Outdoors, Amigos!

Olvera Street is always filled with pageantry, and the historic district of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the birthplace of Los Angeles, is worth strolling anytime to sample traditional Mexican culture and foods and to better appreciate the city’s heritage.

Get Up, Stand-up! Rent a stand-up paddleboard at Kings Beach Recreational Area, a lively enclave surrounded by cool shops, restaurants, and plenty of places to rent kayaks and paddleboards. Even for beginners, stand-up paddleboarding is a fun way to explore Lake Tahoe. Stick clos

Corbin Canyon in Topanga State Park is a hidden gem of the Santa Monica Mountains with beautiful scenery and low foot traffic, yet it’s only minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Ventura Boulevard. The 2-mile (round-trip) out-and-back trail transports you to a wilderness ret

SoCal was once a land of Spanish ranchos, whose rancheros brought along cows, horses, wheat, mustard seed, oats, and other nonnative species to the Santa Monica Mountains, forever reshaping the landscape that we see today. An example is Peter Strauss Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.