The Ultimate 3-Day Death Valley Road Trip Itinerary

Death Valley is the largest U.S. National Park within the contiguous United States.  Death Valley is located in eastern California and has valleys, mountains, canyons, salt flats, sand dunes, and oases.  Death Valley also has almost 1,000 miles of paved and dirt roads, so is a multi-day road trip within itself.  There are so many outdoor adventures to be had in Death Valley.  Here are some of the best things to do in Death Valley to put together a full three-day road trip itinerary, including some off-road exploration.

Self-Guided Photography Tour of Mammoth Lakes

There are a lot of things to do in Mammoth Lakes in the summer like hiking, biking, visiting old mining ghost towns, and more.  One other thing to do in Mammoth Lakes is to simply explore the scenery.  Mammoth Lakes is an incredibly photogenic destination, especially in the summer when the air is warm, the lakes are liquid, and the leaves are green or just starting to turn autumn colors.  When we weren’t enjoying outdoor activities, we were looking for the best photography spots in and around Mammoth Lakes.  Here are some stops to add to your self-guided photography tour of Mammoth Lakes.

Hurry to See Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Before They’re Gone!

Field of desert sunflowers along Henderson Canyon Road.

I’ve lived in San Diego my entire life and I grew up going to the desert, including Anza-Borrego State Park, multiple times every year.  I do not ever remember seeing the Anza-Borrego wildflowers in bloom like they are this year.  I vaguely remember hiking with my mom and keeping our eyes peeled for the occasional desert bloom.  But this year, because of the insanely above-average rain we’ve received in Southern California, the desert wildflowers are out in full force in Anza-Borrego.  In fact, they’re saying this may be the biggest super bloom in 20 years.

Fun Things to Do in Bishop's Great Outdoors in Winter

When planning a winter vacation along California’s US 395 corridor, most think of Mammoth, California’s winter playground for skiing and snowboarding.  Mammoth’s close neighbor, Bishop, is usually reserved for summer travel.  However, we decided to stray from the norm and travel to Bishop during the winter.  While travelers go to Mammoth to ski, they go to Bishop for hiking, rock climbing, and bouldering.  Bishop’s lower altitude equals great weather in winter for outdoor activities, meaning you can enjoy a hike or a climb while barely breaking a sweat.  Of course, given Bishop’s great year-round weather, almost all of these things to do in Bishop can be done any time of year. 

Must See Attractions for a California Highway 395 Road Trip

You know that saying, “it’s the journey, not the destination?”  We’re pretty happy with our destinations when we travel, but sometimes the journey there or back can be pretty awesome too.  One great journey is a road trip along California Highway 395.  U.S. Route 395 is a highway of eastern California which takes travelers to Death Valley, Bishop, and Mammoth.  In addition to these great destinations, there are a number of attractions and points of interest along California Highway 395 to add to a road trip.

Things to Do in Mammoth in Summer or Anytime With No Snow

San Diegans usually view Mammoth Lakes as a winter travel destination.  Mammoth Mountain, part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the state of California.  However, there are a number of beautiful, natural outdoor sites in Mammoth Lakes that can’t be visited during that popular time of year because they, or the roads leading to them, are covered in snow.  Summer in Mammoth Lakes is also a popular time of year for travelers, but it doesn’t feel as crowded as winter because everyone is spread out fishing, hiking, biking, and driving, rather than all being on the slopes.  For nature lovers, there are many things to do in Mammoth in summer, or any time snow isn’t covering the ground.  Also, Mammoth Lakes is incredibly dog-friendly, so all of these things to do in Mammoth Lakes are dog-friendly as well. 

Eating Healthy (And Good!) at the Restaurants of Conejo Valley

Southern California, especially the Los Angeles area, has a reputation for eating healthy.  People in other parts of the country are sure we eat avocados and alfalfa sprouts all day.  Vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and every other health choice can be found here.  Vacation is the most difficult time to stick to a special diet as it is sometimes hard to find items that fit within a diet when eating out.  During our weekend getaway to Conejo Valley, we were struck by how easy it was to eat well and eat healthy.  No matter your dietary restrictions or choices, you’ll be able to find a meal that fits your needs and tastes delicious at the restaurants of Conejo Valley. 

Guide to a Conejo Valley Weekend Getaway

Conejo Valley.  Where is that?  That’s the question we asked at the Conejo Valley booth at the San Diego Travel and Adventure Show.  So let’s start with a short geography lesson.  Conejo Valley is northwest of Los Angeles and touches both Los Angeles County and Ventura County.  Conejo Valley includes the communities of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park, and Agoura Hills.  Conejo Valley’s most well-known tourist site is probably the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.  Even people who live in Los Angeles don’t necessarily know Conejo Valley by name, yet Conejo Valley is a great weekend getaway destination for people who live in Los Angeles, San Diego, or other parts of Southern California.  Conejo Valley is also a great side-trip for people traveling to Los Angeles.  Here is our Conejo Valley guide for a great weekend getaway. 

California Route 66 Road Trip Pit Stop: Barstow

Barstow.  Barstow is not the first place that comes to mind when you think of a California vacation.  Barstow is known for being the junction of multiple major highways.  Barstow is known for its large rail yard.  Barstow is known for its military base.  Barstow is known for being a city you pass through on the way to somewhere else.  Barstow isn’t really known for being a highly sought-after travel destination.  But in the past, Barstow was an important stop on Route 66, so much so that it was one of the 12 Route 66 cities mentioned in the song (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 written by Bobby Troup and made popular by Nat King Cole in 1946.  Therefore, when we took a short Route 66 road trip at the beginning of the year to celebrate Route 66’s 90th anniversary, we made Barstow our first overnight stop so we could see Barstow’s Route 66 remnants and the memorials to this bygone era. 

Photographing Ghost Towns of the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is one of those decaying places photographers love to visit.  Nature is reclaiming neighborhoods that have long been abandoned, though some holdouts continue to call the Salton Sea home.  The Salton Sea stinks like sulfur and rotting flesh.  The barnacle shoreline is covered in petrified fish that died gasping for breath.  Streets that appear on the map suddenly end in dirt and sand.  Neighborhoods are ghost towns, full of gutted homes with graffitied walls and decomposing furniture.

California Weekend Getaway: Buellton Beyond Pea Soup

What is Buellton known for?  A lot of people know Buellton as the home of Pea Soup Andersen’s, a favorite California road trip stop for families with kids.  In fact, Pea Soup Andersen’s is pretty much responsible for putting Buellton on the map.  Wine fans know Buellton for being part of the Santa Ynez Valley Central Coast wine region made famous in the movie Sideways (a movie I will never forgive for being so detrimental to Merlot).  In our never ending quest for unique California weekend getaway destinations, we decided to give Buellton a visit for Romeo’s birthday weekend.  What we found was the quintessential small town with super friendly people, gorgeous natural surroundings, good restaurants, wineries, and distilleries, and fun things to do and see.  Buellton is also incredibly dog-friendly, which meant Rome could spend his birthday weekend on vacation and with our furry children.  Top that off with glamping (glamorous camping) in a luxurious safari tent and you’ve got a California weekend getaway that’s pretty hard to beat. 

Eastern California Astrophotography: Beautiful Bishop at Night

With so much light pollution in the sky, there aren’t many opportunities for astrophotography when traveling, especially when visiting cities.  When we decided to head out to Bishop in Eastern California this winter, we were excited by the idea of trying out some night photography since, as the city of Bishop is only one square mile, it is pretty easy to get away from the lights without having to travel very far.  During our explorations, we found some great places for astrophotography in Bishop.

California Route 66 Road Trip Attractions

Route 66 was created to get people from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Route 66 was a popular road trip route in the 1950s, but with the creation of interstate highways, Route 66 became obsolete and the towns along it couldn’t survive being bypassed.  While Route 66 went all the way to Los Angeles, following the original Route 66 through western California is pretty impossible.  However, there are long stretches of California’s Route 66 in the eastern part of the state, especially between Victorville and Needles.  We decided to start the New Year by celebrating Route 66’s 90th anniversary with a short Route 66 road trip and drove as much of California’s remaining Route 66 route as possible.  While we drove Route 66, we visited a number of California’s Route 66 road trip attractions along the way.

The Best Restaurants for Local Food in Bishop California

When you first drive into Bishop, what stands out the most along the main drag are the signs for brand name hotels and chain restaurants.  Look a little closer and you’ll find there’s a lot more to Bishop, especially in the food department.  Amongst the Denny’s and the Carl’s Jr. there are some local gems that will make your trip to Bishop a culinary delight.  During our weekend getaway, we ate at some of the best restaurants in Bishop which we think are must-visits for any food lovers traveling to Bishop. 

Happy 90th Anniversary to Route 66!

California Route 66 between Victorville and Barstow.

I’ve become a little obsessed with how people in the past went on vacation.  Travel is such an important part of our lives; it’s how we get through the workday, knowing our hard work not only keeps food on the table and a roof over our heads but also provides us with the privilege of seeing how other people live on this great earth and touching and feeling and seeing history.  Travel is fairly easy and quick nowadays, but it didn’t use to be.  One particular type of vacation that fascinates me is the all-American road trip.  This is something we still enjoy today, but we can buzz from one destination to the next using our wide, multi-lane interstates.  It wasn’t always so quick, like when families hit the road and traveled along Route 66.  We kicked off 2016 with a short Route 66 road trip through California and Arizona to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Route 66 and get a glimpse of what it was like for families of the past to get their kicks on Route 66.

10 Ideas for Unique California Weekend Getaways

Mendocino
Photo courtesy Visit Mendocino County

We recently attended the San Diego Travel & Adventure Show for some travel inspiration.  Since we work full-time, we’re always looking for fun new California weekend getaways to provide us with a little bit of vacation without having to take time off.  The travel show had an aisle-and-a-half of cities and counties from all over the state, providing us with lots of ideas.  Even though we have lived in California our entire lives, we are always amazed by the wealth of vacation opportunities this great state has to offer, many of which we still haven’t experienced.

5 Festive Christmas Things to Do in San Diego

San Diego may not be the place for a white Christmas, but for travelers who want to get away from cold winter weather, there are plenty of Christmas things to do in San Diego which you can enjoy with not much more than a light sweater.  Here are five of our favorite Christmas things to do in San Diego, America’s finest city. 

Best of Orange County: St. Regis Monarch Beach Golf Links

Of the miles and miles of beach and bluff along the California coastline, very little of it is actually utilized as golf course.  Think about it, Torrey Pines in my neck-of-the-woods, Carmel with Pebble Beach, Spyglass, etc. up in Northern California, and just a handful of others. As far as Orange County Golf Courses go, Monarch Beach Golf Links, the golf course of The St. Regis Monarch Beach, is the only one I know bordered by ocean and is clearly one of the best Dana Point golf courses. Should you happen to be in Southern California for say the Pageant of the Masters or what-have-you, you would be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable track than this coastal gem.

Santa Maria: A Secret Central California Weekend Getaway

As Southern Californians, we are constantly looking for new California weekend getaway destinations to explore.  We found one of Central California’s secret getaways in Santa Maria.  Santa Maria is probably more popular among visitors coming from other countries than among travelers living in the United States.  This is something that should change because Santa Maria is a quick California getaway with many varied attractions for travelers.  If Santa Maria is known at all, it is known for its wineries, but Santa Maria has so much more to offer including one of California’s best missions, farm-fresh produce, lip-smacking barbeque, hikes with stunning vistas, and quaint museums.

Hotel Review: Central California’s Radisson Santa Maria

We were recently invited by Club Carlson to stay at one of their hotels, so we chose to enjoy a weekend getaway to Santa Maria in Central California and stay at the Radisson Santa Maria.  When I was researching which property we would visit, I was impressed to find the Radisson Santa Maria was listed number one of 20 hotels in the city on TripAdvisor.  I was also intrigued that some of the prime rooms have runway views.