Located in Mountain Empire, Corte Madera is a moderately strenuous hike. With a length of around 7 miles and an elevation gain of around 1,500 feet, the hike will take most people 2 to 4 …

Under three hours' travel from San Diego, Catalina Island is truly a world of its own. Avalon, the island’s main (and only incorporated) town, offers equal parts relaxation and adventure. Here’s how to enjoy a …

San Diego certainly boasts more than its fair share of wealthy enclaves. Horseplayers assemble every summer where the turf meets the surf in Olde Del Mar, the city’s old money power brokers cut deals in …

Like Gloria Swanson at the end of 1950’s Sunset Blvd., L.A.’s newest visitor attraction, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, is finally ready for its close-up. Years in the making, the Academy Museum premiered on …

This is not another getaway to Palm Springs article. The Coachella Valley actually consists of nine cities, and Palm Springs is the best-known one. Indian Wells is where the very rich have second homes, including …

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains, charming Santa Barbara exemplifies the Mediterranean lifestyle to the degree that it's often referred to as the “American Riviera.” Santa Barbara is the ultimate seaside town …

A few Saturdays ago, I spent some quality time in Los Angeles for a Dodgers game in Echo Park. I’d hadn’t been to one of their games in quite some time, but with my friend …

"Keep close to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." ~ John Muir Ah, now I understand …

The Mitchell Caverns are not as large as those at Carlsbad, New Mexico, or as well known — but are local, every bit as dramatic, and come complete with a history made for movies. I …

While hundreds of San Diegan anglers wait for the April 29 trout opener in the mountain lakes of the Eastern Sierra, Big Bear Lake, in the nearby San Bernardino Mountains, is producing some large, high …

A chance meeting in the desert provided answers on the requirements for becoming an official at a major professional tennis tournament, like the one at Indian Wells. Just a 2.5-hour drive from San Diego, the …

If you're like me, you dread driving through any part of Los Angeles when heading north by road. Having driven different routes at varying times on several days of the week, I’ve found it will …

I typically love the sea, sun and sand. Interestingly though, not all the sands I’m drawn to lie in coastal regions. In fact, most of the sand on Earth is stacked in massive piles in …

Author Zane Grey said, "In Altadena I have found those qualities that make life worth living." Walking down Mariposa Street, “Millionaire’s Row,” where Grey’s home still stands – past the oversized craftsman-style bungalows and through …

We didn’t have anything like this in Chicago. We didn’t have a jutting piece of terrain you could drive out on, pull your car off the road wherever you felt like it, and set up …