Easy Holiday Outings

We've had a rough couple of months, from the wine country wildfires in Northern California to the current fires in Southern California. But no fire can snuff out the California spirit. If you're looking for ways to find some comfort and a little adventure this season, here are three outings to please kids from 1 to 92.

Week: 12.14.2017
Regions: Southern CA

O Enchanted Night!

Visiting the Enchanted Forest of Light in Descanso Gardens

Prepare to be mesmerized! Holiday-season nights in Descanso Gardens are a magical interplay of lights and natural beauty that dazzle as you stroll through the Enchanted Forest of Light. Kids and adults alike will thrill as they enter 10 themed gardens, each beckoning visitors to
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Keep on Truckee!

Win A Truckee Vacation

Nice and easy … that’s how your ski getaways should be! Snow doubt about it: Truckee’s your best base camp for hitting the pow, quickly! Located smack on I-80, you’re 15 to 30 minutes from 12 Lake Tahoe–Truckee world-class ski resorts plus over 100 miles of Nordic trails leaving
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North Pole Meets Inland Empire

Visiting Greenspot Farms for a Christmas Tree and Holiday Cheer

Every December night, Greenspot Farms in the tiny town of Mentone becomes a rustic North Pole, complete with live Christmas trees, Santa, holiday movies, cookies, shopping, and festive lights. It’s sure to enchant anyone with a heart softer than Ebenezer Whatsisname. The ideal ad
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Baldy View and Candy Canes Too!

Hiking Joatngna Trail in the Angeles and Visiting Logan's Candy Cane Factory

Kids getting restless? Maybe overeager for the big day? Burn off some steam with a family-friendly 0.8-mile stroll on the Joatngna Trail in the Angeles National Forest below Mount Baldy, then reward your troops by showing them how candy canes are made—and eaten! Joatngna means “v
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market

    NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike

    What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.

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  2. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

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  3. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

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  4. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

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  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

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  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

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  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

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