Stay semi-local this summer with our quintet of fair-weather, weekend-friendly holidays – each just a state or international border away.
By Jessica Dunham, Mirelle Inglefield, Craig Outhier & Madison Rutherford
Original photography by Eric Cox, Jessica Dunham, Madison Rutherford & Neil Tandy
Go from summit to sea in…
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County locals like to characterize their community as a place where “surfers drink Chardonnay” and “cowboys sip Cabernet.” They’re referring to the Central Coast wine region, of course, but also commenting on the region’s diverse, digressive geography. To the west, the Pacific Ocean’s misty beaches. To the east, ranch country. And in between: a mélange of towns and people as unique as the landscape they inhabit.
Enjoying them all is simply a matter of traveling from peak to beach.
Situated at the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, about 30 miles north of the town of San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles may be renowned for great wine (see below), but it’s also home to the art-pilgrimage lightshow that is Sensorio ($25-$65/person, sensoriopaso.com). Fifteen acres of grassy hills would be covered in vineyards anywhere else in Paso, but at Sensorio, those acres comprise a series of dreamscape light installations. Walking paths weave through 100,000 glowing orbs (“Field of Light,” by acclaimed artist Bruce Munro), a maze of dozens of 7-foot-high cylinders ablaze in color (Munro’s “Light Towers”) and the newest exhibit, “FOSO,” a Munro collaboration with composer Nainita Desai that marries a 32-column forest of ever-shifting hues to an original symphonic arrangement. Think Fantasia. Think Oz.
While still in the “peak” portion of your trip, grab dinner at Etto in Paso Robles (ettopastabar.net) for made-fresh-daily pastas like casarecce and thick, chewy rigatoni cacio e pepe, then sleep it all off at the historic Paso Robles Inn (from $375/night, pasoroblesinn.com) in downtown Paso.
Departing Paso for the ocean, make sure to stop at Stepladder Creamery in Cambria (stepladdercreamery.com). The dirt road spiraling to the 150-year-old ranch isn’t for the faint of heart, but it is for those who want to taste some of the best cheese in the world, including aged triple-cream, small-batch Manchego and airy chèvre. A tour ($80/person) includes a goat meet-and-greet, lesson in traditional cheesemaking and curated tasting.
From Stepladder, you’re less than 20 minutes from Cambria, a coastal town notched on Highway 1. Check into Cambria Beach Lodge (from $306/night, cambriabeachlodge.com), then walk a block north to put your name on the list at Sea Chest Oyster Bar (seachestoysterbar.com; cash only), an iconic restaurant worth the wait.
Highway 1 traces the coastline north to San Simeon and south to Avila and Pismo beaches. Avila Beach is your destination. With buildings awash in pastels, Avila possesses all the charms of a seaside community. Explore them on an e-bike ($30/hour, boltabout.com) on the paved Bob Jones Trail, a 5-mile meander from the pier through Avila Valley. Hop off the trail at Secret Garden at Sycamore Springs Resort & Spa (sycamoresprings.com), a string-light-lit oasis with beer, wine and live music, and at Avila Valley Barn (avilavalleybarn.com) for just-picked produce and messily perfect smoked pork sandos.
With bikes put away and sand washed from your feet, do as the locals do: Admire the sunset with a glass of wine at a beachfront restaurant. Go ahead – order the Chard.
— Jessica Dunham
3 Must-Sip Wine Tastings
Hope on Park
A saber opening of sparkling wine welcomes you, an indication that this will be an experience like none other. Another clue? Wine is poured into black stemware to enhance the senses of smell and taste. 1585 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles, 805-238-4112, hopefamilywines.com/hope-on-park
Talley Vineyards
SLO’s rustic charm is on full display at this estate, where grapevines knit the hills and a cherry-red Rincon ferries guests to and fro. The 120-minute comparative tasting ($75/person) dives into Chards and Pinot Noirs. 3031 Lopez Dr., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-0446, talleyvineyards.com
Thacher Winery and Vineyard
The century-old barn from Kentucky Ranch neighbors Thacher, so it feels
especially apt when a rooster wanders by, crowing hello, as you sip a lemongrass-noted Viognier. 8355 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles, 805-237-0087, thacherwinery.com
Immerse yourself in the cinematic charm of…
Catalina Island
In 1943, 16-year-old Norma Jeane Baker – living at the time on Catalina Island with her husband, James Dougherty, a merchant marine – began cultivating the persona that would lead her to worldwide fame as Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps a glimmer of her magnetism survives today in its sapphire ocean views, verdant natural preserves and breezy, no-cars island culture.
You’re likely to see pods of jumping dolphins en route to the island, which is part of the Channel Islands chain and lingers 22 miles off the Southern California coast, accessible via Catalina Express (catalinaexpress.com), a ferry service that embarks from Long Beach. At Avalon, the island’s dainty harbor town, dotted with shops, restaurants and hotels, you might be greeted by barking seals.
Many harbor fixtures still bear the hand-lettering of artists Otis and Dorothy Shepard, who in the 1930s were hired to create the design aesthetic for Catalina Island. It’s similarly impossible to miss the stately Catalina Casino (visitcatalinaisland.com), cantilevered over the water. Commissioned in 1929 by William Wrigley Jr., who purchased the island for an estimated $3.5 million in 1919, the circular, Mediterranean Revival-style “gathering place” flaunts a movie theater, ballroom and art deco murals. Be sure to book the VIP Backstage tour for access to the old projector and green rooms, decked out with autographs and photos of stars who have passed through, including Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, John C. Reilly and more. There is no gambling, alas.
Lodging is plentiful and varied on Catalina (visit lovecatalina.com to find your perfect pad), but if you’re looking for walkability and spacious, historic charm, the Victorian-style, family-owned Glenmore Plaza Hotel (glenmoreplazahotel.com) is just hoofs away from most island highlights.
Speaking of hoofs, Wrigley family scion Philip Wrigley once said, “The best way to see Catalina Island is on the back of a horse.” After several years without an operable stable, the island is riding again with Catalina Island Horseback Adventures (catalinahorseback.com), reintroducing riders to the nostalgic hidden paths, scenic vistas and oh-so-spellbinding scent of “cowboy cologne,” aka the California sagebrush that accompanies each ride.
The island is home to more than 60 lifeforms that don’t exist anywhere else, and 88 percent of its 73 square miles is protected preserve. Get a better look by booking a tour with Catalina Eco Tour, (catalinaconservancy.org/recreation/eco-tours), which has access to some of the island’s limited number of combustion vehicles and can help you explore more than 165 miles of rugged road. Suggested photo op: herds of majestic bison, which were brought to the island in 1924 for the film adaptation of Zane Grey’s The Vanishing American. Or immerse yourself, literally, in a submarine with Undersea Sub Expedition (visitcatalinaisland.com) to tour Lover’s Cove State Marine Conservation Area and peep the chromatic sea creatures through your own porthole.
Finally, culture abounds at the Catalina Museum for Art & History (catalinamuseum.org), where you can see soapstone bowls made by the Indigenous Gabrielino people who inhabited the island for more than 7,000 years, and learn about the Tuna Club, the oldest fishing club in the United States, whose notable members included Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin.
If Hollywood is too Hollywood for you, this lovely movie-star playground is just a boat trip away.
— Mirelle Inglefield
If You Go
For more information and itinerary ideas, visit lovecatalina.com
Consuming Catalina
A four-meal dining plan.
Breakfast
Locals love breakfast at The Lobster Trap (catalinalobstertrap.com) for owner/lobster fisherman Caleb Lins’s fresh, um, entrapments, which include a lobster omelet, crab cake Benedict and avocado toast.
Lunch
Don’t be fooled by the casual ambiance at NDMK Fish House (ndmkfishhouse.com) – the sushi rolls, sashimi and oyster selections will set your taste buds swimming.
Dinner
Sail away with the scrumptious menu and yacht rock sounds at Avalon Grille, (visitcatalinaisland.com/dining/avalon-grille). Take in the bayside views as you savor melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon or a curry-topped cauliflower steak. Reservations recommended.
Nightcap
Many Catalina bars and restaurants close early – around 8 p.m. One exception: Marlin Club (marlinclub.com), which has been operating since 1946 and is open until 2 a.m. Or night flies can settle into the cave room at Luau Larry’s (luaularrys.com, open until 10 p.m.) and rock out to an eclectic, ’80s-centric playlist. Try the ahi app and order the rum-based Wiki Wacker for a souvenir hat or sticker.
2025 Summer Events
Catalina Arts & Crafts Festival
May 9-11
lovecatalina.com
Catalina Wine Mixer
May 30-31
catalinawinemixer.com
Two Harbors Brew Fest
June 21
Fresh-air adventuring in…
Lake Tahoe
Our May-September air-conditioned hibernation means Phoenicians typically have one goal for a summer getaway: Be outdoors as much as possible. Lake Tahoe, a haven for swimming, boating and beaching set high in the Sierra Nevada, makes achieving that goal easy.
The crystalline lake straddles the California-Nevada border and spans 191 square miles. It’s the largest alpine lake in North America, and thus best appreciated by boat. Clearly Tahoe offers kayak rides in a glass-bottomed vessel ($129/person, clearlytahoe.com), allowing paddlers to glimpse volcanic formations and pyrite coves 75 feet beneath the lake’s surface. Or join a 150-minute cruise to serene Emerald Bay on the M.S. Dixie II, a paddle-wheeler big enough for 500 passengers ($99/person, zephyrcove.com).
The placid waters of Tahoe might leave thrill-seekers wanting more, to which we say: Try the Truckee. The Truckee River serves as Lake Tahoe’s sole outflow before it wends down the mountain on its way to Sacramento, and its whitewater rapids beckon adventurers. Sign up for a half-day rafting excursion with Tributary ($99/person, whitewatertours.com); expect Class 2-3 rapids and swim breaks at calmer points in the river.
More swimming can be found at Tahoe’s beaches – nearly 40 sandy swaths dotting 72 miles of shoreline. The snorkel-friendly waters at Sand Harbor State Park in Incline Village ($10/vehicle, parks.nv.gov) are popular with families, while pristine Baldwin Beach ($10/vehicle, tahoepublicbeaches.org) is ideal for sunbathers.
The ultramarine splendor of Lake Tahoe can also be appreciated, perhaps more so, from a bird’s-eye vantage via a hike. Head to the 725-acre Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe (free, parks.nv.gov) for trails suited for all abilities. Best view: The 2.9-mile Barn Trail to Cal-Neva Loop.
Come nightfall, soak up Tahoe’s summer-only offerings, such as the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (July-August, Sand Harbor State Park, laketahoeshakespeare.com) and concerts at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena (caesars.com/harveys-tahoe) on the Nevade-California state line, where the mountains’ looming silhouette almost eclipses the star power of musical acts like Hozier and Dave Matthews Band.
Finally, retire to the stylish Coachman Hotel (from $250/night, coachmantahoe.com). A cozy courtyard anchors the motor lodge, encouraging guests to mingle late into the evening with a heated pool, firepit-moored conversation nooks and nightly s’mores. You might never set foot indoors again.
— Jessica Dunham
Top 3 Lakeside Restaurants
Christy Hill
From its perch on the north end of the lake, this fine-dining bistro revels in an unspoiled panorama. There’s not a bad seat in the house, nor a bad dish on the menu, where seasonal ingredients shine. 115 Grove St., Tahoe City, CA, 530-583-8551, christyhill.com
The Grove Beach Bar & Grill
The Grove is what summer at the lake is all about: quaffing margaritas on a deck, flip-flops dangling, tank tops grazing sunburned shoulders. The food is fine – sandwiches, burgers – but you’re here for the vibe. 1900 Jameson Beach Rd., South Lake Tahoe, CA, 530-314-4650, camprichardsonresort.com/thegrove
Jakes on the Lake
Jakes pairs the laid-back ambiance of a waterfront resto with insanely delicious food crafted with skill. Request a table outside to watch boats glide into the marina while you dig into Hawaiian-inspired fare. 780 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA, 530-583-0188, jakestahoe.com
The etched wood maps of Lake Tahoe make for perfect wall art, available at On Tahoe Time. From $150. 1001 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA, ontahoetime.com
Glamp your way through…
Southern Utah
On the day in 1876 when pioneer Ebenezer Bryce first laid eyes on the spectacular canyon in Southern Utah that would eventually bear his name, he almost certainly did not retire to luxurious accommodations to ponder his discovery. No heated wading pools for poor Ebenezer, and perish the thought of a private outdoor shower – unless, of course, there was a thunderstorm afoot.
Times have certainly changed in Utah’s Garfield County. Perched at the top of the Grand Staircase, an epic sequence of 15-mile tectonic plateaus that descends all the way into Arizona, Bryce Canyon itself hasn’t really changed – it’s the awe-inspiring tourist magnet it always was, with its improbable hoodoos and pumpkin-cream hues. But the hospitality scene? “It’s really taken off here since I was a kid,” says the friendly outdoorswoman hired to drive our media group from spot to spot. “It used to just be camping and crappy motels.”
Now, with the addition of two new properties that celebrate the region’s ecological gifts while providing some serious creature comforts, Bryce Canyon might be the glamping capital of Utah. And, yes – heated wading pools await.
CLEAR SKY RESORTS
Rounding a high desert bend on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 outside the town of Cannonville, you can’t quite believe your eyes: a colony of glass geodesic domes, dotting a foothill canyon like something out of a 1970s science fiction movie.
Conceived and owned by Gilbert-based real estate developer Hal Feinberg, the 80-acre property (brycecanyon.clearskyresorts.com) is like nothing you’ve seen before – unless you’ve seen the smaller, less elaborate Clear Sky property Feinberg planted near the Grand Canyon five years ago. Like the Arizona resort, the Utah sister property offers lavishly appointed stays in retro-futuristic cottages that Feinberg calls “sky domes” – more than 60 of them at last count, named for the clear, unimpeded nightscapes and bright daytime vistas offered by their watertight triangular glass windows.
Available in four layouts that sleep two to eight guests, the climate-controlled domes are quite the feat of engineering, with their en suite bathrooms, automated 20-foot curtains and floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass. The challenge of simply pulling it all together was part of the allure for Feinberg. “It does get the creative juices flowing, bringing a resort like this to reality,” Feinberg says during a property tour. “It’s an obsessive passion of mine… I’d do it for free!”
A current of whimsy flows through Clear Sky, from the infinity mirror dance floors Feinberg installed in several of the theme-driven domes, to the grassy cornhole courts, “movie dome” nights and full-service bar in the central Sky Nova hospitality complex (yes, also a dome).
All this, and Bryce Canyon is only 15 minutes away. Here’s to roughing it.
OFLAND ESCALANTE
Imagine summer camp with Airstreams instead of bunkrooms, a school-bus-big hot tub instead of a moldering lake and food truck eats instead of cafeteria gruel, and you might get a sense of Ofland Escalante (ofland.com).
Launched in 2021, it’s simply one of the most disarming high-desert stay-and-play experiences you’ll ever have. Set off the byway near the town of Escalante, on a breezy flat crowned by low mountain peaks, it offers three distinct lodging experiences. For fans of kitsch and Americana flavor: the aforementioned Airstreams. For couples and budget travelers: sleek, vaguely Norwegian-looking tiny cabins. And for families and comfort hounds: elegant, double-wide deluxe cabins, complete with the en suite bathrooms and outdoor showers alluded to earlier.
Sorry to belabor this one particular amenity, but after you’ve spent an afternoon hiking nearby Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (stateparks.utah.gov), that shower will literally be manna for you, washing off the grime under a dusky sky while sipping a Uinta IPA purchased from the Ofland general store.
The town of Escalante has abundant dining options (see sidebar), but if convenience is your bag – and ridiculously good meatloaf sandwiches are also your bag – order dinner at the Ofland food truck. (Breakfast rec: cornbread French toast, dense and syrupy, sided with thick strops of bacon.) Then enjoy your meal at Ofland’s lounge-y firepit area, which also serves as the property’s commons, with complimentary coffee in the morning and s’mores at night.
But the coup de grâce of cuteness at Ofland is undoubtedly its “Drive-In Theater” – point of fact, a walk-up outdoor movie screen surrounded by classic (but inoperable, sadly) American cars that you climb into for the show. So you might, say, watch Ghostbusters in a 1960 Ford Sunliner convertible or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in a ’65 Chevy C10 truck, under the stars.
As Ferris himself might say: “It’s so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” If not a Ferrari, a glamping trip will do.
— Craig Outhier
Bryce Bites
Where to grab a meal in the Garfield County/Bryce Canyon area.
i.d.k. Barbecue
Located just 10 minutes from Bryce Canyon, this is the fast-casual smokehouse of record in Garfield County: first-rate ribs and legit brisket in a hip, bright eatery. 161 N. Main St., Tropic, 435-679-8353, idkbarbecue.com
Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill
Wolf down family-picnic-style grub (barbecue, macaroni salad, baked beans, cobbler, etc.) while enjoying live country music at this Grand Ole Opry-esque dinner theater concept. It’s like a slice of Nashville in Bryce Canyon. 110 E. Center St., Bryce, 435-834-8003, ebenezersbarnandgrill.com
Escalante Outfitters
Talk about one-stop shopping: Satisfy all your material hiking, climbing and camping needs while dining on Escalante’s best pizza – and sipping from its best beer list – at this restaurant-hike-shop hybrid. 310 W. Main St., Escalante, 435-215-7953, escalanteoutfitters.com
Playing the Slots
“Oh my god, I don’t know if I can do this!” one of our group whimpers as guide Rick Green of Excursions of Escalante helps us transit an alarmingly narrow slot canyon in the wilds of Garfield County. Not to worry – we all lived. And then Green treated us to a rappelling lesson on a nearby cliff. All in all, a sometimes heart-pounding, always exhilarating exercise in teamwork and daring. excursionsofescalante.com
Savor the soulful pleasures of…
Todos Santos
There are certain places in the world where the veil feels especially thin, where the air feels transcendent, the ground feels sacred, and there’s space and time to listen to the quiet truths humming just beneath the din of everyday life.
The Spanish phrase un rincón donde el cielo se encuentra con la tierra evokes such a place – “a corner where heaven meets the earth.” It’s a fitting description for Todos Santos, a dreamy coastal hamlet that hugs the base of Mexico’s Sierra de la Laguna Mountains on the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula.
Though Todos Santos sits about 50 miles north of rowdy spring break destination Cabo San Lucas – getting there requires flying into Los Cabos International Airport, where the customs line is packed with boisterous bachelorette parties – its essence is worlds apart.
If you’re looking for inner peace instead of an international hangover, Villa Santa Cruz (villasantacruzbaja.com) checks all the boxes. The boutique beachfront resort and farm consists of a colony of 23 bungalows, tented ocean suites and hacienda-style villas with rooftop terraces that feature private hot tubs overlooking the property’s agave and lavender fields, as well as the boundless Pacific Ocean beyond.
Villa Santa Cruz shuttles guests from the airport along a dusty desert road, passing sun-bleached grass and weathered saguaros until the ocean suddenly emerges on the horizon like a mirage. In the distance, the red-tiled roofs and golden stucco of the resort’s Spanish Revival-style buildings loom large.
Tidy plots of tomatillos, cucumbers, garlic, rosemary, jalapeños, melons and other crops crisscross the resort’s common areas, inviting visitors to stroll through them. Villa Santa Cruz is serious about its farm-to-table philosophy – at on-site restaurant Caracara, diners can literally see the farm from their table while enjoying transformative white mole, house-made sourdough, grilled Caesar salad and tres leches cake. For more traditional Mexican fare like empanadas, shrimp tacos and ceviche, The Green Room offers a more laid-back dining experience right on the resort’s private beach.
Days at Villa Santa Cruz are bookended by slow mornings (with pan dulce and freshly brewed coffee from Baja roastery Doce Cuarenta) and surreal sunsets (best viewed from the property’s two-story beachfront palapa, where complimentary yoga, meditation and sound baths frequently take place).
The front of the 20-acre property is home to a cluster of stables where guests can get acquainted with local equine rescue Equus Sur’s (equussur.com) small herd of rehabilitated horses and embark on sunrise, sunset and monthly full-moon beach rides.
The property’s rural location also facilitates spectacular stargazing. People often gather at beach bonfires to observe the unobstructed canopy of constellations through a catadioptric telescope, with commentary from a local astronomer.
In addition to organizing surfing lessons, ATV excursions and guided deep-sea fishing expeditions for guests, the front desk can also arrange day trips to nearby La Paz, Los Cerritos Beach or downtown Todos Santos. Spend an afternoon wandering vibrant streets and alleyways, following the scent of fresh tortillas or watching street artisans at work in Todos Santos’ city center, just a 20-minute drive from Villa Santa Cruz.
Stop by spacious lifestyle boutique Nomad Chic (nomadchic.mx) for cotton and wool blankets, handcrafted pendant lights and jacquard-woven terrycloth shirts, or peruse open-air markets like Bésame Mucho Bazaar and Casa Catalina for silver jewelry, earthenware pottery and bolsas de palma. Downtown Todos Santos is also freckled with owner-operated galleries, like Galeria Marquez Fine Art Photography (pablomarquez.com.mx), where local photographer Pablo Marquez showcases his abstract, aerial images of the intricacies of nearby beaches just before the tide erases them. His pieces are a study of impermanence and perception – “like life, they are ephemeral,” he explains. He warmly welcomes visitors into his bubblegum-pink studio to discuss his process, inspiration and the beauty of Baja.
Simply put, Todos Santos is like Cabo’s enlightened, bohemian cousin. Like most locations in this region of the world, micheladas and margaritas are plentiful, but Todos Santos offers something much more elusive – the perfect setting for spiritual awakening and renewal.
— Madison Rutherford
El Ritmo de Todos Santos
Three of the small town’s biggest impacts in the music world.
Hotel California
This landmark lodge anchors Todos Santos’ main drag and is oft rumored to the be the subject of a certain soft rock anthem of the same name. The Eagles have denied the connection and even filed a lawsuit against the property for capitalizing on its fame in 2018.
Todos Santos Music Festival
R.E.M. lead guitarist Peter Buck is a part-time resident of Todos Santos, where he launched this annual music fest in 2012. The event welcomes big-name acts like Sleater-Kinney and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones to various venues throughout town.
“Todos Santos”
Known for its distinct “tropical futurism” sound and bilingual lyrics that explore themes of spirituality and Indigenous culture, the New York-based Columbian quartet Combo Chimbita wrote this ode to Yemaya, the Yoruban goddess of the sea, during a trip to Todos Santos in 2021.
