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1. 
   Northern CA

   Joy to the Wine

   'Tis the season … and a really good reason to visit wineries growing merrier and brighter by the vintage—and the outdoor activities! Here are three standouts not named Napa or Sonoma that are making their mark for outstanding wines and good times in the great outdoors.

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2. 
   Northern CA

   Sunset Surprise

   Whether the air is crisp and clean, or cauliflower clouds crowd the skies, winter sunsets are simply beautiful in these three Bay Area spots. Take a breather this holiday season. Watch a sunset.

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3. 
   Southern CA

   Tree Me

   Tree's company this holiday season. Whether you're solo, coupled up, or want to get outside, here are some great motivators. Do all tree!

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4. 
   Sponsored

   2024-12-18

   Sublime San Juan Islands

   Well, well, this wellness action plan takes you to the San Juan Islands! Easily reached by ferry yet worlds away in tranquility and unique adventures, this Washington State jewel of the Salish Sea nurtures through nature.

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5. 
   Southern CA

   Shake Your Giblets

   #Felfie: Put your animal instincts to a positive cause by visiting Farm Sanctuary in Acton. Located about an hour from downtown Los Angeles, this 26-acre sanctuary is one of only three across the United States that shelters animals who have been rescued from the factory farming industry. Take the one-hour guided tour ($10) where you can meet the animals and snap a #felfie (that's a farm-selfie, for the uninitiated). From A to Zuma: One word to sum up the lower Zuma Canyon: Sycamores. This less-traveled 3-mile out-and-back hike begins at Zuma Canyon's wide mouth, a sycamore-studded wanderland leading to the last truly wild stretch of canyon left in the Santa Monica Mountains. Dogs can come with! Travel Channel: Want to do one of the best hikes in Channel Islands National Park? The 7.5-mile (round-trip) hike to Smuggler's Cove on Santa Cruz Island starts at Scorpion Anchorage and ascends a singletrack trail with sweeping views of inland hills, panoramic vistas, and a gorgeous secluded cove.

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6. 
   Northern CA

   Good Gravy!

   Shake Your Giblets: Hike a hidden slice of open space with great views and autumn hues, at Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve, a little-known 250-acre open space area in the East Bay. Like your open space and trails? Check out the nonprofit Outdoor Voice, a coalition creating new parks, protecting farmlands, making over 1 million acres of parks publicly accessible, and ensuring thousands of miles of trails remain open for exploration. #FreshAirSaturday: Get swept up in iconic coastal scenery on this 5-mile (round-trip) classic dog-friendly hike in the Marin Headlands. Also here: the Marine Mammal Center (free admittance, closed Thanksgiving Day but open Black Friday and all weekend). The world's largest veterinarian hospital for marine mammals is currently rescuing a record number of northern fur seals stranded on beaches due to lack of food sources and abnormally warm ocean waters. Your visit can help send these seals home for the holidays! State Park Coastal Gems: As an official partner of California State Parks Foundation, we're pretty thankful for their commitment to keeping the parks open and accessible. One of our favorites? The hike-in and hidden Greenwood State Beach on the Mendocino Coast is absolutely beautiful. There's also this hidden coastal hike in Big Sur's Garrapata State Park ... and maybe a little wine-tasting afterwards…

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7. 
   Northern CA

   #FreshAirSaturday

   Between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, there’s a lot going on. Take a deep breath … it’s time to have a little fun outdoors. It’s time for #FreshAirSaturday.

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8. 
   Southern CA

   #FreshAirSaturday

   Between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, there’s a lot going on. Take a deep breath … it’s time to have a little fun outdoors. It’s time for #FreshAirSaturday.

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9. 
   Northern CA

   Eyes Wild Open

   Want to know where the wild things are? Some of the most interesting wildlife is found in urban places, or just across the Golden Gate. Here are three great ways to see some wild stuff this season.

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10. 
    Southern CA

    Desert Dreamy

    This time of year Joshua Tree National Park's vast desert landscape looks even more golden with autumn's low-slung sun, and at night the sky fills with bold stars. From hiking to camping to exploring whimsical scenery—here's how to see Joshua Tree.

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11. 
    Southern CA

    Cool Hikes for Autumn

    Harvest Happening: Make a day of it by visiting the Oak Glen Preserve, a sprawling nature reserve in the San Bernardino Mountains where you can hike through an idyllic landscape and pick your own pumpkins and chestnuts afterwards. Stick to the preserve's main loop for a 2-mile hike, or meander onto the spur trails to lengthen your jaunt.** Smuggle It In:** Next year America's national parks celebrate the centennial—so crowds are practically guaranteed to be thicker. Hit the trails before the hordes on one of the best hikes in Channel Islands National Park. The 7.5-mile (round-trip) hike to Smuggler's Cove traverses Santa Cruz Island, offers panoramic vistas, and leads to a secluded cove. Do Deukmejian: Nestled in the San Gabriel foothills, Deukmejian Wilderness Park is a gem. Explore it on a 4.2-mile (round-trip) foothills hike in the park's Dunsmore and Cook's canyons. Stepping Stonewall: Adventure up … to San Diego County's 5,737-foot Stonewall Peak! This 4-mile (round-trip) hike leads to a brilliant panorama, and the carved stone stairs near the apex make for a great photo opp. Two Thumbs Up for Towsley: Get in a workout hike featuring outstanding panoramas, meaty switchbacks, bizarre rock formations, and miniature tar pits. The 5.1-mile (round-trip) Towsley Canyon Loop in Santa Clarita's Ed Davis Park awaits!

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12. 
    Northern CA

    Shhh ... Sierra

    Where Plumas National Forest meets Tahoe National Forest, you'll find the quiet town of Sierraville, basecamp for a spectacular private fire lookout to spend the night, a nearby hot springs to soak your bones, and great trails for hiking or snowshoeing … you never know which, with our wild weather forecast!

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13. 
    Southern CA

    Haunted Hikes

    It's Halloween weekend, so get after it on any of these three hikes that'll take you from searching for ghosts to finding a hidden grotto. Boo-yeah!

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14. 
    Northern CA

    Spooktacular Hikes

    This Halloween weekend there's no shortage of ways to celebrate in the great outdoors. From a guided night hike in Marin to spelunking in a national park cave, to discovering the cryptic nature of San Francisco's oldest park, here are three fantastic ways to scare up a good time. Boo-yeah!

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15. 
    Sponsored

    2024-12-18

    Sublime San Juan Islands

    Well, well, this wellness action plan takes you to the San Juan Islands! Easily reached by ferry yet worlds away in tranquility and unique adventures, this Washington State jewel of the Salish Sea nurtures through nature.

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16. 
    Northern CA

    ColorFall Confidential

    From green to gold to red, the colors of autumn are totally findable in the Bay Area! Here are three lesser-traveled hikes in the East Bay sure to 'leaf' you satisfied.

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17. 
    Southern CA

    Giant Escape

    Fires devastated large areas of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks this past summer, but things are clearing up for their 125th anniversary and there's still plenty to see and do. From spooky spelunking and stargazing beneath giant sequoias to hikes less traveled and lovely lodges, here's a day-and-night itinerary.

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18. 
    Northern CA

    Oh My Monterey!

    Autumn on the Monterey Coast can’t be beat. From hiking in Big Sur to wine tasting in Carmel, with beach strolls, bike rolls, and oceanview fire-pit patios in between, here are some excellent ways to spend your days (and nights) in Monterey.

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19. 
    Southern CA

    Harvest and Hike Combos

    Farm fresh to you: Combining a hike with a u-pick farm, a farmer’s market, and a farm sanctuary for animals.

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20. 
    Northern CA

    Adventures That Cut the Cheese

    Okay, seriously, who cut the cheese? Lucky for us, it's some of the North Bay's most fabulous small cheese boutiques, dotting the bucolic autumn landscape from Marin County to Sonoma County. Pair these cheeses with a nearby hike, bike ride, and winery.

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21. 
    Southern CA

    Wild Hikes

    The San Bernardino National Forest is an 800,000-acre playground of deep canyons, soaring peaks, and five separate wilderness areas. Here are three day-hikes worth going wild for!

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22. 
    Southern CA

    National Parks: Sand-Seeker

    Some of California's best sandy havens are found in our national parks! Here are three worth an autumn visit.

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