Monterey Jazz Festival

PO Box JAZZ Monterey, CA 93942-0191 Phone: (831) 373-3366 http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org Whatever your tastes—from classical to Cajun—California has a music festival for you. From early spring through late fall, festivals dot the state from the desert to the ocean. The Coachella festival brings thousands of fans READ MORE...

Set Sail in Santa Barbara

125 Harbor Way Ste 13 Santa Barbara, CA 93109-2352 Phone: (805) 962-8222 http://www.sunsetkidd.com The protected coast of Santa Barbara offers some of California’s calmest sailing. Sunset Kidd Sailing schedules two-hour morning, afternoon, and sunset cruises aboard a 41-foot Morgan Out Island Ketch, but make a READ MORE...

Search Out the Literary and Cinematic Faces of Monterey

765 Wave Street Monterey, CA 93940 Phone: (831) 657-6400 The free “Scenes for your Senses Literary & Film Map” from the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau allows visitors to explore the county from a different perspective. The Robert Louis Stevenson House in Monterey; Robinson READ MORE...

Scan the Skies for Condors

Highway 1 Big Sur, CA 93920 Phone: (831) 667-2345 http://www.montereyinfo.org From the patio at Nepenthe , and its breathtaking view of the great sweep of Big Sur coastline, anything is possible—even spotting soaring condors. In Greek mythology, Nepenthe is the drug of blissful forgetfulness, and READ MORE...

Oso Flaco Lake Trail

928 Pacific Blvd Oceano, CA 93445-9649 Phone: (805) 473-7230 http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=406Located off Highway One just three miles south of Pismo Beach, this rarity permits off-road vehicles on portions of its beach and dunes. The Lake Trail (roughly one mile) offers a boardwalk through the dunes to READ MORE...

Playground for the Blue Whale

113 Harbor Way, Suite 150 Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Phone: (805) 966-7107 http://www.channelislands.noaa.gov/ California protects its waters too. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary encompasses waters off five islands extending seven miles out to sea; it is a world-class playground for fishing, kayaking, diving, and READ MORE...

Ojai ’s spiritual aura

9599 Ojai Santa Paula Rd Ojai, CA 93023-9353 Phone: (805) 640-3026 http://www.newoakranch.com Eighty miles northwest of Los Angeles, much ado is made of Ojai ’s spiritual aura, manifested in aromatherapy shops, psychic boutiques, and the occasional far-out citizen. But the real healer is Ojai’s countryside, READ MORE...

Are Vacations Without the Kids Selfish?

Is it selfish to want to take a vacation with just my wife for a week? A vacation alone is anything but selfish. If you can afford one and can arrange both time off and good child care, there's no reason not to and every READ MORE...

Take a Sandy Stroll on Butterfly Beach

1601 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: (805) 966-9222 http://www.santabarbaraca.com This Santa Barbara gem is a tucked away, half-mile cusp of sand fronting the Four Seasons Biltmore . You’ll find good swimming—waves are generally small—and, at low tide, stellar strolling. When the tide is READ MORE...

Revel in Green Hills and Olallieberry Pie

6275 Santa Rosa Creek Rd Cambria, CA 93428-3505 Phone: (805) 927-8134 In spring, Cambria's hills turn a vivid green, not unlike the rolling hills that evoked the town’s Welsh name. Cambria is the perfect place for ruminative hikes in the hills or long beach walks. READ MORE...