All "Relaxing" Stories in Southern CA

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  Eagle Gold

  There’s gold in these mountains! Well, there was, once upon a time. In the 1870s, prospectors discovered gold in Julian, leading to the creation of Eagle Mine, known as the Mother

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  Colorful Colorado

  Wildflowers by a sandy beach, with paths to walk and a tidal lagoon to swim in? Yep, Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach has all the makings of a beautiful spring afternoon. This recentl

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  Cultivated Carlsbad

  The most dependable bloom of springtime flowers in SoCal? It’s in Carlsbad, where the cultivated Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch have been putting on a show for the past 26 years.

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  Multiple Choice Hot Springs

  Travertine Hot Springs stands apart from other Eastern Sierra soaking sites for the astounding way that rock formations convey water to its primitive pools. Craggy ridges of traver

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  Hot, Wet, and Wild!

  At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar

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  Soaking Up History

  When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history. Although this rustic resort south of Bishop has changed hands a f

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  Make Way for McWay

  Big Sur’s had some hard luck with fire damage and mudslides in the past few years, but that hasn’t put a stop to its wild natural beauty: epic Pacific views, iconic redwoods, and o

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  Pasadena Distilled

  What’s your pleasure? A smoky peated single malt? 151 rum? A workout walk around the stately Rose Bowl? How about all of the above and more, on a visit to Stark Spirits, a distille

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  The Spirit of DTLA

  Dazzling variety defines the beating heart of downtown LA and one of its true treasures: Greenbar Distillery in the Arts District, LA’s first and biggest since Prohibition. In fact

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  Owl the Best of Santa Ana

  Old town, new spirit! Historic downtown Santa Ana is home to the first craft distillery in Orange County. Blinking Owl Distillery, named for a once-iconic bar on the corner of Birc

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  All the Money in Malibu

  Want to feel like you have All the Money in the World? Visit the Getty Villa in Malibu! The movie recounts a crisis within the Getty family, the richest family in the world in the

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  Shapes in the Water

  Elisa in The Shape of Water falls in love with a humanoid creature from a mysterious underwater world, an affection that’s perfectly understandable when we visit the lovable real-l

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  A Rose in the Pines

  A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

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  BONUS: Redwoods on the House!

  In celebration of turning 100 this year, Save the Redwoods League is hosting a celebration week and also giving away complimentary day-use admission to more than 100 redwood parks

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  Sand Sledding

  It's not snowing at LA's beaches, but the sledding's still great! Recently erected sand berms up and down the coast—and as high as 15 feet—are intended to protect areas from floodi

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  Baldy View and Candy Canes Too!

  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

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  North Pole Meets Inland Empire

  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 fes

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  O Enchanted Night!

  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 L

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  Around the World in San Diego

  Ah, what wonders grow when the weather is perpetually delightful! Such is the case in San Diego, where the San Diego Botanic Garden is able to grow a ridiculous 4,000-plus species

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  California in 86 Acres

  Sometimes the biggest secrets are, well, big. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is an 86-acre gem, hidden away in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Claremont. In a way, i

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