Soledad Canyon Road

Soledad Canyon Road, a scenic alternate route that can be taken in lieu of Highway 14 between Santa Clarita and Palmdale, CA. JL Thompson’s Soledad Canyon Guest Ranch. Soledad Canyon is a long narrow canyon / valley located in Los Angeles County, California between the 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...

Diving into Bliss at Point Lobos State Reserve, Carmel

62 Highway 1 Carmel, CA 93923-9725 Phone: (831) 624-4909 http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=571 The diving off Point Lobos State Reserve (four miles south of Carmel) is deservedly famous—it features an explosive tapestry of reef colors, kelp forests, and lots of marine life, from tiny armies of day-glo nudibranchs READ MORE...

The Best of Oxnard

1000 Town Center Drive, Suite 130 Oxnard, CA 93036 Phone: (805) 385-7545 This Central Coast town is sandwiched along the coastline between Ventura and Santa Monica. The cool city has plenty of attractions, and makes a wonderful respite after a few days in the hubbub READ MORE...

Feel the Mist in Big Sur

Big Sur, CA 93920 Phone: (831) 667-2315 http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=578Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is justifiably famous for its 80-foot waterfall, cascading down granite into the surging Pacific. Located south of Carmel, the park is named after a Big Sur pioneer woman, Julia Pfeiffer Burns. Visitors can READ MORE...

Explore Pinnacles National Monument

5000 Highway 146 Paicines, CA 95043-9770 Phone: (831) 389-4485 http://www.nps.gov/pinn Pinnacles National Monument , east of Salinas, is a cornucopia of natural wonder, from famed caves hung with Townsend’s big-eared bats to the annual Jackson Pollock implosion of spring wildflowers (April is the peak time READ MORE...

Channel Islands Whale Watching

3600 Harbor Blvd Oxnard, CA 93035-4136 Phone: (805) 642-1393 http://www.islandpackers.com The waters around Channel Islands National Park offer unparalleled whale watching opportunities. If you time it right, sightings can average from four to 10 blue whales per trip. One of the most amazing natural wonders READ MORE...

Marvelous Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

250 San Simeon Ave. Suite 3B San Simeon, CA 93452-9715 Phone: (805) 924-1628 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/piedras.html The Piedras Blancas Rookery offers the amazing site of thousands of elephant seals. On State 1 about seven miles north of San Simeon (perfect for a stop after Hearst Castle), is READ MORE...