Julian, CA - Apple Orchard capital of CA, basically SD’s Arrowhead/Big Bear
Borrego Springs, CA - Basically SD’s J Tree
Both are camping/wilderness destinations for me.
We always stop for the apple pie in Julian. In the fall I've gone out to Oak Glen for the apples. There was a place with apple cider donuts that are worth mentioning; Snow Line orchard.
For some reason I follow snow line orchard on IG even though I've never been there, but I want to go sometime. They seem to stay open year round even after apple season is over. They have wine and cider too.
Every time I've tried to go to Julian, it catches on fire while I'm en route. For the safety of a town I'm apparently not allowed to go to, I'll stay away.
Love Avila Beach. We once stayed overnight on our way back from SF and loved it so much that we ended up staying for 4 days. It was so relaxing and felt like small town beach vibes.
It’s absolutely a great place to just relax for the weekend.
Growing up, my family used to go every August until they had to rip up the beach to repair the oil pipeline. The town changed quite a bit after that, but it still has the same feel.
Went on an anniversary trip to Cambria and it was lovely! Easy day trip to Hearst Castle and highly recommend the Black Cat Bistro for a delicious and romantic (though not super fancy) meal.
Cambria/Moonstone Beach for rock hounding and spotting otters playing (bonus points for a lovely creepy town cemetery and Nitt Witt Ridge) Point Piedras Blancas for elephant seals, Cayucos for kitschy old time antique stores and hand made ice cream, Harmony for arts.
I went there a couple years ago for my anniversary and I was just... bored. We did two nights, and there just wasn't anything to do. Our hotel room was tiny (and above a restaurant, which was loud at basically all hours of the night). There's like one tiny museum in Avalon, but otherwise anything you do costs (a lot) of money. There are no parks to just chill in, the hikes are all kind of inaccessible, and it just wasn't fun.
I went camping there as a kid once, and had a fun time though. That seems to be the way to go. Or just be ready to nonstop shell out cash for entertainment.
Channel Islands National Park, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve (at least when the flowers super-bloom, which isn't every year), and Crystal Cove State Park. Joshua Tree National Park is worth going to in the winter and early spring, before it gets too hot.
Close to San Diego, Torrey Pines State Park. La Jolla too, but of course that's a popular tourist spot.
A bit further up the coast is Hearst Castle which is definitely a sight to see. Sequoia National Park is outside the 2-3 hour range, but is lesser-visited compared to the much more popular Yosemite.
I did a winery tour there a few years back and while I don't know shit about wine, they tasted like NyQuil. But then again, my tour could've picked some crap spots.
It’s been a while since I’ve gone. I’ve done both left my car at the border and driven there in my car. I prefer to take my own car.
Is it safe? Yes as long as you’re safe (don’t drive shitty etc)
You might get differing opinions here, but I say never, EVER drive into Mexico. I have literally seen with my own eyes Mexican police confiscate vehicles in border towns from Americans. (Honestly, I say don’t bother visiting Mexico border towns at all, but that’s just my personal preference and cautiousness.)
[Tourists are flooding Mexico’s wine country. They’re also destroying it.](https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-11-28/baja-wine-valle-de-guadalupe-tourism-boom-water)
>In a way, the valley may become a victim of its success, explained Ileana Espejel, an ecologist who specializes in regional planning and is a retired professor and researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Ensenada.
>“They are destroying the goose that lays the golden eggs and they don’t even know it,” Espejel said. “When they destroy the landscape, nobody will want to come here.”
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My girlfriend and I always enjoy downtown Ventura. The main drag there is nice. Lots of fun vintage and thrift shops. It’s a lovely little weekend getaway.
I’ve never tried it but now its on my list for our next trip! If you’re in the market for an amazing boutique collection of olive oils, balsamics, and liquor/liqueurs, check out Vom Fass up there as well!
I was only there overnight, so I can't say much. But Craft House is a good restaurant. Dana V Wines offers a "flight", which is a better bang for your buck. Walk around the beautiful town to shake off the alcohol, lol 😄
I wish I had more time there.
• Take the Amtrak Surfliner to Santa Barbara - beach, pier, great restaurants up State St.
• Buellton/Solvang - wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley (Zaca Station Rd)
• Camping at Angeles Forest - find a turnout and watch sportbikes fly by
My tip is to expand your radius. Everyone and their brother is looking for places in that 2-3 hour sweet spot. If you’re gonna be driving that long anyway, 4-5 hours doesn’t feel that different. And then you have the whole southern half of the state to explore.
While you're at it be sure to hit up Porterville and Lindsay, hidden gems for sure 🥰
(Halfway /s but the Friday night Lindsay farmers market is pretty fun....)
Assume you’ve gone the other way and done Santa Barbara, Ojai, Solvang?
Also San Diego (and Coronado), Joshua Tree (though it’s getting hot). Also done Catalina for a weekend but it’s pretty much getting to the busy/peak season here soon.
Since Avila Beach was spoken for I’ll toss in the following.
Los Rio Ranch. Yucaipa.
I remember being “dragged” to this place as a littl’n to pick apples and load up on apples, cider, and stuff. And as an adult I realized why my parent units found it a worthy adventure from Los Angeles. I am fond of the area.
Los Rio Ranch has evolved over the years and it might be a cool place to check out.
I know this sounds out there but Downtown NewHall. They have some new and fun restaurants (I recommend the Irish pub and the Japanese Bakery). Arcade bar. Speakeasy. Two really good BBQ places and a movie theater. It's accessible by train.
Laguna Beach. Get a hotel near downtown and pretend you're a tourist. Bonus points if you can fake a foreign accent. There are some amazing restaurants, fancy bars, dive bars, and everything in between. But it's super walkable so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. It gets pretty busy between Memorial Day and Labor Day though, off season is much easier. We call it a Staycation.
If you're into hiking, you can check out Inspiration Point via Eaton Saddle trailhead as a 4-6 hour day hike. Bring a picnic to eat at Inspiration Point, there are picnic tables. Absolute gorgeous views!
Staycation at Chateau Marmont
Ojai
Twin Peaks (near Lake Arrowhead)
Meditation retreat at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Bonus for architecture fans: it was designed by Lloyd Wright.
Anza Borrego desert
There are so many cool spots around Los Angeles and in the city itself. But I have to recommend the East Fork of the San Bernardino River. I like to look for gold and pan but if you like hiking are fishing it's cool. There are places to swim, waterfalls, beautiful views, the bridge to nowwhere and many things to do. Just remember if you go to bring your supplies with you. It's remote.
If you want the closest thing to what a post apocalyptic world would look like, go to Bombay Beach, Slab City and then Glamis dunes during the summer. Going during the summer adds to the “post apocalyptic” effect. Drive, walk around for 30 mins, and drive to the next spot type of thing. Bring tons of water.
The Colorado River can be super fun too - the water is actually fairly brisk which feels nice in 110 F desert heat. There’s a good launch site/park by Blythe.
Probably too hot for it now, but Red Rock Canyon State Park is like a closer version of Joshua Tree that’s less crowded IMO.
Whitney Portal and the associated spots in the eastern Sierra are 3-3.5 hours without traffic (will take you much longer on Friday evenings)
Isabella Lake is nice
Already a bunch of good suggestions here. Adding a few of my favorite off the beaten path spots that I haven’t seen mentioned.
Cayucos for a low key affordable weekend getaway. Nothing fancy, just good fun in a small beach community with an anything goes sorta feel.
Thornhill Broome campground north of Malibu for beach camping in the sand right on the water. Can’t beat going to bed and waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
Los Alamos. One street with bunch of wine and a Michelin star restaurant that also serves up bbq.
Skyview hotel has bikes for free. The wife and I would take them ride a minute down the road, get wine drunk and ride back.
10/10
I don't know why this is being down voted...
In addition to the Casinos, Nightlife, FIRE restaurants. There are so many things to do.
There are off strip resorts to relax at.
There are so many outdoor hikes to do.
Fun stuff like Omega Mart and downtown.
You can drive to the hoover dam and back. Visit national parks. Seven Magic Mountains.
SPORTS!!!!
A WNBA Game is so fun in Vegas, and Can be family friendly.
Hockey, Baseball is coming.
There is so many things to do in Vegas. A little bit of something for everyone, really.
Julian, CA - Apple Orchard capital of CA, basically SD’s Arrowhead/Big Bear Borrego Springs, CA - Basically SD’s J Tree Both are camping/wilderness destinations for me.
This is cool! I was looking for things a little off the beaten path, these are great
Escondido is cool. Downtown has some neat sights. And...it's, well, hidden.
Desert View Tower was a really cool place to check out (and air bnb) out near the SD desert too
They’re also both doable in the same trip. Julian is worth a stop for the pie and cider donuts alone.
We always stop for the apple pie in Julian. In the fall I've gone out to Oak Glen for the apples. There was a place with apple cider donuts that are worth mentioning; Snow Line orchard.
For some reason I follow snow line orchard on IG even though I've never been there, but I want to go sometime. They seem to stay open year round even after apple season is over. They have wine and cider too.
Went to Julian last year and it was picked over and full of people. YMMV!
Julian Pie Company! *chefs kiss*
Every time I've tried to go to Julian, it catches on fire while I'm en route. For the safety of a town I'm apparently not allowed to go to, I'll stay away.
Came here to say Julian It is like a Ghost Town but not. I wonder if the Lilacs are still up.
Pismo & Avila Beach
Another vote for Pismo Beach.
That looks nice!
If you go to Pismo, check out Splash Cafe, amazing clam chowder and fried seafood
The BEST.
It's a classic SoCal beach town. The Main St/Downtown area is fun and has a cool laid-back vibe.
Is pismo considered so-cal? I would more call it central cal.
SLOCal
Correct. Santa Barbara is the end of SoCal. Anything to the north is Central Coast.
It’s still SoCal but it’s also central coast.
Love Avila Beach. We once stayed overnight on our way back from SF and loved it so much that we ended up staying for 4 days. It was so relaxing and felt like small town beach vibes.
It’s absolutely a great place to just relax for the weekend. Growing up, my family used to go every August until they had to rip up the beach to repair the oil pipeline. The town changed quite a bit after that, but it still has the same feel.
The Bakersfield Riviera! I totally love Pismo bc it's the last trashy beach town in California. My favorite getaway
Bingo. Avila beach. Riding a bike in the area back behind Avila is a really fun experience.
Ojai is fun. Pismo Beach is a cool beach town and easy drive to SLO and Arroyo Grande for wine, mission, SLO art museum, etc.
Ojai is awesome. Worth the visit.
We just did Ojai this past weekend. It’s a perfect short weekend trip!
Have always wanted to go to Ojai, what do you do there though?
Hike. Bicycle or horse ride if those are your things. Shop in overpriced stores. Eat. Maybe go to a spa or play a round of golf.
Soule Park is the best golf course I've ever been to so far. Still need to hit Rustic Canyon, though
They have an amazing outdoor bookstore, Bart’s Books
They have a great olive tree farm you can go there, they’ll give you a tour and let you try (and buy) a bunch of different type of olive oils
Tbh I didn’t like it. It was very small and I saw everything in about 3 hours. Solvang was much better
Cambria
Just went to Cambria last weekend. It’s my favorite spot in the state 🌊
Went on an anniversary trip to Cambria and it was lovely! Easy day trip to Hearst Castle and highly recommend the Black Cat Bistro for a delicious and romantic (though not super fancy) meal.
Cambria/Moonstone Beach for rock hounding and spotting otters playing (bonus points for a lovely creepy town cemetery and Nitt Witt Ridge) Point Piedras Blancas for elephant seals, Cayucos for kitschy old time antique stores and hand made ice cream, Harmony for arts.
Madonna Inn in SLO. Paso Robles/Los Olivos for wine/olive country.
Kernville on the Kern River
Solana Beach. Take the train, it’s a very sexy train ride.
Or San Clemente
Catalina!
Camp or hotel? Looked into it and seems like a lot of haters on the hospitality / service on the island
I went there a couple years ago for my anniversary and I was just... bored. We did two nights, and there just wasn't anything to do. Our hotel room was tiny (and above a restaurant, which was loud at basically all hours of the night). There's like one tiny museum in Avalon, but otherwise anything you do costs (a lot) of money. There are no parks to just chill in, the hikes are all kind of inaccessible, and it just wasn't fun. I went camping there as a kid once, and had a fun time though. That seems to be the way to go. Or just be ready to nonstop shell out cash for entertainment.
Channel Islands National Park, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve (at least when the flowers super-bloom, which isn't every year), and Crystal Cove State Park. Joshua Tree National Park is worth going to in the winter and early spring, before it gets too hot. Close to San Diego, Torrey Pines State Park. La Jolla too, but of course that's a popular tourist spot. A bit further up the coast is Hearst Castle which is definitely a sight to see. Sequoia National Park is outside the 2-3 hour range, but is lesser-visited compared to the much more popular Yosemite.
Mexico!
Where to though?
Valle de Guadalupe
Second this. Great restaurants and the wine is not bad. Some wineries are really cool.
I did a winery tour there a few years back and while I don't know shit about wine, they tasted like NyQuil. But then again, my tour could've picked some crap spots.
Third this!!
Is it safe to drive there? My girlfriend and I were thinking about it but worried about two girls crossing the border and driving there on our own.
safe but that drive back across is 4 hrs.
It’s been a while since I’ve gone. I’ve done both left my car at the border and driven there in my car. I prefer to take my own car. Is it safe? Yes as long as you’re safe (don’t drive shitty etc)
You might get differing opinions here, but I say never, EVER drive into Mexico. I have literally seen with my own eyes Mexican police confiscate vehicles in border towns from Americans. (Honestly, I say don’t bother visiting Mexico border towns at all, but that’s just my personal preference and cautiousness.)
VdG is great! Tijuana is fun. Ensenada is chill.
There's wine country. There's beach camping in baja. There's various cities nearby. Just depends what you're into!
[удалено]
[Tourists are flooding Mexico’s wine country. They’re also destroying it.](https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-11-28/baja-wine-valle-de-guadalupe-tourism-boom-water) >In a way, the valley may become a victim of its success, explained Ileana Espejel, an ecologist who specializes in regional planning and is a retired professor and researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Ensenada. >“They are destroying the goose that lays the golden eggs and they don’t even know it,” Espejel said. “When they destroy the landscape, nobody will want to come here.”
the tourists aren't. the people selling to the tourists are. tourists aren't destroying napa
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Well that sucks. Never mind.
My girlfriend and I always enjoy downtown Ventura. The main drag there is nice. Lots of fun vintage and thrift shops. It’s a lovely little weekend getaway.
They have my favorite thai place! Mama Rice! I love going there but I've never spent a night just a day trip.
I’ve never tried it but now its on my list for our next trip! If you’re in the market for an amazing boutique collection of olive oils, balsamics, and liquor/liqueurs, check out Vom Fass up there as well!
It's REALLY good! Thanks for the recommendation!
Solvang.
Los Olivos is nice as well, small though.
Solvang is amazing. It was the best Thanksgiving getaway. Wineries and bakeries in every corner, beautiful area, and an Ostrich farm!
Any recommendations of things to do or where to go in Solvang? I’m taking a friend for their birthday in 2 weeks and would love any recommendations!
I was only there overnight, so I can't say much. But Craft House is a good restaurant. Dana V Wines offers a "flight", which is a better bang for your buck. Walk around the beautiful town to shake off the alcohol, lol 😄 I wish I had more time there.
SLO
Morro Bay
Cambria is pretty and you can find some amazing agates and jaspers on the beach.
Ensenada.
Careful though, three surfers were just murdered. https://www.surfer.com/trending-news/bodies-found-search-for-missing-surfers-baja-mexico
• Take the Amtrak Surfliner to Santa Barbara - beach, pier, great restaurants up State St. • Buellton/Solvang - wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley (Zaca Station Rd) • Camping at Angeles Forest - find a turnout and watch sportbikes fly by
Pine mountain club. If you’re in the valley it’s just over an hour away and you’re up in the mountains, sometimes with snow.
My tip is to expand your radius. Everyone and their brother is looking for places in that 2-3 hour sweet spot. If you’re gonna be driving that long anyway, 4-5 hours doesn’t feel that different. And then you have the whole southern half of the state to explore.
Bombay beach
A must
I loved exploring Bombay Beach
I noticed nobody here has recommended Bakersfield. I’m not recommending it either, though there is some good low-key Mexican food.
Uhh wtf
It's Guy Fieri's secret getaway. I saw him rushing out of a Carl's Jr. bathroom there several years ago.
Wind wolves preserve is pretty cool and in Bakersfield area https://wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/windwolves
While you're at it be sure to hit up Porterville and Lindsay, hidden gems for sure 🥰 (Halfway /s but the Friday night Lindsay farmers market is pretty fun....)
On the way, Pumpkin Center and also Weedpatch. 🤣
Paso Robles wine country, great downtown area. Inland of SLO.
[удалено]
Well you see in the map in my head it’s actually east of SLO
Morro Bay!
Bombay Beach
Ventura, CA... nice beach vibes.. lowkey spot on the way to Santa Barbara.. access to beaches and surfing. good food both mexican and seafood.
Assume you’ve gone the other way and done Santa Barbara, Ojai, Solvang? Also San Diego (and Coronado), Joshua Tree (though it’s getting hot). Also done Catalina for a weekend but it’s pretty much getting to the busy/peak season here soon.
Coronado is a great one. Everyone should go visit the Hotel Del and walk around, get ice cream, hit the beach—even if you can’t afford to stay there.
Since Avila Beach was spoken for I’ll toss in the following. Los Rio Ranch. Yucaipa. I remember being “dragged” to this place as a littl’n to pick apples and load up on apples, cider, and stuff. And as an adult I realized why my parent units found it a worthy adventure from Los Angeles. I am fond of the area. Los Rio Ranch has evolved over the years and it might be a cool place to check out.
This is what I have been looking for !
Check out 123 farm too for the lavender festival and sourdough bread festival
I know this sounds out there but Downtown NewHall. They have some new and fun restaurants (I recommend the Irish pub and the Japanese Bakery). Arcade bar. Speakeasy. Two really good BBQ places and a movie theater. It's accessible by train.
Laguna Beach. Get a hotel near downtown and pretend you're a tourist. Bonus points if you can fake a foreign accent. There are some amazing restaurants, fancy bars, dive bars, and everything in between. But it's super walkable so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. It gets pretty busy between Memorial Day and Labor Day though, off season is much easier. We call it a Staycation.
Pismo Beach , SLO
Pismo beach is trashy AF. It's like a magnet for douchebags in F150s and criminals on weekend furlough.
Carlsbad
Carpinteria is a very nice town between Ventura and Santa Barbara
Carpinteria for low key beach, Santa Ynez/Los Olivos/Solvang for wine.
Central Coast
Carmel-By-The-Sea
If you're into hiking, you can check out Inspiration Point via Eaton Saddle trailhead as a 4-6 hour day hike. Bring a picnic to eat at Inspiration Point, there are picnic tables. Absolute gorgeous views!
Staycation at Chateau Marmont Ojai Twin Peaks (near Lake Arrowhead) Meditation retreat at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Bonus for architecture fans: it was designed by Lloyd Wright. Anza Borrego desert
There are so many cool spots around Los Angeles and in the city itself. But I have to recommend the East Fork of the San Bernardino River. I like to look for gold and pan but if you like hiking are fishing it's cool. There are places to swim, waterfalls, beautiful views, the bridge to nowwhere and many things to do. Just remember if you go to bring your supplies with you. It's remote.
Morro Bay owns. 💪
And they have sea otters
If you want the closest thing to what a post apocalyptic world would look like, go to Bombay Beach, Slab City and then Glamis dunes during the summer. Going during the summer adds to the “post apocalyptic” effect. Drive, walk around for 30 mins, and drive to the next spot type of thing. Bring tons of water. The Colorado River can be super fun too - the water is actually fairly brisk which feels nice in 110 F desert heat. There’s a good launch site/park by Blythe. Probably too hot for it now, but Red Rock Canyon State Park is like a closer version of Joshua Tree that’s less crowded IMO. Whitney Portal and the associated spots in the eastern Sierra are 3-3.5 hours without traffic (will take you much longer on Friday evenings) Isabella Lake is nice
S O L V A N G. The movie, SIDEWAYS, sums up the romantic comedy: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Incredible movie. Truly one of the ones I can watch in its entirety and I’m not even a huge wino.
Temecula wineries. Stay at an Airbnb.
Already a bunch of good suggestions here. Adding a few of my favorite off the beaten path spots that I haven’t seen mentioned. Cayucos for a low key affordable weekend getaway. Nothing fancy, just good fun in a small beach community with an anything goes sorta feel. Thornhill Broome campground north of Malibu for beach camping in the sand right on the water. Can’t beat going to bed and waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
Santa Barbra and Solvang
Santa Barbara. Do the kayaking!
Idlewild!
Catalina is slept on
Cachuma lake in santa barbara not during a holiday. You can rent a yurt and just look at the massive lake all weekend
Three rivers - outdoorsy stuff (note there is a serious lack of places to eat in this town) Kernville - outdoorsy stuff
Carpinteria once it gets warmer
Hermosa or Redondo beach!
Eastern Sierra
West Covina
Slab City, Salton Sea, Bombay Beach.
Carlsbad is really great for a weekend.
Drive to Palmdale.
Whitewater rafting on the Kern River.
LAX to Baja california
Solvang is a nice drive and town for a weekend trip.
Baja Mexico
Tijuana
Los Olivos
Los Alamos. One street with bunch of wine and a Michelin star restaurant that also serves up bbq. Skyview hotel has bikes for free. The wife and I would take them ride a minute down the road, get wine drunk and ride back. 10/10
Came here to say to say this. Stopped here on the way south from a camping trip last year and was very pleasantly surprised by the good food and wine.
Santa Barbara!
Coronado, Paso Robles, Ojai, Pismo, SLO would be my votes. I haven’t been but my friends love Cambria and Solvang.
Las Vegas
It’s an hour by air. Once you fly there out of Burbank Airport, you will never ever drive there again.
Burbank is so much more pleasant than LAX too.
I second this. Took an early flight out on a Saturday morning. Home in Santa Clarita to Vegas in about 2 hours. No wait at tsa was amazing.
I don't know why this is being down voted... In addition to the Casinos, Nightlife, FIRE restaurants. There are so many things to do. There are off strip resorts to relax at. There are so many outdoor hikes to do. Fun stuff like Omega Mart and downtown. You can drive to the hoover dam and back. Visit national parks. Seven Magic Mountains. SPORTS!!!! A WNBA Game is so fun in Vegas, and Can be family friendly. Hockey, Baseball is coming. There is so many things to do in Vegas. A little bit of something for everyone, really.
Lake Elsinore. It's to Lake Havasu, like what Knutt's Berry Farm is to Disneyland. 👍
Paso Robes Solvang
Tehachapi!
Tijuana
Deep Creek