Laguna Beach is the perfect vacation destination in Southern California, offering a beautiful and charming contrast to Los Angeles or San Diego. This planning guide offers tips for visiting, things to do, hotel & restaurant recommendations, and what to know before your trip to Orange County. (Updated January 16, 2026.) We love Laguna Beach. It’s […]
Yosemite National Park has announced the policies that will be in effect for viewing the Firefall at Horsetail Falls in February 2026. Due to the popularity of this stunning natural phenomenon, restrictions and reservation requirements have been in effect the last several years. However, there will be NO reservations required on any dates in February […]
Yosemite National Park’s Firefall at Horsetail Fall is a natural phenomenon visible in winter. This viewing guide offers info & tips from my experiences, best dates & locations, reservation requirements, parking restrictions, California snowfall & more. (Updated January 14, 2026.) First, you can read about my last photography attempt in Firefall Snowy Weekend Photo Report from […]
Our 2026 Los Angeles, California planning guide offers visit tips, including top things to do, best places to eat in L.A., hotel advice, and how to transportation hacks for SoCal’s notorious traffic. LA is one of our favorite cities in the world, and we’ll help you experience the touristy highlights and hidden gems. Maybe you […]
Griffith Observatory is a planetarium & astronomy museum, one of the best free things to do in Los Angeles, California. It’s also great for hikes with excellent panoramic views of the Hollywood Sign, Downtown L.A., and Pacific Ocean on clear days. This offers a review, photos, tips for visiting and everything you need to know. […]
A few weeks each winter, a natural phenomenon lines up sunset through Keyhole Arch on Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Beach. If you’re in Monterey, California in the winter, it’s a must-see. This post shares peak dates, photos, and tips for experiencing this ethereal “Light Show.” (Updated March 14, 2024.) The light comes through the Keyhole Arch […]
Dodger Stadium is a perfect setting for a Major League Baseball game, and an excellent way to spend an afternoon or evening in Los Angeles. In this guide, we’ll cover which seats to choose, what to eat, how to get there from Downtown LA and elsewhere in Southern California. (Updated March 11, 2024.) The Los […]
Victoria Beach is one of the best spots in Laguna Beach, California. Despite featuring one of the city’s most famous icons (a pirate tower!), this beach is also a hidden gem in terms of crowds. This post covers what you need to know about visiting, including practical tips for getting here and other points of […]
Our Los Angeles itineraries offer step-by-step 1-day plans for every area of the city, plus itineraries for Southern California outside L.A. These touring plans offer tips and strategy for the best things to do (and skip!), museums to visit, where to eat, and more. Other cities covered by these itineraries include Laguna Beach, Malibu, Pasadena, […]
You might be wondering, who are these people and why did they email me?! If so, we don’t blame you. Many of you started following our newsletter for the updates we provided during Japan’s border closure and subsequent (slow) reopening process. Aside from some minor updates here and there to keep things accurate for 2023, we’ve […]