About California Travel

Where's Santa?

2009-12-23T01:51:08Z

For the last 50 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has turned their high-tech military tracking system to a more family-friendly activity. They track Santa every Christmas Eve. Their fun website includes information about Santa, the story of how a misprint got them started in the Santa-tracking business and much more.

Where's Santa? originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 01:51:08.

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New Hotel Finds: La Quinta Resort

2009-12-18T22:39:58Z

Located in La Quinta, south of Palm Springs, the La Quinta Resort sits in one of the prettiest spots in the Coachella Valley, with mountains cupping around the property to provide a dramatic backdrop for Spanish Revival-style buildings and soaring palms. Their new restaurant Morgan's in the Desert boasts an award-winning chef and the place has been listed among the best tennis and golf resorts in the country.

Read our review to find out more.

New Hotel Finds: La Quinta Resort originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Friday, December 18th, 2009 at 22:39:58.

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New Hotel Find: Andreas Hotel, Palm Springs

2009-12-16T00:29:13Z

Like many Palm Springs hotels, the Andreas is both old and new, built in the 1930s and updated just a few years ago. It offers a great combination of convenience, comfort and quiet. Set far enough away from the busy street that noise doesn't get in, it's in the middle of downtown Palm Springs, within walking distance of the Convention Center and the shops and restaurants on Palm Canyon Drive. Read our review to find out more.

New Hotel Find: Andreas Hotel, Palm Springs originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 00:29:13.

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Where to Stay in Palm Springs

2009-12-14T00:15:28Z

Palm Springs can be a frustrating place to find a place to stay, with more than half a dozen small towns that are each listed separately in some reservation websites and - even worse - a whole bunch of really cute properties that only accept reservations by telephone or e-mail. To help you make sense of it all and find the place that best for you, try our guide to finding a place to stay in Palm Springs.

Where to Stay in Palm Springs originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 00:15:28.

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California's Fanciful Water Towers

2009-12-11T00:27:12Z

Most towns and cities have boring water towers, shaped like cylinders or spheres painted blue to hopefully blend into the sky and not cause a visual intrusion. In a few places, people have another idea, using their water towers as a foil for fanciful paintings or to display their company logos. In California, their fanciful creations include towers that look like a coffee pot, a glass of milk and even a can of fruit - along with a few that display some pretty famous logos and cartoon characters.

See pictures of California water towers

We'd love to collect more, so please use the Comments section below to tell us about any you've seen.

California's Fanciful Water Towers originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 00:27:12.

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See the Coachella Valley and Colorado Desert

2009-12-09T00:16:03Z

I recently took a day-long drive out of Palm Springs, heading south into the Coachella Valley. If you look at it on a map, you might not think there's much to see, in fact, if I'd seen just one of the many unusual sights I encountered that day, it would have been interesting enough, but with a whole handful of them, it made for a very fun day.

You can see some of the highlights in our Coachella Valley photo tour.

See the Coachella Valley and Colorado Desert originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 00:16:03.

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Point Lobos

2009-12-07T00:30:04Z

In a fit of exuberance, watercolor artist Francis McComas once declared Point Lobos "the greatest meeting of land and water in the world," an often-repeated opinion of the small point of land jutting into the Pacific Ocean just south of Carmel, California. We've had pictures of it for a long time, but they just didn't measure up. It took four trips over four months to find the perfect day, but we finally managed to get some images that better reflect its beauty. Take a photo tour of Point Lobos to see what you think.

However, as I told a friend yesterday, I can only aspire to creating images of Point Lobos as beautiful as the ones Edward Weston made in the 1930s.

More: Point Lobos Visitor Guide

Point Lobos originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 00:30:04.

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Get Muddy (and Relaxed) in Southern California

2009-12-04T00:28:47Z

Glen Ivy Resort in Corona is an 11-acre, deluxe day spa centered around natural mineral springs and red clay mineral baths that earned it the nickname "Club Mud."

Easy to reach from Los Angeles, San Diego or Palm Springs, it's a relaxing place to spend a day, with a laid back ambiance that makes everyone feel comfortable, regardless of their body's appearance. It's more than just a place to get a spa treatment, with an admission fee that gives you access to many of its facilities.

Read our review to find out more.

Get Muddy (and Relaxed) in Southern California originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 00:28:47.

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Pacific Coast Highway

2009-12-02T00:01:05Z

The other day, someone asked in our forum "I wish to know more information about Highway One." It's a big request for a highway that runs from Capistrano Beach in Orange County to Leggett in northern Mendocino. If you're looking for information about the whole thing, use the guide to California Highway One which gives some tips and advice as well as mile-by-mile info.

In Orange County and most of Los Angeles County between Dana Point and Malibu, California Highway One is a city street and usually called Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) or just Coast Highway. Find out about traveling on that section of the famous highway.

Pacific Coast Highway originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 00:01:05.

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Destination Hideways in Southern California

2009-11-30T00:57:01Z

Sometimes you just want to get away, settle in a nice spot and not worry about things for a couple of days. Other times, you find a place that's so nice you don't want to leave.

For stressed-out times or cozy romantic getaways, we've discovered the best places for "nesting" in Southern California. Most have spas and restaurants on premises or nearby, all have beautiful views and comfortable rooms. Some have pools and other amenities. Don't blame us if you don't want to come home at the end of your stay.

More: Destination Hideaways in Northern California

Destination Hideways in Southern California originally appeared on About.com California Travel on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 00:57:01.

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