Wedding on Feb 18. Probably stay 17-24. First two nights in wedding hotel at $125 a night. Thinking of elsewhere rest of the time. Kings at Ducks on the 19th is a possible do. Ideas of where to stay, things to see? Our second time out there in 4 years. Saw the Peterson including the basement. Drove Mulholland drive. Chinatown-done. WB tour and Santa Monica pier also visited. What else? Car stuff? Rent a small RV?
Best view of L.A. is from the rear view mirror. Sorry, I've lived there.
Beaches are nice. I suppose even in February, if you catch a relatively warm day. Hollywood/Sunset Blvd's are interesting for all the sights. Note that I haven't been on those in a few decades, but they were interesting then. I hear Disneyland is a dump now. Like movies? Universal Studios still have the tour thing? That was always interesting.
Oh, you just gotta see Compton and Watts. I mean, really nice places, right? Prime examples of the socialist utopia. (Please don't make me smiley encaption this.)
There's an area in torrence with about 60 auto recyclers in a 3 square mile area.
Rust free challenge fodder.
We like going to missions. San Juan Capistrano is one of our favorites. Great USS Midway Museum (carrier) in San Diego. Just head south on the 405.....
Shop for cheap Porsches?
Rent a car and head for Angeles Crest and assorted other canyons. That's the only place I spend any time in the LA area.
In reply to Tom_Spangler:
Or late 80s/early 90s Toyota pickups that haven't turned to dust and/or rotary powered Mazdas that stand zero chance of passing CARB.
Turns out whale watching is a thing if you head for the coast. Couple of my guys out that way for a trade show did the boat ride and said it was awesome.
In reply to NOHOME:
It's a thing on the east coast as well, during the summer in new england, fall and winter in the Carolinas
I'll try to get some maps for you of nice drives.
If you haven't been, its a neat 4-5 hour drive to Vegas. Plan it so you get to the outskirts at dusk and spend the night at the Golden Nugget. You can tour the Shelby plant.
Look at what shows are going on at the Greek and the Bowl. Both great venues and both outside. Many Angelenos think 55 degrees is too cold to see an outside show so tickets are often available for really big name artists. I saw CSNY at the Greek for $60, and Dylan at the Bowl for $75.
Griffith Park Observatory is neat. If you're into horses, there is a riding farm up near Griffith park that takes the horses on a trail under the Hollywood sign. Laguna Beach is a nice little shopping/visiting town.
I'm at least 60% straight and I LOVE the fashion district. Its where cheap clothes from top companies come off the boat to be discovered by Vera Wang or Giorgio Armani; both of whom I saw down there. Stop into old town while you're there. That is where LA started as just a small mission.
LA to Neptune's Net restaurant via Malibu/Topanga canyons
Angeles Crest via San Fernando ending in Pasadena
The weekend of Feb 18th is Southern California Yacht Assoc's big Midwinters Regatta. This means that everywhere there are sailboats there will be racing that weekend. It would conflict with your wedding plans to join in but if you are the type who thinks sailboats on the water is pretty, I can assure you that Sat and Sun from 11am -4pm there will be many boats on the water anywhere there is a yacht club.
In years past I would have been at Long Beach Yacht Club racing Farr40s.
If you get to the south end of Long Beach, here is a restaurant recommendation...
The Schooner or Later located right in the marina of Alamitos Bay, Long Beach. Only open for breakfast and lunch. Don't go on the weekend, too busy. Perfect during the week.
Was once featured on Diners and Dives
If you do go here, when done, walk or make the short drive to closer to the ocean. All the docks you are surrounded by are municiply owned by the City of Long Beach. The last row, is like 70ft to 100ft docks and holds some really huge boats. Locally known as Millionaires Row. You can get very close to them and they are worth a look.
At the end of Millionaire's Row is the Long Beach Marina Office 205 N Marina Dr, Long Beach, CA 90803.
If you don't pay your dockage then the city impounds your boat and up to an includes auctions off your boat to recoup fees. So, in stark contrast, at the end of Millionaire's Row is the impound dock with usually a dozen derelict boats.
Back to Cars:
You have not said were the wedding is or where you'll be heading after that so here is the SoCal Car Culture Schedule which will lead you to car shows and swap meets all over the region.
Another topic:
You might enjoy a day trip or an overnight trip to Catalina Island. It's sort of like leaving the country for a day. It has sort of a Caribbean vibe though not quite. Rent a golf cart for a few hours and tour the island a little. Also shops and restaurants that your wife may like.
Ferry Boats will take you to the Island.
This past year, my wife and I watched every episode of Emergency! via Netflix.
Since I see in your profile that we are about the same age, maybe that show was influential on you too.
If I was going to be in the area between LA and Long Beach I'm sure I would stop in at:
2049 East 223rd Street, Carson, CA
map
where the actual station is still a working station.
I also recommend watching all the episodes between now and your trip.
Keith Tanner wrote: Rent a car and head for Angeles Crest and assorted other canyons. That's the only place I spend any time in the LA area.
This crossed our mind and I found this company. Thinking of renting one Sunday thru Thursday and just checking places out.
Escape Campervan
JohnRW1621 wrote: This past year, my wife and I watched every episode of Emergency! via Netflix. Since I see in your profile that we are about the same age, maybe that show was influential on you too. If I was going to be in the area between LA and Long Beach I'm sure I would stop in at: 2049 East 223rd Street, Carson, CA map where the actual station is still a working station.
This interests me. I watched it then and currently watch it on MeTV some afternoons.
February is likely to be nice, the rain we get does tend to star around that time though. Last I heard SoCal is in for a dryish' winter and NorCal a wetter one.
That time of year though, if clear, is a great time to cruise PCH. Not a lot of people there at that time because of the freezing 60 deg temperatures 
. I like to go down to the Malibu pier and get a late breakfast (opens at 10). You can sit at the end of the pier, on top of the restaurant and get a 180 deg view of the ocean and First Point (surfing spot).
Getty museum is nice on a good day also (and free). Great view of the area.
I love SoCal. If you're planning to drive the Angeles Crest Highway in February, be aware that the higher elevations may be closed with snow. As an alternative, the Ortega Highway (CA Highway 74) in Orange/Riverside counties is a pretty good drive, especially on a weekday when there won't be much traffic. And the roads above Malibu are pretty good too. 
Also, in my opinion, Bruce Meyer's private car collection is better than the Petersen. More intimate, and some really, really significant historical vehicles and memorabilia. I was fortunate to be able to see it when I was out there in October with some friends from the Art Center College of Design. Access is by the service alley between Rodeo Drive and North Beverly Drive (directly behind the Ralph Lauren and Armani stores). His real estate office is on North Beverly. Look up Meyer Pacific Inc., give him a call, tell him you're a car guy, and ask him if you can see his collection. I met him and he's very personable and friendly. Maybe you'll get lucky. It'd be worth it, believe me.
P.S. If you're near the 4th Street Bridge, look under it for Magnus Walker. He owns a ton of real estate in that depressed area and has his vintage Porsche garage there.
P.P.S. Did I mention that I love SoCal?
On our only trip to Los Angeles, the wife and I stayed at the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica, took the rental car up Mulholland and looked at all the houses on Cold Canyon and The Bird Streets, went to Griffith Park Observatory, had lunch at Yang Chow (the proprietor told us how he had a Corvette in the 70s.) Went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles on Pico, walked past the Chinese Theater, walked Rodeo drive (the brown Veyron with lion hood graphic was parked at the curb), went to Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach, went to Holly Street Bar and Grill in Pasadena, wandered around the Gamble House, and generally enjoyed ourselves. This after staying 3 days in Cambria and visiting the wineries in Paso and touring Hearst Castle.
Van has been booked. Now gotta figure out the details. Keep ideas coming. Joshua Tree? Death Valley ?
Death Valley is nice that time of year. Too early for flowers if it rained, but also not stupidly hot.
vwcorvette wrote: Van has been booked. Now gotta figure out the details. Keep ideas coming. Joshua Tree? Death Valley ?
Yes, Joshua Tree is very nice. It's a bit of a drive from L.A. (3 hrs. or so), but round trip it could be done in a long day. Better to stay somewhere in the Coachella Valley overnight. I'd suggest the Casa Cody in Palm Springs if you like cozy historic places, and Palm Springs is a cool little town currently on the cusp of old school charm quickly morphing to uber-modern commercialism. And if you spend a couple days in the area you could also drive up the "Palms to Pines Highway" (CA Hwy. 74) from Palm Desert, which is the extreme other end of the Ortega Highway I mentioned previously. Great driver's road on this end too (probably even more exciting in a van), and spectacular views of the valley. The entire Coachella Valley is great in February. And, if you're in Palm Springs in the evening, stop into the lounge in Melvyn's Restaurant, a great nostalgic bar from the Sinatra days, and they still have live music from the era just about every night. It's not a tourist place. Mostly locals hang out there. Unfortunately, the owner Mel Haber passed away a couple months ago, so the future of the place is uncertain. Visit it now if you can.
Did I mention that I love SoCal? 
Palms to Pines Highway (This one'll really make you want to maintain the speed limit).
The USA Iowa is docked in Long Beach and I highly recommend touring her.
I pretty much just hang out at The Rock Store on Mulholland.
Someone mentioned an air craft carrier museum. I went to a battleship museum there, I think it is the Missouri or maybe the Iowa. It's especially interesting because it was used during the gulf war and so had "modern" updates. It's a weird mix of 80s cold war tech and ww2.
I used to be in the Cali Air Guard out in Riverside and HATED driving around there. Only been to LA once. Lots of good driving roads there and outside of SD though.
Norcal is just better, lol.
In reply to kanaric:
That's the Iowa! Has the tomahawk cruise missile tubes on the deck and a little scar from a Japanese shell during WW2.
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