier is just for the tourists... there's nothing unique about it, really. The Venice Boardwalk is very unique (and you can still see the SM Pier from a distance ;) )

It might be worth it to rent a car to drive around... it'll be quicker, go at your own pace, and guaranteed A/C. Buses just take forever, especially if you're on a limited timeframe. A decently priced company is Fox Rent-a-Car.. they have online specials and such.

If you are tired...very simple to rent a car for less than r/t cab to get to SM (take Sepulveda to Lincoln and you are there in 15-20 mins, traffic notwithstanding). When you hit Pico, take a left to Ocean (which is Pacific to the south in Venice, as mentioned elsewhere). At this point you are mere blocks from the Promenade, which starts at Third and Broadway, extending to Wilshire. BUT if you just want to sit, you may want to park yourselves at one of the beachside hotels for a drink or an iced tea. Shutters, Casa del Mar are across street from one another (I think Casa is better about parking validation if you can't get street parking) - up Ocean a bit there is a Loew's. Not sure your son would like the Viceroy, which has more of a South Beach vibe. Wherever you descend, you can use the hotel (and it's lobby and washrooms) as a base, sit and watch the ocean, stroll the beach, go to get food, and get right back on road for direct trip to airport.

I have to agree with the others here, don't even think about touching a cab to get from LAX to SM. Either rent a car or stick with the Big Blue Bus. (I'd actually vote for the bus...you will probably save yourself at least 1/2 hour of sightseeing time by avoiding the rental check-in/check-out lines, and the Big Blue is clean and punctual.)

TBIT to In-N-Out is walkable, but the Parking Spot Sepulveda shuttle works, too.

Also, one other point: if you stick with your In-N-Out, then bus to SM plan, the only reasonable way to get the bus will be to catch the regular (not express) # 3 bus along northbound Sepulveda Blvd. The "Rapid 3" drives right past the In-N-Out, but there is no stop nearby.

"IMO, SM Pier is just for the tourists..."..Kind of like the Eiffel Tower is "just for tourists." I have lived in Los Angeles my entire life and I never tire of looking at or strolling on the pier. One nice thing about going to The Lobster besides the "killer Bloody Mary" and the fabulous view over the sand is the relatively inexpensive valet parking. You can park for a couple of hours (IIRC) for about $5.00 . As well, it is an easy walk to the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. Of course, if you want the quintessential SoCal experience, drive to Cora's Coffee Shoppe at Pico and Ocean Ave. Free parking in the back. Lovely patio, amazing food and pretty good star-gazing. One of my favorite spots in SoCal. Most tourists don't even know about this little bit of heaven by the sea. It is just about next door to Shutters. BTW, Shutters is fine for a drink, but the casual restaurant is nothing special. Also takes a lo-ong time for valets to bring your car around. Better off at Cora's where you park your own.

LOVE Cora's - their hamburger and orange-scented pancakes are terrific - I think they are only open for b'fast and lunch? Here's a link for those interested.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/pro...ee_shoppe.html

Edit 8/7 - Sign up at restaurant: Cora's open for dinner.