Travel

A patch of California poppies and grasses with the ocean in the background

Travel to These 7 Must-See California Destinations in 2024

New year celebrations have settled and it’s time to look forward to four seasons of California travel experiences. Planning ahead is not only sensible, allowing you to get the best deals and top choices for lodging across California, it also gives you something to be excited about. It all starts

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A view down the Miracle Mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles with the Petersen and Academy museums under a rainbow

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

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View over Los Angeles from behind the Hollywood Sign at sunset

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

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Conway Summit, a snow covered peak, seen from the empty road flanked by yellow fall foliage in the Eastern Sierra of California

Where to See Fall Foliage in California

As easy as it is to be boastful about California’s natural beauty, we have to hand it to the eastern United States – your fall foliage is truly incredible. With forests dominated by evergreens, the Golden State simply can’t compete with New England or the Appalachians when it comes to

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Downtown Los Angeles in the evening with cars in the foreground and the Walt Disney Concert Hall and skyscrapers in the background

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

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closeup view of the Rolling Through the Bay kinetic art sculpture at the Exploratorium, one of the top museums in San Francisco

Museum Monday: The Exploratorium, San Francisco

The Exploratorium, an award-winning, science-meets-art museum in San Francisco, checks off a lot of boxes on visitors’ wish lists. It’s one of the best places to go with kids in San Francisco, yet the museum is equally fun and engaging for all ages. Designed as a public learning laboratory for

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A mural covered wall in downtown Modesto, California

Places to Play: Modesto, California

Check out the Central Valley city of Modesto for the almond blossom cruise, cool downtown murals and more By J.C. Thomas [Note: This post was originally published in March, 2021 and was updated in March, 2023. Due to this year’s unusually cold, wet weather, Modesto’s almond blossom season is later

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A clearing and dry creek bed under a shady oak tree at Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens in California

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

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A closeup view of Chris Burden's Urban Light art installation outside LACMA

Museum Monday: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) 

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 art museum in the western United States. LACMA’s Resnick Exhibition

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Dwight Brooks ship models and more displays inside the main exhibit hall of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

Museum Monday: The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

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 Channel Islands. The museum showcases centuries of interaction between human

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The red and white paddlewheel of the MS Dixie II churns the waters of Lake Tahoe with a mountain backdrop

M.S. Dixie II is Lake Tahoe’s Best Four-Season Experience

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 year around is the M.S. Dixie II, a 500-passenger paddlewheeler

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Sunset over a snowy channel leading into Lake Tahoe, as seen from an extended-stay vacation rental at Tahoe Keys in South Lake Tahoe

There’s No Place Like South Lake Tahoe for an Extended Winter Stay

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 spectacular year-round is even more so when freshly frosted. World-class

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A closeup of ornaments on the California Christmas tree at the Reagan Library's An American Christmas Story exhibit in 2022

Museum Monday: An American Christmas Story at the Reagan Library

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 trees representing each U.S. state and territory. Also on display

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Punts lined up at Coulon in Marais Poitevin, one of the top destinations in the French region of Poitous-Charentes

The French Secret Of Poitou Charentes

By Roger Allnutt Have the French been keeping the Poitou-Charentes region on the west coast of France a secret? The French certainly know about and visit in large numbers this delightful and varied region. Yet it seems virtually “off the map” for overseas visitors compared to the more famous Loire, Burgundy,

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The exterior of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum with banners

Museum Monday: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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 35 million items spanning billions of years of natural history

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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

Museum Monday: Point Mugu Missile Park, Ventura County

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 empty field. It’s clear that they have a military connection

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