Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage 33.777010500000, -116.410628600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sunnylands_1.jpg?itok=FWAEsLV4 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/discover-the-presidential-side-of-socal-at-these-six-historic-sites#Sunnylands

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library 34.259867100000, -118.819808200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/reaganmuseum_1.jpg?itok=B5tBSkXd socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/discover-the-presidential-side-of-socal-at-these-six-historic-sites#Reagan

Solstice Canyon 34.038427000000, -118.747239800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/solstice-canyon.jpg?itok=LsOmzLLw socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#solstice

Murphy Ranch Trail 33.958450100000, -117.982947100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/murphyranch.jpg?itok=J971oN7l socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#murphy

St. Francis Dam Disaster Site 34.546944000000, -118.512500000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/photo-1_3-thumb-600x448-56434.jpg?itok=fE3AJfcq socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#stfrancis

Echo Mountain Trail 34.209127100000, -118.118023100000 This is an extremely popular hike with a narrow, crowded, and dusty trail, which is more manageable in some light rain. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/ruins2.jpg?itok=3XKtrzYS socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#echomountaintrail

Dominator Shipwreck Trail 33.773985000000, -118.427611000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/6505-shipwreck-palosverdespeninsula-1965.gif?itok=S0MiAeiP socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#dominatorshipwreck

Bridge to Nowhere 34.237069000000, -117.765025400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bridgetonowhere.jpg?itok=bWxydoAi socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/las-historic-hiking-destinations#bridgetonowhere

Island Packers Cruises 34.244167900000, -119.265343600000 National Park vendor Island Packers offers day trips to Anacapa weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, launching from Oxnard. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/img_0626.jpg?itok=TYlYVFi- socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/bird-season-on-anacapa-island-photosvideo#islandpackers

Gardens of the World 34.176515500000, -118.848175600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/gardensoftheworld.jpg?itok=kfRqztCj socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#gardensoftheworld

Virginia Robinson Gardens 34.086637000000, -118.417398000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/virginia-gardens.jpg?itok=SfncJJWp socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#virginiagardens

Arlington Garden 34.128310700000, -118.155655500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/arlington-garden.jpg?itok=Y3ussTS- socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#arlingtongarden

The Japanese Garden 34.182597100000, -118.479025700000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tillman-garden.jpg?itok=4gB7utCm socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#japanesegarden

Amir's Garden 34.141692000000, -118.298909300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/amir-garden.jpg?itok=jUmP_3qQ socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#amirsgarden

'Moving Rocks' Mystery at Death Valley's Racetrack May Be Solved 36.678341500000, -117.571750500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/death-valley-racetrack-rocks-mystery-solved.jpeg?itok=JLdLQvBV socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/moving-rocks-mystery-at-death-valleys-racetrack-may-be-solved

Morteen Botanical Garden 33.800220900000, -116.546194400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/moorten-garden.jpg?itok=4u0pVLHr socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/off-the-beaten-path-six-lesser-known-gardens#morteengarden

App Shows How to Access All of Malibu's Beaches 34.026000400000, -118.779747000000 The mobile guide maps all of the beaches, and more importantly, how and where to access them. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/carbon-beach-malibu.jpg?itok=Wxj8G8Zw socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/100-percent-public-app-shows-how-to-access-all-of-malibus-beaches

Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands 38.934128000000, -123.710895000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/point-arena-stornetta-public-lands-2014.jpg?itok=5LejT5IA socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/northern-california-coastal-spot-is-1-of-52-places-in-the-world-to-visit

Mono Lake South Tufa Preserve 37.976626800000, -119.132062900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mono-lake-south-tufa.jpeg?itok=cew_dwd0 socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#southtufa

Rainbow Basin 35.006265900000, -117.044782000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/rainbow-basin-1-2-13-thumb-600x450-42749.jpg?itok=yrcpstAo socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#rainbowbasin

Afton Canyon 35.037643500000, -116.384115100000 This is one of very few spots where the Mojave River runs above-ground year round. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/afton-canyon.jpeg?itok=K9eD_d0O socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#aftoncanyon

Crowley Point 36.349424900000, -117.543906300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/crowley-point.jpeg?itok=dc8xBIpm socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#crowleypoint

Doheny State Beach Trail 33.463509900000, -117.688105000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/san20clemente-beach20hikes-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=dEKiy8O5 socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#doheny

Darwin Falls 36.319419700000, -117.512230300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/darwin-falls-death-valley_1.jpeg?itok=s4DHYcQx socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#darwinfalls

Zabriskie Point and Golden Canyon 36.423283500000, -116.839067700000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/zabriskie-point-1-2-13-thumb-600x400-42758.jpg?itok=5sJMCw2T socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#zabriskie

Tahquitz Canyon 33.577308700000, -116.229925900000 This isn't a particularly remote spot: the canyon and its famous falls are more or less in downtown Palm Springs. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tahquitz-falls-1-2-13.jpg?itok=8_Z8w_Qz socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#tahquitz

Lava Beds National Monument 41.758837000000, -121.526664100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lava-bed-national-monument.jpeg?itok=EtJc6Mxv socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#lavabeds

Amboy Crater 34.545171800000, -115.789455200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/amboy-crater.jpeg?itok=SvrtgYxH socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#amboycrater

Kelso Dunes 34.894294600000, -115.701817600000 The Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve offer a rare combination of stunning, accessible, and not overrun with off-road vehicles. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/kelso-dunes-sunset.jpeg?itok=DlsMCaXz socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#kelso

Trona Pinnacles 35.618916600000, -117.369948100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/trona-pinnacles-12-30-12-thumb-600x374-42671.jpg?itok=4iFXa80F socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/11-places-you-have-to-see-in-the-california-desert#trona

Lost Coast Trail 39.836420800000, -123.843888700000 Lost Coast is 60 miles of undeveloped California coast 225 miles north of San Francisco. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lost-coast-trail-top-10.jpg?itok=0qtiOsvJ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/california-listed-twice-in-north-americas-10-most-memorable-hikes

Dockweiler State Beach 33.930844900000, -118.435063400000 This three-mile-long beach bears way more than its share of L.A.'s metropolitan weight. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/dockweiler-beach20camping-los20angeles.jpg?itok=VCuLaalP socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/3-of-la-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#dockweiler

Malibu Creek State Park 34.099361200000, -118.729376200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/malibu-creek-state-park-camping.jpg?itok=lajS8W-Z socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/3-of-la-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#malibucreek

Leo Carrillo State Park 34.046571700000, -118.933716800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/leo20carrillo-los20angeles-beach20camping-california.jpg?itok=kw0mqqUw socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/3-of-la-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#leocarrillo

Anacapa Island 34.004448600000, -119.399560300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/_p1030132lo.jpg?itok=D67EhV-- socal wanderer

Wildlife

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/wildflowers-are-blooming-and-seagulls-are-mating-on-anacapa-island

Kings Canyon National Park 36.866731900000, -118.501382800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/zumwalt-meadow-040313.jpg?itok=8I4JNJ1l socal wanderer

hiking

Wildlife

camping https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/kings-canyon-national-park-is-your-answer-to-the-yosemite-blues

Silver Strand State Beach 32.634682400000, -117.142186000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/silverstrand.jpg?itok=euNsnU3X socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/4-of-san-diego-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#silverstrand

San Elijo State Beach 33.021498700000, -117.284260200000 This campground 40 miles north of San Diego is another close-quartered affair sandwiched between bluff and highway. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/san20elijo-beach20camping-san20diego-california.jpg?itok=Bfua4pi8 socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/4-of-san-diego-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#sanelijo

San Onofre Bluffs Campground 33.363607800000, -117.542995400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/san20onofre-beach-camping-san20diego-california.jpg?itok=2FqpCRni socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/4-of-san-diego-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#sanonofre

Island Fox 34.023205600000, -119.765766300000 Channel Islands National Park is home to one of the biggest species comebacks in wildlife history. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/channel_islands_fox.jpg?itok=hKudJ0EA socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-wildlife-safaris-in-socal#fox

Pinnacles National Park 36.490565500000, -121.182492500000 One of California's newest national parks, Pinnacles features natural beauty and archaeological resources. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/pinnacles-national-park-history.jpeg?itok=SERRSh0c socal wanderer

hiking

history https://www.kcet.org/redefine/a-brief-history-of-pinnacles-national-park

The Haunted Forest 34.209127100000, -118.118023100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/the_haunted_forest_2.jpg?itok=LGn0ZvPt socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-best-haunted-hiking-trails#hauntedforest

Elfin Forest, Escondido 33.087169000000, -117.145489200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/elfin_forest_5.jpg?itok=y3kxyLMD socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-best-haunted-hiking-trails#elfin

Mt. Rubidoux 33.982927500000, -117.393768100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mt._rubidoux_2.jpg?itok=NC6eqOBv socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-best-haunted-hiking-trailsrubidoux

Hollywood Sign at Mt. Lee 34.135696500000, -118.318946500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/hollywood_sign_1_0.jpg?itok=dAp10WPo socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-best-haunted-hiking-trailshollywoodsign

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake 35.654566100000, -117.658159800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/china_lake_1.jpg?itok=NeRyvIrg socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-places-to-explore-native-california#chinalake

Chumash Indian Museum 34.212298300000, -118.815230000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/chumash_indian_museum_1.jpg?itok=pUNa7qsX socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-places-to-explore-native-california#chumash

Painted Rock, Carrizo Plain National Monument 35.159409500000, -119.845219900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/painted_rock_3.jpg?itok=qtNGUE-0 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-places-to-explore-native-california#paintedrock

Antelope Valley Indian Museum, 34.649594000000, -117.847417000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/antelope_valley_indian_museum_2.jpg?itok=WgPGopPk socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-places-to-explore-native-california#indianmuseum

Cave of Munits, Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve 34.191136100000, -118.669433100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/cave_of_munits_1.jpg?itok=Q6gxz8fR socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-places-to-explore-native-california#munits

Jalama Beach County Park 34.510814200000, -120.501301600000 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. socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-stargazing-spots-in-santa-barbara-county

Lake Cachuma 34.571977600000, -119.954713300000 North of the Santa Ynez Mountains, this fishing reservoir is shielded from the brightest of the county's urban lights along the 101 corridor. socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-stargazing-spots-in-santa-barbara-county

Route 166 35.004440600000, -119.838826900000 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. socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-stargazing-spots-in-santa-barbara-county

Figueroa Campground, Los Padres National Forest 34.732251200000, -119.978904400000 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. socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-stargazing-spots-in-santa-barbara-county

Camino Cielo, Los Padres National Forest 34.498088000000, -119.710453000000 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. socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-stargazing-spots-in-santa-barbara-county

Malibu 34.093540100000, -118.823785100000 Don’t be ashamed if you didn’t know that we have our own wine country here in L.A. County. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wine-malibu.jpg?itok=dAio8bsg socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-wine-soaked-socal-road-trips#malibuwine

San Diego County 33.032565000000, -117.046869000000 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. socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-wine-soaked-socal-road-trips#sandiegowine

Valle de Guadalupe 32.095569800000, -116.572601500000 Mexico has a wine region? Yes it does – in Baja, California! https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wine-baja.jpg?itok=WX16j0e1 socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-wine-soaked-socal-road-trips#bajawine

Highway 14 34.647055500000, -118.166254600000 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. socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-wine-soaked-socal-road-trips#highway14

Automobile Driving Museum, El Segundo 33.924624900000, -118.392120100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/automobile-driving-museum-2.jpg?itok=7LLFaqhM socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-lesser-known-classic-car-collections#drivingmuseum

The Nethercutt Museum & Collection, Sylmar 34.307362000000, -118.464023000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/nethercutt-1.jpg?itok=0RF-Ve7C socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-lesser-known-classic-car-collections#nethercutt

Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard 34.183000300000, -119.163504200000 A visit to the Mullin Automotive Museum is a much more specific experience of car collecting than some other collections. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mullin-1.jpg?itok=4uL5fz5g socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-lesser-known-classic-car-collections#mullin

Vic’s Garage, Torrance 33.206797800000, -117.033043200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/vics-garage-3.jpg?itok=m0xKdcPy socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-lesser-known-classic-car-collections#vics

Marconi Automotive Museum, Tustin 33.720946500000, -117.831346300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/marconi-2.jpg?itok=El39dcq3 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-lesser-known-classic-car-collections#marconi

Sandstone Peak, Santa Monica Mountains 34.119837000000, -118.926128900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sandstone.jpg?itok=6Ew1MpOO socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#sandstonepeak

Eagle Rock, Topanga State Park 34.106589000000, -118.572618400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/eaglerock.jpg?itok=9yaA4Eq9 socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#eaglerock

Bee Rock, Griffith Park 34.135555100000, -118.293501700000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/beerock.jpg?itok=V9nlYaFi socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#beerock

Pumpkin Rock, Norco 33.930860500000, -117.519585900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/pumpkinrock.jpg?itok=Nb4nZnjl socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#pumpkinrock

Painted Rocks, Fort Irwin National Training Center 35.208759700000, -116.747969600000 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". https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/paintedrocks.jpg?itok=StZAJK-k socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#fortirwin

Easter Rock 34.231998900000, -118.106392700000 Have a seat on Easter Rock — where Easter services were held at sunrise for many years, back in the Mount Lowe's heyday. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/easterrock.jpg?itok=pwEW0akz socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-monumental-rocks-in-southern-california#easterrock

Mendocino Headlands 39.303705400000, -123.805935600000 In any season, a visit to the Mendocino Headlands will provide a memorable experience. What sites should you explore along the local rivers? https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/noyoharbor.jpg?itok=ngthBss6 socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/paddling-along-the-rivers-of-mendocino-county

Donner Memorial State Park 39.322574300000, -120.233688300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/donnervisitors.jpg?itok=8zUT1803 socal wanderer

history

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/donner-memorial-state-park-visitors-center-finally-open

Cucamonga Peak, San Gabriel Mountains 34.227692500000, -117.590016600000 A strenuous 12-mile roundtrip hike with 3,939 feet elevation gain. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/cucamonga-peak.jpeg?itok=0rv1Qlt9 socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/end-of-summer-hikes-recommendations-from-california-hikers#cucamonga

San Jacinto Peak 33.813747800000, -116.678332800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/san-jacinto-peak.jpeg?itok=u1W-f0RT socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/end-of-summer-hikes-recommendations-from-california-hikers#jacinto

Mono Pass Trail, Yosemite National Park 37.891120500000, -119.262816800000 This jaw-dropping trail starts about a mile into the park's Tioga Pass entrance. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mono-pass-trail.jpeg?itok=hlCU_ifT socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/end-of-summer-hikes-recommendations-from-california-hikers#mono

Abbotts Lagoon at Pt. Reyes 38.119582700000, -122.951781300000 This hike showcases California wildlife, from birds to wildflowers. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/abbotts-lagoon-point-reyes.jpeg?itok=_PpkDXX0 socal wanderer

hiking

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/end-of-summer-hikes-recommendations-from-california-hikers#abbots

High Sierra Trail 36.553231000000, -118.759496100000 This amazing trail is over 50 miles but can be broken into segments. socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/end-of-summer-hikes-recommendations-from-california-hikers

Keys Creek Lavender Farm 33.291105000000, -117.060724000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/keyscreeklavenderfarm3.jpg?itok=gvFWIjK9 socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/experience-the-stunning-purple-and-soothing-fragrance-of-lavender-at-these

Frog Creek Lavender Farm 34.433611200000, -119.160726100000 The farm is open for visits on weekends during bloom season in June and July. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/frogcreekfarm4.jpg?itok=IPBSJLkA socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/experience-the-stunning-purple-and-soothing-fragrance-of-lavender-at-these

Ojai Valley Lavender Festival 34.446930000000, -119.245041500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/ojailavenderfestival.jpg?itok=Ol_FWhO4 socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/experience-the-stunning-purple-and-soothing-fragrance-of-lavender-at-these

123 Farm 33.969321100000, -116.945970600000 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. socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/experience-the-stunning-purple-and-soothing-fragrance-of-lavender-at-these

Serra Retreat 34.045122400000, -118.681762700000 This private retreat’s grounds are open to the public during the week and overlook both the Pacific Ocean and Malibu Creek. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/serra-retreat-4.jpg?itok=W2jUzQAA socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/find-solace-at-these-meditative-escapes#serra

Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens 34.032002800000, -118.322641700000 These gardens are on the ground of a West Adams mansion built in the Italian Renaissance Beaux-Arts style for wine magnate Secundo Guasti. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/peace-awareness-labyrinth-2.jpg?itok=p1hG7uFx socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/find-solace-at-these-meditative-escapes#peace

Self-Realization Fellowship 34.101760500000, -118.216066500000 The International Headquarters (or “Mother Center”) is perched atop a hill in Northeast L.A.’s Mount Washington community. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/self-realization-hp-3.jpg?itok=SC3DkvEs socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/find-solace-at-these-meditative-escapes#realization

Meditation Mount 34.450825000000, -119.165752000000 Founded in 1971, Meditation Mount is a public meditation center run by a non-profit that’s dedicated itself "in service to humanity." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/meditation-mount-1.jpg?itok=ZRkaUIt2 socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/find-solace-at-these-meditative-escapes#mount

Joshua Tree Retreat Center 34.136660800000, -116.361705100000 This is where English journalist Edwin John Dingle – known as Ding Le Mei, upon returning from Tibet – chose to establish his "Institute of Mentalphysics." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mentalphysics-4.jpg?itok=y8AbYepF socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/find-solace-at-these-meditative-escapes#joshua

The Integratron 34.294274800000, -116.403708500000 For an “out of this world” experience, go get a sound bath in the acoustically-perfect, wooden, sacred dome building known as The Integratron. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/intergratron-3.jpg?itok=EpdS3MDb socal wanderer

Arts & Culture

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/giant-rock-space-people-and-the-integratron

The Wild Goose, Newport Beach 33.620601200000, -117.926227400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wildgoose_2.jpg?itok=7r0V7_d9 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-boat-excursions-in-socal#wild

LAMI TopSail, San Pedro 33.731723600000, -118.279099600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tallships_2.jpg?itok=6b86pj2E socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-boat-excursions-in-socal#lami

Maritime Museum, San Diego 32.720936400000, -117.173991500000 If you’re even remotely interested in boats, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is an absolute must-visit. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sansalvador_1.jpg?itok=7wHMxzqC socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-boat-excursions-in-socal#maritime

S.S. Lane Victory, San Pedro 33.715437300000, -118.274254800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lanevictory_2.jpg?itok=KtuGjDuH socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-boat-excursions-in-socal#lane

Harbor Cruise, Long Beach 33.760525000000, -118.189934000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lbhardbor_2.jpg?itok=n2VzkZiZ socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-boat-excursions-in-socal#harbor

Tule Elk State Natural Reserve 35.322146200000, -119.364008800000 The only species of elk endemic to California is the tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/elk_2.jpg?itok=dDTVnR-v socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-wildlife-safaris-in-socal#elk

Catalina Island Bison 33.414814200000, -118.471249300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/santacatlina_3.jpg?itok=83o-PtSX socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-wildlife-safaris-in-socal#bison

Wild Burros 36.234429000000, -118.028883000000 Burros can be found throughout the Inland Empire, but some stay at places like Wild Burro Rescue in Olancha or Donkeyland in Riverside. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/burro_1_0.jpg?itok=6fo4ROAA socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-best-wildlife-safaris-in-socal#burro

Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes 34.965131400000, -120.650471400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/guadalupedunes_road.jpg?itok=_sWTHN-9 socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-dunes-that-will-make-you-forget-youre-in-southern-california#guadalupe

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes 36.615121500000, -117.113144400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mesquitesanddunes_4.jpg?itok=cT4V9QaQ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-dunes-that-will-make-you-forget-youre-in-southern-california#mesquite

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area 32.910486800000, -115.117020600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/algodonesdunes.jpg?itok=ZzACCXCu socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-dunes-that-will-make-you-forget-youre-in-southern-california#imperial

Doheny State Beach Campground 33.463742000000, -117.687568700000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/doheny-beach20camping-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=KbjHNXR3 socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#dohenycampgrounds

LAX Dunes Preserve / El Segundo Dunes 33.897388000000, -118.412294000000 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? https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/elsegundodunes.jpg?itok=XsZf3Jby socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-dunes-that-will-make-you-forget-youre-in-southern-california#lax

Crystal Cove State Park Campgrounds 33.562593000000, -117.821531000000 Crystal Cove is a holistic, preserved chunk of coastal Southern California, complete with a seaside colony of cottages dating back to the '30s. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/crystal20cove-beach-camping-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=h76TCN4- socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#crystalcovecampgrounds

Bolsa Chica State Beach Campgrounds 33.695127900000, -118.047052700000 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). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bolsa20chica-beach-camping-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=m3ia4hzt socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#bolsacamping

Chula Vista Wildlife 32.640382700000, -117.111426000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/gunpowder_point.jpg?itok=_qHPWnFN socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-exciting-california-mexico-border-excursions#chula

Sculpture in Tijuana 32.530645200000, -117.023134400000 Visiting Tijuana today, you’ll see how this border town has evolved and even been revolutionized by art and culture. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/cecut.jpg?itok=BcQWUiOd socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-exciting-california-mexico-border-excursions#tijuana

Campo Rail History 32.611415200000, -116.472768900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/highbridgepostcard.jpg?itok=FokKGdJN socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-exciting-california-mexico-border-excursions#campo

Tecate Cave Paintings 32.538854200000, -116.097582600000 The crown jewel of Baja California’s archaeological sites is at the Sitio Arqueológico El Vallecito in the La Rumorosa village. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tecate_1.jpg?itok=qm5Q5UPM socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-exciting-california-mexico-border-excursions#tecate

Chino-Latino Culture of Mexicali 32.662204600000, -115.492734600000 Mexicali is home to Mexico's largest Chinatown, known as La Chinesca. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/chineserestaurantmexicali.jpg?itok=h5KGt1qu socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-exciting-california-mexico-border-excursions#mexicali

Big Bear 34.243896300000, -116.911421500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bigbear.jpg?itok=VZb8qHto socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/escape-the-summer-heat-in-the-mountains#bigbear

Mount Baldy 34.236384900000, -117.658971600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/baldy_chairlift.jpg?itok=vIgv97EC socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/escape-the-summer-heat-in-the-mountains#mountbaldy

The Great Air Raid at Fort MacArthur 33.712095100000, -118.296034100000 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." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sanpedro_2.jpg?itok=-tAgd6q1 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-extraterrestrial-points-of-interest-in-socal-for-believers-and-skeptics#macarthur

Mt. Waterman 34.348489200000, -117.922956500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/waterman_2.jpg?itok=wJ3zHNkv socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/escape-the-summer-heat-in-the-mountains#waterman

The Triforium 34.054112600000, -118.241307900000 Back in 1975, when it made its debut in downtown L.A.'s Civic Center district, it was supposed to blow your mind. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/triforum_1.jpg?itok=5gmqcGjt socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-extraterrestrial-points-of-interest-in-socal-for-believers-and-skeptics#triforium

Idyllwild 33.746715300000, -116.715244400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/idyllwild.jpg?itok=ab2EYZL4 socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/escape-the-summer-heat-in-the-mountains#idyllwild

Mt. San Jacinto 33.813747800000, -116.678332800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sanjacinto_1.jpg?itok=DwKE_OAd socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-great-ways-to-get-your-succulent-on#sanjacinto

Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout 34.232151700000, -117.234580600000 This 30-foot tower that overlooks Rimforest — just off the Rim of the World Highway — was built in 1933 by the Civil Conservation Corp. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/strawberry-peak.jpg?itok=5amXKU-8 socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-fire-lookouts-with-the-best-views-of-southern-california#strawberry

Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout 33.755369800000, -116.677106900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tahquitz-peak-3.jpg?itok=vJOB41ts socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-fire-lookouts-with-the-best-views-of-southern-california#tahquitz

Castro Peak Tower 34.192320300000, -118.089314900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/henniger-1.jpg?itok=P6OMoJJF socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-fire-lookouts-with-the-best-views-of-southern-california#castro

Frazier Park Tower 34.774980300000, -118.968989100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/frazier-park-2.jpg?itok=6a58oKVE socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-fire-lookouts-with-the-best-views-of-southern-california#frazier

Old Topanga Fire Lookout 34.081199500000, -118.645861400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/topanga-3.jpg?itok=WhcIqNa_ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-fire-lookouts-with-the-best-views-of-southern-california#topanga

Font's Point 33.187332000000, -116.316177000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/fonts-point-3.jpg?itok=w0vPSz3i socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-geological-wonders-to-see-in-socal#fonts

Ubehebe Crater 37.009934100000, -117.449793800000 There are two clusters of maar volcanic sites, to the west (which is older) and to the south (which is younger). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/ubehebe-crater.jpg?itok=nwkygfwQ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-geological-wonders-to-see-in-socal#ubehebe

Fossil Falls 35.969946000000, -117.908963700000 Just off the 395 Highway, between the Sequoia National Forest and the Coso Mountains range, you’ll find a “dry waterfall” of sorts. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/fossil-falls-4.jpg?itok=5ZkZ-waY socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-geological-wonders-to-see-in-socal#fossil

Alabama Hills 36.567839200000, -118.089776800000 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!). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/alabama-hills-3.jpg?itok=184Sp6vi socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-geological-wonders-to-see-in-socal#alabama

The Hollywood Sculpture Garden 34.113936000000, -118.323548000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/hollywood_sculpture_garden_2.jpg?itok=FwfACLSO socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-gardens-of-sculpture-statues#hollywood

Old Trapper's Lodge Statues 34.185066200000, -118.583781800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/old_trappers_1.jpg?itok=LqIqLm0d socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-gardens-of-sculpture-statues#trappers

Noah's Art 34.195313000000, -116.288451900000 The “Noah’s Art” exhibit of assemblage art at the Outdoor Desert Art Museum in Joshua Tree is a must-visit. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/noahs_art_2.jpg?itok=NjdvqVya socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-gardens-of-sculpture-statues#noahs

Desert Christ Park 34.129080000000, -116.439534000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/desert_christ_park_2.jpg?itok=Ccdbu3Ve socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-gardens-of-sculpture-statues#christ

Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center 34.015555200000, -117.450132800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/jurupa_mountains_discovery_center_2.jpg?itok=cKt2UhhY socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-gardens-of-sculpture-statues#jurupa

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir 33.976548400000, -117.696518400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/baps-3.jpg?itok=y3JsZrkl socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-la-temples-that-are-open-to-the-public#baps

International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Los Angeles 34.025231000000, -118.397270000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/hare-krishna-2.jpg?itok=e-Z5lTP4 socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-la-temples-that-are-open-to-the-public#hare

Lu Mountain Temple 34.051469700000, -118.103719500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lu-mountain-2.jpg?itok=GGwfHTq1 socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-la-temples-that-are-open-to-the-public#lu

Wilshire Boulevard Temple 34.062044700000, -118.305009400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wilshire-3.jpg?itok=q4neBixc socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-la-temples-that-are-open-to-the-public#wilshire

Pico-Union Project 34.045693000000, -118.274300800000 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." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/pico-3.jpg?itok=HMgdgfJQ socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-la-temples-that-are-open-to-the-public#pico

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round 34.132692900000, -118.283774700000 The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round may be the most famous carousel in all of Southern California, thanks to Walt Disney. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/griffith-park-merry-go-round-2.jpg?itok=VEliz38N socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-places-to-ride-vintage-carousels#griffith

King Arthur Carrousel 33.812091800000, -117.918974200000 The King Arthur Carrousel is one of the few original rides from Disneyland's 1955 opening. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/disneyland-california-adventure-king-tritons-carousel-of-the-sea-2.jpg?itok=oYJsecBv socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-places-to-ride-vintage-carousels#disneyland

Balboa Park Carousel 32.734147900000, -117.144553000000 The carousel in Balboa Park is a major throwback to the early 20th century, but it didn't start its life in San Diego. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/balboa-park-carousel-3.jpg?itok=0HITfhPY socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-places-to-ride-vintage-carousels#balboa

Chase Palm Park Carousel 34.415420700000, -119.682870800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/santa-barbaras-chase-palm-park-carousels-1.jpg?itok=bB4qFlOg socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-great-places-to-ride-vintage-carousels#chase

Formosa Cafe 34.090493500000, -118.346043800000 This is one of the best-preserved examples of thematic dining in the L.A. area. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/formosainterior.jpg?itok=9bqPCjx3 socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-lesser-known-roadside-attractions-along-route-66#formosa

Historic Broadway Sign District 34.041876900000, -118.257034100000 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." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/broadway_.jpg?itok=NzoDaMPx socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-lesser-known-roadside-attractions-along-route-66#historic

Highland Theatre 34.108840000000, -118.193530000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/hp_1.jpg?itok=9n0-N6EV socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-lesser-known-roadside-attractions-along-route-66#highland

Skyspace: Dividing the Light 34.100160500000, -117.713142800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/claremont_1.jpg?itok=DYKFWE8h socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-lesser-known-roadside-attractions-along-route-66#skyspace

First Original McDonald’s Museum 34.125517000000, -117.294524000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mcdonalds_2.jpg?itok=lyNW4amF socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-lesser-known-roadside-attractions-along-route-66#mcdonalds

Dana Point Hike | Salt Creek Beach 33.477555300000, -117.719538100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/dana20point-beach20hike-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=bvTdmyi4 socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#danapointhike

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 33.551321300000, -117.720442100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/aliso20and20wood20canyons-beach20hikes-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=xlKmWcrD socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#alisoandwood

Crystal Cove Hike | Moro Ridge 33.572558100000, -117.797187100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/crystal20cove20state20park-beach20hikes-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=sVeq7hGD socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#mororidge

Oceano Dunes 35.072954400000, -120.625742300000 Some of the wildest terrain in this region -- oceanfront sand dunes that could be confused for the Sahara Desert -- belong to off-roaders. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/oceanodunes.jpg?itok=skIlQD7a socal wanderer

camping

cctcamphike

CCT https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-san-luis-obispo-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#oceano

Pismo State Beach 35.106520600000, -120.626877100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/pismo.jpg?itok=sPJ-9ac1 socal wanderer

camping

cctcamphike

CCT https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-san-luis-obispo-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#pismo

Montaña de Oro State Park 35.272311100000, -120.886781400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/montana.jpg?itok=5m5bTFwU socal wanderer

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-san-luis-obispo-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#orostate

Crystal Cove Hike | Laguna Beach 37.357972200000, -122.181372400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/laguna20beach-beach20hikes-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=dj9_rRCZ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#tolaguna

Morro Bay State Park 35.352693500000, -120.839265200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/morrostate.jpg?itok=bx3kEL3g socal wanderer

camping

cctcamphike

CCT https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-san-luis-obispo-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#morrobay

Morro Strand State Beach 35.392820700000, -120.863758700000 Two miles south of Cayucos, this dune laden beach hides 85 campsites off of Trinidad Street. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/morrostrand.jpg?itok=GToNE6BX socal wanderer

camping

cctcamphike

CCT https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-san-luis-obispo-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#morrostrand

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Trail 33.695355100000, -118.046641800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bolsa20chica-beach20hikes-orange20county-california.jpg?itok=S7HYW0Pq socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/orange-countys-best-coastal-hikes#bolsahiking

Carpinteria State Beach 34.393611300000, -119.524900900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/carpinteria.jpg?itok=mxVpfiAt socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-santa-barbara-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#carpinteriastate

El Capitan State Beach 34.459797600000, -120.024332500000 If heading north, this region seems to be where trees other than palms like to grow on the coast without too much coercion. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/capitan.jpg?itok=qwgzfrVA socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-santa-barbara-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#elcapitanstate

Gaviota State Beach 34.477826100000, -120.228566500000 Located 33 miles west of Santa Barbara, this is the last stop before the highway cuts inland south of Point Conception. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/gaviota.jpg?itok=3QozBU_d socal wanderer

camping

cctcamphike

CCT https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-santa-barbara-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#gaviota

Jalama County Beach Park 34.510264100000, -120.500983700000 Even for this stunning region, there's something magical about Jalama. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/jalama.jpg?itok=Yw8sS2f6 socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-santa-barbara-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#jalamacounty

Point Mugu State Park 34.069753200000, -119.012254100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/pointmugu.jpg?itok=MieqGRFq socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#pointmugu

Emma Wood State Beach 34.292843200000, -119.339062600000 Though the coast here is beautiful, this RV-only campground with about 100 sites is near railroad tracks and the freeway. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/emmawood.jpg?itok=C__rAol0 socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#emmawood

Faria County Park 34.318279400000, -119.390297600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/faria.jpg?itok=twC676vH socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#faria

Hobson County Beach Park 34.338304400000, -119.411780100000 Hobson County Beach Park is another roadside-and-beachside RV campground. socal wanderer

camping

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-campgrounds#hobson

The Vine 34.161889400000, -118.052663900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wisteria-4.jpg?itok=w_yHP1ND socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-of-the-most-fascinating-examples-of-flora-in-socal#vine

Corpse Flower 34.128748100000, -118.114417400000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/corpse-flower-9.jpg?itok=pBlc68hB socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-of-the-most-fascinating-examples-of-flora-in-socal#corpse

King Clone Ecological Reserve 34.426012100000, -116.699561800000 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." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/creosote-king-clone-1.jpg?itok=8JQ2uqdo socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/five-fascinating-facts-about-bottlenose-dolphins#clone

La Jolla Canyon 34.088626700000, -119.040453700000 Point Mugu State Park's La Jolla Canyon offers a smorgasbord of hiking trails and loop options. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lajolla.jpg?itok=etbd9AdB socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-hikes#jollacanyon

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest 37.557703800000, -118.228810000000 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). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bristlecone-6.jpg?itok=tmU9Xvcq socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/five-fascinating-facts-about-bottlenose-dolphins#bristlecone

Mugu Peak 34.093311600000, -119.055566700000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mugu_peak-ventura_county-beach_hikes-california.jpg?itok=tWBAc1h7 socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-hikes#mugupeak

Moreton Bay Fig Tree 34.413774000000, -119.693687100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/moreton-bay-fig-tree-3.jpg?itok=7oJTQ07G socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/five-fascinating-facts-about-bottlenose-dolphins#moreton

Ventura Promenade 34.275483400000, -119.295587500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/venturaprom.jpg?itok=ohug6TXa socal wanderer

hiking

CCT

cctcamphike https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-of-ventura-countys-best-coastal-hikes#venturapromenade

Bishop Creek Canyon 37.367490000000, -118.394927200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/fall-color-california-bishop-creek-canyon-1.jpg?itok=CMNqg3iZ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/photos-fall-color-moving-fast-in-bishop-creek-canyon

Año Nuevo State Park 37.118838500000, -122.306642000000 This state park is a great destination to see baby elephant seals. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/elephantseal.jpg?itok=dBuDiJsy socal wanderer

Wildlife https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/see-baby-elephant-seals-at-ano-nuevo

Sturtevant Camp 34.221984000000, -118.034800000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/sturtevant-camp-3.jpg?itok=JeISj7p9 socal wanderer

hiking

camping https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-offbeat-places-to-celebrate-thanksgiving-weekend-in-socal#sturtevant

The Gentle Barn 34.464118000000, -118.412758000000 Every year on Thanksgiving, Santa Clarita farm animal sanctuary The Gentle Barn hosts their "A Gentle Thanksgiving" dinner. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/the-gentle-barn_shawn-hinsey.jpg?itok=YiqeaXkS socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-offbeat-places-to-celebrate-thanksgiving-weekend-in-socal#gentle

Oasis Camel Dairy 33.064085700000, -116.752604500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/oasis-camel-2.jpg?itok=39PhcN6X socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-offbeat-places-to-celebrate-thanksgiving-weekend-in-socal#oasis

Hollywood Historic Stairs 34.083311900000, -118.313142600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/hollywood-historic-stairs-.jpg?itok=UvV07mxy socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/six-great-stair-treks#hollywoodstairs

Mount Hollywood 34.135458900000, -118.304311100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/mt.-hollywood.jpg?itok=19UHRdwW socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-offbeat-places-to-celebrate-thanksgiving-weekend-in-socal#hollywood

Santa Monica Stairs 34.030316700000, -118.512216500000 “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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/santa-monica-stairs-2.jpg?itok=Ogq1YFDL socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/six-great-stair-treks#smstairs

Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts 34.161399600000, -117.616120500000 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. socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-offbeat-places-to-celebrate-thanksgiving-weekend-in-socal#maloof

Heritage Square Museum 34.088617200000, -118.207952400000 Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights is probably the best example of orphaned Victorian treasures finding their "forever home" elsewhere. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/heritage-square-museum-4.jpg?itok=C5yxd8X1 socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-places-in-southern-california-where-you-can-still-explore-the-victorian#heritage

Music Box Steps 34.083011700000, -118.275255000000 Located near Laurel and Hardy Park, these steps are adorned with a commemorative plaque from their feature in the 1932 film, "The Music Box". https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/music_box_steps_montage.jpg?itok=epYPJp2j socal wanderer

hiking

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/la-staircase-is-one-of-the-worlds-coolest-says-travel-magazine

Grier Musser Museum 34.061101000000, -118.270996300000 A nice Queen Anne Victorian from 1898 and a Historic-Cultural Monument declared by the City of Los Angeles in 1987. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/grier-musser-museum-2.jpg?itok=tvjqYkY_ socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-places-in-southern-california-where-you-can-still-explore-the-victorian#grier

The Bembridge House 33.778955800000, -118.201625100000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/the-bembridge-house-1.jpg?itok=RK_F2_r1 socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-places-in-southern-california-where-you-can-still-explore-the-victorian#bembridge

The Dr. Willela Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum 33.750432200000, -117.868432300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/the-dr.-howe-waffle-house-and-medical-museum-1.jpg?itok=cCdcVcup socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-places-in-southern-california-where-you-can-still-explore-the-victorian#willela

The Doheny Mansion 34.030994700000, -118.277748600000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/the-doheny-mansion-2.jpg?itok=ndSexTaS socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-places-in-southern-california-where-you-can-still-explore-the-victorian#doheny

Micheltorena Stairs 34.087431500000, -118.276130200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/348s.jpg?itok=eIUJgQQv socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/six-great-stair-treks#silverlakeecho

Gilmore Stadium, The Original Farmers Market 34.071801000000, -118.361730000000 The annual Gilmore Heritage Auto Show is held the first Saturday of every June at The Original Farmers Market. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/gilmorestadium.jpg?itok=fNbC3JIM socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-traces-of-las-bygone-racing-days#gilmore

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook 34.017582500000, -118.384037900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/baldwin-hills-1.jpg?itok=kkYnVi6P socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/six-great-stair-treks#baldwinstairs

Paramount Racetrack 34.115507600000, -118.756145200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/paramountracetrack.jpg?itok=dCqEcl9w socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-traces-of-las-bygone-racing-days#paramount

Legion Ascot Speedway 34.066659400000, -118.190818800000 The Ascot Motor Speedway, near the border of Lincoln Heights and El Sereno, will go down in infamy for its death toll. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/ascotremants.jpg?itok=CzsK9Kr7 socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-traces-of-las-bygone-racing-days#ascot

Bonelli Ranch Stadium a.k.a. Saugus Speedway 34.416308000000, -118.527884000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/saugusspeedway.jpg?itok=K_rB0qJG socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-traces-of-las-bygone-racing-days#bonelli

Runyon Canyon Park 34.110152000000, -118.350498200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/runyon-canyon-park-2.jpg?itok=WQVACy2V socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/six-great-stair-treks#runyonstairs

Irwindale Speedway 34.110436600000, -117.987370500000 The Speedway has hosted everything from stock cars to midget cars on its "twin ovals." https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/irwindale_speedway.jpg?itok=GVjn-EzH socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-traces-of-las-bygone-racing-days#irwindale

Los Angeles International Airport 33.941953700000, -118.408121200000 With food, drink, shopping, architecture and history, LAX is its own destination. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lax-4.jpg?itok=3imeF0yN socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-ways-lax-has-become-its-own-travel-destination

Mission San Juan Capistrano 33.502022400000, -117.662540800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/bells_0.jpg?itok=z1VoFXfY socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-ways-to-explore-mission-san-juan-capistrano-the-jewel-of-the-missions

Hearst Castle 35.686048700000, -121.168328100000 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). https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/p1020473.jpg?itok=mqEXgoCi socal wanderer

Arts & Culture

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#hearst

L.A. County Fairgrounds 34.080980000000, -117.765195000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lafarm_1_0.jpg?itok=1V0wH_CR socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/five-year-round-reasons-to-visit-the-la-county-fairgrounds

Knapp's Castle 34.527682400000, -119.797994000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/p1320138.jpg?itok=a0e7NhyB socal wanderer

Arts & Culture

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#knapps

Rubel Castle 34.150318700000, -117.854540900000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/p1110993.jpg?itok=gCVfalFl socal wanderer

history

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#rubel

Scientology Celebrity Center 34.104631400000, -118.319049200000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/top-thumb-630x429-49411.jpg?itok=8AdS2LBp Arts & Culture

history

socal wanderer https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#scientology

The Magic Castle 34.104577300000, -118.341788800000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/20150918_130208lo_1.jpg?itok=Pu7uHnnF socal wanderer

Arts & Culture

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#magiccastle

Scotty's Castle 36.564061200000, -117.133126300000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/p1220251croplo.jpg?itok=7LrTF0IU socal wanderer

Arts & Culture

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/six-great-californian-castles#scottys

Rose Bowl Stadium 34.160636400000, -118.167486500000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/rose-bowl-stadium-1.jpg?itok=hwxzeMJr socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/seven-essential-excursions-to-get-the-full-tournament-of-roses-experience

Robolights 33.831879700000, -116.535318500000 Every year seems like it’s going to be the last for the towering, apocalyptic holiday creation by outsider artist Kenny Irwin, Jr. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/robolights-1.jpg?itok=bTUQuNGj socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/from-strange-to-traditional-six-places-to-celebrate-the-holidays#robolights

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad Holiday Light Train 34.121998200000, -118.273520300000 Winter is when the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad offers rides on their tiny train at night, with everything lit. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/griffith-park-holiday-light-train-2.jpg?itok=ej72FUwo socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/from-strange-to-traditional-six-places-to-celebrate-the-holidays#griffith

L.A. Zoo Lights 34.148890000000, -118.283786000000 The elaborate holiday light display changes a bit every year. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/l.a.-zoo-lights-4.jpg?itok=o3eHXYau socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/from-strange-to-traditional-six-places-to-celebrate-the-holidays#zoo

Titus Canyon 36.820275200000, -117.153081600000 If you can make it, the payoff is tremendous – with sweeping views and white-knuckle curves giving way to a slot canyon. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/tituscanyon.jpg?itok=EWXuoy3r socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-scenic-desert-drives#titus

Lights On Display 34.141379300000, -118.448600300000 Sherman Oaks is home to one of the most elaborate residential holiday light displays. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/lights-on-display-2.jpg?itok=_nXmNFq2 socal wanderer

Arts & Culture https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/from-strange-to-traditional-six-places-to-celebrate-the-holidays#lights

Chantry Flats to Mount Wilson 34.135696500000, -118.318946500000 The 12-mile round-trip through the San Gabriel mountains begins at Chantry Flats in Arcadia, where hikers can take a one-mile detour in order to check out the amazing Sturtevant Falls. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/wilsonhike.jpg?itok=8FOoeqn_ socal wanderer

hiking https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/great-hikes-chantry-flats-to-mount-wilson

Rainbow Basin 35.006265900000, -117.044782000000 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. https://www.kcet.org/sites/kl/files/styles/kl_image_small/public/thumbnails/map/rainbowbasin.jpg?itok=UkDhNeCb socal wanderer

history https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-wanderer/5-scenic-desert-drives#basinrainbow

Dodgers Stadium 34.073557900000, -118.240466500000 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