California (13)


Among the many allures of the City of Angels are its beaches, serving up a Baywatch vibe of "endless summer" all year round, and here are eight choice examples, from Malibu to South Bay.

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This winery is more than just a producer of fine wines in the heart of Sonoma County's picturesque landscapes. Balletto Family Vineyards is a story woven into the very fabric of this wine-rich region, and its tale is as captivating as the wines it crafts. Come along with us as we discover the secrets and stories behind Balletto Family Vineyards, a place where passion and tradition meet, and every Balletto wine bottle is a testament to the dedication of its maker. Browse our online wine store for

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Sonoma County, with its picturesque landscapes and world-class wineries, is a haven for wine lovers seeking an unforgettable getaway. Nestled in the heart of California, this region boasts a rich winemaking history and a reputation for producing a lot of great wine. Whether you're a seasoned oenophile or just beginning to explore the world of Sonoma wine, Sonoma offers an ideal escape filled with vineyard tours, tastings, and breathtaking views.

Steeped in history, Sonoma County holds a signific

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Google recently released its list of its most popular searches during 2022, and when it comes to scenic spots in the United States there are some surprises. For starters, “scenic spots” in Google’s definition does not include iconic places like Vermont’s Technicolor White Mountains in fall or the yawning Grand Canyon in Arizona (and by the waym more about canyons later). Instead, Google users were primarily interested in where to see and photograph some of Moth

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11580776675?profile=RESIZE_930xCarol Highsmith


Great Danes!


Nestled in Southern California's Santa Ynez Valley, a 45-minute drive north of Santa Barbara and a bit over two hours from Los Angeles, this small town of just over 6,100 offers visitors a unique blend of nature and culture. One of Solvang's top attractions is its unique Danish, which you can explore by strolling its charming streets. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, and its downtown remodeled in the 1940s to reflect that country's architectural heritage, Sol

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The Golden State is a bonanza for lovers of nature and the great outdoors, and in addition to natural beauty, its most stunning freshwater reservoir lakes usually offer a plethora of activities and amenities - swimming, boating, fishing, and various other pursuits on the lands surrounding them. And here's a round-up of some of the state's most popular with visitors from near and far:

Big Bear Lake

Located at an altitude of more than 6,700 feet In the 824,000-acre San Bernardi

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When I encountered my first giant sequoia in Mariposa Grove, my head did not tilt back far enough to see the top. Walking around the trunk practically required a GPS. Leaving noise and civilization behind to walk among these ancient trees brought us to the famous "Grizzly Giant," the grove’s elder statesman, which rivals the Statue of Liberty in height and sports a branch extending outward that is larger than the trunks of most trees.

 

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Welcom

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8 Top Activities of Pismo Beach, California

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In California's San Luis Obispo County, some 3½ hours north of Los Angeles, this charming small town is known for its beaches and wineries, but also has a number of other cool attractions well worth your time, from historical to cultural. Here are eight of the coolest; for a complete list of Pismo Beach attractions, click here

Be enchanted by butterflies at the Monarch Butterfly Grove.

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Enjoy the sunset at Pismo Pier.



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Explore sand banks in buggies at Oceano Pismo Dune

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When exploring the vast open spaces of the Western United States, millions of travelers visit iconic National Parks like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. For the uninitiated, Death Valley National Park may appear to simply be a wasteland with record breaking temperatures famous for frying eggs on blacktop. But dig deeper and you have one of the country’s largest National Parks with extremely comfortable daytime winter and early spring temperatures rarely climbing above 85 degrees. There are magnifi

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A small city at the lower end of northern California, Paso Robles dates back to the Spanish mission era of the 18th century, and wine making may have here as early as 1797, but it wasn’t until six wineries were established throughout the 1940s that the region began developing a reputation for premium California wine.

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Fast forward to today where some reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, "out Bordeaux" France's Bordeaux and rival certain internationally recognized wine regions north of San Fra

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It's really hard to beat a road trip across California's Central Coast. Challenging but spectacular terrain, wine regions rivaling Napa, beach towns ranging from art enclaves to laid back surfer hangouts, and eclectic lodging at every turn drive you forward towards new discoveries. But if Mother Nature isn't cooperating and extreme weather leads to coastal mud slides over the Pacific Coast Highway, here is an alternative approach:

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San Francisco Touchdown


There are other logical points of arrival

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800px-Lone_cypress_tree_Monterey_CA_photo_D_Ramey_Logan.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710xDon Ramey Logan




Northern California offers some of the USA's loveliest road tripping, with scenic views, great beaches, beach towns and state parks as well as attractions such as the Monterey Aquarium and the Carmel Mission. One particularly appealing stretch is the 122 miles (196 kilometers) between San Francisco and the town of Carmel along coastal Highway 1. You can drive it in a little over two hours, but there's so much to see and do along here that you could easily spend a week stoppi

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12366914263?profile=RESIZE_930xRandy Runtsch

There are excellent reasons northern California‘s “City by the Bay” is one of America’s most storied cities (if far from its most typical). Born as a colonial Spanish mission and fort on the tip of a peninsula, San Francisco was transformed by the gold rush of the 19th century; spectacularly flattened by the Great Earthquake in the early 20th; home of the 1960s “Summer of Love“; and in the 21st, once again reinvented as the pre-eminent world capital of high tech. This is an enterta

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