Anacapa to Ojai

Pineapple Mama Vintage

Pineapple Mama Vintage in East Hollywood is a vintage clothing store offering resale and consignment items, many of which are one-of-a-kind.

Raspados Don Manuel #2 is one place in Boyle Heights where you can get authentic Mexican shave ice in a variety of fruit flavors, as well as other frozen desserts.

Many colorful murals, both historic and contemporary, can be seen painted on various building façades along Cesar Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights.

Estrada Courts is a housing complex in Boyle Heights that is considered to be the birthplace of the Chicano Mural Movement. Murals visible from public areas include "We Are Not a Minority," which is visible from the sidewalk along Olympic Boulevard.

Mariscos Linda is one of the food trucks serving up tacos along Olympic Boulevard in Boyle Heights.

At Compton/Woodley Airport, young aspiring pilots learn how to take flight and help make aviation more diverse.

Patria Coffee Roasters serves up coffee slushes, flash brews, Mexican mochas and more — which you can use to wash down a gooey chocolate chip cookie.

Planet Health Compton is a community hub in Compton consisting of a juice bar (The Juice Trap), vegan restaurant (Planet Health), wellness shop (House of Self), and streetwear retail (Vegan State of Mind Clothing). <br/>

Located just one block down from The Cheech, RAM is housed in the circa 1929 former YWCA designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan.

Riverside's castle-like hotel began as a tiny adobe boarding house and expanded, wing by wing, until it took up an entire city block when it was completed in 1931.

Barstow-Daggett Airport was officially built in 1933, but its beginnings date back to 1930 – when air flight wasn't so common, so it was outfitted with a radio beacon and used as a Desert Airways Communication Station to help pilots navigate.

In 1942, racing was suspended at Santa Anita, and its facilities were used as a Japanese internment camp, per Executive Order 9066 signed by FDR.

Chocolatier Jean-Michel Carré spent 40-some-odd years as a French chef at his own restaurant in France – and now he brings that haute cuisine sensibility to his chocolate-making at his own shoppe, Chocolats du Cali Bressan.

What happens when a Hollywood graphic designer who volunteers at the International Printing Museum gets interested in cacao? You end up with Letterpress Chocolate

The very top of Desert View Tower is known as the "Hurricane Deck," used during WWII to look for Nazis who might be crossing the border from Mexico.

Compartés has been making chocolate in L.A. since 1950 – but what it offers now under the leadership of upstart owner Jonathan Grahm isn’t your grandmother’s candy bar.

For a free, all-day tribute to The King – near the anniversary of his death, look no further than Garden Grove.

At Azteca Restaurant and Lounge, “The King” is everywhere. Memorabilia doesn’t just cover all the walls – it’s on the ceiling, too.

After eloping in Vegas to escape paparazzi in 1967, Elvis and Priscilla spent six months as newlyweds at the Alexander Estate, colloquially known as "The House of Tomorrow."

Taking a bite of the dark chocolates at Chocovivo – which sources all its cacao beans from a farm in Tabasco, Mexico – is like tasting the nectar of the Mayan gods.

Take the Paramount Pictures Studio Tour to walk in Elvis’s footsteps from his time as a Hollywood movie star.

L.A.’s own velvet art museum, Velveteria, has dedicated an entire corridor to the patron saint of velvet paintings.

The most reliable spot in Lake Elsinore to peep our poppies is Walker Canyon.

The rest of the year, California’s largest state park is a well-kept secret. But during wildflower season, it’s one of the best places in Southern California to reliably see a good burst of color.

One super bloom destination that’s not open any other time of year is Riverside County’s Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake.

Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark is probably a real-life version of the romanticized vision that most people have of farms, farmers and farming.

Ventura County Farm Day is an agricultural festival on steroids – a one-day bonanza of produce, hayrides, free samples and demonstrations.

An outpost of the Museum of Ventura County, the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula is a destination for both historical exhibits on farming (and ranching) and also a window into the region’s current agricultural focus.

In its current location since 1965, The Flower Fields is notoriously open for a narrow seasonal window – usually early March through Mother’s Day (this year May 12).

Situated in what’s conventionally considered a “food desert,” Earthworks Farm & Community Garden is an agricultural oasis among fast food and freeways.

Not to be confused with Mt. Hollywoodland, Mt. Hollywood is another of Griffith Park’s most popular destinations.

At nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, you can take a peek at the world below from its edge, as you hike along the Sturtevant Trail to Echo Rock.

San Vicente Mountain Park is a former NIKE Missile Control Site (LA-96C), located above an unpaved portion of Mulholland Drive between Bel Air and Encino.

The tallest peak in the City of Los Angeles is named after two-time former Pasadena mayor Theodore Lukens.

If you find yourself between the Victorian mansions of the South Bonnie Brae Tract Historic District and Alvarado Terrace Historic District, don’t blink – or you’ll miss the 13-foot-long brick-paved streetscape known as Powers Place.

L.A. got its first modern roundabout – and so far, its only one – just two years ago, in 2017.

Venture to the corner of Marmion Way and Avenue 43 and you’ll spot the original terminus of the Los Angeles & Mt. Washington Incline railway at the bottom of the mount.

Constructed out of California redwood, Point Fermin Lighthouse is one of three remaining Stick-style Victorian lighthouses in the U.S.

At the end of a breakwater that curves and stretches out for two miles from the shore of San Pedro, you’ll find a tiny black and white lighthouse, known colloquially as Angel’s Gate Lighthouse.

The grounds may have the feeling of an abandoned military site, but the light at Point Vicente is still a working lighthouse – its beacon is essential to mariners in the Catalina Channel.

The San Diego harbor's historic first lighthouse can be found on the San Diego peninsula known as Point Loma, within the bounds of Cabrillo National Monument.

Anacapa Island Light Station was first lit by lighthouse keeper Frederick Cobb in 1932.

Strategically positioned between mountains, valley, and desert, much of Tejon Ranch has been conserved and remains relatively undeveloped.

This old Wild West set is located near Redmesa Road, within the Garden of the Gods park.

Cold Spring Tavern was a stagecoach stop starting in 1868, while the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Turnpike Road Company was still building the old stagecoach route.

At 400 feet above the canyon floor, it’s the highest arch bridge in the country and the highest of any bridge in California.

When driving north from Santa Barbara to Los Olivos or Santa Ynez, it’s hard not to notice the big, glimmering body of water over to the right. That’s Lake Cachuma, Santa Barbara County’s second-largest reservoir.

Ditch the lines at the Park Boulevard North Entrance to the park and take the 10 Freeway to Exit 168 for Cottonwood Springs Road.

Still in the southern end of the park in Pinto Basin – but farther north up Pinto Basin Road – is perhaps the prickliest hike you can take in JTNP.

At the Pine City site there is a remarkably dense population of pinyon/piñon pines.

One of the “back doors” into Joshua Tree National Park is Black Rock Canyon, which leads to many hiking trails.

Formerly the Bank of Italy headquarters (named after its founder, Amadeo Giannini), the palatial, 12-story Giannini Building was dedicated in 1923 and opened to much fanfare.

When it was originally built as a YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) “hostelry” in 1926, Hotel Figueroa was the largest commercial building funded by women for women.

At the corner of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz, spitting distance from the Los Angeles River, you’ll find a shrine to the “Father” of L.A.’s water system, William Mulholland.

The L.A. area’s first electrified water fountain – in fact, the first in the nation to feature underwater lighting – is the Electric Fountain in Beverly Hills.

Besides its City Hall, one of the most recognizable icons of Pasadena may be the monumental, electrical power-generating Glenarm Power Plant.

One of the USC campus’s staggering 30 fountains – count ’em all! – is “Youth Triumphant” by Bavarian sculptor Frederick William Schweigardt.

Charlie Brown Farms offers everything you could ask for on a long car ride – not the least of which includes roadside dinosaurs, a gnome village and BBQ worth standing in line for.

Completed in 2014, this three-story, modern marvel evokes an old airship hanger (like those at the Tustin MCAS) more than a railroad depot.

If you want to soar to the heights of Bunker Hill, look no further than "The Shortest Railway in the World,” Angels Flight.

Learn More

Angel Stadium

It may be in Orange County, but Angel Stadium represents the City of Angels with its major league baseball team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It’s worth a visit to the home of Angels Baseball, even if only to check out the display of Imagineering behind the left-center field fence.

Learn More

Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall

Angelenos may know The Shrine better as a concert venue or as one of the historic past locations of the Academy Awards ceremony, but take one look at the building, and it comes as no surprise that its roots are Masonic in nature.

Learn More

Glendale Narrows

The "soft bottom" Glendale Narrows has returned to the wild after the rushing waters broke apart the concrete that had been poured into it to control and channelize floodwaters.

Learn More

The Bowtie Project

The Bowtie Project is an 18-acre post-industrial lot along the east bank of the L.A. River, on the other side of Glendale Narrows.

Learn More

Los Angeles River Center & Gardens

Near where the Los Angeles River meets the Arroyo Seco — perhaps known better as where the 5 meets the 110 — you’ll find an entire event center dedicated to the L.A. River.

Learn More

Olinda Oil Museum

There's a forgotten town within Brea that's all but disappeared, except for a museum that marks the spot where, by 1898, ten oil wells had been drilled into the hillsides — putting Olinda (at least briefly) on the map.

Learn More

Arlington Garden in Pasadena

Park on the street and take your time exploring the statuary, reading the messages on Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” or walking through a formal allée of olive trees and a pine forest. You can also amble through an oak grove and meadow, and take it slow through the rock labyrinth just before you get to the compost garden.

Learn More

Radford Art Walk

Located along the east side of Radford Avenue just outside the CBS Studio Center gate — and just a stone’s throw from the Los Angeles River Bike Path and the Valleyheart Greenway — you’ll find a series of sculptures by Studio City’s own assemblage artist Karl Johnson.

Learn More

Pierce Brothers Valhalla/Portal of the Folded Wings

There’s plenty to explore through this park-like space, including the cremated remains of several pioneers of flight — including stunt pilots, balloonists, the second female pilot to be licensed in the U.S. and the Wright Brothers' mechanic. It also houses a scaled-down space shuttle model to commemorate the lost crews of the Challenger and Columbia missions.

Learn More

Bob’s Big Boy Broiler, Downey

Carhop dining has been available at this location since 1958.

Learn More

Paramount Drive-In

Paramount Drive-In Theatres was originally known as the Roadium (see #2 below) when it opened in 1947 — but was rechristened in 1948 after the City of Paramount. Since reopening six years ago, one screen has been devoted to family-friendly programming.

Learn More

Roadium Open-Air Market and Drive-In

First opened in 1950 and built among the abundant strawberry fields that once could be found throughout Torrance, Gardena, Hawthorne and more, this was the second Roadium to open in the Los Angeles area.

Learn More

Vineland Drive-In

Located on Vineland Avenue between the 10 and 605 freeways in the San Gabriel Valley, the Vineland Drive-In opened in 1955 with a screening of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” in CinemaScope. It’s been a family-oriented venture from the beginning.

Learn More

Mission Tiki Drive-In

The 9-acre, single screen "Mission Drive-In," as it was then known, opened in 1956. Upon its 50th anniversary in 2006, it was rebranded the Mission with a tiki theme.

Learn More

Skyline Drive-In

Skyline is located on Old Highway 58 near an old alignment of Route 66/National Trails Highway on Main Street.

Learn More

Van Buren Drive-In Theatre

Double features run on all three screens, seven days a week. You don’t have to commit to both showings, though — you’re welcome to exit once the first movie is over.

Learn More

Rubidoux Drive-In

The Rubidoux was triplexed in 1983 and still shows double features, including some nostalgic favorites like “The Goonies” and “The Karate Kid.”

Learn More

South Bay Drive-In

Originally opened in 1958 as the Bayview Drive-In, the South Bay (since 1960) is located in Imperial Beach, about three miles north of the Mexico border. It is open seven days a week, 362 days a year.

Learn More

LAPD Police Academy

The Los Angeles Police Academy is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Elysian Park.

Learn More

Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Facility

Elysian Park’s Art Deco monolith by renowned architect Stiles O. Clements has been used as a firefighters’ training facility and drill tower since the Los Angeles Fire Department first leased it from the Navy starting in 1994.

Learn More

Barlow Respiratory Hospital

Founder Dr. Walter Jarvis Barlow built the Barlow Sanatorium in the Elysian Valley in 1902. The surrounding hillsides seemed to trap the clean air in the meadow — conditions that would be ideal for TB patients.

Learn More

"Frank Glass and Grace E. Simons Memorial Sculpture"

With its heavenly views, the scenic hilltop of Angel’s Point is home to the Frank Glass and Grace E. Simons Memorial Sculpture — a 28-foot-tall public art installation created by Echo Park-born and -based artist, Peter Shire.

Learn More

Montecillo de Leo Politi Park

Montecillo de Leo Politi Park is devoted to the memory of Leo Politi, a Fresno-born artist and author who was trained in Italy and made his mark on Los Angeles .

Learn More

Elysian Park Adaptive Recreation Center

This spot is worth a visit to see the memorial rock and palo verde tree commemorating the President and Founder of Los Desterrados Former Residents of Chavez Ravine, Louis H. Santillan.

Learn More

Chavez Ravine Arboretum

Declared Los Angeles Historical-Cultural Monument #48 in 1967, Chavez Ravine Arboretum was founded in 1863 by Los Angeles Horticultural Society to transform 10 acres of Elysian Park’s western canyon into an exotic forest. Rare trees from around the world are planted here.

Learn More

California Broadway Trade Center/Former Hamburger & Sons

In 1908, Downtown Los Angeles became home to the largest department store west of Chicago. It was a giant Beaux Arts-style edifice, nicknamed "The Great White Store" for its glazed terra cotta tiles. The flagship location of Hamburgers, it was almost like a self-contained city.

Learn More

The State Theatre

The Spanish Renaissance-style theater, designed by San Francisco-based firm Weeks and Day, is just one part of a 12-story Beaux Arts style office building known as the United Building — the largest brick-clad building in all of L.A.

Learn More

Clifton’s Cafeteria

Clifton’s Cafeteria is the sole survivor of a chain of restaurants that once had 10 locations throughout the Los Angeles area. Founded by Clifford Clinton, Clifton’s was a cafeteria-style eatery offering meals on a "Pay What You Wish" basis.

Learn More

Burlington/Former Bullock’s

Located on the northwest corner of Broadway at 7th Street, the seven-story structure designed by John Parkinson and G. Edwin Bergstrom dates back to 1906 when it was built at the behest of Bullock’s founder John G. Bullock.

Learn More

Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre opened in 1911 as a vaudeville theater for the Orpheum circuit, subsequently converting to movies and at one point or another operating as the Palace Newsreel Theater and a cinema specializing in Spanish-language film.

Learn More

Los Angeles Theatre

The exterior by architect S. Charles Lee gives only a hint as to the explosion of French Baroque decor that adorns the palatial interior lobby, which was reportedly modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France.

Learn More

Broadway Arcade Building

Built in 1924, the Broadway-Spring Arcade Building isn’t just one building, but actually two towers connected by an alley that runs between Broadway and Spring Street that was converted into a three-story, glass-roofed atrium.

Learn More

Roxie

Admire the Art Deco stylings of the Roxie — Broadway’s only theater in that architectural style.

Learn More

Cameo Theatre

The Cameo Theatre was originally a project of Hollywood producer W.H. Clune, whose name once sparkled in incandescent lights on a rooftop sign, dazzling passersby. By the 1970s, it was open all night, running quadruple features as a grindhouse.

Learn More

Biddy Mason Memorial Park

“Aunt” Biddy’s story — from her birth to her death as one of L.A.’s wealthiest women in 1891, with several real estate holdings — is told on the memorial wall in an installation by artist Sheila Levrant de Bretteville called “Biddy Mason's Place: A Passage of Time.”

Learn More

Arcade Theatre

Admire the masterwork of architects Morgan & Walls at the Arcade, which opened as a vaudeville theatre and got renamed as a hat tip to the nearby Arcade Building. Renowned theater architect S. Charles Lee renovated its façade in the 1930s but today, you can still see the original “PANTAGES” lettering.

Learn More

Grand Central Market

Grand Central Market has been providing public gathering space centered around food since 1917, when it opened on the ground floor of the Homer Laughlin Building.

Learn More

Million Dollar Theatre

Having opened with a tiny stage and a sizeable orchestra pit, the Million Dollar was designed to show silent movies — not stage shows. Inside, it touts a seating capacity of more than 2,000 — which was used for Spanish-language cinema screenings and church services.

Learn More

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, San Diego County

This museum offers scenic train rides out of its Campo facility in the Mountain Empire region of Southern California.

This sprawling, 100-acre outdoor campus lends itself to exploring rail history at one’s leisure.

Wheel Fun Rentals offers the chance to ride a larger-than-life swan boat across Echo Park’s historic lake and around its central cascading fountain.

Pedal a water tricycle at Irvine’s large regional park.

Here, you can rent pedal boats for either two or four passengers.

If you’re looking for the pedal boats that once graced the surface of Echo Park Lake until being replaced by oversized swans, look no further than the Redondo Beach Pier.

First established in the 1960s, the swap meet has grown to host 500 vendors from dozens of countries who sell new merchandise — like clothing and toys — as well as antiques and other secondhand items.

This marshland is part of the 110-square-mile Dominguez Watershed — a last remaining bit of the Laguna Dominguez Slough (or "swamp") that’s teeming with life.

Located 10 miles northwest of the city of Corona, Chino Hills State Park offers more than 14,000 acres of open space with a variety of habitats and even microclimates.

While the wildflowers start to dwindle farther south, you can venture north to the Central Valley – namely, at the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster has had impressive displays in years past – super bloom or no super bloom.

The former mining camp is accessible on foot by hiking along an old wagon road, built by California Mining Company, which purchased Big Horn Mining Company in 1901.

To see a largely in-tact stamp mill for milling gold ore, embark to Wall Street Mill and Lost Horse Mine in Joshua Tree National Park.

Among the displays outside the Borax Visitor Center are original ore carts, headframes, and a 190-ton truck tire from a 739 Cat truck.

There are plenty of other ways to explore Trona’s mining history.

There are plenty of mining ghost towns in the Owens Valley.

To understand Mammoth today, you have to go back to its mining days.

Join the Anza-Borrego Desert Paleontology Society for one of their public events – including an annual open house at The Stout Research Center Laboratory and Collection Hall at park headquarters.

For true cacti, explore the Cactus Loop Trail, off Yaqui Pass Road, just north of Highway 78 between Lizard Canyon and Stag Cove.

With most of them concentrated on a private estate known as Galleta Meadows right in the town of Borrego Springs, these larger-than-life sculptures are the work of local artist Ricardo Breceda.

The original architect of The Palms at Indian Head is unknown – but its design can hold its own among the creations of other desert modernists like Cliff May, William Cody, and Albert Frey.

Although technically a separate state park property, the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area is Anza-Borrego’s friendly next-door neighbor that allows ATVs and high-clearance.

Did you know that Mt. Hollywoodland – now known as Mt. Lee, where you can find the Hollywood Sign – originally sported a rounded top?

There are various hiking routes you can take to hike to Mt. Lowe – either from Echo Mountain or elsewhere.

Eldred Street is the steepest street in all of California and the third-steepest street in the nation.

Most L.A. streets clock in at no more than a 15% grade – at least since the rules changed in the 1950s. But Baxter is at a 32% grade.

The popular spot for climbing, walking and trainspotting is right off the 118 freeway, near Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

After its relocation in 1965, the church is now in Oakwood Memorial Park in a nook of the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, close to the Andora trailhead off Andora Avenue.

The only remaining homestead cottage of the San Fernando Valley is located within Chatsworth Park South.

This rocket engine, the same kind that helped humans get to the moon, now graces the entrance of Aerojet-Rocketdyne’s De Soto Avenue site.

The St. Francis Dam marks the site of California's second-worst disaster in terms of fatalities – right behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires.

Like the St. Francis Dam, the Hollywood Reservoir dam was designed by William Mulholland on behalf of the Bureau of Water Works and Supply.

This was the site of the former Lower Van Norman Dam, named after Harvey Arthur Van Norman, a William Mulholland employee and friend.

The Hansen Dam Recreation Area includes the dam itself and surrounding park facilities, all of which are managed by the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.

The 338-acre park is what survives of another LADWP reservoir and dam, built upon hills that had been formed by uplift from seismic activity along the Newport-Inglewood fault.

The first place to go in Morro Bay is the most obvious one – the bay, whose harbor was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s.

Although you can rent and launch from the harbor, you’ll find more peace and quiet at Morro Bay State Park.

Learn about human history at Montaña de Oro State Park by chatting with a ranger or docent at the Spooner Ranch House Museum and General Store (circa 1892).

Morro Bay Golf Course provides habitat for migrating monarchs.

The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival provides both locals and travelers a one-stop shop to explore the vast natural area and spot over 200 species of birds in one big bonanza.

Considered the birthplace of the L.A. region, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is also where Pío Pico was born in 1801.

The most accessible, historically preserved and culturally rich resource to learn about Pío Pico’s life is “El Ranchito.”

Architect Ezra F. Kysor designed the Italianate-style Casa de Pico (or Pico House, as it’s still known), which became the first building with indoor plumbing (and bathtubs!) when it opened in 1870.

Pico had a family history with Mission San Luis Rey in North San Diego County, as his father José María Pico had become corporal of guard there in 1798.

Pío Pico’s remains are forever interred at an 1850s-era private family cemetery located at the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum.

The oldest individually growing organism on the planet is the bristlecone pine, and we’ve got a whole forest of them on the slopes of the White Mountains.

The biggest Lodgepole pine tree – not just in California, but in all of the world – can be found at the Bluff Lake Preserve near the mountain community of Big Bear.

California’s oldest limber pine clocks in at 1,500 years old – and precariously clings to the spine of Mount Baden-Powell near its summit.

California Historical Landmark No. 20 marks what many consider the beginning of the Southern California citrus explosion – the Parent Washington Navel Orange tree.

In 1830, a sailor brought a seedling from Peru to Mission San Luis Rey in present-day Oceanside, and ever since, the tree has been known here as the California pepper tree.

Located within the Coachella Valley Preserve, and tucked into the northern edge of the Indio Hills, Thousand Palms Oasis is fed by water that seeps out of the San Andreas Fault.

Palm Canyon is where you can find the world’s largest California Fan Palm oasis.

Dos Palmas is free to visit and open every day of the year. While it provides shade under the palms, most of the trails are exposed – so bring sun protection and plenty of water.

Palm Canyon is impossible to miss, with its cluster of shaggy palms towering above the canyon floor – the largest of such palm oases in this state park.

Joshua Tree National Park actually contains at least five different oases – some obvious and hard to miss and others more hidden and remote.

These priceless paintings could be some of the oldest surviving art in the country – some images could date back as early as the year 1000.

Tucked away in the former Santa Barbara Forest Reserve (now Los Padres National Forest), high above the Santa Ynez Valley, is the path to Knapp's Castle.

Visit Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, where you can come face-to-face with some of the most classic Universal Monsters.

An exhibit that’s been several years in the making, "Natural History of Horror" links science, history, and the art of movie making by exploring the inspirations for some of cinema’s most iconic monsters.

The L.A. outpost of The Paley Center for Media provides more than just special public screenings, new television series previews and classic T.V. cast reunions.

Every year for Halloween, Dearly Departed Tours offers a tour specifically for horror fans to visit famous horror film locations and other sites of significance for horror icons.

Bill Keys managed to thrive on his 80-acre ranch long after Joshua Tree’s heyday of ranching. Today you can tour the ranch.

Built as an office building during the economic boom of 1924, The Freehand was once a significant part of L.A.’s commercial core.

The Ace, which opened on Broadway in 2014, actually occupies the former California Petroleum Corporation Building – known later as the Texaco Building

The Biltmore Hotel – part of the Millennium Hotels portfolio since 2009 – was originally built in 1923 as a "statement to the rest of the world that Los Angeles had arrived as an American metropolis."

Known for his Prometheus sculpture at Rockefeller Center in New York City, Paul Manship contributed the design for the bronze sculpture in a large fountain at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood, The Flight of Europa.

This Neapolitan-type fountain, which was brought in from the East Coast, has now become synonymous with the charming beachside enclave.

Peggy Sue's 50's Diner – a classic and original 50's diner from the actual 1950s (1954, to be exact) – was built out of railroad ties and mortar from the nearby Union Pacific rail yard.

More than just a tourist attraction since 1971, Tom Barnes’s produce stand has evolved into a bona fide amusement park on weekends.

“Surf Dog,” the premier competition on the dog surfing circuit, is held annually at Imperial Beach (as well as Huntington Beach).

Blessing of the Animals expands upon the original practice of ensuring the health and fertility of livestock and bestows blessings upon any animal you can bring.

The Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a visual treat. The then mansion was built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and includes a tiled solarium room and an octagonal reading room surrounding a central courtyard.

Rancho Calleguas and Adolfo Camarillo House was once the center of activity of cattle, citrus orchards, walnut trees, lima bean fields, and the mules that hauled the lima beans.

You’ll find Los Angeles Cultural Monument No. 1, the Leonis Adobe Museum, in the West San Fernando Valley community of Calabasas.

Heritage Park Village Museum is a permanent outdoor museum that features Oceanside historical landmark buildings.

Leo Carrillo Ranch is a historic park owned and ran by the City of Carlsbad. It's considerably smaller than it was in Carrillo's time, but it still contains structures like the old caretaker's quarters.

If you’re looking for “ground zero” of the original establishment of the Anaheim Colony, Anaheim Founders’ Park is a one-stop shop for early Anaheim agricultural history.

One of the park’s main attractions is its cactus garden and the rock-lined, duck-filled Pearson Pond.

The Anaheim Packing District houses the landmark Anaheim Packing House, now a food hall and community meeting space that is an eclectic destination for locals and visitors alike.

This concrete shell dome opened in 1967 and originally housed the Anaheim Amigos basketball team during its inaugural season.

A short hike you can take to get a heavenly view, not only from above Dodger Stadium, but also across to Downtown Los Angeles and even the Hollywood Sign.

Learn More

Angels Gate

You won’t find any pearly gates on the bluffs above San Pedro, but you will get a panoramic view of the Pacific Coast that will take your earthly breath away.

Learn More

Monastery of the Angels

If you’re looking to go a little off the beaten path in the angelic realm or indulge in some heavenly treats, head to Beachwood Canyon to visit the cloistered Dominican Contemplative Nuns of The Monastery of the Angels.

Learn More

Banc of California Stadium

Look beyond the corporate naming rights of the new home of Los Angeles Football Club, and you’ll see a physical manifestation of our angelic city — an open-air stadium shaped like a pair of angel’s wings.

Learn More

Geffen Playhouse

In the 1920s, having a Masonic clubhouse wasn’t an unusual amenity on college campuses throughout the U.S. but the association between freemasonry and UCLA was more prevalent back then.

Learn More

Scottish Rite Temple

The former home of the Freemasons of the Scottish Rite Order was briefly open to the public. A mysterious closure in 2019 adds to the building's eccentric history.

Learn More

Hollywood Masonic Temple/El Capitan Entertainment Center

This 1920s building still stands next to The El Capitan with its six granite columns out front and its Masonic symbolism and mystical inscriptions about brotherhood amidst the Free and Accepted Masons.

Learn More

Lodge Room

Completed in 1923, the brick-clad Highland Park Masonic Temple originally included street level retail shops. Now, it's a live music venue.

Learn More

Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Plenty of Angelenos have heard of the “Masonic Lodge” at Hollywood Forever Cemetery without understanding its esoteric origins.

Learn More

Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area

Upstream from the Sepulveda Dam, the L.A. River is a thriving, watery surprise with multiple creeks flowing into it and a soft river bottom that you can squish your toes into.

Learn More

North Valleyheart Riverwalk/Valleyheart Greenway

Stroll down the path along the Snake Wall, have a seat on the Butterfly Bench, take look at Kevin Carman’s “The Mighty Steelhead” mural and enjoy a shady, quiet respite from nearby Ventura Boulevard.

Learn More

Glendale-Hyperion Bridges

A pedestrian bridge was built atop the concrete footings of a former streetcar bridge, where Pacific Electric's Glendale/Burbank Red Car line ran until 1955. It runs alongside the historic Glendale-Hyperion Bridge.

Learn More

Rio de Los Angeles State Park/Taylor Yard River Park

Communities adjacent to the river can enjoy sports fields, playgrounds, hiking trails, native plants and wildlife viewing.

Learn More

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

The highest point in Thousand Oaks is one of the best-kept secrets of Ventura County, featuring a natural habitat for birds and small animals, as well as a Butterfly Garden, Herb Garden and Japanese-style Tranquility Garden — all maintained entirely by volunteers.

Learn More

Mel’s Drive-In, Sunset Strip

Enjoy your meal on a window-mounted tray table as fifties music plays in the background.

Learn More

Mission Tiki Drive-In, Montclair

Now expanded to 27 acres, it shows double features of first-run movies on four screens, seven days a week — and will continue to do so at least through Summer 2020.

Learn more

Mel’s Drive-In, Santa Monica

This Armet and Davis-designed Santa Monica spot, built in 1959 as the Penguin Coffee Shop, is bringing back roller-skating waitstaff on a limited basis.

Learn More

Mel’s Drive-In, Sherman Oaks

This is one of three fifties-themed Mel’s Drive-In locations.

Learn More

Frisco’s Carhop Diner, City of Industry

You find servers rolling past at Frisco’s Carhop Diner, whose City of Industry location is available for event rentals and whose catering business offers the restaurant’s “world famous” carhops (the skaters) for off-site parties.

Learn More

Ruby’s Diner, Anaheim

The Downtown Anaheim location of Ruby’s Diner only just opened in 2010, but from the very beginning, it offered carhop service. It also featured roller-skating servers outfitted in retro, red-and-white pinstriped uniforms.

Learn More

The Donut Hole, La Puente

The Donut Hole has been in continuous operation in La Puente since 1968 and is one of the few remaining examples of “programmatic” roadside architecture — or a building shaped as the object it’s selling.

Learn More

Angelo’s Original Drive-In Hamburgers, Anaheim

Angelo’s Original Drive-In Hamburgers took over for one of the locations of the Burger Chef chain in Anaheim in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that it introduced carhop service, which it has been offering ever since.

Learn More

Broguiere's Farm Fresh Dairy, Montebello

A Southern California staple since 1920, Broguiere’s offers milk that’s so fresh, the slogan says, “The Cow Doesn’t Know It’s Missing.”

Learn More

United Oil Car Wash, Los Angeles

Designed by the Santa Monica-based firm Kanner Architects to resemble the feeling to a freeway ramp, this car wash is a Tomorrowland ride into the sky that takes the "drive-in" concept to a whole new, curvilinear level.

Learn More

Roy’s Motel and Café

Originally established because of its proximity to the chloride mine on Bristol Dry Lake in 1858, the entire town of Amboy in the Mojave Desert has been owned by Albert Okura since 2005.

Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Café is the oldest standing restaurant in the Victorville area.

Meet the corgis, watch them do the limbo, and even pose for photos.

The annual Basset Hound Picnic supports basset hound rescue and relief efforts in Southern California and unwanted bassets in need.

Billed as the largest gathering of English bulldogs in the world, the Bulldog Beauty Contest employs real-life beauty queens to determine which will be the “Bull of the Ball.”

To witness the ultimate in the “running of the wieners,” visit Los Alamitos Race Course, which hosts the annual Wiener Nationals.

Subdivided in the late 1880s, the Kroeger-Melrose Historic District was home to landmark businesses like the Del Campo Hotel and the medical school Pacific Sanitarium & School of Osteopathy.

Founded in 1866, Anaheim Cemetery was the city’s first graveyard — and the oldest such burial ground in all of Orange County.

You can drive past its 70-foot neon sign and park under the canopy behind this Wayne McAllister-designed coffee shop for breakfast, lunch or dinner any day or night of the week.

Learn More

The Hoxton

The Hoxton occupies the 1922 Beaux Arts building that once served as the headquarters of Henry Huntington’s Los Angeles Railway Corporation (a.k.a. the “Yellow Cars”) and its successors.

Learn More

Herald-Examiner Building

The Julia Morgan-designed Herald-Examiner Building, commissioned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst himself, is like a little tiny slice of Hearst Castle right in Downtown Los Angeles.

Learn More

Ace Hotel/The Theatre at Ace Hotel

The hotel, which opened in 2014, occupies the former California Petroleum Corporation Building — known later as the Texaco Building. Built by Walker and Eisen, the 12-story office tower was the tallest privately owned building in Los Angeles until 1956.

Learn More

Eastern Columbia Building

It's one of the Art Deco treasures of Los Angeles. Named after the Eastern Outfitting and Columbia Outfitting companies, for which it was built to serve as their flagship store, the Eastern Columbia features a turquoise-colored, terra cotta-tiled, gold-leafed exterior that’s one of L.A.'s most photographed and filmed.

Learn More

The Tower Theatre

The Tower Theatre is a bit of a curiosity on the strip of historic theaters along Broadway in Downtown L.A. It was built on a very small corner plot of land at Broadway and 8th, with its namesake tower rises rising high above a strip of retail businesses.

Learn More

The Orpheum Theatre

In 1926, the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit found its fourth and final home at Broadway just north of 9th Street, in a Beaux Arts-style building designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh.

Learn More

Urban Outfitters/Former Rialto

Although the circa 1917 theater has been gutted on the inside and, as of 2013, turned into a location of the retail chain Urban Outfitters, the Rialto’s historic marquee — one of Broadway’s longest — is a landmark in and of itself.

Learn More

Fillmore & Western Railway, Ventura County

This railway’s weekend scenic excursions run on Saturdays between a restored 1887 Southern Pacific Railroad depot in the town of Fillmore and the neighboring town of Santa Paula, a.k.a. the Citrus Capital of the World.

Throughout the preserve’s 43 acres — which may not be very “wet” until the spring — keep your eyes open for birds that flock to this vernal marsh at all times of the year.

This market was the brainchild of the “King of the Flea Markets,” Jay Dauley, who helped it grow into the largest weekend swap meet in Southern California.

"The Cheech" is a museum of Chicano art that's a public-private partnership between the city, Riverside Art Museum and comedian/actor Cheech Marin — known for assembling the finest collection of Chicano art in the country over the last 40 years.

Riverside has got plenty of historic architecture — from Victorian to Mid-Century Modern — but one of its most intriguing historic homes defies definition when it comes to architectural style.

At his restaurant, Tio's Tacos, Sanchez takes recycling to great creative heights.

Riverside's Heritage House is a stunning showcase of what life was like for those who lived on the right side of the tracks at the turn of the last century.

The Ballona Lagoon pedestrian bridge on the Marina Peninsula is a good place to start exploring the Ballona Lagoon Marine Preserve.

Learn More

Park to Playa

The Park to Playa Trail connects 13 miles of trail from Baldwin Hills all the way out to the Pacific Ocean at Playa del Rey — up and over the traffic zooming by on La Cienega.

The concrete footings of the former streetcar bridge support a this effort to connect both sides of the river (along the Los Angeles River Bike Path) and the communities that surround it — the Red Car Pedestrian Bridge.

Learn More

Venice Canals

You can explore some of the remaining canals on foot — including the Grand Canal (which the Ballona Lagoon connects to) and its four pedestrian bridges. Look for more pedestrian-only bridges between Carroll Court and Court D, Linnie Avenue and Howland Canal, and between Holly Court and Sherman Canal.

Learn More

Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage

What Camp David has been to U.S. presidents and other dignitaries on the East Coast, Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage has been on the West Coast. It's no wonder that U.S. presidents like to come to here – because, after all, what more peaceful or relaxing place is there to meet to discuss international relations, AIDS research, and homeland security? It’s certainly welcoming -- the kind of place where you could put your differences aside and really get something done.

Although the library contains a number of artifacts — from campaign propaganda to a section of the Berlin Wall — the pièce de résistance is the Air Force One Pavilion, where you can see and board the fully equipped, commercial-sized jet that carried the president (along with his staffers and members of the media) around the world.

One of the easiest hikes for those that enjoy a bit of beautiful decay is in Malibu's Solstice Canyon, where the Paul R. Williams-designed "Tropical Terrace" burned down in the 1982 Corral Fire. Enough of the once-private estate remains to attract families, naturalists, and history hounds alike.

This historic site has captured the imaginations of hikers and historians alike, because no one really knows what actually happened down there in the canyon. This parcel of Rustic Canyon is actually owned by the City of Los Angeles, though it's adjacent to Will Rogers State Park and Topanga State Park.

A historic monument, and the site of California's second worst disaster (right behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires), the remains of William Mulholland's career-ending engineering failure are a short walk down the closed portion of San Francisquito Canyon Road, north of Santa Clarita in the Angeles National Forest.

This volunteer-run ornamental garden is a shady oasis from the sun-soaked pathways of the city’s largest urban park, where hikers, equestrians, and horses alike come for a free rest stop.

For the first time ever the mysterious moving rocks of Racetrack Playa have been seen moving, and the scientists involved think they've figured out how they do it.

The mobile guide maps all of the beaches, and more importantly, how and where to access them.

This isn't a particularly remote spot: the canyon and its famous falls are more or less in downtown Palm Springs.

This 250-foot cinder cone of black lava, long a landmark for westward migrants on Route 66 and its forerunners, is an excellent place to get a glimpse of some of the youngest rock in the Mojave Desert.

Starting around a hundred thousand years ago, tufa formations similar to those at Mono Lake began to form in the depths of Searles Lake, which was filled by runoff from the Ice-Age Sierra Nevada.

Lost Coast is 60 miles of undeveloped California coast 225 miles north of San Francisco.

This three-mile-long beach bears way more than its share of L.A.'s metropolitan weight.

Okay, this isn't precisely within sight, sound, or smell of the coast, but as this park's eponymous name implies, there is an important connection to the ocean.

Out here, 28 miles north of the Santa Monica Pier, and beyond the opulent communities of Malibu, are a surprising amount of unspoiled coast and wild lands.

While you can see some of this “cliff island” from a viewing cruise (as well as by kayak), the only way to get in some good birding and wildflowering is to actually get off the boat and ascend over 150 steps to the top of the cliff.

It's possible to enjoy the quiet serenity of waterfalls, the calm beauty of ice-chiseled peaks and valleys and the slow rustle of Ponderosa pines as you hike.

Channel Islands National Park is home to one of the biggest species comebacks in wildlife history.

You’ve got to walk through something nicknamed “The Haunted Forest” to reach the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain in Altadena – but you probably know it better by its more historical name, The Cobb Estate.

The site of the former Elfin Forest Vacation Ranch, this recreational reserve seems innocent enough, its trails commonly used by hikers, mountain bikers, and horses alike.

At the northwestern edge of Riverside, along the Santa Ana River whose water flow appears to be long gone, a hill has been designated Mt. Rubidoux – named after early Mexican land grant settler Louis Rubidoux, a successful rancher, miller, and winemaker.

Mexico has a wine region? Yes it does – in Baja, California!

Wherever you’re going while you’re headed north up the 14 freeway, you may never get there if you discover how many wineries there are along the way.

Generally I’m averse to ranking the places featured in my travel roundups – but in terms of SoCal car collections, the Automobile Driving Museum is by far my number one.

The “Vic” we're talking about here is Vic Edelbrock, Sr. – and Vic's Garage functions as both storage of the family vehicles and a tribute to Vic's early career working on cars before launching his performance parts empire.

In true only-in-California style, Dick Marconi made his fortune off a vitamin empire and weight-loss products – and it was enough of a fortune to mean he could afford to start collecting cars.

Sandstone Peak was once 10,000 feet above sea level — but now, after 10 million years of erosion, it stands at a mere 3111 feet, which is still the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Eagle Rock in the Santa Monica Mountains is kind of a junior version of Sandstone Peak, but the trail to it also offers a great hike through Trippet Ranch.

One of the more interesting natural landmarks of Griffith Park, a sandstone outcrop called “Bee Rock,” can also be a little tricky to navigate to and from.

In a small town just north of Corona (hence, “Norco”), a pumpkin smiles down on Horsetown USA. Well, it’s not a real pumpkin — it’s a pumpkin-shaped rock, painted to look like a pumpkin.

These painted rocks have become a monument to the squadrons visiting Fort Irwin for training — in remembrance of how they braved the sun, the wind, the sand, and the heat in this "desert retreat".

Have a seat on Easter Rock — where Easter services were held at sunrise for many years, back in the Mount Lowe's heyday.

Exhibits include displays on the Donner Party, regional Native American history, construction of the transcontinental railroad through the Sierra by Chinese workers, and development of roadways over Donner Pass.

A strenuous 12-mile roundtrip hike with 3,939 feet elevation gain.

In any season, a visit to the Mendocino Headlands will provide a memorable experience. What sites should you explore along the local rivers?

Take the 11-mile roundtrip hike, all above 8,000 feet elevation. That mileage is due to a significant and fun way to skip the grueling first part.

This jaw-dropping trail starts about a mile into the park's Tioga Pass entrance.

This amazing trail is over 50 miles but can be broken into segments.

This hike showcases California wildlife, from birds to wildflowers.

Founded in 1971, Meditation Mount is a public meditation center run by a non-profit that’s dedicated itself "in service to humanity."

This is where English journalist Edwin John Dingle – known as Ding Le Mei, upon returning from Tibet – chose to establish his "Institute of Mentalphysics."

For an “out of this world” experience, go get a sound bath in the acoustically-perfect, wooden, sacred dome building known as The Integratron.

Registered as a historic landmark, you can actually take a cruise on the yacht that was John Wayne’s home-away-from-home from 1962 to 1979, though its history goes back long before that.

The Port of L.A. is home to two historic wooden brigantines – a.k.a. "tall ships" – that can be chartered for private parties, and the proceeds go to a good cause.

If you’re even remotely interested in boats, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is an absolute must-visit.

Originally launched in 1945 and built right in L.A., this National Historic Landmark entered service at the end of World War II but stuck around to serve in the Korean War, when she evacuated more than 7,000 Korean civilians (including one baby born on board). She then served in the Vietnam Conflict from 1966 to 1970.

Along the docks near Shoreline Village, next to the Long Beach marina, there are a variety of boats you can take out onto the water, from little powerboats to sailboats, giant yachts, and even a riverboat.

The only species of elk endemic to California is the tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes).

If you're lucky, you can see the bison that descended from the working wildlife that Hollywood crews brought to Catalina Island and then left here to roam and reproduce.

Burros can be found throughout the Inland Empire, but some stay at places like Wild Burro Rescue in Olancha or Donkeyland in Riverside.

At the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park area, a paved access road leads you through the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve and down to the beach, where you can see the ripples in the sand fields.

Crystal Cove is a holistic, preserved chunk of coastal Southern California, complete with a seaside colony of cottages dating back to the '30s.

The main use for Sweetwater Marsh now is as the location of the Living Coast Discovery Center, where the green sea turtles munch on romaine lettuce and broccoli.

Visiting Tijuana today, you’ll see how this border town has evolved and even been revolutionized by art and culture.

The crown jewel of Baja California’s archaeological sites is at the Sitio Arqueológico El Vallecito in the La Rumorosa village.

Mexicali is home to Mexico's largest Chinatown, known as La Chinesca.

If ski and snow haven’t brought you through the 1950s-era road tunnels in the San Gabriel Mountains to Mount Baldy, allow yourself to be lured by a scenic lift ride to the top followed by lunch at the Top of the Notch Restaurant and maybe even a quick zipline.

Just off the 395 Highway, between the Sequoia National Forest and the Coso Mountains range, you’ll find a “dry waterfall” of sorts.

Named after a Confederate warship named the CSS Alabama, these hills are about as old as the Sierra Nevada mountain range (one of Earth's oldest!).

Although technically this sculpture garden is artist Robby Gordon’s backyard in the Hollywood Hills, most of it is visible from the roads on either side of it.

A bunch of endangered old statues – handmade by amateur sculptor John Ehn, a descendent of pioneers who dubbed himself "The Old Trapper" – have found a safe haven in a little nook on the Pierce College campus in a suburban part of the Valley.

The “Noah’s Art” exhibit of assemblage art at the Outdoor Desert Art Museum in Joshua Tree is a must-visit.

Sculptor Frank Antone Martin brought his "Unwanted Christ" to the top of a hill in Yucca Valley, and over the next ten years, more statues followed.

To find your own private Jurassic park, follow the marked “Dinosaur Trail” to the top of the hill, where you’ll find portrayals of prehistoric beasts made out of metal, burlap, and even Styrofoam.

Because it was only just built in 2002, it can take advantage of modern technology and energy efficiency, fusing traditional Indian architecture with modern construction techniques.

The Hare Krishna Cultural Center just north of Culver City isn’t just a place of worship. It’s actually a temple, a museum and a restaurant — and, to get the full experience, you've got to hit all three of them during your visit.

Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, and distinguishable not by its architecture but by its statuary out front, Lu Mountain Temple is a good place to visit if you want meditate, pray and eradicate your karmic obstructions while surrounded by walls covered in golden Buddhas.

Wilshire Temple — in what was once the western boundary of the City of Los Angeles but now smack dab in the middle of K-Town — is the house that Hollywood built.

The former temple has now been turned into the interfaith headquarters for the Pico-Union Project, founded in 2013 by Jewish musician Craig Taubman and dedicated to the Jewish principle of "love your neighbor as yourself."

The King Arthur Carrousel is one of the few original rides from Disneyland's 1955 opening.

One of three carousels manufactured by Allan Herschell's company between 1915 and 1917 (specifically, this one in 1916), the carousel in Santa Barbara’s kid-friendly Chase Palm Park is one of Herschell's largest, ever.

The carousel in Balboa Park is a major throwback to the early 20th century, but it didn't start its life in San Diego.

This is one of the best-preserved examples of thematic dining in the L.A. area.

When you consider the fact that Figueroa Street (formerly known as Pasadena Avenue) was a portion of Route 66 that actually became a freeway (the Arroyo Seco Parkway, or the 110) in 1940, Highland Park was the first of many communities to be bypassed by a new freeway being built or Route 66 being realigned.

Not only can you find spellbinding architecture and fascinating flora here, but you can also pay homage to celebrated light and space artist James Turrell at his own alma mater, Pomona College.

Miss all the glowing signage of Route 66 at night? Well, just head to the former terminus of Route 66 (from 1926 to 1936) at 7th and Broadway in Downtown LA, where the marquees and facades of the Los Angeles Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel (formerly the United Artists Theatre), Clifton’s, and many other businesses – new and old – are lit up with "liquid fire."

The Dana Point headlands knuckle their way into the Pacific, creating a dramatic landform that has charmed visitors going back at least to Richard Henry Dana, who landed there in 1835. Today, the point makes for a refreshing place to amble along the beach.

The local name for Alta Laguna Park, "Top of the World," kind of says it all. And a trailhead from that perch gives access to hikes where, for miles on end, you will be treated to sweeping views of the Pacific and Catalina Island. Take the 4 mile trail or the more challenging 11 mile hike.

The park offers numerous trails to choose from, of varying difficulties. But you could do worse than hiking Moro Ridge, a trail following the namesake ridge from Pacific Coast Highway to Bommer Ridge Road, and north to the park's entrance on the ridge.

Two miles south of Cayucos, this dune laden beach hides 85 campsites off of Trinidad Street.

The 141 sites here, mostly RV spots, sit on the bay, not the ocean, giving a coastal experience tempered by the marshes and the bay.

Located 33 miles west of Santa Barbara, this is the last stop before the highway cuts inland south of Point Conception.

Even for this stunning region, there's something magical about Jalama.

Though the coast here is beautiful, this RV-only campground with about 100 sites is near railroad tracks and the freeway.

Like Emma Wood State Beach, these neighboring RV campgrounds (both are part of Faria County Beach Park) are situated in a narrow coastal ribbon between the beach and the Pacific Coast Highway.

In Sierra Madre, you can find the largest flowering plant in the world, a wistaria plant that grew so fast and so much that it devoured its owners' house in the 1930s.

Point Mugu State Park is also home to 1,200-foot Mugu Peak, a prominent mountain in a landscape of canyons, grasslands, and coastal scrub.

Located near Laurel and Hardy Park, these steps are adorned with a commemorative plaque from their feature in the 1932 film, "The Music Box".

A nice Queen Anne Victorian from 1898 and a Historic-Cultural Monument declared by the City of Los Angeles in 1987.

Los Angeles is full of little bedroom communities that used to be cities – places that got gobbled up by a better-known neighboring municipality, and are now just a footnote on a historic plaque. Willmore City is one of those places.

The Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum was built (almost entirely of redwood) in 1889 as the home and office of physicians Alvin and Willella Howe-Waffle, though during World War II it was divided up into apartments.

Oil baron Edward L. Doheny was one of the most prominent residents in the area, having purchased the 22-room mansion at 8 Chester Place (now known as The Doheny Mansion) in 1901 and renovated it extensively over the next year.

This beautiful painted staircase on Sunset Boulevard is lined with flowers and palm trees. Over the years it has been the source of many photographic opportunities for young, hip Angelenos and tourists.

The annual Gilmore Heritage Auto Show is held the first Saturday of every June at The Original Farmers Market.

At the bottom, the stairs are liberally spaced out and rise up higher than you might expect, though they become a bit more manageable as you trek upwards. Stairclimbers here range from slow novices to expert runners.

The famed racetrack was only open for a few years, having been shut down in the late 1950s once fatalities on it had become too numerous.

The Ascot Motor Speedway, near the border of Lincoln Heights and El Sereno, will go down in infamy for its death toll.

The race car history along Soledad Canyon Road at Saugus Speedway may have ended in 1995 – when stockcar racing ceased because the grandstands were no longer stable enough to hold the crowds of spectators – but it started all the way back in the 1920s as the Baker Ranch Rodeo.

People say that there are two ways to hike Runyon Canyon: the hard way and the easy way. To take the supposed "hard way," turn right at the fork, and soon enough you meet a sign that warns of such steep slopes, you must be in good physical condition to take them.

The Speedway has hosted everything from stock cars to midget cars on its "twin ovals."

With food, drink, shopping, architecture and history, LAX is its own destination.

The creation of publishing baron William Randolph Hearst, it fits the bill in terms of lineage, opulence, sprawl, and drama – all the qualities you’d find in any good English castle. Built upon what Hearst named “Enchanted Hill,” the main building – Casa Grande – is actually only one of four places to sleep in the complex, which has a total of 165 rooms (58 of which are bedrooms).

Here are the five best ways to explore "The Jewel of the Missions" and the Orange County town that’s one of the oldest in all of southern California.

You might think the season for the Los Angeles County fairgrounds begins and ends in September, with the run of the actual fair. But there's more to the "Fairplex" than meets the eye.

Completed in 1920 by businessman and civil engineer George Owen Knapp, this mountain lodge was originally built on a parcel of land in the Santa Ynez Mountains along San Marcos Pass, known then as the Santa Barbara Forest Reserve. Twenty years later, only a month after the sprawling property was sold off, it burned to the ground in a forest fire.

Michael Rubel turned a former water reservoir into a castle, thanks to labor and materials donated by his friends, rocks collected from the Azusa foothills, and tracks and ties scavenged from a local defunct gold-mining railroad. And it only took him 25 years to complete his fortress, which he lived in until his death in 2007.

Because of a mixup over land ownership, Scotty’s Castle was never actually finished. You can still see piles of tiles in the basement, and the beginnings of a giant outdoor swimming pool, which was never completed after the stock market crash at the onset of the Great Depression.

L. Ron Hubbard himself established the former chateau as The Manor Hotel, a religious retreat for Scientologists. You can’t stay there unless you’re a Scientologist, but you can still visit the chateau – by dining at their Renaissance Restaurant, which is open to the public.

With its labyrinth of hallways, secret passages, spooky phone booth, and piano-playing ghost, this former Victorian home is more akin to The Haunted Mansion or the Winchester Mystery House than it is a castle per se. There’s also a dress code that’s strictly enforced, and a secret phrase that must be uttered to gain access beyond the front lobby and gift shop.

Opened in October of 1922, this National Landmark is the 17th largest stadium in the world. While known as a college football venue, the location is also used for hundreds of events throughout the year including the New Year's Day Rose Parade and is always open to those who'd like to run or stroll.

Winter is when the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad offers rides on their tiny train at night, with everything lit.

All roads may not lead to Barstow, but at the very least, Highway 58 starts there.

To see the remains of an intended Nazi command center, hikers need to walk a 3.85-mile roundtrip loop with a modest elevation gain.

Although there are more than ten dinosaur sculptures, only a couple of them are near the entrance – so you’ve got to walk through some of the botanical gardens (of which there are nine acres) and up the Dinosaur Trail to find your own private Jurassic Park.

The Tramway, which has been hauling travelers up Mount San Jacinto since September, 1963, is a quick and painless way to escape the heat of the valley.

Charlie Brown Farms is a wacky roadside pit stop in the Antelope Valley, along a stretch of the Pearblossom Highway that doesn’t have much else by way of dining options, gifts, or dinosaurs. It started out as a humble fruit stand back in 1929, and now it’s got three buildings on six acres with an entire acre just for parking.

A classic and original 50's diner, Peggy Sue's was built in 1954 out of railroad ties and mortar from the nearby Union Pacific rail yard. Appropriately enough for its Calico-adjacent location, it was purchased by another former Knott's Berry Farm employee and reopened in 1987.

You can go watch an outdoor show there in a comparatively modern setting, as you sit across from a recreation of a first-century Roman country house that’s full of antiquities.

Up on Bunker Hill, tucked between the two California Plaza towers and just behind the top station of Angels Flight Railway, you’ll find a "water court" that provides multiple performance spaces for the multi-cultural extravaganza known as Grand Performances.

Santa Rosa island is incredibly diverse, from oaks, Torrey pines, and cypress to Island red buckwheat, Island red paintbrush, Island monkey flower, and everything in between.

Although many buildings in Balboa Park that were built for the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-17 were intended to be torn down after two years, a couple of "anchor" structures were always meant to be permanent.

This island is considered one of those great "day trip destinations" of the Channel Islands, despite requiring a 25-mile boat ride out just to get to the nearly 96-square-mile island.

Though technically a “tied” island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land called the “Silver Strand,” it’s as isolated and distinct as any of our other “true” islands.

Venice of America is perhaps the most famous home for southern Californian inland islands — famously paved over, that is. The island that once existed at Windward Avenue is no longer surrounded by water and is now the centerpiece of an automotive traffic circle.

Out of all of the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz is probably the most famous for its sea caves – because not only is Santa Cruz the largest island of California, but it contains one of the largest (and deepest) sea caves in the world.

If only more people knew how incredible these limestone caverns are.

To get to the talus caves at Circle X, you’ve got to take a reverse hike through the “Camp Circle X” former Boy Scout camp, once settled by Spanish rancheros, where sandstone formations loom in the distance.

There are beaches that are good for sunbathing, and there are beaches that are good for ocean swimming. El Matador is neither of those.

Amidst the blooming cactus flowers at the former Sky Village Drive-In Theater in Yucca Valley (now known as the home of the Sky Village Swap Meet), you’ll find The Crystal Cave.

After a successful stint designing rides for Knott’s Berry Farm, Wendell "Bud" Hurlbut opened Castle Park in 1976 — and today, he’s considered one of the country's first creators of the "theme park."

Built in 1916 by amusement entrepreneur Charles Looff, it’s the oldest building on the former “Pleasure Pier” — and the landmark is pretty much the last of its kind, having survived fire, wear and tear, and threats of demolition.

Billed as the "largest indoor family entertainment center on the West Coast," the Fun Factory at the Redondo Beach pier is a blast from the past.

Yeah, you heard right. It's not as silly as it sounds. Even right downtown, Bakersfield still has darker skies than you'll find in the L.A. Basin.

This 95,000-acre preserve operated by the Wildlands Conservancy just west of Grapevine closes daily at 5:00 p.m., so you might not think of it as a stargazing spot.

Technically, the seaside amusement park in the Balboa Peninsula area of Newport Beach in Orange County is the “Fun Zone” — and that’s where you’ll find the waterfront Ferris wheel as well as other rides and even an arcade. But if you want to step back in time to the turn of the last century, when Newport Beach made its mark on seaside recreation, visit The Balboa Pavilion, one of the last such waterfront recreational pavilions of the time to survive.

If find yourself on your way to SeaWorld in San Diego, take a small detour to the sandbar to the west — known as Mission Beach — where you’ll find plenty of seaside amusement at Belmont Park.

Also in Kern County is the north face of Mount Pinos, the premier stargazing spot in Southern California.

The Kern National Wildlife Refuge near Lost Hills is a counterintuitive spot for stargazing, we admit it. But it's big, and it's quiet.

This State Park tucked into the El Paso Mountains has skies as dark as the rest of the western Mojave did way back in 2003.

There are very few places in Southern California with virtually no light pollution. This is one of those places.

Although you can drive across it now, the Cabrillo Bridge (a.k.a. “El Prado”) was a concrete and redwood walkway built specifically for pedestrians to make a grand entrance into the California Quadrangle area of the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-17.

The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge is worth a detour — to cross it while driving on Highway 154 or even just to view it from below — when you’re in the Santa Barbara area, perhaps on your way to the Santa Ynez wine country.

The Colorado Bridge isn’t the only way to cross over the Arroyo Seco, but few people may know about the historic La Loma Bridge that runs 379 feet along La Loma Road above Lower Arroyo Park, connecting the Lower Arroyo neighborhood with San Rafael Heights.

Start your journey in your car by crossing the canals along Dell Avenue between South Venice Boulevard and 28th Avenue — but then park your car and finish exploring on foot along the Grand Canal, where there are four bridges you can cross.

Back in 1999, the LA cardinal of the Catholic Church wanted to build a new, large-capacity cathedral that would be uniquely Californian and unlike the cathedrals of the “Old World.”

Sister Aimee Semple McPherson founded the Foursquare Church and commissioned its home – the Angelus Temple – to be built as a kind of theater for her illustrated sermons, which were huge productions replete with props, actors, and sound effects.

The Wee Kirk O' the Heather is just one of the attractions (or amusements) at Glendale’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park, which is also famous for its "Last Supper" stained glass and its display of the largest religious painting in the world.

This Gothic cathedral at the corner of Sixth and Commonwealth is actually the FCC's fifth home, completed in 1932.

If you happen to be anywhere in the South Bay on a Sunday morning, I can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t swing by the Wayfarers Chapel.

If you go at the right time, hiking your way through this mini ghost town of barracks and mess halls and other military facilities can seem particularly ghostly. And that’s not just because of the buried body of Peter Lebeck — who, according to lore (and his headstone), was killed by a grizzly bear.

Among the unincorporated communities up there, between the turn-of-the-last-century railroad town of Cantil and the watering hole of Indian Wells, lies an expansive California state park with stunning displays of red rocks, sites of paleontological significance and — if the weather cooperates — colorful wildflowers.

This is stargazing at its simplest and darkest.

The Colorado River Astronomy Club holds its meetups here, and it's not hard to figure out why: this desert ghost town has nice dark skies (aside from the small light dome over Blythe) and it's accessible.

This State Recreation Area (SRA) sprawling along the east shore of the Salton Sea is unusual among State Parks properties: its "day use" areas are open 24 hours a day.

If being five miles up a deserted canyon in the Palo Verde Mountains seems a bit too civilized for you, then the Black Hills is where you'll want to be.

The former gold mining camp of Bodie, now a state park in the Eastern Sierra near the Nevada border, is probably the best-preserved example of a “Gold Rush”-era ghost town.

About a four hour drive from downtown Los Angeles, Mahogany Flat is a great destination for those weekends that start a little early, so that you can get there before the crowds arrive.

The Owens Valley car-camping experience doesn't get better than this.

In the 19th century, Nipton was at the nexus of both silver and gold mining in the Ivanpah Valley and of two intersecting overland wagon trails (one running north-south and the other running east-west).

Nestled in the Calico Mountains, Calico is both a ghost town and an amusement park – but don’t let its overt commercialism keep you from visiting, because there’s plenty of history there, too.

Located east of Barstow, Daggett has fared only slightly better than its fellow Mojave Desert ghost towns, despite being located right off of the 40 Freeway and not having had any traffic circumvented away from it.

The Tuna Club is widely considered the birthplace of the sport of big game fishing — thanks to its founder, Dr. Charles Frederick Holder, catching a 183-pound bluefin tuna off these island shores in 1898.

Santa Paula has neither the biggest local airport nor the largest collection of interesting planes, but the no-frills air field and its hangars let the privately-owned vintage planes housed there shine. There’s a ton of hidden history you can’t see here, too: Santa Paula Airport was built on top of land that had been wiped clean by the St. Francis Dam flood.

If you’ve ever wished that your pilot would hand the controls of the plane he’s flying over to you, then you must venture to East San Diego County to take to the skies with Sky Sailing. Experiences range from a gentle ride in a motor-less sailplane (also known as a “glider”) that gets towed up to cruising altitude to a motor glider and a “Super Spectacular Aerobatic Ride.”

You wouldn’t think that a 43-acre preserve in the middle of the City of Torrance — literally across the street from Del Amo Fashion Center — would be such a good birding area, but it is.

This brewery is in an actual aircraft hangar across the street from the Redlands Airport – the very same hangar where master brewer Ben Cook (a former homebrewer) once gathered with friends for a post-flight beer.

El Dorado Park is a historic, inland area of Long Beach along the San Gabriel River, east of the Long Beach Airport. Across the street from the former venue for archery competitions in the 1984 Olympics, you’ll find the El Dorado Nature Center, which provides access to a couple of miles of trails through over 100 acres that span different kinds of habitats.

When you go boating or fishing at Lake Balboa, you may not know it, but you’re making good use of water that would otherwise go to waste. You may want to put down your fork before reading about the source of Lake Balboa’s water. Ready? It’s the nearby Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, which processes some (but not all) of LA's wastewater (i.e. toilet water) that gets pumped in from the sewers.

The Palos Verdes peninsula has a huge amount of protected land, a welcome refuge in the sprawl of the South Bay and the nearby ports of San Pedro and Long Beach.

Corral Canyon resides in a nearly unblighted, 100-acre coastal stretch of Malibu, cleaved by a natural creek draining to the ocean.

Make a satisfying loop by combining the Solstice Canyon and Rising Sun trails on National Park Service land.

The Templin Highway stargazing area has long been a popular spot among amateur astronomers.

The point offers a wilder Malibu beach experience than most.

Saddleback Butte State Park is an unsung gem in L.A. County's desert.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve seems like an obvious spot for L.A. County stargazing, what with its being out in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and yet just an hour and a half from downtown Los Angeles.

Closer to downtown, the Santa Monica Mountains offer some remarkably dark skies considering that the mountain range is hemmed in by the San Fernando Valley and the L.A. Basin.

A bit west of Topanga, and thus with a slightly darker sky, Malibu Creek State Park is another popular stargazers' hangout.

We listed this spot in our Kern County night sky listicle as well, and for good reason: it's an easy jaunt from Southern California's crowded urban core.

Even with the presence of other campers and the light from a nearby visitor center, this part of the preserve gets pretty dark.

It's not easy to find a higher spot in the high desert than this favorite among Southern California astronomers, at 8,500 feet in the pinyon juniper forested slopes of the White Mountains, well into the Inyo National Forest.

Bridgeport, the Mono County seat, is a must-visit.

Now we're talking. This campground nine miles west of Stovepipe Wells is not precisely "no-frills": it's got piped in water and flush toilets.

Border Field State Park has a network of horse and hiking trails through the largest coastal wetland in Southern California.

You'll pass underneath the world famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and amble through Black's Beach, a spot famous for its beauty and powerful surf and infamous for its nude sunbathers.

The famously enchanting rocky Central Coast coastline is on full display here, on the headlands between Avila Beach and Morro Bay. The Bluff Trail gives hikers a lovely taste of it all.

This is one of those hikes with a very high effort-to-reward ratio.

At 1,076-feet, Hazard Peak is twice as tall as surrounding peaks, making it the ideal perch from which survey the coast and mountains.

It may be hard to believe now, but flooding was once a major concern in the L.A. area – enough to channelize (translation: concretize) the verdant L.A. River and build other flood control measures. Located at the foot of the Angeles National Forest near Big Tujunga Wash, the massive horseshoe-shaped Hansen Dam was built after the catastrophic floods of 1938.

Beginning from Cloisters Park in Morro Bay, this 3.5-mile round trip walk will lead you through wetlands, sand dunes, onto the beach and ultimately to the hulking mass that makes this stretch of coast so iconic.

. Formed by the San Gabriel River’s flood control dam (whose steep rim you can trace by bike), this county park offers amazing views of the San Gabriel Mountains as well as a nature center that offers interpretive programs and displays about the biological communities present in the alluvial fan of the San Gabriel River (in the foothills of those mountains).

The rocky point known as Hazard Reef hosts the best of both worlds -- rocky and sandy -- that make up most of the coast in this region.

While not the most dramatic coastal landscape in the county, Harmony Headlands State Park embodies the rolling coastal terrain that makes up parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

This path is a portal to the Cambria coast, another appealing mix of rocky shore and sandy beaches, easily accessible by this flat, 3-mile round-trip trail and boardwalk.

This protected stretch of bluffs in south Santa Barbara makes for a convenient, easy, and lovely outing.

Wildlife is a defining factor of the Central Coast, from the Peregrine falcons of Morro Rock to the whales, dolphins, and the honking, stinking elephant seals of San Simeon.

Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area offers an embarrassment of riches in the Valley – from wildlife viewing (and birdwatching) at the Wildlife Reserve to the cherry blossoms of Lake Balboa, The Japanese Garden of the water reclamation plant, and the model airplane field, archery range, and cricket fields of Woodley Park.

Rest assured this lookout point, the 1,800-foot summit of a peak in Los Padres National Forest, will live up to its name.

Also known as Hendry's Beach, Arroyo Burro Beach is another classic bluff-and-beach area.

This reptile-shaped sandstone formation basks in the sun above Santa Barbara, with its mouth agape.

If you like hiking high above the beach, into easy-to-reach backcountry with spectacular views of the coastline and the Santa Ynez Mountains, then this trail will be your cup of tea.

Again, this is the type of beach Santa Barbara it littered with: bluffs, intermittent stretches of rocky and sandy beaches, and serene ocean views.

Ocean views hardly get more dramatic than from the 6-mile Trespass Trail.

The hills above Gaviota State Beach are a wind-sculpted sandstone dreamscape.

Dearly Departed specializes in bus tours and walking tours of L.A.’s most famous sites of murder, celebrity death and burial, and horror film locations — but they’ve also got a storefront on Sunset Boulevard that’s a combination museum and gift shop.

For many westerners, winter camping in the California Desert means Death Valley National Park.

If even Mesquite Springs campground is full -- which does happen on weekends -- there's another option in the environs of Death Valley National Park that may yet have spaces available: the privately owned Panamint Springs Resort just 70 miles away.

This museum doesn't intend to be a scary place, but it’s downright terrifying. And that’s before you even descend into the “Horror Chamber” in the basement. Down there, it’s a mad monster party where Dracula mingles with Frankenstein while Hellboy looks on.

Known better to architectural historians as the “Sanders House,” the Queen Anne-style manor was originally built in 1887. It’s one of the only remaining examples of a design by the architectural firm of Kysor, Morgan & Walls — and it’s one of the stops on the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Angelino Heights Walking Tour.

The Chuckwalla Mountains sit in the transition area between California's high and low deserts, and thus enjoy winter temperatures somewhat warmer than those in the Mojave Desert.

One of the chief joys of camping at any season in the California desert is the prevalence of open areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

As long as we're talking primitive camping, we might as well discuss a truly isolated spot in California's largest ironwood forest.

Any list of winter California desert campsites that ignored Anza Borrego Desert State Park would be flawed.

Winter camping in the Owens Valley sometimes strays out of the strictly defined boundaries of "comfortable."

Here are five of this oil town’s greatest contributions to the Southland, some of which may surprise you.

The drive from California to the Arizona border on Interstate 8 can be an uneventful one, until you reach a 21-foot, pink-marble pyramid curiously erected in the Sonoran Desert. If you pay a few bucks to enter the striking structure, you get to stand on a dot on a bronze plaque and make a wish. You are at the “Official Center of the World.”

Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge bears more than a passing resemblance to an ancient Roman aqueduct. In a way, that makes sense. Both use the same engineering solution – colossal arches – to create an artificial topography and overcome the natural contours of the land. It is also thought to be haunted.

The city of Glendale purchased Rockhaven in 2008, but they have yet to restore, reopen, or develop it, leaving it essentially abandoned. But according to security guards, live-in caretakers, and cleanup crews, the former sanitarium is anything but vacant.

Unlike the big name museums in Los Angeles, the Heritage Square Museum lies in relative quiet. It sits at the bottom of a hill, on the very end of a cul de sac, where rows and rows of homes face the river. That also meant that the museum is about a 20-minute walk from the nearest Metro train station, the Southwest Museum Station.

Situated under the First Street Bridge directly across from the Belmont Tunnel, the theater itself was once a run-down scene shop in a not-so-nice neighborhood near downtown. With his partner, Alton Wood, puppeteer Bob Baker transformed it into a magical performance space. Its main denizens are puppets -- and ghosts.

This 16-mile loop off US 395 in Mono County offers lots of opportunity to see colorful aspen at 7,000 feet elevation.

t the Museum of Neon Art, you walk through a relatively bright gift shop and into the back gallery which – depending on the current exhibit – will entrance you with flashing lights, kinetic sculptures, plasma art, backlit plastic, and other selections from guest artists and its permanent collection.

Every night between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., this hippie-centric place to find your chakras, meditate, and maybe "re-find your center" opens its doors to the public for $25 a person. However, only 20 people are allowed to use the hot springs each night, so call in advance to get reservations.

This South Bay pier is the perfect spot to watch the sunset with an unobstructed view. You’ll spot some fishermen – and maybe a shark in the water – but you’ll avoid the crowds of the Santa Monica, Malibu, or Redondo Beach piers

Since it was completed in 2003, the Frank Gehry’s “boat-and-sail” design of Walt Disney Concert Hall has become a landmark of both Los Angeles and its downtown, having elicited some pretty strong reactions from visitors and neighbors alike.

Situated high above Hollywood Boulevard just west of Vermont Avenue on what was once known as “Olive Hill,” Barnsdall Art Park is home to the Hollyhock House, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built for heiress Aline Barnsdall.

The largest collection of locomotives, trolleys, and streetcars in Southern California

At one point, you couldn’t even buy a ticket to tour Pierre Koenig's Stahl House (a.k.a. Case Study House #22) for just one person. You had to find a date to take with you. Then, the policy changed so that you could go alone, but you’d have to pay the equivalent of admission for two. Although the pricing gap has narrowed somewhat since then, it still makes so much more sense to view this Mid-Century Modern masterpiece as a couple rather than going solo.

Along Old Route 66, you’ll find a 1911 train depot known as Casa del Desierto (“House of the Desert”), one of the last remaining Harvey Houses. It was almost lost after it closed in 1971, until the City of Barstow purchased it in 1990, restored it, and reopened it in 1999.

The Santa Fe Depot, a Spanish Mission Revival style train station from 1918, was once the largest station west of the Mississippi. Originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company (now BNSF), it’s currently used by both Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains.

When they take a train out, it's made up of a jumble of pieces from different train lines and different eras, all mixed up depending on where they're going and how many passengers have booked the trip.

This free museum is open every day except for Christmas with some restored railroad passenger cars (and a dining car) on static display, parked along an actual abandoned rail line right in Griffith Park.

There are actually two trains that run on this track: the authentic Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge steam train from the turn of the 20th century and “The Galloping Goose,” a smaller, 1930s-era narrow gauge, diesel-powered machine from Colorado.

Irvine Regional Park sits just where the 24/7 glare of the southern L.A. Basin starts to slacken a bit, just at the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains.

Crescent Bay Beach at the north end of town offers a quarter mile of sheltered cove perfect for horizontal lounging and skywatching, and it's beneath a bluff that serves to block out the headlights on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Just 7.5 miles from the lights of North Tustin, this 19th Century silver mining town is now a laid back unincorporated community with a roadside cafe and a biker bar in Silverado Canyon, just inside the Cleveland National Forest.

Griffith Park has become so popular with tourists and locals alike, I’m not sure there’s anyone left who doesn’t know about it or recognize its Art Deco façade.

This is an extremely popular hike with a narrow, crowded, and dusty trail, which is more manageable in some light rain.

There's no sandy beach here: even dry, these rocks are potential ankle-breakers, and it's rocky the whole way. You can hike to the wreck of this Greek freighter at any time of day, but you'll see the most -- and stay the driest -- at low tide.

The Bridge to Nowhere is exactly as it sounds: no roads lead to it, and it connects nothing to nothing. But in the 1930s, this behemoth used to bridge a chasm for roads that were being built through Angeles National Forest.

National Park vendor Island Packers offers day trips to Anacapa weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, launching from Oxnard.

Virginia Robinson Gardens

The garden is open to the public once a year for its annual garden tour / luncheon / fashion show / awards ceremony, which acts as a benefit for the volunteer-run facility. But you can visit for a docent-led tour pretty much any time of year by appointment at least two weeks in advance.

At Gardens of the World, you can visit France, England, Italy, and Japan without walking very far – past a cascading waterfall, ornamental flower beds, a rose garden, artichoke plants, a tea house, cypress trees, and a "chain" fountain.

It was a kind of French chateau by way of the San Gabriel Valley, with a tropical paradise out front, but once its contents were sold at public auction after John Durand’s death in 1961, the house was razed.

This "garden of water and fragrance" has all the elements of a traditional Japanese garden: water, rocks, and plants that have been preened and pruned to perfection.

A garden of specialized, curated selection of more than 3000 desert plants separated by their natural habitats (mostly, the Americas – Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Mexico, etc.), including cacti, agaves, and even ironwood trees.

Once private land owned by the Stornetta family, the 1,255-acre coastal plot was acquired by the federal Bureau of Land Management in 2005 to be preserved for public use. An additional 500 acres were acquired in the past couple years, allowing for 12 miles of continuous open coastline north of the small town of Point Arena.

This haunting spot in the Great Basin section of the California desert owes its beauty to the seemingly unearthly setting: odd pinnacles of calcium carbonate rising from a very alkaline lake.

North of Barstow, this series of outcrops of multicolored lake sediments were laid down about 16 million years ago during the unsurprisingly named Barstovian period, when the desert was much wetter.

This is one of very few spots where the Mojave River runs above-ground year round.

This spot's hard to miss for travelers on Route 190 between the Owens Valley and Death Valley National Park: it's the spot where the road suddenly starts switchbacking down off the Darwin Plateau eastward into the Panamint Valley.

Year-round streams are rare in the desert, but not only does Darwin Falls flow year-round, it does so over a pretty little chain of waterfalls totaling 80 feet, the tallest falls in Death Valley National Park.

Doheny State Beach is located in the city of Dana Point, California and is one of California's most popular state beaches and attracts almost one million visitors per year. Doheny has a day use surfing beach at its northern end and a five-acre lawn with picnic facilities and volleyball courts.

This is the classic Death Valley stop, a badlands of bright blonde lakebed sediments that have played a starring role in westerns, science fiction films, and even their own Antonioni film.

A long day's drive from Southern California, Lava Beds doesn't exactly qualify as a day trip. But that's exactly why you need to make sure to see it: you probably won't just happen by.

The Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve offer a rare combination of stunning, accessible, and not overrun with off-road vehicles.

Sorry tent campers, only those in RVs can soak up the best of beach and bay here, four-and-a-half miles south of the city of Coronado.

This campground 40 miles north of San Diego is another close-quartered affair sandwiched between bluff and highway.

The park sees well over 2 million visits yearly and could hardly be closer to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and the 5 Freeway. Yet, somehow it is possible to feel as if you're alone on an untouched coastline.

One of California's newest national parks, Pinnacles features natural beauty and archaeological resources.

Between its Old Zoo and its haunted picnic table, Griffith Park is probably full of ghosts. But its most famous landmark – the Hollywood Sign – is also perhaps its most legitimately haunted site.

Who knew? The largest concentration of petroglyphs in the western hemisphere is deep within the Coso Range of mountains just south of Owens Lake – and only accessible by going through the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake.

Visit the museum to see the incredible collection of artifacts they’ve collected from the Lang Ranch site, as well as the dioramas they’ve built showing Chumash life.

You can find pictographs at Painted Rock, a horseshoe-shaped rock outcropping in Carrizo Plain in San Luis Obispo County that’s been claimed by three Native American groups: the Chumash, Salinan, and Yokuts.

On the former Ahmanson Ranch in the Simi Hills, it's a relatively easy uphill hike through the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve to get to the Cave of Munits, a.k.a. The Shaman’s Cave.

The unusual granite rock formations behind the house are also part of Piute Butte, once an area of spiritual significance for the various American Indian groups that once populated it.

South of Lompoc is about as far west as you can get on the Southern California coast, and its relatively remote location puts it well out of the worst of the county's light pollution zone.

North of the Santa Ynez Mountains, this fishing reservoir is shielded from the brightest of the county's urban lights along the 101 corridor.

Figueroa Mountain in the San Rafael Mountains near Los Olivos is a favorite of local stargazers and astronomers for its altitude, its relative isolation from city lights, and its peace and quiet.

When the road is south of the river, it's in the very northernmost parts of Santa Barbara County, which are also some of the darkest parts of the county.

Just shy of two miles up Camino Cielo from Route 154, a small pullout at the crest of the Santa Ynez range offers an elevated grassy hill with fantastic views to the north, shielded from the lights of Goleta and Santa Barbara just 15 minutes away.

Don’t be ashamed if you didn’t know that we have our own wine country here in L.A. County.

You could start your wine tasting trip at the theme park-like Bernardo Winery within San Diego city limits, but then just spend the rest of it in the greater Ramona Valley.

Named after J.B. Nethercutt, whose wealth as co-founder of Merle Norman Cosmetics allowed him to collect exotic antique cars, this collection is actually spread across two different buildings – and you can visit both of them for free.

A visit to the Mullin Automotive Museum is a much more specific experience of car collecting than some other collections.

Keys Creek is open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays for high bloom season during May and June, and they offer tours on the weekends.

The farm is open for visits on weekends during bloom season in June and July.

Visitors have a chance to explore the diversity of uses for lavender, thanks to vendors selling fresh and dried lavender, lavender products, and food and drinks made with lavender, as well as plenty of purple products like clothing and crafts.

Located at the Highland Springs Ranch and Inn, 123 Farm lays claim to the largest organic lavender farm in Southern California with 20 acres of lavender fields.

These gardens are on the ground of a West Adams mansion built in the Italian Renaissance Beaux-Arts style for wine magnate Secundo Guasti.

This private retreat’s grounds are open to the public during the week and overlook both the Pacific Ocean and Malibu Creek.

The International Headquarters (or “Mother Center”) is perched atop a hill in Northeast L.A.’s Mount Washington community.

Only about 1 percent of Death Valley is covered in sand dunes, but thanks to the films and TV shows that have filmed there (namely, "Star Wars" and "Star Trek"), that’s the image that most people associate with this desert national park.

Glamis has the largest OHV recreation area for sand dunes in the entire country — and the largest sand dune area in the state of California.

What’s a coastal dune system that provides habitat for a nearly extinct, endemic species of butterfly doing under the ownership of an international airport?

This mile-long beach in Dana Point sees a million visitors a year, who catch its rolling waves on longboards, play volleyball, fish, or relax. A much smaller number of people spend the night footsteps from the sand in any of the 121 campsites, located on the south side of the San Juan Creek, away from most of the action to the north.

This popular zone in Huntington Beach sees thick crowds, especially in summer. But nights and weekdays can belong to those who drop anchor at 59 RV sites, all with electrical hookups (there is no tent camping here).

This area isn’t known as much for road trips in the car as it is for train excursions along “The Impossible Railroad,” the now-defunct Desert Line of the San Diego & Arizona Railway.

Once a yer the Fort MacArthur Museum reenacts of a controversial night in 1942, when a big band dance party was suddenly interrupted by some kind of "flying object."

Bear Mountain might get all the downhill skiing enthusiasts in the winter, but if you want to escape the crowds during the dry summer months, head to the lake – Big Bear Lake, that is.

Drive 34 miles north on the Angeles Crest Highway and you’ll hit a little-known part of the San Gabriel Wilderness and one of the lesser-known ski resort areas, Mt. Waterman.

Back in 1975, when it made its debut in downtown L.A.'s Civic Center district, it was supposed to blow your mind.

The quaint village of Idyllwild isn’t known for its snow play, but it, too, provides a temperate respite from baking in the lower-elevation oven heat of the nearby desert communities.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram, is an incredibly scenic, romantic, and adventurous way to escape the rising mercury of the Low Desert.

This 30-foot tower that overlooks Rimforest — just off the Rim of the World Highway — was built in 1933 by the Civil Conservation Corp.

If you really want to get off the grid — if being in the middle of the mountains isn’t quite remote enough for you — head to the Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout above Idyllwild.

Along the Old Mount Wilson Toll Road, north of the Eaton Canyon Natural Area Park and Nature Center, you’ll find a unique parcel of land at 2,550 feet of elevation that’s now appropriately run by the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, known as Henninger Flats.

If urban exploration is more your thing, you’ll delight at the concrete monolith of the old Topanga Fire Lookout at Rosas Overlook, sandwiched between Stunt Ranch State Park and Topanga State Park and just off the Backbone Trail.

About two hours north of L.A., at more than 8,000 feet above sea level, you’ll find a historic fire service lookout tower that’s been taken out of service and now stands abandoned on top of Frazier Mountain.

It’s California's version of the Grand Canyon, a wrinkled maze of fossils that was scarred by the waters of the Gulf of California and the Colorado River.

There are two clusters of maar volcanic sites, to the west (which is older) and to the south (which is younger).

The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round may be the most famous carousel in all of Southern California, thanks to Walt Disney.

The McDonald’s in Downey may be the oldest standing of the billion-burger-selling chain, but to trace the founding of this fast food empire, you have to head to San Bernardino.

Pismo State Beach has nearly everything visitors could want from the Central Coast, but with vast stretches of predominantly sandy beaches, rather than rugged shores.

Some of the wildest terrain in this region -- oceanfront sand dunes that could be confused for the Sahara Desert -- belong to off-roaders.

Like Pismo Beach, Montaña de Oro has it all, beginning with mountains of gold wildflowers, as the name might suggest, and dramatic summits, creeks, rocky coves, and sandy redoubts.

Make sure to pack a mask and snorkel as the reefs host ample opportunity for submarine exploration. This 5-mile stretch can be done in either direction.

Bolsa Chica State Beach is a refuge for more than 300 bird species, some stopping over on their journeys along the Pacific Flyway, and numerous other critters in the water and on land. Hikers can avail themselves of five miles of short, flat trails through the wetlands, and possibly glimpse brown pelicans, leopard sharks, jackrabbits, and coyotes.

From this pleasant spot, you can look out at the Channel Islands and wonder what it was like to cross the channel in one, as the Chumash did.

If heading north, this region seems to be where trees other than palms like to grow on the coast without too much coercion.

Set along 3.5 miles of shoreline, Point Mugu State Park comprises an impressive array of bluffs, beaches, sand dunes, river canyons, grassy valleys, and mountains.

Hobson County Beach Park is another roadside-and-beachside RV campground.

Creosote (Creosote Larrea tridentate a.k.a. "greasewood") is a pretty common find in the Mojave Desert, but the king of them all – with an average diameter of 45 feet, though it can stretch as wide as 67 feet – is the so-called "King Clone."

To experience some of the natural wonders in southern California, you have to get the timing just right – because they're as fleeting as they are wondrous. Such is the case with Amorphophallus titanium – the so-called "Corpse Flower," a rotten-smelling flower that only blooms (and stinks) for a few hours.

Point Mugu State Park's La Jolla Canyon offers a smorgasbord of hiking trails and loop options.

The Pinus longaeva have to withstand a lot of perils: wind, weather, and a climate dry enough for dry kindling to spontaneously burst into flames. And yet some of these trees still last thousands of years, thriving in the harshest of conditions, growing in the driest of soil (that's more limestone than it is dirt).

With its aggressive system of buttress roots, it can strangle out any competition to clear the space it needs to grow to its tremendous size – which is ripe not only for climbing but also for shade-seeking and fruit-collecting.

Strolling the Ventura Promenade, like the boardwalks in L.A. or San Diego, is a means to instantly get the get the local flavor, people watch, and meander along the beach.

At the "Feast of Gratitude and Gravy," you can experience a communal Thanksgiving in the most rustic setting around — deep in the San Gabriel Mountains, with all your supplies having been brought up by a band of pack mules.

This canyon is a beautiful place to visit year-round with hiking, bountiful lakes, and plenty of granite peaks. It is especially beautiful in the summer and the fall as the wildflowers bloom and change color.

This state park is a great destination to see baby elephant seals.

Every year on Thanksgiving, Santa Clarita farm animal sanctuary The Gentle Barn hosts their "A Gentle Thanksgiving" dinner.

The focus at Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona is normally, of course, the camels. But, during the demonstration and show during Open Farm Days, the camels share the "stage" — with a group of galloping gobblers.

While it looks different every time, depending on the season and time of day, you just can’t beat those views of the L.A. basin or the opportunity to look down at Griffith Observatory from above.

Like many of the secret stairs of L.A., some of these go straight up, with little to no breaks, while others offer the reprieve of plenty of landings. As you climb up and down, you’re cutting through the Hollywood Hills, which most people circumvent by car.

“Santa Monica Stairs” is technically just two different sets of concrete and wooden stairs, including one off Amalfi and Entrada and one off 4th and Adelaide.

Among the embarrassment of riches that those of us in southern California have to be grateful for is our access to sites of historic, cultural, and artistic significance — and the Maloof Foundation in Riverside fits the bill on all three counts.

Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights is probably the best example of orphaned Victorian treasures finding their "forever home" elsewhere.

Every year seems like it’s going to be the last for the towering, apocalyptic holiday creation by outsider artist Kenny Irwin, Jr.

The elaborate holiday light display changes a bit every year.

If you can make it, the payoff is tremendous – with sweeping views and white-knuckle curves giving way to a slot canyon.

Sherman Oaks is home to one of the most elaborate residential holiday light displays.

They literally moved mountains to create Dodger Stadium. Between 1959 and 1962, an army of construction workers shifted eight-million cubic yards of earth and rock in the hills above downtown Los Angeles, refashioning the rugged terrain once known as the Stone Quarry Hills into a modern baseball palace.

Less than 10 miles north of Barstow in the Mojave Desert, there’s yet another slot canyon that you can both drive and walk through.

This is one of those drives where it really feels like you’re going somewhere.

Old Woman Springs Road is kind of a “dark horse” when it comes to taking a drive through the desert.

When you mention Southern California roadside dinosaurs, everybody talks about the giant ones in Cabazon, which have been clearly visible off the north side of the 10 Freeway for over 30 years, and were famously featured in the movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

Franklin Canyon Park offers a little-known opportunity for Angelenos to get away from it all, right in the middle of the city.

The California Cactus Ranch isn't the only nursery in Reseda, but it's probably the wildest. And that's largely in thanks to its mini ghost town whose primary residents are some giant metal dinosaurs. Back in the mid-1990s, the nursery's owner, David Bernstein, had been looking for ways to draw more customers to his cactus nursery.

Tucked between the Hollywood Bowl and Camrose Drive in the Hollywood Hills sits the cozy and unusual High Tower neighborhood, a place that feels like an exciting peek into old Hollywood.

Saddleback Butte State Park features a beautiful seasonal yellow coreopsis bloom.

Looking west from the outlet of Thousand Island Lake, Banner Peak looms in the distance creating a backdrop worthy of a postcard. The deep blue alpine water sparkles in the sun and is speckled with the tiny granite islands for which the lake is named.

Tucked into a mountain canyon in Topanga, the Theatricum Botanicum is where you can watch a Shakespeare production under the shade of native oaks and with the scent of 15th and 16th century herbs in the air.

From 1912 to 1965 the L.A. Zoo was located farther into the Griffith Park interior, off a trail near the Merry Go Round parking lot.

In the wake of the anti-Japanese sentiment that prevailed on our shores after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, over 10,000 Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans were given little notice to pack up their families — and whatever they could carry — and “relocate” to the middle of the desert, 200 miles and four hours north of Los Angeles.

The Japanese Fisherman's Memorial on Terminal Island pays tribute to the community of immigrant and second-generation pioneers and their families.

Most recently, Santa Anita was the home track for the Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah — but it’s seen its share of other celebrities. Cary Grant, Al Jolson and Lana Turner all invested in Santa Anita Park, and investor Bing Crosby also owned a horse that raced there. But the history of California's first thoroughbred racetrack isn't entirely glamorous.

Unlike the recently designated Sawtelle Japantown in West L.A., Little Tokyo actually dates back to 1884.

Established in 1877, Evergreen Memorial Park & Crematory is the oldest nondenominational cemetery in Los Angeles.

The bunny rabbits still pretty much line the walls from floor to ceiling, but the creatures — which range from dolls and figurines to stuffed animals, pillows, slippers, cookie jars, masks, taxidermy and discarded Rose Parade float pieces — have some room to breathe.

Most of what you'll find at Valley Relics has been rescued from beloved businesses somewhere in the Valley — vintage signs from Henry’s Tacos and The Palomino Club, the "Liberty Bells" from Robinson's — but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule.

From bits of floor tile and actual grave dirt to crime scene tape and funeral service programs, the museum (and its gift shop) tells the gruesome stories of the performers, politicians and other prominent people who’ve each met their untimely demise.

Velveteria's proprietors, Carl and Caren, take the art of black velvet paintings very seriously.

This is the one you surely already know about: the Batcave. Otherwise known as the Bronson Caves, Batman’s infamous domicile is located in Bronson Canyon in the southwestern section of Griffith Park, not far from Beachwood Canyon.

There's a museum for us streetlight people — on the second floor of the Public Works building, courtesy of the Bureau of Street Lighting.

While you’re in La Jolla, don’t end your spelunking with just one cave – because there are seven sister caves in La Jolla Cove that are accessible by kayak, and several tour companies that will take you in on a guided tour.

If you have any interest in stained glass, this church is a must-see – mostly because you just don’t find art glass projects of this scale much anymore, especially not in houses of worship.

This country road between Redlands and Beaumont is lightly traveled at night, with I-10 and route 60 offering far speedier alternatives. That means not too many headlights to destroy your night vision.

Skies here still bear the influence of the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys' nighttime illumination, but you should be able to see lots of relatively faint stars here that would be washed out in San Dimas.

One valley north of Lytle Creek, this sleepy mountain road between Wrightwood and Cajon Pass will have slightly darker skies, and fewer nearby lights, than its neighbor. I

Just a ten-minute drive from Interstate 15, the Lytle Creek Ranger Station is an easily accessed stargazing spot in the foothills of the eastern San Gabriels.

Skies are about as dark here as you can find in the non-desert portions of Riverside County.

This is another place that's great for those nights when you need some stars before you hit the sack.

About half of this iconic National Park is in the Low Desert, and that just happens to be the darker half.

Borrego Springs is a great gateway to the state's largest state park, Anza-Borrego, and its residents and businesses have enthusiastically taken on the task of keeping night lighting to a minimum to preserve Anza-Borrego's night-time environment.

Corn Springs campground is surprisingly quiet for being so accessible, and the formidable Chuckwalla Mountains that surround the campground do a great job of blocking off light from the highway.

Best known for being the one road into Parkfield, the Earthquake Capital of California, Cholame Valley Road also offers nice dark skies within easy striking distance of Routes 46 and 41 east of Paso Robles.

This spot might be the only stargazing site we've heard of with a nine-hole disc golf course.

Turn onto Red Hill and find a convenient wide spot away from the occasional headlights on 58.

Niki de Saint Phalle's last large-scale work can be found tucked away inside the Iris Sankey Arboretum of Kit Carson Park in Escondido – unbelievably preserved and, as the name implies, magical.

You should be able to find a spot in the first few miles to pull just off the road and drink in the night skies.

This is as close as you'll get to a desert on the Central Coast, in terms of both habitat and deep dark sky.

James T. Hubbell's compound in East San Diego County where he lives and works is worth a visit if only to see his mosaic work.

For darker skies along the coast it's hard to beat the Santa Lucia Range, which in their Monterey County portion offer night skies to rival anywhere in the California desert.

After years in disuse and finally being sold in 2013, the former Wilshire Boulevard home of the Freemasons of the Scottish Rite Order has now transformed into the Marciano Art Foundation, a contemporary art museum that's free and open to the public.

From the moment you arrive at the front gate of the Mosaic Tile House, the tile-covered labyrinth of the front yard – littered with bathtub benches, bathtub planters, and various arches crossing over above and animals arising from the patio below – is completely overwhelming.

Joseph Young was a critically lauded mosaic artist of national repute whose many masterworks in the field of decorative arts included the mural that embellishes the exterior of the Richard Neutra-designed Hall of Records building in the Civic Center of downtown L.A.

In what's now California's northeast corner, lava flows from Medicine Mountain over the last half million years have left a network of lava tubes and other volcanic formations for you to explore.

This spot is an unsung beauty, with one exception.

California's oldest lake sits at around 6,400 feet, making it a lot cooler in summer than many desert destinations.

And at around 5,600 feet with northern exposure to the breezes off Cima Dome, Mid-Hills is a bit cooler than the big preserve campground at Hole In The Wall, a thousand feet lower.

At elevations ranging from the 4,000s to the dome's subtle summit a hair above 5,720 feet, this place is well above the worst heat of the desert summer.

The southeastern end of the county is shielded by mountains from the light domes of San Diego/Tijuana to the west, and Mexicali/Imperial County the the east. That means some pretty dark skies, and the local stargazing community takes full advantage.

If your tastes run more toward small stargazing groups of one or two people, you can still avail yourself of the southeast backcountry's skies.

Midway between Palomar Mountain and Anza-Borrego, the placid mountain town of Julian is better known for its apple orchards than its starry nights.

It's tempting to call Caltech's observatory a relic of darker nights gone by, but there's still some top-notch astronomy being conducted here.

San Diego State has operated its Mount Laguna Observatory in the county's southeastern mountains since 1968.

In the 1890s, a large swath of land had been devoted to either lima bean fields or sheep and cattle grazing — and that included a large portion of the Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago that James Irvine bought and transformed into his expansive Irvine Ranch.

on't have a couple hours to commit to a stargazing road trip? You won't see nearly as many stars from the Torrey Pines State Reserve north of La Jolla, but the Reserve offers darker skies than you might expect, given its close proximity to urban life.

The packinghouse of the Southern California Fruit Growers Exchange (a.k.a. Sunkist), situated along an old Southern Pacific rail spur in the Packing District, is one of the few that remain in Southern California — and the only one left in Anaheim.

While you may associate the San Fernando Valley more with burgers and hot dogs than with oranges and lemons, there’s just five acres left of the 15,000 acres of orange trees that once could be found there.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the San Gabriel Valley was covered with citrus trees — and the city of La Verne (called Lordsburg until 1917) was right at the center of it.

This peak in Los Padres National Forest in the northeast corner of the county has some of the darkest skies to be found in the Greater Southern California Megalopolis.

About 15 miles or so farther along Lockwood Valley Road from Lake of the Woods, the eponymous Lockwood Valley has some seriously dark sky by coastal California standards.

Ventura County's share of the Santa Monica Mountains has some of the darkest skies that urban-influenced range has to offer.

Closer in to the civilized end of the county, the Oak Canyon Community Park in the town of Oak Park near Agoura Hills offers reasonably dark skies for the 101 Freeway corridor.

You might not think of Ojai as a prime stargazing location, but the city at the foot of the Topatopa Mountains still has remarkably dark skies considering almost 8,000 people live there.

Any discussion of stargazing in Ventura County would be lacking if it didn't include a mention of the Moorpark College Observatory.

The oldest business in Sierra Madre is E. Waldo Ward & Son, purveyors of local gourmet foods and home to a historic grove of Seville orange trees.

The flat land that remains looks like an archaeological site of the ancient Roman Empire. Beyond it, you can see how close the city's infrastructure is to the current edge of the cliff, and how it couldn't have been so close to the edge before.

Originally developed in 1921 as part of a post-World War I building boom, Surfridge (then known as Palisades del Rey) was filled with charming homes and palm tree-lined streets.

As part of the Rancho San Jose, Spadra was the first American settlement in the Pomona Valley and became a thriving village in the 1860s. It was settled mostly by poor families who fled the South.

Mentryville is the first thing you see when you come to Pico Canyon in the Santa Susana Mountains to find the site of California's first commercial oil well – a.k.a. Pico Well No. 4, which struck oil in 1876 after three prior drilling attempts failed.

We've lost so many treasures to fire out here in the wild, wild, west. Such a place is Corriganville, the once movie ranch-turned-tourist attraction that’s now a public park just on the other side of the Ventura County.

If you’ve ever found yourself driving along the I-15 at the northern border of the Mojave National Preserve, you’ve probably seen the exit sign for Zzyzx and wondered what could possibly there.

Amboy is probably the most famous of the Route 66 ghost towns in the Mojave Desert, thanks to its appearances in various movies and fashion magazines. Now, it’s more or less just a set – a filming location for hire – with a population of 20, if you believe the sign.

In 1905, Kelso was built specifically as a depot along the railroad line that ran between L.A. and Utah and cut right through the middle of the Mojave Desert (in the area that’s now known as the Mojave National Preserve). But business was so big that Kelso ended up becoming a real town, with a post office (now closed, but still standing) and, in the 1940s, a jail for drunkards (also vacant, but there).

The Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery was one of the first of its kind when it was established in 1917 to raise trout (even the rare golden trout!) under the jurisdiction of the California State Fish and Game Commission. Although you won’t find any fish currently being farmed at this century-old facility (and not since 2008), history is alive and well on the property, which is open as a tourist attraction and a special event venue.

At Hot Creek, you’ll find not just rainbow trout thriving there, but also a subspecies of rainbow trout known as Eagle Lake trout, German brown trout and Lahontan cutthroat trout, a California Heritage Species.

Surrounded by the San Gorgonio Wilderness, where Highway 62 meets the 10, you’ll find an interesting former trout farm that The Wildlands Conservancy is trying to bring back to wilderness.

As many of the Fish & Wildlife-managed ones still do, this Ventura County fish hatchery raises — or “farms” — trout eggs to become fully-formed fish that will be released into SoCal waterways where they don’t occur naturally.

You can get a real lesson in aviation history near the freight terminal and cargo planes of LAX at the Flight Path Museum. Yes, LAX has a museum – and it’s open to the public! You might even meet a former pilot with some stories to tell.

Even if you don’t have a boarding pass for a flight departing out of LGB, it’s worth a visit to see the Streamline Moderne vintage terminal, the historic photos of the Douglas Aircraft Company (including the origin story of “Rosie the Riveter”), and the WPA-era mosaic tiles.

Just east of the 215 Freeway, there’s a museum that specializes in retired military aircraft – and they’re some of the hugest ones you’ll ever see. From the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (a.k.a. the “Big Ugly Fat Fellow,” or BUFF) to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet Bomber (which was designed to fly at high subsonic speed and altitude), some of them are so larger than life that they seem almost impossible to fly.

You’ve got two great opportunities to experience flight at the Torrance Airport: at Robinson Helicopter Company and at the Western Museum of Flight. At Robinson, you can experience history in the making by taking a free tour of the factory, where they assemble and test helicopters used as newscopters, police helicopters, and private civilian copter craft. And then you can watch their test pilots fly them to make sure they won’t crash after being shipped off to their new owners. If antiques are more your thing, head a few doors down to the volunteer-run Western Museum of Flight.

One of the stops on the Portola expedition of 1769 — when Spanish explorers first arrived — was right here in the San Fernando Valley, in the L.A. neighborhood now known as Encino.

Technically, Owens Lake in the Owens Valley region of Inyo County is a dry lake. A basin in the “basin and range” area of Eastern California, the City of Los Angeles pretty much sucked it dry after it bought up the surrounding water rights and started pumping the local alpine water 300 miles south through its aqueduct(s).

Pasadena has become famous for its flock(s) of parrots, but these tropical tree-dwellers have been convivial enough at least with each other — even sometimes interbreeding — to have spawned multiple flocks that have spread as far and wide in the L.A. metro area as Burbank, Hollywood, Long Beach and Redondo Beach.

This spot was central to the era of private flying parties, as Brand had his own airfield just south of the mansion and estate that now constitute Brand Library in Brand Park.

In Stough Canyon, you can hike a short distance into the canyon past wildflowers, scenic overlooks and lots of spring greenery.

If you’ve got a fear of heights, Wildwood Canyon is a good place to face that fear.

Second only to Griffith Park in terms of size for urban Los Angeles parks, O'Melveny Park (formerly C.J. Ranch, then named after one of the original members of the California State Parks Commission, Henry W. O'Melveny) is big enough to get lost in if you don’t have a good map or trail guide.

Right off Topanga Canyon Boulevard, shortly after exiting the 118 Freeway, right along the Santa Susana Pass, you happen upon a giant boulder outcropping called Stoney Point.

You’ll find the natural body of water named after the infamous “Lucky” Baldwin on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, surrounded by the Queen Anne Cottage from Baldwin’s Santa Anita Ranch and the Hugo Reid Adobe from 1840, which was named after the first private owner of the Rancho Santa Anita.

Once known as Lake Santa Ynez, it was actually formed when a developer moved earth for grading without filling it back in before natural springs filled it with water. In fact, Lake Shrine is known as the only natural spring-fed lake within LA city limits – though now, it’s less for recreation and more for meditation.

There’s a surprising amount of year-round fishing you can do at Lincoln Park Lake, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The former Eastlake Park (the eastern counterpart to Westlake) is one of LA’s oldest public parks, officially dedicated in 1883.

One of the best payoffs to a Southern California hike is water – but while many of our waterfalls are running dry in the summer months (and several years into a drought), you can still hike five miles around Debs Park in NELA and find yourself taking a rest on a lakeside bench, surrounded by ducks and turtles.

There's hardly a stretch of coast in California packed with more landmarks and people-watching opportunities than here.

The objective of this hike is attaining an incredible lookout point high above the Pacific Palisades, where views stretch as far as downtown Los Angeles and past Catalina Island, much farther out into the Pacific Ocean.

With viewpoints at an elevation of 1,500 feet, Tuna Canyon offers some of the best views of the Malibu coast and Santa Monica Bay.

The name of the trail, Ocean View Trail, says it all: views of the Pacific from the hills above Point Dume and Zuma Beach.

The Angeles Crest Highway/Route 2 winds its way from La Cañada to Wrightwood just north of Mount Wilson, and there are lots of wide turnouts you can use for stargazing.

Okay, so you don't have the car this week and can't get out to Malibu or the Antelope Valley. All is not lost: you can still see a few astronomical objects from the streets of the western San Gabriel Valley.

Even though the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains is far darker, there's a spot all the way at the brightly lit east end of the range that's not a bad place for urban stargazing, and it's easy to find: there's an observatory right there.

A secluded BLM campground near one of the few stretches of the Mojave River that has year-round water, Afton Canyon made our list of "Places You Need To See in the California Desert" a year ago.

A precursor to the brewery tour/amusement park experience in Van Nuys and a distant ancestor to the theme parks/water parks that still operate in Florida and Virginia, the Pasadena attraction focused specifically on the gardens.

Of all the spots we've featured in all our stargazing guides so far, this easily accessible campground in the northern reaches of Death Valley has the darkest skies.

The name "Sunset Cliffs" gives an idea of what might draw visitors to this undeveloped stretch of coast along Point Loma. But the truth is the cliffs and beaches are gorgeous any time of day or night.

Take a cue from the locals and grab a skateboard, bike, or rollerblades and cruise the boardwalk between Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.

This park's lovely namesake trees are a must-see for anyone in the area.

Rather than walking along the beach, the idea here is to explore a 1,000-acre coastal wetland, the type of which many did not survive the 20th century.

The Stagecoach Trail at Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park seems innocuous at first — until you realize that you’ve got to go up over those rocks up there.

The Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area — tucked behind those oil fields you see while driving along La Cienega on your way to or from LAX — has a ton of history worth exploring on foot.

The Hacienda Heights trailhead leads you up and along the rolling hills that overlook the surrounding valley communities, with plenty of shade.

If you’re the type of hiker that needs a destination at the top (or the end) of a trail, the concrete tank at the top of the so-called “Potato Mountain” (sometimes spelled “Potatoe”) may just do the trick.

As you walk upstairs into the area that now houses Edwards' personal collection of Native American artifacts, you’re literally on a slippery, wobbly rock-climbing expedition.

The Bonnie Cove Trails are a nice, relatively easy and scenic multi-use route through part of the South Hills Wilderness Area in Glendora.

Managed by The Glendora Community Conservancy, a patch of grassland off the Colby Trail has become a hub of activity surrounding rare species rescue and management — namely, of the endemic Brodiaea filifolia, a "cluster lily" that's not only native to California but also seriously endangered.

If you’re looking to go “off the grid,” Bonelli Park is not for you. It’s basically the opposite of wilderness — but because of that, there’s a lot to explore.

Exploring Lassen Volcanic Park would take several lifetimes.

You won't believe the stars at Horseshoe Mesa

If you’ve already hiked Franklin Canyon and its Hastain Trail during the day, but the heat has kept you off the trail while the sun is out, going back to a familiar place on a familiar trail in the coolness of night with a group is a good way to get back in the swing of things.

Watch PBS SoCal

Popular Genres

Explore SoCal

In the Community

Up Next

360 Tour of Ventura River Trail and Ojai Valley Trail

Extra: Andria's Seafood - A Ventura Establishment

Crème Caramel LA, One of the Best Filipino Bakeries in Town

The Wild Plum, Health and Wellness in the City of San Fernando

Yuca's Tacos, a James Beard-Award Winning Taco Stand

Compton Health Bar, Holistic Healing for the Neighborhood

Mingles Tea Bar Connects Inglewood One Cup at a Time

Alchemy Craft: Beers and Wine in Montebello

Los Originales Tacos Árabes de Puebla: Secret Family Recipe

Babes of Wellness: Health & Community in Compton

The Tree Yoga Cooperative: Find Wellness in South LA

Obet and Del’s: The Coffee Shop Rocking Hollywood

Anacapa to Ojai