California Vacation Ideas

Things to Do in Fresno, California
Plan a weekend trip to Bakersfield, about two hours north of Los Angeles, to visit the city's museums, parks and attractions.
Glenwood Springs may have made a name for itself because of its hot springs and natural steam filled caves, but this unique Colorado town offers plenty of other opportunities for enjoying the great outdoors.
California felt like a long exhale stretched across landscapes. One moment I was standing in the hush of redwoods, the next, driving along a coastline that shimmered like memory. Every trip carried its own mood—desert silence, vineyard light, the soft flicker of palm trees against a golden sky. I remember thinking, “This place doesn’t ask who you are. It just lets you feel more of it.”
What stayed with me were the contrasts: cold mornings in the mountains followed by warm beach afternoons, tiny towns tucked into valleys, and roadside stops that became the highlight of everything. I wandered through art-filled streets, canyon trails, coastal paths, and sun-drenched patios—and each time I left, I took a different version of California with me.
Whether you’re dreaming of misty mornings in wine country, road trips down Highway 1, desert bloom escapes, or quiet cabins in the pines, these guides gather the California that stayed with me—expansive, soulful, and full of light in every direction.
Things to Do in San Marcos, California