Winter Getaways

Feeling a little blue? Has the holiday overload got you down? Why not pack up and head out of town for a restful winter getaway! Southern California proudly boasts more than a few rustic and scenic spots, perfect for escaping big city life, and they’re just a few hours away! Here are some great places to get started. Happy trails!

Big Bear Lake
www.bigbear.com
Crystal clear skies above and the blue lake below—you can almost smell the fresh air just thinking about Big Bear Lake. This site provides its visitors with available rentals, maps and all the best places to grab a bite to eat. But don’t get on the road until you’ve checked in with their online weather station that features current weather, forecasts and driving conditions.

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Idyllwild
www.idyllwild.com
Tucked away in the idyllic surroundings of the San Jacinto Mountains is a picturesque paradise. Whether it’s camping or hiking or just plain relaxation you’re looking for, Idyllwild has it all. This site gives information on weather, vacation rentals and lodgings, a community calendar, arts and entertainment and wedding events.

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Julian
www.julianca.com
You’ll find charming bed and breakfasts and cozy cabins nestled in our own quiet mountain town of Julian. Shop for country crafts along Main Street or settle in for a famous Julian apple pie—all amidst the comfort and romance of trees, sky and quaint historical buildings.

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Lake Arrowhead
www.lakearrowhead.net
This site offers a web cam view of the surrounding beauty at Lake Arrowhead, but breathtaking sights are just the beginning. Visit and you’ll find all you need to know about lodging, restaurants and even relocation information. Don’t miss the Calendar of Events for a sneak peek at all the fun things to come!

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Palm Springs
www.palm-springs.org
Not too far up the I-15 lies a sunny oasis of sparkling pools, beautifully manicured golf greens and luxury spa resorts. Local attractions include the Desert Museum, Moorten Botanical Gardens and the impressive Indian Canyons—each is a huge draw for travelers looking to get away from it all. Learn more about car rentals, events and festivities at this comprehensive site that includes an interactive guide to the best places to eat, stay and play.

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Santa Barbara
www.santabarbaraca.com
Like San Diego, Santa Barbara is a prize along the Pacific's glittering coastline. This site provides a lot of helpful tips and tools for planning your escape to this seaside gem, with a list of things to do, the best places to dine, shop and lodge and a link to some of the best travel deals available online.

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Solvang
www.solvangusa.com
Stroll this quaint, Danish-inspired town and its charming collection of shops, restaurants ad inns and you'll feel as though you have been transported to some long-ago era. This site will steer you towards the very best dining and lodging options, and provide you with a calendar of events and activities that will tell you all you need to know about shopping, entertainment and nearby wine country.

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Kerri S. Mabee is a freelance writer and Website reviewer.

Family Travel to Los Angeles

Just beneath its star-studded, concrete-covered surfaces, Los Angeles houses a deep and inviting well of cultural attractions and natural wonders. Pushing right up to the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and sprawling across the valleys and hillsides, the nation’s second-largest metropolitan city comes together to form one big destination filled with a colorful collection of neighborhoods and cool things for families to see and do.

To fully appreciate the scope of this diverse, sun lover’s paradise, explore its many facets in several trips, tackling a different theme with each visit. Here are three great weekends to get you started on an itinerary guaranteed to make you as well-versed in Angeleno culture as the locals.

Weekend #1—Movie Magic
When most people land in L.A., the first question is inevitable: “Do you ever see any celebrities?” Unless a gaggle of paparazzi happens to tip us off that Britney is in the building, we don’t usually notice them among us. But this tour offers some assurance that you’ll get to see a big-name star, even if it’s only on the silver screen or merely tracks left behind in cement.

A three- or four-day tour of Tinseltown should begin on Hollywood Boulevard at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre www.manntheatres.com/Chinese. You can still catch a movie at this architectural wonder, which opened in 1927, but most visitors go to gawk at the stars’ footprints cemented into the sidewalk. Just up the boulevard at Hollywood and Highland www.hollywoodandhighland.com, you’ll find shops, restaurants and plenty of star look-alikes (from Marilyn Monroe to Spiderman) mingling about. You can also check out the Kodak Theatre (home of the Academy Awards and several other performances), which offers guided tours for around $15 per person.

If you stay on Hollywood Boulevard you can’t miss the twinkling lights of Disney’s El Capitan Theatre disney.go.com/DisneyPictures/el_capitan, a lavish, historic building that houses not only Disney movies and accompanying entertainment but also the Jimmy Kimmel Show, which tapes next door. For even more historic Silver Screens, amble just a bit farther east and south to Sunset Boulevard to the old Cinerama Dome and adjacent Arclight Theaters, one of which serves as a cinematic landmark for movie watching, while the latter rolls out the red carpet on luxuries, such as extra-cushy seating, access to a bar that serves martinis to go with your popcorn and assigned seats.

Read more: Family Travel to Los Angeles