California
Day Trips from Orange County
California
Best Weekend Getaways from Los Angeles
Plan a weekend trip from LA to one of these beautiful beaches, hotels, resorts, romantic inns and spas.
California Vacation Ideas
Day Trips in Southern California
Home to so many large urban centers, Southern California is also incredibly rich in diverse ecosystems that range from deserts to mountaintops.
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California felt like a long, unfolding breath. One coast, a thousand moods—fog rolling over cliffs, sunlight dripping through vineyards, desert wind humming against canyon walls. I remember driving with the windows down, the sky wide and weightless, and thinking, “This is where beauty meets you without trying.”
What stayed with me were the shifts: redwoods rising like cathedrals, a coffee cup warming my hands in a seaside town, the quiet of an empty trail just after rain. I wandered from tide pools to taco stands, mountain roads to city corners strung with lights, and I left feeling open—like California had invited me to stretch, to soften, to be.
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Whether you’re dreaming of coastal drives, quiet beaches, high desert stillness, or slow mornings in small towns that feel like postcards, these guides gather the California that lingered with me—spacious, soulful, and always lit with something golden.
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Things to Do in Southern California
Weekend Getaways from San Diego
Things to Do in Ventura, California
- Northern California