California Institute of Technology

The Camarillo outlet mall is located near Ventura (about 1-1/2 hours north of Pasadena) and features 120 stores. You can rack up impressive savings on merchandise from Banana Republic, Barneys New York, BCBG, Kenneth Cole, Lacoste, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Theory, and more.

The Village Faire, billed as the largest single-day street fair in the country, is held on the first Sunday in May and November in Carlsbad, a small town just north of San Diego. Some 850 vendors sell arts and crafts, clothing, and other goods to the 90,000 visitors who typically attend these events.

Shopping in Costa Mesa anything but ordinary. The "Bridge of Gardens" takes you to both sides of South Coast Plaza, an upscale shopping mall, or to Metro Pointe at South Coast, with its open-air plazas, fountains, and sidewalk cafés.

San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is a dining, shopping, and entertainment district featuring an eclectic blend of food, fun, and culture in historic surroundings. Many of the district's Victorian-era buildings, constructed between 1880 and 1910, have been restored to their original character.

California's longest concrete municipal pier and the most famous landmark in Huntington Beach. It's a popular fishing spot—no license is required—and at the far end of the pier is Ruby's cafe, a 1940's diner with the best ocean view in town.

As one of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in America, Idyllwild offers culture and entertainment, scenic hiking and fishing, and unique shopping.

La Jolla (that's pronounced "hoya," by the way) has been a favorite vacation destination since the 1880s. Boasting a beautiful and majestic coastline, the town offers a variety of shopping, dining, and attractions, plus a two-day Festival of the Arts every summer.

Ojai, whose name is derived from a Chumash Indian word meaning "moon," has a rich and colorful past. Today's Ojai is home to world-class art galleries; interesting shops, studios, and boutiques; fine restaurants; and a variety of events in every season.

Designed to entertain and educate, the Sawdust Art Festival draws more than 200,000 people from across the country each year. Visitors are invited to shop along sawdust-covered paths through a hand-crafted village of fine arts. The festival also features demo booths for crafts like glass blowing, complimentary hands-on art workshops, a children's art booth, refreshments from restaurants and a saloon, and live music.

The Lab is to typical malls what alternative music is to pop. It tries to be unique and edgy in a way everyone can conform to. But don't let the silliness keep you away. This is a fun and interesting place to shop. The complex, which looks like a post-apocalyptic warehouse district (broken concrete slabs, rusted iron beams, stacked metal drums, etc.) has been decorated in thrift-shop/retro kitsch. Businesses include Urban Outfitters, Buffalo Exchange, Crew Salon, a Cuban restaurant, and a coffeehouse.

Covering more than 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest desert state park in the contiguous United States. East of San Diego, the park's five hundred miles of dirt roads, two huge wilderness areas (comprising two-thirds of the park), and 110 miles of riding and hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert.

Two deserts—the Colorado and the Mojave—come together at Joshua Tree National Park. Below 3,000 feet, the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree. The park is located between I-10 and Hwy 62, and has its headquarters in Twentynine Palms.

Julian is a premier mountain getaway, just an hour east of San Diego, in the beautiful Cuyamaca mountains. Take a step back in time to the days of Julian's beginning, rooted in the 1870s gold rush, and get away from the hectic rush of city life. It's especially nice in October, when the apple harvest is in full swing and the whole town smells of freshly-baked pie.

Located 5100 feet up in the San Bernardino Mountains, Lake Arrowhead offers recreational activities including hiking, camping, lake tours, snow skiing and boarding, and ice skating. There are a variety of options for overnight accommodations, from quaint B&Bs to the historic Saddleback Inn.

Los Padres National Forest encompasses nearly two million acres in the beautiful coastal mountains of central California. The forest stretches across almost 220 miles from the Big Sur Coast in Monterey County to the western edge of Los Angeles County.

The Mojave National Preserve comprises 1.6 million acres. It was established in 1994 to protect the prehistoric, historic, and natural resources found at this convergence of ecosystems.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, Oak Glen is one of Southern California's most scenic spots. The cool mile-high climate brings about a beautiful change of seasons, unsurpassed in the area. Apple orchards cover slopes laden with blossoms in the spring and apples in the fall. The scenery looks like New England, and it's only 90 minutes from Los Angeles (on the way to Palm Springs).

Caltech's Palomar Observatory, located in northern San Diego County, consists of four domes. The largest houses the 200-inch Hale Telescope, which is used to study distant celestial bodies. The visitors' gallery at the 200-inch telescope is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rim of the World begins at Mormon Rocks in the Cajon Pass area and leads to Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake, and other resort areas. Comprising State Routes 138, 18 and 38, the winding 107-mile road passes through elevations of 5,000 to 7,200 feet and offers many panoramic views.

State Route 33 begins in the wide flats of California's Central Valley, but its far southern end is a twisting, narrow roadway through the rugged Transverse Ranges. The Santa Ynez range is the last barrier before the road meets the Pacific coast. This is the high eastern end of the range that overlooks—and isolates—the city of Santa Barbara. The area, which was featured in the film Sideways, boasts several great wineries, as well as an ostrich farm.

The largest amphibious training facility in the nation, Camp Pendleton covers 17 miles of Pacific coastline north of Oceanside. It is home to 35,000 active-duty Marines and their dependents.

The MCAS Miramar Flying Leatherneck Museum located in Miramar, California, is unique in the Marine Corps. Its collection includes 41 airframes, ranging from World War II to present-day jet aircraft. It has a research library containing videos, technical publications, periodicals, photos, and books that is rapidly becoming a one-of-a-kind treasure chest of Marine Corps and aviation history and achievements.

La Jolla Playhouse supports theater both as an art form and as a vital social, moral, and political platform by providing creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow. To fulfill this mission, the playhouse produces a mainstage season of six to eight innovative productions of new plays, classics, and musicals, many of which are world premieres.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego has been an active part of San Diego's waterfront and cultural life since the arrival of the Star of India in 1927. The mission of the museum is to serve as the community memory of our seafaring experience by collecting, preserving, and presenting our rich maritime heritage and historic connections with the Pacific world.

Called "Queen of the Missions," Mission Santa Barbara is one of the best preserved of the California missions. The original living quarters for missionaries and guests are now museum rooms that feature collections of period artifacts.

Former President Nixon's birthplace has been restored with attention to historical detail on the exact spot where his father built it. Although security and sprinkler systems have been installed, no part of the house was rebuilt. Most of the furnishings, including the bed where the president was born and the piano he learned to play, are original.

Live actors, intricate sets, and sophisticated lighting captivate the audience as recreations of classical and contemporary artworks are brought to life.

Held annually in May and June in San Bernardino, the Pleasure Faire offers a multitude of Renaissance-inspired entertainments. Attend Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth on Her progress through the shire. Thrill to the antics of swashbuckling heroes, merry minstrels, jugglers, daredevils, bellydancers, and thespians on seven stages. You can also slake your hunger and thirst with all manner of fine victuals and drink.

The museum displays American, Asian, and 19th-century European art; contemporary works; Greek and Roman antiquities; a major photographic collection; and changing exhibitions.

Belmont Park is an oceanside amusement park featuring a renovated 1925 wooden roller coaster, a carousel, a 175-foot-long indoor swimming pool, an indoor family playland, and more.

Situated on the site of the former Kaiser Steel Mill, approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles, California Speedway is a great place to watch a race and experience the thrills of NASCAR. One of the premier auto racing venues in the country, the Speedway hosts six major racing weekends each year, including the most highly attended sporting event in the state.

Founded in February 1986, the California Surf Museum in Oceanside features displays of surfing equipment and photographs. Every six months the museum introduces a new feature exhibit highlighting one of the pioneering legends of the surfing world. The museum also retails surfing-related merchandise.

Located just north of San Diego, the Raceway features a wide range of hot-rod motorsport racing on weekends year round.

Located at Santa Ynez Airport, Windhaven offers glider rides of varying duration over the hills, towns, and vineyards of the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.

Departing from various locations, hot-air balloon rides provide panoramic views of the Temecula wine country, often including scenic portions of northern San Diego County. Pre- or post-flight beverages are usually provided.

Pechanga is a gaming and entertainment complex located just minutes from Temecula's Old Town and wine country.

Located near the city of Escondido, 32 miles northeast of the other San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park is an 1,800-acre wildlife preserve where you can see herds of exotic animals as they might have appeared in their native habitats.

Wild Rivers is a 20-acre waterpark with more than 40 rides and attractions, including waterslides, wave pools, a children's play area, and a picnic area.

Discover the vintages of southwest Riverside County by visiting the wineries in and around Temecula, among them Callaway, Cilurzo, Hart, Mount Palomar, and Wilson Creek.