Originally Posted by marianasauce

Like I said, driving DOWN to San Diego is no problem. The stop is on the way UP. And that's on the 5. If you take the 15, that checkpoint is always closed. I don't even think anyone is ever there. I live in San Diego, and go up to Hollywood all the time. I'm not the one driving, obviously, but the drive up is stressful. They're not always checking, but I've driven through 3 times while they were, and we were waived through every time. I've never had to actually stop and talk to them.

Laguna, Newport, and La Jolla are the best places out of those. Starting with La Jolla. The Encinitas bar scene is pretty fun too. And yes, the gaslamp is freaking insane! So much to do, and so much fun!