Many tourists flock to famous destinations in Southern California, such as San Diego, Disneyland, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. These are great places to visit, but if you are looking for a bit remote, check out these incredible destinations:

Channel Islands

My husband and I have lived in California for most of our lives, but somehow missed these spectacular islands listed as one of the US National Parks. After seeing some amazing photos on the internet, we took a boat from Oxnard to Anacapa as part of the weekend anniversary trip.

If you decide to go, please be prepared and bring supplies. This trip is suitable for adventurous people in good physical condition. You need to climb 157 stairs to reach the top of this rugged island, where there is no food, service, water or flush toilets. Now, I hate outbuildings, but I tell you-the view of the rocky coastline, huge cliffs and jagged peaks is worth it. You can easily hike on the edge of the island in just a few hours. Inspiration points are a great reward for your hard work.

We visited in June, when the island was full of bright wildflowers, and thousands of cute baby seagulls could be seen in every corner. Just be careful of their protective mother, if you get too close, they will pounce on your head.

A few years later, we returned and visited the larger Santa Cruz Island, took an exciting kayaking trip, and visited the historic sea caves. While taking a boat there, we saw a whale and two large groups of dolphins. The water may be rough in some places, but the caves are great. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Some people think these islands are desolate, but if you are adventurous and love nature, the Channel Islands are considered the Galapagos Islands in North America.

Huntington Botanic Garden

This is another amazing place that we have not been able to visit in decades. Located in Pasadena, this magnificent manor house covers 120 acres and has more than a dozen spectacular gardens. It’s hard to say which garden is the most dazzling, but the Japanese garden, the rose garden and the California garden are my favorites.

We did not even have the opportunity to visit the art gallery. The Huntington Art Gallery has a collection of British paintings, sculptures and decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries, including the famous Blue Boy. What shames me as a writer is that we did not visit the Huntington Library itself, which is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States.

next time.

Ventura County Wine Route

Napa may become California’s wine country, but my husband and I like to sip in the rolling hills along the coast near the seaside town of Ventura. We visited two of nearly 20 wineries and tasting rooms.

You can book one of the many wine tours offered. However, we decided to take a map and explore for ourselves. From Ventura at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 101, we headed for Ojai along Highway 33.

Surprises await on this somewhat lonely but charming road-from “the smallest post office in America” ​​to the place where the last person saw James Dean alive. Our favorite discovery is Old Creek Winery, it feels like returning to a simpler place and time, friendly people and dogs welcome us. We liked the bottle of wine we bought and had a picnic on the table outside and admired the view of the United States.

By the way, Ojai and Ventura are both places worth visiting. There are charming hotels, luxurious spas, bed and breakfasts, and various outdoor activities. In summer, Ventura Harbour Village is a lively event venue, hosting festivals and live music performances on weekends.

Laguna Beach

This charming seaside town is located between Los Angeles and San Diego. This beach area has more than 20 different scenic bays, offering various activities such as surfing, paddle surfing, snorkeling, kayaking and whale watching tours.

Please note that the waves may be rough in some places. When I was a teenager, I decided to do body surfing in the turbulent waters and disappear in the huge waves (think of the beach boy’s song: Hehehehehehehehehe!). In fact, I blamed the entire accident on the beach boys because they romanticized the entire surf chick with the songs I grew up, just like surf girls. So their fault.

However, the scenery cannot be beaten. Add super chic restaurants and shops and unique art galleries and you will understand this. There is even a baby boom club with Saturday night dances. Every summer, they hold a Laguna Woodstock party, just like in 1969, the baby boomers held parties there.

Heisler Park is a good starting point. It is located north of the main beach. It is an easy half-mile stroll along the paved path, with spectacular views of the coastline and the soothing sound of waves. You can choose one of the paths to the beach and tide pool. Benches, picnic tables and barbecues abound, where you can enjoy magnificent views. My husband and I had a picnic on one of the meadows, it was perfect!

Treasure Island Park is another great place, located on the grounds of the five-star Montage Laguna Beach, where the real rich live. The scenery is beautiful, with several lookout benches lined up on winding paths that are easy to walk. Stairs and ramps take you to the beach, you can walk through beautiful rock arches at low tide, find a place to sunbathe on the beach, and there is a large tidal pool. In addition, there are plenty of grass fields for picnics. I suggest bringing some wine and cheese to enjoy the romantic sunset.

Big Bear Lake

I live in the desert, so the nearby Big Bear has beautiful lakes and virgin forests, making it an excellent mountain resort. Boating, fishing, and hiking are just some of the activities in this laid-back little village.

Last summer, my husband and I rode bicycles by the lake, enjoyed a picnic, zipped up the alpine slides, drove karts at speeds of up to 30 mph, and took a scenic sky chair to enjoy the view. After seeing people riding mountain bikes along the trails in chairlifts, we included them on our next to-do list.

For those with adventurous spirits, paragliders and ziplines are also provided.

Matador Beach

Looking for a spectacular coastline with white sand beaches, towering cliffs, turbulent waves and rugged rock formations in a semi-hidden place?

El Matador is located on the winding Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu and is your best choice. It is easy to miss the small brown sign pointing to the small parking lot at the beginning of the trail, so take a closer look between Broad Beach and Decker Canyon Roads. After you find it, get ready to hike down the 150-foot cliff with some steep stairs.

Not suitable for small children or people with physical disabilities, but if you can walk down the steps, you will enjoy the amazing view. The locals know this beach, you may see some photo shoots-we did it!

There is little to do on this small and beautiful beach, so bring a picnic lunch or some wine and find a hidden corner to enjoy the incredibly romantic environment.

Redondo Beach

By now, you may have noticed that my husband and I are beach bums. We stumbled upon this beach while looking for a place to stay nearby, and then took off from Los Angeles International Airport the next morning.

Redondo Pier is a landmark with panoramic sea views and water activities, including harbour cruises, seasonal whale watching, kayaking, paddle boards and pedal boats. To be honest, we didn’t try any of these, but we liked the view of Tony on the pier, where we had a happy hour!

The pier is also home to a 16-foot-long great white shark, affectionately called Georgette, on display in the large tank at Shark Attack on the Pier. If you have a grandson or a young heart, you can enjoy the semi-submersible yellow submarine (damn, now I have the Beatles song in my mind) and watch the local marine life underwater.

If you are going to and from Los Angeles, it is definitely better than staying at an airport hotel.

Catalina Island

This island is better known than some of my previous recommendations, but it is a sentimental favorite. My husband and I had our honeymoon there 40 years ago and have returned many times. This is a quaint island with no traffic lights or fast food restaurants. A typical traffic jam involves two golf carts and a bicycle for two people.

During our honeymoon, we happily cycled around Avalon, rode horses, visited the famous casino, and sunbatheed on the small beach. We also took the bus to two ports in the only other village on Catalina Island. Snorkeling, parasailing, fishing, glass-bottom boat rides, paddle surfing, Segway tours, golfing and hiking are other popular activities.

Decades later, we took a boat from Long Beach to the island-it turned out to be a crazy journey. My husband and adult children came back again to participate in our open water diving, in the famous seaweed forest, surrounded by bright orange Garibaldi fish, obtained scuba diving certification. Next time we visit, I want to try a new zipline at an altitude of 600 feet. The zipline is 1,100 feet long and has a speed of up to 30 mph. Wow!

As you know, Southern California has many good places to visit, it is impossible to list them all. But hope I have given you some ideas to get you started!



Source by Julie Gorges

Hidden gems of Southern California

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