The best places to visit in California, with practical advice on which destinations fit different trips.
Plan Auburn in 2 days with historic Old Town, Auburn State Recreation Area, American River access, summer heat strategy, parking, family advice and Gold Country combinations.
Visit Columbia State Historic Park and Sonora with a practical 2-day Gold Country itinerary, family activities, parking, history, where to stay and nearby Sierra foothill stops.
Plan a Mount Baldy day trip from Los Angeles with seasonal road and trail checks, hiking strategy, winter safety, parking, family advice and realistic timing.
Plan a Kern River and Lake Isabella trip with a realistic 3-day itinerary, river safety, rafting and camping strategy, summer heat advice, family travel and Southern Sierra road-trip combinations.
Plan a quiet 3-day Point Arena and Gualala road trip with coastal trails, Point Arena-Stornetta, lighthouse strategy, beaches, driving times, family tips and Mendocino Coast combinations.
Plan Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach in 2 days with piers, The Strand, bike paths, parking strategy, family tips, where to stay and an easy South Bay itinerary.
Visit Redondo Beach with a practical 2-day guide to the pier, King Harbor, Riviera Village, beaches, parking, family travel and South Bay combinations.
Plan Oxnard in 2 days with Channel Islands Harbor, beaches, downtown, ferry strategy, parking, family tips and realistic Ventura County road-trip combinations.
Plan Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage in 3 days with El Paseo, The Living Desert, Sunnylands, desert hikes, heat strategy, where to stay and Palm Springs combinations.
Plan a relaxed 2-day Lodi Wine Country trip with downtown, wineries, Lodi Lake, designated-driver strategy, where to stay and comparisons with Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles.