Viklommen Til Solvang
Nestled into the Santa Ynez Valley two hours north of L.A. is the village of Solvang. A small group of Danish immigrants established this little slice of Denmark in 1911. Park the car and wonder through this village punctuated with Danish bakeries and half-timbered style buildings complete with windmills, Folks here dine on some of the finest German cuisine in California and sample wines from the area's celebrated wineries. Solvang hosts several festivals throughout the year, but none larger than the two month long "Julefest" each Christmas season featuring music and entertainment in the festively decorated village.
A few minutes north of Solvang is Pea Soup Andersen, home of Andersen's famous split pea soup. For over 85 years this restaurant has been serving soup and entrees to celebrities, presidents, soldiers and visitors looking to escape the hustle of Los Angeles. Don't be surprised to find a wait for a table, but it's worth it.
Malibu
Want to escape to the finest beaches in Southern California? Look no further than the celebrity haunt of Malibu. Hugging the coast only 45 minutes from L.A.. Malibu offers the best in beaches and surf. For an $8.00 entrance fee you can park your car along the pristine sands of Zuma Beach or head up the coast another few minutes to the cliffs and rocky coves of Point Dume State Beach. There's a reason Malibu is home to the rich and famous, and the multi-million dollar properties that line the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) belong to the likes of Cher, Kate Hudson and the now infamous Mel Gibson.
Lying on the PCH 10 minutes north of the town of Malibu sits Malibu Seafood, a "don't miss" restaurant when you're in the area. Malibu Seafood is a fresh fish market (and we mean fresh) for all the locals and sports the best patio restaurant on the West Coast. The patio sits on the side of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean with some of the best sunsets anywhere. Dine on fresh fish or fried clams with a side of hot sourdough bread and snuggle up with someone you love as the temperature drops fast when the sun goes down. You can even bring your own bottle of wine to set the mood. Malibu Seafood is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. As their slogan goes, "The reason we don't open for breakfast is we're out catching lunch."
Big Bear Mountain
Feel like skiing or snowboarding? Believe it or not, Big Bear Mountain is just a 2 to 3 hour drive from the L.A.'s sunny beaches. Opening in late November to late March, Big Bear Mountain has received some great seasonal snow falls the last couple of years, plus making its own snow. The resort offers two great runs with a chair lift that gives you some of the most spectacular views of Big Bear Lake and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ski rentals and lessons are available everyday of the week, and the slopes are even open on Christmas Day.
Nearby Big Bear Lake is also a favorite Angeleno escape from the summer time heat. The high altitude area has some great hiking and horseback riding, and the lake itself offers water sports and fishing year round. Hikers might want to start their adventure at the Big Bear Discovery Center where you can pick up maps to the dozens of trail heads around the area. The small downtown offers a concentration of antique shops and restaurants, but the best dining idea is to pick up a few sandwiches from the local deli and grab a picnic spot on the lake. Oh, but don't forget to check for bears.
Catalina Island
Catch a ride on one of the speedy large passenger catamarans from Newport, Long Beach or San Pedro for a 45 minute ride to the hidden island paradise of Avalon. This small resort community on Catalina Island is home to 3,500 folks and transportation is limited to golf carts and similar sized vehicles. Activities around the island include snorkeling and scuba diving amongst the giant kelp forests which surround the island, off-road bike riding along the island's trails and some of the best sports fishing in Southern California. The town is also the home of The Avalon Theater, an art deco era movie house that boasts one of the largest screens all of Los Angeles County.
Outdoor enthusiasts should check out the Catalina Zipline Eco Tour. The tour starts at Hog's Head Gate high in the hills above Avalon and descends through Descanso Canyon to the beach below. The tour is a series of five consecutive ziplines as high as 300 feet. Guides at each stop will give you a presentation of some of the unique and interesting aspects of the area. The Catalina Zipline is the largest of its kind and is open year round. The adventure is pricey at $99, but it is money well spent.
Palm Springs
Heading away from the ocean and into the deserts of Southern California lies the "Playground of the Stars", Palm Springs. Ever since there have been silver screens folks have made this 3 hour trek east for some of the best golfing and dining in the world. Palm Springs is home of seven world class golf courses and each winter hosts The Bob Hope Desert Classic PGA Tournament. Other outdoor activities include rock climbing, hang gliding and hot air balloons. Visitors can also try their luck at the local casinos including one of Southern California's largest, the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.
While we doubt that Los Angeles will ever get over its star power and draw of the Hollywood spotlight, the City of Angels has more to offer than most tourists think. Remember that Hollywood may be the entertainment capital of the world, but the Los Angeles area has just as many escapes as there are studios which dot it's landscape, and all within a short drive. In fact, it's possible to leave the city for a adventure in the morning and be back in time to catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl that night.
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