21 Amazing Weekend Trips from Los Angeles

• Distance from LA: 90 minutes
• Why We Love It: scenic small town, bohemian charm
• Where to Stay: Caravan Outpost (from $338/night, sleeps 2); Orange Grove Guest House ($430/night, sleeps 4)

This groovy little town is like fancy lady Santa Barbara's beatnik little sister who moved away into the mountains. In fact, the Topatopa Mountains give the place one of its most magical features: a sunset that turns the very hillsides a bright pink nightly. Borrow one of the bikes at your lodging and go tooling around town, stopping at The Nest patio for a next-level lunch of Moroccan lamb meatballs with mint, yogurt, capers and golden raisins accompanied by a kale Caesar salad with cashew Parmesan and the house-made fruit soda of the day. Across the street, browse deKor eclectic home furnishings, picking up one of the shop's signature candles scented with orange blossom to remind you of the citrus groves dotting the hinterlands.

• Distance from LA: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: upscale oceanside town, vacation vibes
• Where to Stay: Pacific Edge Hotel (from $244/night, sleeps 2); Coastal Laguna Beach Cottage (from $507/night, sleeps 4)

Sure, you can stroll by the beach all up and down the Cali coast but there is a special nirvana-esque beauty to the stretch along Laguna Beach. Manicured paved paths wind up and down hillocks planted with flowers, there's the occasional swimsuit beauty jogging with their happy dog, what's not to love? Order a seafood tower and an Aperol spritz to watch the sundown from the open-air restaurant The Deck, before you end the night with a nighttime walk on the beach out front.

• Distance from LA: 90 minutes
• Why We Love It: great surfs, pet-friendly
• Where to Stay: Carpinteria Apartment wth Hot Tub (from $405/night, sleeps 6), Best Western Plus ($from $212/night, sleeps 2)

Take your dog on vacation to the cutest little seaside community, Carpinteria, and snuggle with her in a bungalow near the beach. Borrow beach cruisers, boogie boards, beach chairs and towels, and when you need a break from the sand, walk your little furry friend with you to the main drag, Linden Street, to explore shops and cafes. Do you surf or just like to watch? One of the world's best surf breaks is at nearby Rincon Beach, where the big January waves make it the spot for pros to compete in the Rincon Classic.

• Distance from LA: 90 minutes
• Why We Love It: Southern California’s surf central, great food
• Where to Stay: The Green Room (from $206, sleeps 2), Pacific Villas (from $185/night, sleeps 2)

Yes, there are tons of great surfing spots all along the California coast, but Oceanside is an authentic spot (where you can take pro surfing lessons from the North County Surf Academy!). It’s also where the world’s largest surf event and music festival takes place each fall, Super Girl Surf Pro, but if you miss that, try to visit the California Surf Museum after your morning or afternoon wave session. If you are not ready for the water yet, a lesson from Go Skate at a local skate park pays homage to Oceanside’s beloved action-sport culture. Dine at The Plot for vegan fare or Dija Mara for Balinese-fusion.

• Distance from LA: 90 minutes
• Why We Love It: family-focused attractions, beautiful beaches
• Where to Stay: Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa (from $251, sleeps 2); Legoland Hotel (from $456, sleeps 3)

With seven miles of Pacific coastline, Carlsbad is a haven for families and has something for every member and age group to explore, even teens (check out the Museum of Making Music). Start at the SEA LIFE Aquarium, or the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center, and be sure to visit the Leo Carrillo Ranch and the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. Then, head to the LEGOLAND California Theme Park (the Sheraton resort has its own private entrance). And, after all that family fun and adventure, Mom and Dad might need to unwind. You can sip and swirl wine at Carruth Cellars tasting room, but if the family is still in tow, take them for s’mores around an open flame at nearby Campfire restaurant (with a menu by chef Eric Bost from nearby Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie in the kitchen) while you peruse the craft cocktail menu.

• Distance from LA: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: golden sand dunes, fewer crowds
• Where to Stay: The Dunes Hideaway (from $150/night, sleeps 9); Beach Casa at Silver Strand (from $219/night, sleeps 4)

Wait, you’re thinking…Oxnard? That beach in Ventura County to the north of Malibu? Yep, that’s the one. It’s got arguably better beaches (softer sand) than its glitzy neighbor, less traffic and a crazy 94 acres of that rarity on SoCal beaches: Instagram-ready, pristine sand dunes. Leave your windows open and fall asleep tickled by ocean breezes.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: kitschy Danish, growing food scene
• Where to Stay: The Landsby (from $479/night, sleeps 2), The Roaming Gnome Guest Ranch (from $136/night, sleeps 2)

Formerly known as a sleepy Danish tourist town filled with pancake houses and pastry shops (and you still shouldn’t overlook those), newer restaurants by award-winning chefs from L.A. with serious pedigrees are making this a foodie destination on your way to wine country. Peasants FEAST executive chef Michael Cherney made a splash with elevated comfort food such as fried chicken sandwiches and potato leek soup, and he recently opened an upscale deli – caviar bumps anyone? - where he also slices Jamon Iberico for caviar cones.

More L.A. transplants, chefs Stephen Fretz and Lincoln Carson, opened Coast Range and Vaquero Bar right on the main drag where you can devour Channel Islands barramundi fish and chips dunked in a local beer batter on the patio for lunch, and a few strong mezcal-tequila cocktails in the intimate bar with a record playing turn-table. Indulge in prime cuts of beef in a sexy booth at night in the main restaurant known for white and red oak wood-fired grilling technique.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: charming town, lots of wine tasting rooms
• Where to Stay: Fess Parker Wine Country Inn (from $775/night, sleeps 2), Ballard Inn (from $424/night, sleeps 2)

This quaint town is tucked away off San Marcos Pass about 45 minutes northeast of Santa Barbara but feels like you have stepped back in time. Quaint shops and cafes line the streets along with some of the best privately owned wine tasting rooms. Check out Liquid Farm or old favorites like Dragonette, Blair Fox or Roblar (just outside of town) to name a few.

Try the pizza or pasta at Nella Kitchen & Bar, or Bar Le Cote (sister of Michelin-starred Bell’s in Los Alamos.) Here you’ll find crudo, veggie paella, olive oil cake and the peel and eat shrimp for happy hour is an exceptionally good deal for only $12. They also offer many local wines by the glass from the surrounding region so it’s a wine tasting-win-win.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: cool art, mid-century modern bungalows
• Where to Stay: Casa Cody (from $722/night, sleeps 2), Azure Sky (from $622/night, sleeps 2), Mid-century Desert Digs (from $220/night, sleeps 2)

Every year in February, mid-century modern design buffs from around the globe flock to Palm Springs to bask in the winter sun amid the San Jacinto Mountains, but more importantly, to celebrate an obsession with the mid-20th century period of architecture and design during Modernism Week. This includes an onslaught of parties, events, lectures and exclusive home tours—including Frank Sinatra’s old house designed by E. Stuart Williams—in the efforts to continue preservation and education. Every other year, it's followed by Desert X, the biennial exhibit of large scale installations throughout the desert. In the summer, it’s time to hit the pools and cocktail bars to cool down from the heat. Brunch on challah French toast at the Colony Club and check out the elevated comfort fare at 1501 Uptown Gastropub.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: island getaway, easily accessible
• Where to Stay: Hotel Metropole (from $292/night, sleeps 2), Bellanca Hotel (from $366/night, sleeps 2)

Hope on the Catalina Express shuttle craft from San Pedro or Long Beach and after an hour-long ferry ride, you're at Catalina Island, the little islet 22 miles off the coast that's equal parts pampering and rugged nature. If you are totally into the anti-civilization mindset, you can rent a kayak from Descanso Beach Ocean Sports and paddle yourself to some isolated primitive campsite for an overnight stay (there are also campsites available) to really enjoy the 88 percent of the island that's held in undeveloped glory by the Catalina Island Conservancy. (And don't worry, you can also just rent a kayak or other beach toys for an hour or so and then head back home.)

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: family-friendly, mountain town
• Where to Stay: Big Bear Cool Cabins (from $169/night, sleeps 2); Colorado Lodge (from $718/night, sleeps 2); Mid-century A-frame Alterra House (from $257/night, sleeps 5)

All eyes on the lake, where you can fish for rainbow trout, take a waterskiing or wakeboarding lesson. You can also go horseback riding or ziplining with the kids. Stay at any number of cabins with larger size homes that will accommodate your whole girl squad or a smaller bungalow for you, your pet and your SO. And don't forget to save time for the wide range of trails, from the 0.2 mile toddler-friendly trot that starts at the village courthouse to the 15-mile Skyline Trail that is popular with mountain bikers. Walk around The Village, the charming downtown where most of the town’s restaurants can be found, including Big Bear Lake Brewing Co. In the winter, Bear Mountain Ski Resort is great for beginners, offering the largest learning area in Southern California.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: laid-back luxe, great wining and dining
• Where to Stay: Summerland Oceanview Bungalow (from $172, sleeps 2), Palihouse Santa Barbara (from $895/night, sleeps 2)

Good luck not being entranced by a stay in Santa Barbara, aka America's Riviera, where laid-back luxe has been perfected thanks to stretches of palm-lined beaches, historic stucco architecture, proximity to mid-coast vineyards and the town's energetic UC Santa Barbara students. Stroll the Funk Zone, a neighborhood full of fine dining and cocktailing opps, have a massage at one of the resorts and enjoy browsing State Street. Or just enjoy an afternoon bike ride along oceanfront Cabrillo Boulevard. It's pretty much impossible to put a wrong foot forward during a Santa Barbara vacay, other than leaving too soon.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: speakeasies, year-round outdoor dining
• Where to Stay: Pendry San Diego (from $421/night, sleeps 2), Private studio cottage (from $125/night, sleeps 2), Mission Bay Resort (from $226, sleeps 3)

From spotting sea lions in La Jolla to exploring Balboa Park and its museums, there is plenty to do in San Diego during the day, but make sure to keep the fun going at night. San Diego’s bar scene has really grown in recent years with the opening of a number of themed speakeasies throughout the city, including the highly acclaimed Raised by Wolves, the Chinese apothecary-themed Realm of the 52 Remedies, and many more. In the Marina District, head to Animae for some wagyu steak and elevated Filipino fare. Outdoor brunch is a big thing in San Diego thanks to great weather year-round, and you’ll find one of the best at the pink-filled Morning Glory.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: open space for skydiving, flower fields, urban wineries
• Where to Stay: Hilton Garden Inn Lompoc (from $198/night, 2 people) , 1879 Victorian in Central Coast Wine Country (from $122/night, 4 people)

Located on Pacific Coast Highway 1, Lompoc is an unsung hero for uncrowded beaches, cycling, outdoor mural galleries, and one of the most extensively restored mission in California, at La Purisima Mission State Park, with trails for hiking and horseback riding.

But Lompoc is also a destination for doing something outside of your comfort zone, and to that end, they have made great use of all the open spaces with the rush of a skydiving adventure. Skydive Santa Barbara offers several tandem jumps for visitors from 8,000 to 18,000 feet from the FAA-approved skydiving company, and you just might be able to glimpse the vibrantly colored valley of wildflower fields on your way down. And, you gotta love a town that has a Bloom Tracker for the most up-to-date flower information. Hit up the Wine Ghetto for some great wine tastings.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Old West vibes, world class dining
• Where to Stay: Skyview Los Alamos (from $279/night, 2 people), Hotel Hygge in Buellton (from $151/night, 2 people)

On the rolling northern fringes of Santa Barbara wine country, the tiny town of Los Alamos has been stirring. Over the past decade, creative locals and Los Angeles expats have set up shop in this former frontier town, creating a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hotbed of innovative farm-to-table restaurants, wineries, art galleries and more. You'll want to make a reservation at Bell’s, the Michelin-starred restaurant that offers up pristine dishes made from local ingredients. Check out the flatbreads and other farm-fresh food at Full of Life Flatbread, and don’t forget to grab some baked goods for the road home from Bob’s Well Bread.

• Distance from LA: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: quiet desert getaway, star-gazing
• Where to Stay: Cuyama Buckhorn (from $275 night, sleeps 2); Hipcamp Blue Sky Center (from $171/sleeps 2)

Light pollution is a real detriment to enjoying the night sky, whether it's the sweep of the Milky Way, the glow of a full moon or the recent gangbusters Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Cali High Desert on State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield is exactly the place you'd want to be to see the stars, which is why people start pulling their cars into a parking lot on the summit of Mount Pinos around 3 p.m. to get a prime viewing spot for the starry soup in the sky once night falls (bring a sweater—8,000 feet of elevation gets chilly fast at night). In daylight hours, take a tour of the Blue Sky Center, a community center that supports area creatives in a complex of super-cool canvas-and-steel huts, go for a hike in Los Padres National Forest or do a wine tasting locally.

• Distance from LA: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: quiet coastal city, scenic state park
• Where to Stay: Estero Inn (from $294/night, sleeps 2), Inn at Morro Bay (from $352/night, sleeps 2)

This coastal community is named for a big pile of volcanic rock, Morro Rock, that sits at the end of Morro Rock Beach. It's all about the outdoors life here—the list of activities (including golfing, kayaking, diving, hiking, biking) is dizzying, but it's also just great for a lazy lie-in after waking up in one of the waterfront suites of your hotel. Don't miss the majestic Montaña de Oro State Park, which has rugged cliffs, tucked-away sandy beaches, coastal plains, streams, canyons, and hills, with spectacular scenery produced through millions of years of volcanic activity, plate tectonics and erosion. Montaña de Oro is perfect for backpackers seeking solitude along quiet trails. Go horseback riding right on the beach. Spooner’s Cove in Montaña de Oro is a great place to take your family to look for sea glass or go sunbathing, with a seasonal stream flowing to the ocean, as well as restrooms, picnic facilities and parking. For more ideas, check out the Highway One Discovery Route website.

• Distance from LA: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: world’s largest trees, natural beauty
• Where to Stay: John Muir Lodge (from $280/night, sleeps 2), Sequoia River Cabin (from $374/night, sleeps 2)

We're a big state. We've got big trees. And you need to see them, and force any small children under your care to see them as well. That’s because looking up at the giant sequoias, which tower to over a mile-and-a-half in height, is a truly magical experience. Trust us on this one: Once you make the drive up into the Sierra Nevadas and smell the fresh air, you're going to get that heart-swelling, nature-embracing feeling. Hike in to see General Sherman, one of the largest living things on earth, and then go a couple miles farther into the forest to the less-visited Muir Grove.

• Distance from LA: 1 hour, 15 minute flight
• Why We Love It: lakes galore, miles of hiking, Southern California’s best ski resort
• Where to Stay: Alpenhof Lodge (from $274/night, sleeps 2); Timber Ridge Condo from $795/night, sleeps 8)

This one is a five-hour drive, or a fast flight on Advanced Airlines from LAX-Hawthorne air field, located three miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Mammoth Lakes is worth it with one of the best ski resorts in California, more than a hundred lakes in the area, and an ever-growing dining scene. Go kayaking or boating on Convict Lake, hike along the miles of available trails, learn fly fishing, or hit the slopes during the winter. There are also a number of beautiful vista points that can be reached without hiking. Dine out at Vulcania, an Italian-American restaurant in the Village recently opened by Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, and check out the beer at Shelter Distilling or Mammoth Brewing Company.

• Distance from LA: 90-minute flight
• Why We Love It: culture and cuisine
• Where to Stay: Lodge at the Presidio (from $400/night, sleeps 2); Staypineapple from $182/night, sleeps 2)

There's so much to love in Northern Cali's gem of a city, you'd be best advised to plan your itinerary in advance. Will you spend a couple days at the de Young and Legion of Honor fine art museums? Dine on nouvelle Chinese fare at buzzy Z & Y Peking Duck in Chinatown? Enjoy artisanal matcha in the Mission District? Take a tour of influential venues in the historic Black music scene? And you'll definitely want to start your day with an early walk through Tunnel Tops, the new public park ingeniously built over the 101 freeway. Just pace yourself—there's a lot of San Francisco to go around.

• Distance from LA: 1 hour, 15 minute flight
• Why We Love It: spectacle, excess and the Sphere
• Where to Stay: Aria Resort & Casino (from $313/night, sleeps 2); The Venetian Resort ($372/night, sleeps 2)

Las Vegas has a new centerpiece—the Sphere—that's worth a trip to Sin City alone. A giant entertainment venue that blends a 360-degree LED light show with top talent including filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and U2, the Sphere is like Vegas itself—oversized, flashy and impossible to ignore. Gambling at hotel casinos, eating fancy fare including sushi by Nobu, small plates from José Andrés and Dominique Ansel cronuts. And whether you win big or are a sale stalker, there's always some retail therapy waiting for you a short cab ride away.