Day Trips in Southern California

Located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert in Southern California, Palm Springs is known for its healing hot springs, luxury hotels, world-class golf courses, and pampering spas.

Palm Springs has a number of great mid-century modern architecture examples, especially in its downtown shopping district on Palm Canyon Drive. Just outside the city is the Coachella Valley, with excellent trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to go to the top of San Jacinto Peak for spectacular views of the city. Visit the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens to see what thrives in the sparse desert ecosystem (watch the video). Enjoy the 1938 Palm Springs Art Museum to learn about regional art, performing arts, and natural science.

Only an hour from San Diego, in the scenic Cuyamaca Mountains, lies Julian, a charming historic town and a popular mountain getaway. Julian was in the heart of the only San Diego gold rush, when gold was found in a local creek in early 1870. The gold rush did not last long, but many miners stayed to farm the rich land.

Many remnants from the gold rush era are still standing, and visitors love travelling back in time by visiting the historic 1870 buildings, now housing charming B&Bs or hotels. A ride down Main Street in a nicely refurbished horse-drawn carriage is a must. Visitors can venture into the tunnels of a real abandoned gold mine, stroll through century-old pear and apple orchards, fish on Cuyamaca Lake, and much more.

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is a house museum in Desert Hot Springs, California. A large, Hopi-style pueblo was built in the Pueblo revival style by homesteader and adventurer Cabot Abram Yerxa in the early 20th century. The four-story 5,000-square-foot house was entirely hand-made from found and reclaimed objects and has 35 rooms, 65 doors, and 150 windows. The house museum is a fascinating portrait of the life adventures of Cabot Yerxa and his family. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum includes many household artifacts collected during their adventures through the Dakota Territory, Mexico, Alaska, Cuba, France, California, and the Southwest. There are also many artworks from Alaska Native and Native American cultures as well as curious memorabilia of desert homesteaders’ life.

67616 Desert View Ave, Desert Hot Springs, Greater Palm Springs, CA 92240-4114

Located on the tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California, Cabrillo National Monument was built to mark the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay in 1542. Cabrillo led the first European expedition that landed on what is today the West Coast of the US. The site, surrounded by a beautiful park, is listed as a California Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The park includes various former military installations, such as coastal artillery built to protect San Diego Harbor. Every year in October thousands of visitors come to participate in the annual Cabrillo Festival Open House, which commemorates Cabrillo with a reenactment of his historic landing at Ballast Point in San Diego Bay. The celebration includes Portuguese, Kumeyaay, and Mexican singing and dancing and booths with regional and period native food.

1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

The Environmental Nature Center was established in 1972 to provide community access and education around the importance of nature conservation and other environmental issues. The facility has brought together 15 different plant communities which are endemic to California.

These range from desert adapted plants to oak woodlands and freshwater marches, all happily thriving on 5 acres of land and providing important habitats for birds, reptiles and other wildlife. Visitors can enjoy exploring on foot along a network of trails, visit the butterfly garden, shop for plants and attend various lectures and workshops.

Environmental Nature Center, 1601 E. 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949 645 8489

Carpinteria is a charming, small California coastal community between Ventura and Santa Barbara known for its spectacular, safe beaches.

The town life revolves around its lovely downtown, lined with stately palm trees, galleries, cafes, boutiques, and restaurants, which is the heart of the Carp, as the locals call their town. They go for burgers at The Spot, stroll along Linden Avenue for window-shopping, have a cup of coffee at Carpinteria's wonderful white sand beach is equally popular with families and surfers and is safe, clean, and spacious.

Along the mile-long beach lies the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve, a green area with hiking trails and scenic overlooks with views of the ocean and playful harbor seals. Carpinteria Valley Museum is a wonderful place to learn more about the area, with exhibits that range from Native American artifacts to original Victorian antiques.

One of California’s Channel Islands, southwest of Los Angeles, Santa Catalina is only 22 miles off the coast and is a curious combination of resort towns such as Avalon, the rustic charm of the old town of Two Harbors, rich wildlife and diverse wild nature at the nearby Mt. Orizaba, and endless adventures. The largest island beach, Descanso Beach, is lined with stately palm trees and colorful cabanas. The magnificent circular art deco Catalina Casino is the island’s cultural hub with a museum, a movie theater, and ballroom. One of the best weekend getaways, Catalina attracts thrill-seekers with its Island Zip Line Eco Tour, snorkeling, diving, boating, and land and sea excursions.

Coronado is a historic resort city on a peninsula in San Diego Bay. The city’s oldest landmark is the 1888 grand Victorian Hotel del Coronado (Video). The magnificent hotel is located just across from Coronado Beach, which is popular with surfers and sunbathers.

On the western end of the beach is the leash-free Coronado Dog Beach. The Coronado Ferry Landing is a lively area with shops and restaurants, while the Gaslamp Quarter is famous for its rich nightlife. Centennial Park offers spectacular views of the San Diego skyline, and the Point Loma Peninsula has a popular park with the Cabrillo National Monument, hiking trails, tide pools, and fascinating exhibits on California history.

Crestline is a small mountain resort town close to the major Southern California cities, perfect for an active day trip. Surrounded by the San Bernardino Mountains and on the banks of scenic Lake Gregory, Crestline is the perfect playground for visitors who want to enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, sunbathing, and fun waterslides.

The whole area is crossed by hiking and biking trails snaking through the fragrant pine forests. All around Lake Gregory runs a fitness trail with high-tech exercise stations located at strategic spots. The historic Old Town area and Lake Drive are full of quaint shops, cafes, and restaurants. Horseback riders can head out to scenic Mojave River Forks Regional Park.

Death Valley National Park stretches between eastern California and Nevada and is one of the driest spots in the world. The park includes Titus Canyon, known for its ghost town and interesting colorful rocks, and the lowest spot in America – Badwater Basin and its salt flats. High above the valley, higher even than pine trees, is the Telescope Peak Trail.

Hospitable only to rattlesnakes, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are located north of salt mounds called the Devil’s Golf Course. It is hard to believe, Death Valley is home to a number of animals adapted to the dry conditions, such as bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, and others. In spite of the inhospitable conditions, Death Valley is a fascinating place to visit, with massive sand dunes, mysterious singing rocks, salt flats located below sea level, and brightly colored sandstone canyons. There are also whole fields of wildflowers if you come at the right time. Death Valley National Park Video