All Stories from Greater California

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  Beauty and the Beach

  Sweeping, romantic, and vast, Garrapata State Park has all the stuff of swoon-worthy scenery. There’s a magical beach backed by hulking cliffs with a hiking trail we like best in the later afternoon, when the beach can be blissfully deserted.

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  Going Deep

  Mesmerized, educated, and inspired are just a few of things you can’t help but feel while visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and its spellbinding new exhibition, Into the Deep.

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  Audio Adventure Walks

  Starting from the magnificent Monterey Bay Aquarium, do a deep dive into the interesting history of Monterey Bay on an audio tour along the Monterey Coastal Recreation Trail. The Monterey History Walking Tour is a nice way to get an overview of the beautiful bay and its diverse history.

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  Get Hetched!

  Enjoy top-notch valley views on this 13-mile moderately strenuous backpacking trip highlighting some of Yosemite's best scenery. A bonus: This part of the park attracts fewer visitors than the much more famous valley

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  Picture Worth a Thousand Words

  Catch a mirrored sunrise at Thousand Island Lake back in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. You can reach this jewel—set at 9,500 feet in the High Sierra and backed by the brilliant Banner Peak—via a 10-mile trek along part of the Pacific Crest Trail.

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  Sur Bet!

  You can spend $1,000 a night for an ocean-view room in Big Sur. Or you can spend $45 and wake up to the sound of crashing waves and incredible views of Big Sur’s coastline when staying at Kirk Creek Campground.

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  Damme Good Camping

  Just a few miles south of the town of Mendocino is one of the best hike-in (or bike-in) campgrounds on the California coast. Van Damme State Park follows Little River inland from the ocean, and the nine first-come, first-served environmental campsites can be reached via the Fern Canyon Trail.

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  Calaveras Giants

  Contending as some of the tallest, mightiest, and most muscular spectacles in the state are the hulking (and beautiful) trees of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Hit the trails to witness spectacular groves of giant sequoia redwoods.

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  Sponsored

  Now You Sea It

  The Monterey Bay Aquarium's newest exhibition, Into the Deep, is a fully integrated ocean experience taking you from mesmerizing shoreline kelp forests all the way to the bottom of the sea.

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  Sponsored

  Glow Deeper!

  The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new exhibition is getting glowing reviews. Into the Deep: Exploring Our Undiscovered Ocean is an unparalleled living exhibition that includes an immersive deep-sea bioluminescence experience.

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  Sponsored

  Go "Into the Deep"

  The Monterey Bay Aquarium introduces Into the Deep: Exploring Our Undiscovered Ocean, a first-of-its-kind living exhibition. Be among the first to witness the crown jewel creatures of the deep sea!

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  Noah's Art

  Noah Purifoy Desert Museum of Assemblage Sculpture is an outdoor museum near Joshua Tree National Park, with a mosaic of items transformed into works of art. Go on a self-guided tour to view over 30 assemblage sculptures.

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  Red Rock On

  With its vivid volcanic reds, folded sandstone whites, and mudstone browns, it’s hard to believe that Red Rock Canyon State Park is within the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. For highlights, wander the nearly 1-mile loop trail.

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  The Holey Spirit

  Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Loop Trail serves up the best parts of the Mojave Desert, all in a 1.3-mile loop: vista views, rare geological features, and even a climb through a slot canyon.

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  Four Ways to Fall for North Lake Tahoe

  As vivid autumn colors start to line the sky and crowds begin to dwindle, North Lake Tahoe’s breathtaking secret season takes over and is a favorite among locals. With turning leaves, crisp air, and 12 towns to explore, North Lake Tahoe is the place to disconnect.

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  Big Bear Hug

  Grays Peak in Big Bear is fall-loaded with vibrant colors. This 6.8-mile (round-trip) hike in the San Bernardino National Forest provides all the fall feels, with crisp mountain air and beautiful churning leaves.

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  Sponsored

  Sea Change

  Right in time for the balmy fall days, the crowds have left and Monterey Bay Aquarium is at its shoulder season best. Fewer people means relaxing with more room to roam and enjoy the animals, exhibits, and nearby outdoors for biking, hiking, and beaches.

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  Yosemite Magic Trick

  Yosemite’s High Country is magical and without crowds. At a lofty 8,700 feet, Tuolumne Meadows is one of the best trailheads for hiking or backpacking a land of smooth granite domes, high alpine meadows, jagged peaks, and sapphire lakes. Here's a 3-night backpacking itinerary...

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  Sponsored

  Summer's Must Sea

  The newly reopened Monterey Bay Aquarium never misses a “Best of” list—for good reason. The Aquarium’s location right on the shores of Monterey Bay, with waves crashing below the decks, is a mesmerizing experience.

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  High Sierra Lake Hop

  Situated just north of Yosemite is a High Sierra wonderland that gets a fraction of the crowds and is a fantastic destination for backpacking. The Emigrant Wilderness is 113,000 acres of granite ridges, wildflower-strewn meadows, and cobalt lakes.

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