SoCal

🚗 Driving

• You need a car. Trains and buses exist, but almost nothing on this list is easy without one.
• Plan around rush hour. Weekdays from about 7 to 10 am and 3 to 7 pm, a 40-minute drive to LA can take 90. Go mid-morning or after dinner.
• Freeways get "the." People say "the 5" and "the 405." Directions are given in freeways and exits.
• Carpool lanes need two or more people in the car. Only enter and leave where the line is broken.
• Toll roads have no booths. The 73, 133, 241 and 261 in Orange County bill by license plate. Pay online at thetollroads.com within five days of driving one, or tell your rental company.

🏖️ At the beach

• The water is cold. Expect around 60°F in winter and the high 60s to low 70s by late summer.
• Mornings are often gray. From May into July a marine layer sits on the coast until midday. Locals call it May Gray and June Gloom. September and October are the warmest, clearest beach months.
• Check the tide. Tide pools, sea caves and several Laguna coves only work near low tide. The tile at the top shows today's.
• Swim near a lifeguard tower, and ask about rip currents if the surf is up. In summer, shuffle your feet in the shallows so stingrays move off.
• Parking fills early on warm weekends. State beach lots charge a day-use fee, and Laguna runs a free trolley.
• Bring layers. It cools off fast once the sun goes down, even in August.

🍜 Eating in Little Saigon

• Bring cash. Several of the best places don't take cards.
• Most places do one thing. Go where the dish is the specialty rather than ordering pho at a broken rice shop.
• It runs early. Pho is breakfast food, and many noodle shops are busiest before noon.

Phở

Rice noodle soup, usually beef. Gà means chicken.

Bún bò Huế

Spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup with thick round noodles.

Cơm tấm

Broken rice with grilled pork and other toppings.

Bánh mì

A sandwich on a crackly baguette.

Bánh xèo

A crisp turmeric crepe you wrap in lettuce and herbs.

Nem nướng

Grilled pork sausage, often rolled in rice paper.

Ốc

Snails and shellfish, usually with beer.

Chè

Sweet soups and puddings for dessert.

Cà phê sữa đá

Strong iced coffee with condensed milk.

🍽️ Restaurants

• Tip 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants and bars. Counter service is up to you.
• Sales tax is added at the register, roughly 8 to 10 percent depending on the city.
• Book the big names early. Places tagged "Book ahead" can fill weeks out. Most use Resy, OpenTable or Tock.
• Strip malls are a good sign. A lot of the best food here is next to a dry cleaner.
• Dinner is early. Many kitchens close by 9 or 10 pm outside of Koreatown and the taco stands.

☀️ Sun, hills and desert

• Wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy. The UV index on the beach tile is the number to watch.
• Trails have little shade. Start early, carry water, and skip midday hikes inland from June to October.
• The desert is a different trip. Palm Springs and Joshua Tree are lovely from October to April and dangerously hot in summer.
• After a fire or heavy rain, trails and canyon roads can close for months. Check the park's own site before you drive out.

🎟️ Tickets and timing

• Disneyland needs a ticket and a park reservation for a specific day. Weekdays outside school holidays are calmer and cheaper.
• The Getty and The Broad are free but ask you to reserve a time.
• The Catalina ferry sells out on summer weekends. Book both directions.
• Don't stack regions. Pick LA, the Orange County coast or San Diego for a day and stay there. The cards show the drive from home base.