All Stories from Southern CA
Jetty for La Jenelle
The La Jenelle was a 467-foot luxury cruise liner before retiring to Port Hueneme Harbor with plans to become a floating restaurant. Then a severe storm ripped her from her mooring
ViewSand to Snow
The Sand to Snow National Monument’s centerpiece is the 11,500-foot peak of Mount San Gorgonio (the highest in all of SoCal), but a hidden gem exists in the area’s 2,850-acre Whitewater Preserve.
ViewMojave Momentum
The largest of Obama’s monument designations clocks in at a modest 1.6 million acres! Mojave Trails National Monument is home to a variety of desert destinations, including colorful canyons, striking mountain ranges, sand dunes, and even fossil beds containing 550-million-year-old trilobite remnants!
ViewStorm the Castle
Before President Obama channeled Teddy Roosevelt, the Mojave National Preserve was missing a key piece bordering Nevada in the northeast section of the park. This now conserved 21,000-acre parcel is protected and designated as the Castle Mountains National Monument after its namesake range.
ViewSuiho-en
Never has an area downwind from a water treatment facility been so worth a visit for its utopian beauty. The Japanese Garden hidden within the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area is ca
ViewBest Dam Ever
The backdrop for many films, it was at the Sepulveda Dam just south of Burbank Boulevard that an eye-patched Kurt Russell played Snake Plissken in the 1981 cult classic Escape from
ViewBike the Basin
Oil up your metal steed and hit the bikeways at the 2,000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in Encino. Pedal a 9-mile loop around the area's perimeter, or venture deep within on
ViewGrand View Summit
The moderately strenuous 6-mile Pine Knot hike in Big Bear is wildly popular in summer. But in winter, this trail is a kingdom of blissful isolation, and just as beautiful! Rent some snowshoes and poles and traverse the snow to explore.
ViewKing of the Castle Rock
If you have only a short time to enjoy a snowy Big Bear hike, conquer the steep slopes of the Castle Rock Trail. After parking in the small pull-out lot, cross the highway (careful
ViewAlpine Pedal Path
Snow is scarcer on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, but solitude is plentiful, and the novel view of Big Bear Lake is refreshing. The paved multi-use 3.5-mile Alpine Pedal Path ta
ViewBowtie Occasion
There's no blacktie required for attending your next art instalation opening: this is purely a Bowtie affair! The Bowtie Project is an 18-acre park in Glendale filled with art inst
ViewSplendor in the Marsh
Many years ago if Marsh Park had been on Tinder, it might have gotten a pretty swift left swipe. But not today! This little gem along the LA River underwent a massive makeover a fe
ViewCupid Classic
Elysian Park holds the title of oldest in LA and is home to Dodger Stadium. And Wildflower Trail is one of the best hikes in the area (bonus: it’s dog-friendly, for those whose Val
ViewCupid's Cascade
Most Tahoe fans know Cascade Falls' silvery drop as it appears in early summer, when melting snow forms a billowy cataract that plummets more than 200 feet into Cascade Lake. But i
ViewBaby You Can Light My Fire
Want to go on a date that will really get your heart pumping? Strap on your snowshoes and hoof it to Angora Ridge Fire Lookout. You’ll climb for nearly 2 miles in this workout that
ViewHarmony's Edge
Blink-and-you'll-miss-it Harmony Headlands State Park is small but mighty. This coastal swath of land between Cayucos and Cambria has only one trail, the Headlands Trail. But don't
ViewStroll and Sip
Picking a beach on the Central Coast is like deciding which flavor to go with at a homemade ice cream shop: There are so many good choices! You really can't go wrong, but if you're
ViewGive Me Morro!
Like a Half Dome of the Central Coast, Morro Rock is an iconic fixture of San Luis Obispo County's shoreline. It's especially beautiful to see at sunset, from secluded sand dunes t
ViewGive Me Morro!
Like a Half Dome of the Central Coast, Morro Rock is an iconic fixture of San Luis Obispo County's shoreline. It's especially beautiful to see at sunset, from secluded sand dunes t
ViewHarmony's Edge
Blink-and-you'll-miss-it Harmony Headlands State Park is small but mighty. This coastal swath of land between Cayucos and Cambria has only one trail, the Headlands Trail. But don't
View
Mini Guide to Reno Tahoe’s Lodging and Dining
So, you’re going to Reno Tahoe for some time in nature, and some time in nurture? Excellent choice. The fun and wonder of Reno Tahoe is the easy part.
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