California Help

Hi there,

I was wondering if any of you could help me..

I live in the UK and am planning to travel to California next year. I know there are quite a few parks there, and I want to visit as many as I can. If any of you know how far these parks are from ANAHEIM, then please let me know. If I am staying in Anaheim (near Disney) then how long would it take to get to the parks below?

Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Marine World
Paramount's Great America
Knott's Berry Farm
Bofante Gardens
Disneyland Resort

I would appreciate any help, and I am sure there are other people who would like to make the most of their californian vacation. Thanks.

-------------
Webmaster - Coaster Force
http://www.coasterforce.com *** This post was edited by Iron Wolf on 7/1/2001. ***

---

Iron Wolf said:
"Hi there,

I was wondering if any of you could help me..

Six Flags Magic Mountain --1 hour
Six Flags Marine World--7 hours
Paramount's Great America--6 hours
Knott's Berry Farm--5 minutes
Bofante Gardens--Can't say
Disneyland Resort--Minutes

-------------
Webmaster - Coaster Force
http://www.coasterforce.com


*** This post was edited by Iron Wolf on 7/1/2001. ***"

---

The times above are just estimates, not taking into account traffic. Hope this helps
-------------
"And none may dare entreat further, for to invoke death is to utter the final prayer."

I was hoping to go to Great America and Marine World, but that is way too long..

-------------
Webmaster - Coaster Force
http://www.coasterforce.com

DL, KBF, and SFMM are in southern California (Los Angeles area) while Bonfante Gardens, PGA, and SFMW are in northern California (San Francisco bay area).
Here are the cities where the parks are located and the distances from Disneyland (which is in Anaheim):
KBF (Buena Park): Very close (less than 10 miles?)
SFMM (Valencia): 60 miles
Bonfante Gardens (Gilroy): 340 miles
PGA (Santa Clara): 375 miles
SFMW (Vallejo): 440 miles

Between southern California and northern California the speed limit on the highway is 70 MPH for approximately half of the distance. In other areas, it's 65 MPH or 55 MPH.

I hope this helps.

If you are looking to up the number of coasters ridden, Las Vegas is about a 3½ hour drive from the Anaheim area. Much closer than Northern California, only about 230 miles.

-------------
"X" marks the spot in 2001!

If I were you, I would try and get to Belmont Park in San Diego and SCBB in Santa Cruz. At least SCBB. That place is nice.

santa cruz beah boardwalk is too far from anihiem (once again in northern cali).

Its that that far. It may be a little far for locals. But remember, this person is traveling from the UK. When you travel that far, 6 hours on the freeway is nothing.

u should go to all southern california parks and later fly to san francisco airport and go to northern california parks.. all nor cal parks are around the bay area.

I think that would be a good idea, and is possible. I could take in both the LA and San Fransisco parks if I had one week in each area.

I have one more question, and again I'd appreciate help from any locals. Because I am travelling with my family, from the UK they want to know generally how safe the area is for UK tourists. In the UK, the general opnion of LA is that you'll be mobbed the second you step in the airport! How truthful is this, and does anyone have any advice for a safe holiday around Anaheim.
Thanks again.

That is sooo not true. Most of those places are the safest in LA. (Anaheim is not a part of LA btw).

The only places you could get mobbed are pretty much in innercity la and the lower class residential portions of town. There are some places in Anaheim you shouldnt walk around at night but those places arent near any of the amusement parks. As long as you dont go wandering off into lower class residential areas past midnight without a car, you are fine. The only exception to that would be the residential sections of watts, compton, inglewood, and a few others. Dont worry about it, just have a good time, I wish I could travel to all of those parks in northern ca.

LA is awesome, just make shure oyu stay out of Watts, Inglewood and the south side. All you need to do is NOT get lost. Thats not a good thing, people here don't even look at people from the UK different at all! BTW, I live in Nocal and I am a 50 minuite drive from PGA. I can get to SFMM in 4.5 hours with no stops and no traffic. There is basically nothing on the way to Socal from Nocal and vice versa. I have been on I5 to LA many times and have never seen traffic. PGA, SFMW, SCBB and Bonofate Gardens are reletivly close to each other, you also need to know that NONE of these parks are less than 45 minutes from San Fransico , mainly because of traffic, If you fly all they way out here you really are going to be bad not going to Nocal, PGA can be completly done by 5 and you can drive abotu 30 minutes to SCBB and finish the night there.

-------------
Steel top 5
1.S:TE
2.Stelth
3.B:TR
4. Riddler's Revenge
5. Goliath

Thanks, you've been a great help, the only experience we've had in the States has been Florida, but we're going to California next year and just needed to know a few things. To be honest, I've always found people in the US to be FAR more welcoming than anyone in the UK!

I live in Missouri and travel for a living and Southern California is a nice place to visit,(would not want to live there,but....) and I have never felt unsafe there except for a brief visit to south central L.A. :)

Just a couple of G-force junkies!

If you decide to go to Vegas there are a few decent rides like Desperado; at state Line, speed; in a hotel on the strip, Manhattan Express; another hotel, and a half a dozen others. The only problem is you have to pay about 7 dollars per each ride.

and that canyon ride ant circus cirrus. That was my 2nd fav behind desperado since i got to ride it about 20 times in a row without getting off for like 10 bucks. "what a country" half-baked

do not worry about being mobbed, knotts is in a more upscale area, ad disneyland and the surrounding hotels are practically its own city, sfmm is another story, it attracts a lot of teens, it is abit more on edge but is still perfectly safe, the updated freeway sytem in anaheim is fntastic and you should never have to leave the freeways when travleing to your destinations.

one more thing, if you are ever looking for something to eat for lunch, you have got to try in n out..... it is the best burgers you will ever have and is ffordable, there is very close to magic mountain, and one in anaheim and buena park.....