L.A. Times Concierge: I live in O.C. My kids live in Santa Clarita. Looking for nice spots to meet halfway.

My hubby and I unrecorded successful Mission Viejo. Our older son, his woman and 2 children (ages 5 and astir 4) unrecorded successful Newhall. We emotion spending clip together, but it’s rather a trek connected the 5 Freeway. Last year, we went to the aquarium successful Long Beach, which was large fun. Another day, we enjoyed a time of hiking and a picnic astatine Placerita Canyon Nature Center adjacent my son’s home. We would emotion immoderate suggestions astir different places to sojourn which would possibly beryllium a small much centrally located and amusive for the full family. Thanks
— Cathy McCoy

Looking for things to bash successful L.A.? Ask america your questions and our adept guides volition stock highly circumstantial recommendations.

Here’s what we suggest:

Cathy, I recognize your pain. Driving 80 miles tin consciousness similar an odyssey, particularly successful SoCal. Thankfully, determination are loads of amusive places wherever your household tin conscionable successful the mediate (or adjacent to it). I’ve rounded up immoderate coagulated options. By the way, the driving times mentioned present are a unsmooth estimation for a play time without traffic, but arsenic you astir apt know, your existent clip whitethorn vary.

Since you each enjoyed the Aquarium of the Pacific successful Long Beach, however astir switching it up and spending the time with a antithetic acceptable of animals astatine the Montebello Barnyard Zoo for your adjacent outing? That would beryllium astir a 40- to 50-minute thrust for some of you. Open since 1968, the zoo is location to horses, goats, sheep and donkeys that you tin favored (and provender them for an other $3). If you’re feeling adventurous, you tin thrust a pony oregon instrumentality a leisurely travel connected a John Deere tractor train. “It’s a large spot for young ones to larn that animals extracurricular the location request and merit the aforesaid benignant of attraction that we amusement our pets,” Etan Rosenbloom writes successful a Times usher to things to bash with kids astir L.A. General admittance is $11, and you tin sometimes find deals connected Groupon arsenic well. Afterward, caput to Blvd Mrkt, a nutrient hallway successful Downtown Montebello that sells a assortment of nutrient truthful everyone tin get what they want.

Another large enactment is the South Coast Botanic Garden connected the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which mightiness beryllium astir an hr thrust for some of you. I learned astir this spot from my beloved precocious colleague, Jeanette Marantos, who was a gardening adept successful her ain right. The garden, which has much than 2,500 taxon of plants and 5 miles of trails, besides features a kids area, which features “a nursery rhyme taxable with a ample dollhouse, a charming span and plants matched to the stories,” Marantos writes. My exertion Michelle Woo besides loves this garden. “You tin instrumentality a leisurely locomotion on the accessible loop way oregon get truly into the nooks and crannies of the place, discovering trees with elephantine roots that kids emotion to ascent connected and koi food swimming successful a shaded pond,” she says, adding that she’s excited for Thomas Dambo’s trolls grounds that opens successful March. If you get hungry, you tin halt by Dottie’s astatine the Koi Pond, which sells food, beer, vino and specialty cocktails connected Saturdays and Sundays. Carry-in nutrient is permitted if pre-prepared.

If you’re funny successful abstraction travel, past you should decidedly sojourn the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which is the eventual cosmic playground. Located successful Downey (known arsenic “home of the Apollo”) — astir a 40-minute thrust for you and a 50-minute thrust for your son’s household — the precocious renovated depository features a play area, robotics laboratory and interactive exhibits connected abstraction exploration including a shuttle landing simulator. Admission is $5 for adults and kids, $3 for seniors ages 65 and up and escaped for children ages 3 and under.

Speaking of aviation, different spot that is worthy checking retired is the Proud Bird successful El Segundo, astir a 45- to 50-minute thrust for some of you. Here, you tin bask delicious bites arsenic you ticker planes instrumentality disconnected from Los Angeles International Airport, which is conscionable a mates of miles away. Woo calls it “the cleanable spot for a multi-generation gathering.” “Our extended household erstwhile celebrated Christmas determination erstwhile everyone was excessively bushed to cook,” she adds. “You tin bid coagulated barbecue from Bludso’s, person a portion by a bonfire pit and fto the kids play connected the playground arsenic planes alert by.” She besides suggests the Point successful El Segundo. It’s an open-air buying and eating halfway that has a ample tract wherever the kids tin play and the grownups tin drawback a portion from Lil’ Simmzy’s.

I anticipation these recommendations are utile arsenic you program your adjacent household outing (and that they besides prevention you immoderate state money). Whatever you extremity up doing together, I’m definite that your family, particularly the small ones, volition conscionable beryllium grateful to walk prime clip with you. Have fun!