At a glance
Scan the table to match a trip to your weekend. Traffic and schedules change, so check before you go.
| Trip | Getting there | Best for | Start with |
|---|
| Santa Barbara, CA | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner: typically 2.5 to 3 hours. Drive: about 2 hours. | Beaches, wine tasting and State Street | State Street and Stearns Wharf |
| San Diego, CA | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, with daily round trips. | Beach neighborhoods and Balboa Park | Pacific Beach and Mission Beach |
| Catalina Island, CA | Catalina Express ferry from San Pedro, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. | An island town you can cover on foot | Crescent Avenue |
| Palm Springs, CA | FlixBus, with trips from 2 hours 5 minutes. | Midcentury design and desert days | The Palm Springs Art Museum |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | Drive: about 2 hours. | A mountain lake and a walkable village | The Village on Pine Knot Avenue |
| Solvang, CA | Drive: about 2.5 hours from downtown Los Angeles. | A Danish village and wine country | A Danish bakery |
| Joshua Tree National Park, CA | About 140 miles east of Los Angeles. Public transportation to the park is limited. | Hiking, climbing and stargazing | Stargazing in the Dark Sky Park |
Trips with train, ferry or bus service
Santa Barbara, CA
A beach town you can reach by train, with the station two blocks from the sand.
- Getting there. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight both stop at Los Angeles Union Station and Santa Barbara's downtown station. Visit Santa Barbara says the ride typically takes 2.5 to 3 hours, with multiple trains a day. By car it typically takes about two hours, and traffic can add time at peak periods. Buses from Greyhound, FlixBus and Santa Barbara Airbus take 2 to 3 hours and drop you downtown, a few steps from the Funk Zone.
- Day one. Settle in near the station: the Riviera Beach House is steps away on State Street, and the Hotel Californian sits by the beach. Walk State Street's boutiques, surf shops, galleries, cafes and wine bars, then follow it to Stearns Wharf. Stop at the Conway Deep Sea Tasting Room for a view of the Pacific, and have dinner at The Lark in the Funk Zone.
- Day two. Have breakfast at Chad's on Cabrillo Boulevard, open since 1957, and take a morning beach walk. Then follow the Urban Wine Trail through the Funk Zone and the Presidio Neighborhood, or join a walking tour with Santa Barbara Tasting Tours.
- Worth knowing. Many parts of the city are walkable or bikeable, and buses, taxis and rideshare fill in the rest.
San Diego, CA
Beach neighborhoods, a big city park and a train from Los Angeles.
- Getting there. The Pacific Surfliner runs daily round trips between San Diego and Los Angeles.
- Day one. Spend it at Pacific Beach and Mission Beach, connected by a 3-mile paved boardwalk. Have breakfast at Kono's Cafe or Breakfast Republic, then visit Belmont Park, where the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster runs. For the evening, try the rooftop at Firehouse American Eatery & Lounge or watch the sunset from Pacific Beach Alehouse.
- Day two. Explore Balboa Park, with its gardens, the Comic-Con Museum, the Museum of Photographic Arts and the artist studios at Spanish Village. Then head to the Gaslamp Quarter for happy hour, such as sangria and tapas at Cafe Sevilla.
- Worth knowing. Construction on the Del Mar Bluffs can change schedules from Sunday night through Tuesday morning for downtown San Diego and Old Town, so check your Sunday return. The San Diego Tourism Authority says getting around without a car is doable, but some neighborhoods need a trolley, bus or rideshare from the stations. Ocean Park Inn is by Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, and Hotel Z and Moxy San Diego are in the Gaslamp Quarter.
Catalina Island, CA
An island town you reach by ferry, with no car needed once you land.
- Getting there. Catalina Express leaves from the Catalina Sea and Air Terminal at Berth 95 in San Pedro, in the Port of Los Angeles. San Pedro to Avalon takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Ferries also run from Long Beach, Dana Point and Newport Beach. The boat docks at the Cabrillo Mole, a short walk from the main part of town.
- Day one. Walk Crescent Avenue, the main street around Avalon Bay, past the Serpentine Wall and the Wrigley Fountain. Visit the Catalina Casino, which opened in 1929. Luggage service is available if you stay at the Pavilion Hotel or Hotel Atwater.
- Day two. Take a tour from the Green Pier, such as the Undersea Sub Expedition or the Glass Bottom Boat, or join a land tour from the Discovery Tour Plaza, such as Discover Avalon or the Bison Expedition. Walk the waterfront past the Casino to Descanso Canyon, where you can rent kayaks, paddleboards or snorkel gear, or try the zip line eco tour.
- Worth knowing. Avalon is easy to cover on foot. Golf carts rent by the hour or day, and COAST runs on-demand rides within Avalon. Descanso's beachside restaurant and bar is open seasonally, and the Cyclone speed boat to Two Harbors runs only in summer and early fall.
Palm Springs, CA
A desert city of midcentury architecture, art and cocktails.
- Getting there. FlixBus runs from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, Indio and the Coachella Valley, with trips from 2 hours 5 minutes, and weekend options are available. The route covers the whole valley, so check which stop suits your hotel.
- Day one. Explore downtown's murals, painted benches and galleries, and visit the Palm Springs Art Museum. For cocktails, try Bootlegger Tiki, Seymour's or Truss & Twine, and for dinner, Bar Cecil, Melvyn's or Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey.
- Day two. Head outdoors to the Indian Canyons, with palm oases and trails, or ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway into the San Jacinto Mountains. You can also book a Palm Springs Celebrity Tour, offered year-round, to see the former homes of stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe.
- Worth knowing. Modernism Week is held in February, with a preview event in October.
Trips worth the drive
Big Bear Lake, CA
A mountain lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, at 6,752 feet.
- Getting there. Big Bear's tourism site puts it about 2 hours from Los Angeles, by Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley or Highway 330 through Running Springs.
- Day one. Leave early and walk the lakeshore while you wait for check-in, which usually isn't until 4 p.m. Then explore The Village on Pine Knot Avenue, rent an e-bike from Goldsmith's Sports for the flat lake path, and stop at Barrel 33, a wine and craft beer tasting room in The Village.
- Day two. Keep the same rhythm: lake in the morning, mountains in the afternoon, and good food and wine at night. In winter, Goldsmith's Sports is also the place for ski and snowboard rentals.
- Worth knowing. Hotel Marina Riviera is a lakeside boutique hotel with a pool, a cold plunge and a sauna. Lakefront cabins and spa time fill up fast on weekends, and the itinerary suggests arriving Friday and leaving Sunday. Check road conditions before you go.
Solvang, CA
A walkable Danish village in the Santa Ynez Valley, with wine tasting just outside it.
- Getting there. Visit Solvang says downtown Los Angeles is 129 miles away and takes about two and a half hours, north on US-101 and then east on CA-246 from Buellton. Parking is free everywhere in Solvang.
- Day one. Start with pastries from one of the village's six Danish bakeries, then browse shops such as C&E Fine Jewelry and The Giving Ink. In the afternoon, visit Buttonwood Farm & Vineyard, a working vineyard with guided horseback rides, or taste at Alma Rosa Winery or Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. Have dinner at Toscana Italian Restaurant in Frederik's Court. If you arrive Friday, start with a pour at Final Girl Wines and dinner at Mad & Vin inside The Landsby.
- Day two. Have brunch at Coast Range on Mission Drive, open Thursday through Monday. Then walk Hans Christian Andersen Park or the trail below Old Mission Santa Inés, and pick up chocolates at Ingeborg's Danish Chocolates before you leave.
- Worth knowing. The Winston, The Landsby and Hotel Corque are the village stays. Book the horseback rides in advance, and reserve a table at Toscana.
Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Desert hiking, climbing and stargazing in an International Dark Sky Park.
- Getting there. The National Park Service puts the park about 140 miles east of Los Angeles. You can approach from Interstate 10 or Highway 62, and the park has West, North and South entrances. Public transportation to the park is limited. Don't rely on GPS inside the park, since it can send you onto backcountry roads with ruts or soft sand.
- Day one. Hike, climb and watch the stars. Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park.
- Day two. Look for wildflowers, take a 4x4 route, or camp. Nearly 85% of the park's 500-plus campsites are reservation-only, bookable on recreation.gov up to six months ahead.
- Worth knowing. There are no gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores or hotels in the park, and no water in the interior, so bring your own food, water and supplies. Cell reception is very limited. Fall and spring are the most comfortable seasons, with highs typically between 70 and 85°F. Weekends from October to May and spring break can be crowded, so buy your pass ahead at recreation.gov.
