California

About two hours from the concrete grid of Los Angeles, the air turns cooler, the roads start to…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

Some downtowns feel built for rushing through. Others practically beg you to slow down, park the car, and…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Carne asada is one of those foods that turns a quick lunch into a full-on road trip. All…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

A working lighthouse still blinks over a rocky Northern California cliff, and you can actually book a bed…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Some families measure the passing years in birthday candles. Others measure them in trips to a certain Oakland…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Some breakfast spots build a following so loyal that people plan whole trips around a single meal. On…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

California may be known for trends, but some of its best burgers come from places that have barely…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

California has a reputation for being expensive, but not every coastal or lakeside town comes with a mansion…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

There is a spot in northern California where water pours 129 feet down a rocky wall, and much…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

Sometimes the best meals hide in the towns you would normally speed past on the highway. Along Interstate…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

Some houses keep their stories inside squeaky floorboards and towering turrets, and this one has been collecting them…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

Tucked into the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada, there is a small California town where old brick…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

Somewhere in Los Angeles County, movie night still means rolling down the window, tuning the radio, and watching…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

California is famous for beaches, big cities, and busy freeways, but some of its smallest towns are quietly…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

Somewhere along the sun-baked stretch between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, an old silver mining town still clings…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

A go-kart track that climbs to a second level does not come along every day, yet one spot…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

The long stretch of Interstate 5 through California’s Central Valley is famous for flat farmland and few reasons…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

Families load up the car in Orange County, the San Gabriel Valley, and beyond, all for a dinner…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

High up along Skyline Boulevard, a quiet stretch of the Santa Cruz Mountains keeps a secret that many…

By Evan Cook · Aug 23

Somewhere along one of California’s most famous coastal drives, a quiet trail slips away from the road and…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

Somewhere along one of the most famous coastal drives in California, water tumbles roughly 80 feet from a…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

Some waterfalls make you earn the view with hours of switchbacks and burning legs. Not this one. Tucked…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

California gets famous for its big cities and busy freeways, but the state also holds dozens of small…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

Somewhere in downtown Ventura, there is a small counter where you can drop a quarter, punch a few…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

California is famous for beaches and big cities, but some of its best steak dinners are found far…

By Evan Cook · Aug 22

Some neighborhood spots stick around because they get the basics right, year after year, with no fuss and…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

Some late-night stops in Los Angeles have earned their reputation the honest way, one chili-topped burger at a…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

Just north of San Francisco sits a small town where curious shoppers can spend an unhurried afternoon hunting…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

Some restaurants earn their place in a city by sticking around long enough to feed grandparents, parents, and…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

A downtown building that once looked worn now hums with mariachi music on Friday nights, and the aroma…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

Downtown Riverside hides a spot where masa is folded fresh and the line moves fast even when it…

By Evan Cook · Aug 21

Some food spots build a following through flashy marketing, but a few earn it the old-fashioned way, one…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some road trips end at a beach or a big city, but plenty of Californians point their cars…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some places earn a loyal following one warm slice at a time, and this little mountain bakeshop has…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some places earn their reputation one sandwich at a time, decade after decade, until skipping them feels like…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some ice cream shops come and go, but a handful of California spots have kept their doors open…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some places in Los Angeles come and go, but one little roadside stand has held its ground since…

By Evan Cook · Aug 20

Some meals are worth a long drive down the coast, and along a stretch of central California waterfront,…

By Evan Cook · Aug 19

California’s coastline is packed with famous restaurants, but the real treasures are the little seafood shacks where locals…

By Evan Cook · Aug 19