California lighthouses to visit are spread along the entire coast, from a low-tide island in Crescent City to a hilltop museum in San Diego. Some you can climb, some you can only tour with a docent, and a few you can only admire from the grounds — but each one Read more…
A California missions road trip is the oldest road trip in the state. Between 1769 and 1823, 21 Spanish missions were built along El Camino Real, the Royal Road, from San Diego to Sonoma — about a day’s journey, roughly 30 miles, apart. Today you can drive the whole chain Read more…
California scenic train rides are the slowest, prettiest way to see the state. On a train, the driving is done for you, the windows are the attraction, and the scenery changes from redwood forest to vineyard to Pacific shoreline. These ten California scenic train rides are worth booking, from a Read more…
A California waterfalls road trip is the best way to see the state’s water at full strength — the falls are spread across three very different landscapes: the volcanic north, the granite Sierra, and the foggy coast. In one spring loop you can stand under the tallest waterfall in North Read more…
Bridgeport is the kind of Eastern Sierra town that rewards anglers who like their fishing close to town and their weekends unhurried. Set on U.S. Highway 395 in Mono County, it sits within easy reach of two celebrated trout lakes, a famous tailwater river, and one of California’s best-preserved ghost Read more…
Lake Tahoe in summer is one of the great alpine playgrounds in California, and this Lake Tahoe summer guide covers the whole lake, not just one shore. The water is famously clear, the surrounding Sierra Nevada peaks stay snow-dusted into early summer, and the activities run from easy lakeside strolls Read more…
Perched on U.S. Highway 395 where the Sierra Nevada meets the high desert, Lee Vining is one of the most useful small towns in California, sitting beside ancient Mono Lake, minutes from Yosemite’s eastern entrance, and within reach of ghost towns, volcanic craters, and alpine lakes. This Lee Vining travel Read more…
At the foot of a 14,179-foot volcano, the small town of Mount Shasta works the way a good base camp should: the peak fills the horizon, the main street is walkable, and trailheads, lakes, and waterfalls are a short drive away. This Mount Shasta town guide covers the highlights without Read more…
This Borrego Springs travel guide starts with a simple fact: Borrego Springs is not a pass-through town. It sits completely surrounded by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California’s largest state park, in the far northeast corner of San Diego County. That setting shapes everything here, from quiet streets with no stoplights Read more…
A short drive off Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert, Calico Ghost Town sits where a silver boom once built a busy town almost overnight. This Calico Ghost Town guide explains what the town is, what remains from its mining years, and how to plan a straightforward family visit. That Read more…