Weekend Getaways
Find ideas for your next San Diego weekend getaway!
Idyllic Idyllwild: a weekend in the woods
All-seasons mountain village close to S.D. – just a 2.5-hour drive.
"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 ...
Loveland Reservoir: backcountry in San Diego's backyard
Just 45 minutes from downtown, the reservoir offers hiking, fishing and close-to-home wilderness.
Loveland Lake and Dam is a true hidden gem in the backcountry about 40 minutes drive from downtown San Diego off I-8 East. The trailhead can be easily missed if you blink once while driving ...
Joshua Tree glamping & the Integratron
Yurt glamping, sound bathing and stargazing 2.5 hours north of San Diego.
Oh, Joshua Tree. You are unique, far-flung and downright bizarre.... I first visited the quirky desert town several years ago and took to the creative community. While brainstorming road trip ideas one weekend, I settled ...
Springtime Mammoth Lakes: a travel guide
The case for Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra's less spendy, mellower "secret" season.
Springtime in the Western United States generally means snow melt and a lot of muddy conditions. It may seem like an odd time to visit a mountain town... but it's just the opposite for the ...
The Mitchell Caverns: California's sacred caves
Explore these ancient limestone caverns a 4.5-hour drive north in the Mojave.
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 ...
Life goes on in Las Vegas
Bring your inner foodie: Vegas isn't just for gamblers or clubbers anymore.
Heading to Las Vegas two months after the Mandalay Bay shootings – the deadliest (civilian) mass shooting in American history – you’d have to be a sociopath not to think of death. But eventually, like ...
Hipster L.A.: Los Feliz, Echo Park, Silver Lake
You don't even have to drive there — take the Pacific Surfliner to Union Station.
In many different neighborhoods, L.A. is seeing a positive increase in the number of artistic and creative establishments: from hip clothing stores to shared workspaces to unique bars and cafes. Downtown, Highland Park, East Los ...
Read before rolling into Baja
Cuidado — RV and towed-vehicle permits also new to Mexican officials
When the Baja 1000 races roll around next month (November 14–18), some Americans crossing into Mexico might be in for a big surprise. Recently, travelers crossing through the San Ysidro, Otay, Tecate, and Mexicali borders ...
Huntington Library & Botanic Gardens: L.A. day trip
The cultural oasis has an impressive art and manuscript collection, too.
Looking for a hidden gem of a day trip from San Diego? The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, a private nonprofit organization located in tony San Marino near Pasadena, is one of the best possible ...
China Lake: California's rock art library
See the largest gathering of petroglyphs in the northern hemisphere.
At night, especially under a full moon, the locals say you can hear the voices of the ancient ones. They ride the wind, telling the story of their people as they glide across the rocks. ...
Baja's Valle de Guadalupe on a budget
Photography, glamping, wining, and star gazing: all a couple hours away.
Two hours south of San Diego, around sixty miles from Tijuana, sits Valle de Guadalupe inside Ensenada, the largest municipality in all of Mexico. Dozens of wineries with tasting rooms and fancy eateries sit near ...
Bishop, CA: Eastern Sierras gateway
Boulders, burgers, bristlecones, add a dash of history.
For outdoor adventure, a dash of history, and crisp mountain air, head north to the Eastern Sierras to the small top of Bishop. Nestled between two of the largest mountain ranges in the contiguous United ...
Welcome to Bear Country
Solo camping in the Sierras' Little Lakes, a 6.5-hour drive north of S.D.
Although I had only been home a month, I had irrationally hoped to get my ideal big girl job and within a few months be settled in my big girl apartment. Since I was nowhere ...
Antelope Valley's fields of orange
Time the 3.5-hour drive north in the spring for spectacular waves of color.
Officially known as the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, the rolling hills of the southern Mojave, 15 miles west of Lancaster, explode with color each spring as 1,745 acres of wildflowers end their hibernation and burst ...
Downtown L.A.: trashy to trendy
Get your arts & culture fix, no driving required — just an easy ride up the Pacific Surfliner.
In the 90s and early 00s, despite its impressively tall high-rise skyline, downtown Los Angeles was generally NOT somewhere you would go by choice. Maybe once in awhile for a museum or a convention. Or ...
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Lake Siskiyou with Mount Shasta in the background.
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