All "Relaxing" Stories in Northern CA
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The Highway of Waterfalls
Ready for a totally refreshing road trip? Hit the Highway of Waterfalls! This stretch of road in Southern Oregon travels alongside the wild and scenic section of the North Umpqua River—and more than a dozen waterfalls.
View Sleeper Hit
It's all about the water, and the camping, at Utica Reservoir in Stanislaus National Forest, a High Sierra reservoir perfect for kayak explorations and pitching your tent with the lake in the background.
ViewDuck, Duck, Goose!
Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 14 sites and no motorized boats.
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Simply Amazing Road Trip
Don’t overthink it, just go! Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin is a hidden gem just north of the California border. This adventurous region makes savoring summer and fall easy with abundant outdoor recreation.
View Farm to Tent Cabins
The hardest part of staying at Willow-Witt Ranch will be leaving. This sprawling 445-acre property in Southern Oregon is part organic farm, part campground, part wellness retreat, and wholly relaxing.
ViewGrizzly and Great Views
You probably won’t see a grizzly bear on the hike up Grizzly Peak, but you will see locals on this 5.3-mile lollipop loop trail with panoramic mountain views and meadows of wildflowers.
ViewHot Springs With a View
People love a good hot spring. And Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon is a marquee attraction. You're perched on a mineral deposit above the flowing beauty of the North Umpqua River.
ViewGone Rogue!
If one thing can make you feel like a kid at summer camp, it’s spending a day on the river, rafting, floating, cannonballing off cliffs—eureka! One of the best rivers in the West to float is the Rogue River.
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National Parks Road Trip: Circle of Discovery!
Love national parks? Love road trips? Combine the two on one fabulous Circle of Discovery route in Northern California and Southern Oregon! This itinerary features 7 national parks with wondrous features.
View Magical McClures
McClures Beach is a seductive little spot: small, beautiful, and quiet. It’s easy to while away an afternoon-turned-sunset at this pocket cove in Point Reyes.
ViewFreedom of Beach
Nearly a mile of slate and black sand, expansive views of San Francisco, and just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin's Black Sands Beach is the size of Baker Beach—without the crowds.
ViewSecret Beach
A hidden beach and a killer view? Those are hard to come by, but that’s exactly what you’ll get at Perles Beach on Angel Island. Bike or hike to this beautiful pocket cove.
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All Roads Lead to Rogue
Idea for your next road trip: Go Rogue! The Rogue Valley in beautiful Southern Oregon has some of the state’s best hiking, swim holes, and wineries, and the charming historic towns of Ashland, Medford, and Jacksonville.
View Ideas for Mother's Day
Create arrangements from what is already growing in your yard (or in between the cracks of your sidewalk). Make make beautiful bouquets from a variety of weeds, grasses, and plants.
ViewMellow in the Marsh
Beach, birds, ice plant popping purple flowers: That’s a hiking slam dunk! Hike about 2 miles at Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve using their fully reopened and well-signed Sequoia Audubon Trail.
ViewMarshall's in Town!
Everyone has a favorite view of the Golden Gate Bridge. And ours? With respect to all the great options, we’ve got to say it’s from San Francisco’s Marshall’s Beach.
ViewBig Sky, Lodi
In winter millions of birds in winter travel the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south migration route that includes a stop at the Cosumnes River Preserve just north of Lodi.
ViewDrive-In Whale Watching
Just north of Point Reyes, Bodega Head sits high on the tip of a curving, thumb-like peninsula and offers excellent whale watching in winter.
ViewThat's the Point!
Mori Point, an exposed promontory in Pacifica with stunning ocean views, is fantastic for winter whale watching.
ViewStar This!
Twelve miles north of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast, Pacific Star Winery has interesting wines and a picnic area ideal for whale watching.
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Spring Up to These Amazing Events
Shake it up, shake it all the way up to this sunniest city in the state for the most unique and fun-fueled events. Redding is true Northern California, surrounded by famous mountains, nearby national parks and recreation areas, and the sparkling Sacramento River.
See Spring's Most Unique EventsYour Inbox to the Outdoors
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