Here’s an easy way to feel like you’ve cleansed your soul, just a little bit – take a stroll around your local botanical gardens.  There are around 100 botanical gardens in California that are open to the public, according to…
A clearing and dry creek bed under a shady oak tree at Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens in California
Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens
In late 2024, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is set to complete construction of its brand-new David Geffen Galleries. The building will house the museum’s permanent collection of 150,000 objects and reestablish its status as the largest…
A closeup view of Chris Burden's Urban Light art installation outside LACMA
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum has a mission to preserve and celebrate over 13,000 years of human interaction with the ocean. It’s quite the scope, narrowed by a focus on the local coastal region, the Santa Barbara Channel and the…
Dwight Brooks ship models and more displays inside the main exhibit hall of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
The most popular activities around Lake Tahoe depend greatly on the season: snow sports in winter, hiking and mountain biking in summer, and scenic driving tours when the weather’s clear. One top attraction in South Lake Tahoe that’s available all…
The red and white paddlewheel of the MS Dixie II churns the waters of Lake Tahoe with a mountain backdrop
Make a full month of memories with an extended-stay rental on the waterfront in South Lake Tahoe  Wintertime is magical at Lake Tahoe. The pristine jewel of an alpine lake becomes the centerpiece of a snow-covered wonderland. Mountain scenery that’s…
Sunset over a snowy channel leading into Lake Tahoe, as seen from an extended-stay vacation rental at Tahoe Keys in South Lake Tahoe
Every holiday season, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley presents a special exhibit of Christmas trees decorated to fit the year’s theme. In 2022, the theme is An American Christmas Story. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit features more than 60…
A closeup of ornaments on the California Christmas tree at the Reagan Library's An American Christmas Story exhibit in 2022
There are many popular museums in Los Angeles, but the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County stands out among them with its comprehensive and broadly appealing exhibits housed in a historic building in Exposition Park. The museum boasts almost…
The exterior of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum with banners
If you’ve ever driven along the stretch of PCH north of Point Mugu State Park and south of Oxnard, you might have noticed a curious display of grounded vintage fighter jets and missiles in the distant corner of an otherwise…
An F-4 Phantom 2 jet mounted on display next to palm trees at Point Mugu Missile Park in Ventura County, an open air museum in Southern California
By J.C. Thomas It’s the spoooo-kiest season of all, the most weird and wonderful time of the year for visiting unnerving attractions across California. We’re not talking about your neighbor’s haunted house, however impressive it might be. No, these seven…
Bodie Ghost Town at night
By George Christopher Thomas My wife and I sometimes like to make our two kids do things together that do not encompass screens or video games. When this year’s summer vacation was about to end, we wanted to finish strong…
Santa Cruz Island seen in the distance across the Pacific Ocean from the decks of an Island Packers boat going to Channel Islands National Park with pelicans overhead
If you’re exploring Santa Barbara with kids, a visit to MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation is a must. This interactive science museum is in a prime location on lower State Street, right next to the train station…
The white wall exterior of MOXI museum in Santa Barbara, California, with a giant color mixing machine visible in the entrance
The city of Sausalito, covering less than 2 square miles of land on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, should in theory be overshadowed by its bigger, showier neighbors. San Francisco, just 4 miles away, is packed with…
A views of the San Francisco Bay from the decks of the schooner Freda B on a sunset sail from Sausalito