California news, stories & travel reviews
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon, near Calabasas at the edge of the San Fernando Valley, is one of those places where you can make the sight and sound of a huge metropolitan area simply disappear after …
Catch this! If you’re on a constant search like I am for tasty cioppino, head to Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing, Monterey County, for delicious seafood using old-world family recipes. Phil’s Fish Market, in …
Fill up the car with gas and travel up the coast through Big Sur on Highway 1 to Carmel, one of the most scenic drives in the country. Starting at San Simeon, site of the …
An oasis of serenity exists in the midst of bustling San Francisco. A feeling of peace will envelop you as you stroll through the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park. Meandering along quiet paths …
If you’re feeling stressed and want to step back to a time when life was simpler and more tranquil, a trip to the small coastal town of Mendocino might be just what you need. Trying …
Gustine, in California’s San Joaquin Valley, can transport you to Old World Portugal. Matadors, cavaleiros and forcados donned in colorful old-fashioned garb along with the fiesta atmosphere preserve the culture of this distant land. Keeping …
It’s the area in between star-studded Los Angeles and ultra-elite Orange County. This is the city that people just drive past on the 405 freeway, or don’t bother mentioning in conversations covering Southern California. But …
Avoid the tourist throngs and discover two desert oddities three hours east of San Diego, in Calipatria and Niland. From a distance, the Mud Pots look like giant anthills, and the sulphur smell will knock …
Touted as California’s toughest “century” (a 100-mile bicycle ride), the Tour of the Unknown Coast lives up to its appellation. Held annually in early May, the TUC attracts both sightseeing tourists and serious cyclists who …
People often conjure up images of the 1965 riots when thinking of the Los Angeles neighborhood Watts. Hopefully, after visiting Watts Towers (or “Nuestro Pueblo,” as its creator Simon Rodia originally referred to it), people …
Apple Days are here! Apple pie tasting is an art I could get used to, especially if the pies are baked in Julian, a historic mountain town famous for its apple orchards and home-baked pies. …
In L.A. at an autograph and collectors’ convention, I smiled at Playboy Playmate Candy Clark as I walked by her table. She was charging $25 for her autograph. I glanced at her price list and …
If it came down to visiting Tahoe in the winter or the summer, I’m not sure I could pick one over the other. While Tahoe is commonly praised for its impressive winters, I’d argue that …
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses a broad range of parks and publicly owned open space areas, ranging from 10,000-acre-plus state parks to tiny parcels situated to protect unusual natural habitat, or to …
When radio station KPRI announced a Van Morrison concert in L.A. that they’d be taking listeners to, I talked my way into joining afternoon DJ Oz in the limo to the show. We picked up …