You Wildin'!

Beautiful views meet big birds, blubbery seals, breaching whales, and playful dolphins on these three Southern California day-outings. Amazing close encounters!

Week: 06.07.2018
Regions: Southern CA

Gulls Getaway

Wildlife Trip to Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park

The Anacapa wildlife spectacle begins almost as soon as you pull away from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. First up are playful common dolphins, and if you’re lucky, humpback and migrating gray whales. As you approach, you’ll see (and hear) noisy California sea lions and harbor seals.
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Ranch Style

Overnight Escape to The Ranch at Laguna Beach

It’s California’s only National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World. The Ranch at Laguna Beach sits on an iconic piece of land where the mountains meet the Pacific. This boutique coastal ranch hotel was completely reimagined and renovated in 2016. Hidden in Aliso and Wood Canyon
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Seal the Bluffing Deal

Hiking, Wildflowers and Harbor Seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Woman sitting perched on a Bluff overlooking seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve
Woman sitting perched on a Bluff overlooking seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve
We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. An easy 1-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike on the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail gets you to an overlook from which you
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Wing Stop

Birding at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve

The best birding in LA is in Van Nuys? Arguably, yes. The minute you step into the forest of cottonwoods and weeping willows between Haskell Creek and Wildlife Lake, you wonder how this can possibly be the San Fernando Valley—especially when you spot a snowy egret stalking a shor
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market

    NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike

    What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.

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  2. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

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  3. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

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  4. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. People on ice learning to curl at Hollywood Curling

    You Go, Curl!

    Hollywood Curling’s Learn to Curl classes make the perfect setting for newcomers. Take the ice, and friendly curling instructors will teach you the basics.

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  2. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

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  3. Fall for These Falls

    Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.

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  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

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