Museum Monday: The Getty Villa Museum, Pacific Palisades
Contemporary Southern California couldn’t be much further in time and space from the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome and Etruria. However, at the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades, a stone’s throw from Malibu, these distinct cultures come together in a splendid showcase of classical art and architecture. The lavish Getty Villa, a precise recreation […]
Reasons to Visit (or Skip) LA’s Venice Beach
Venice is a weird beachfront neighborhood of Los Angeles. Whether it’s good-weird or bad-weird, and whether or not Venice Beach is worth visiting, is entirely subjective. For some visitors, the beachfront neighborhood with its famous boardwalk is an absolute must-see highlight of Southern California. For others, there are probably quite a few more appealing destinations […]
A First Timer’s Guide to Malibu, California
Malibu, a city hugging 21 miles of coastline in Los Angeles County, has a magical appeal that’s far greater than that of its most famous attributes. The millionaires’ homes, legendary surf scene, oceanfront restaurants and the Pacific Coast Highway – these are not the sources of Malibu’s magic. Rather, they exist because of it, in […]
Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach Embraces the Beauty and Bounty of the Oxnard Coast
By J.C. Thomas California’s celebrated coastline is 1,264 miles long, yet there are only a handful of true oceanfront resorts in the entire state. Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach stands out even among such rare offerings – it’s the only all-suite beachfront resort in California. Located on the edge of Oxnard in Ventura County, the […]
Enjoy Lake San Marcos, S’mores and More at Lakehouse Resort
By J.C. Thomas San Diego County is known all around the world for its major tourist attractions, near-perfect weather and natural beauty. It’s hard to believe that any hidden gems remain among the region’s immensely inviting cities, beaches and mountains. Yet, the city of San Marcos and its same-named lake remain mostly off the typical […]
A First Timer’s Guide to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is the No. 1 place to go for anyone with a rosy, rom-com-like vision of a Los Angeles vacation. It’s a sunny, lively, visitor-friendly beach city that feels familiar even if it’s your first visit. Santa Monica is genuinely walkable and bikeable (a rarity in Southern California). It’s more urban than Malibu, more […]
Explore Exposition Park, a Remarkable Los Angeles Landmark
Exposition Park, a 152-acre urban park in a South Los Angeles neighborhood also named Exposition Park, is one of the top visitor destinations in all of Southern California. The park’s most famous landmark is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a historic venue that hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984, and will again […]
A Visitor’s Guide to LA’s Miracle Mile and Museum Row
The Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles scores a spot on many visitors’ itineraries thanks to its biggest draw – Museum Row. The strip of top-notch museums along Wilshire Boulevard includes the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In front of LACMA […]
A Visitor’s Guide to Griffith Park, One of LA’s Greatest Assets
Griffith Park is one of the greatest assets of Los Angeles – for locals and visitors alike. Massive and rugged, the municipal park’s 4,310 acres cover the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. Major attractions in Griffith Park, which include the LA Zoo, Griffith Observatory and trails to the Hollywood Sign, take up just […]
A First Timer’s Travel Guide to Hollywood
An ultimate guide to all the best things to see and do in Hollywood, California Hollywood is the most famous neighborhood in Los Angeles and one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The name alone evokes visions of movie-making magic, Golden Age glamor, and stars. Stars everywhere. Stars in everyone’s eyes! Stars on […]
Travel Guide: Downtown Los Angeles
A first-timer’s ultimate guide to all the best things to see and do in downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) Downtown Los Angeles, or DTLA, is not like other downtowns. This isn’t a judgment call on its appeal – there is a lot to love about downtown – but rather a useful thing to know before making […]
12 Beautiful Botanical Gardens in California
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 Botanic Gardens Conservation International. They vary considerably in size and scope, but all have in […]