California Weekend Getaways Index

La Jolla means "the jewel" in Spanish and it's an appropriate appellation for this pretty cliffside town just north of San Diego. Decidedly upscale, La Jolla offers great art galleries and shopping, beautiful coastal views and walks and some of the area's best beaches, including a California surfing icon.

La Jolla is Popular For: Family outings, romantic getaways, beaches and kayaking. It's also a great foodie destination with some of San Diego's best-rated restaurants and a good place to go just to relax. The La Jolla Playhouse is well worth a trip if you like the theater.

La Jolla is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino and San Diego. The nearest airport is in San Diego.

Laguna Beach is perhaps Orange County's least-overdeveloped beach towns, and one of its prettiest. Created as an artist's getaway, Laguna Beach still feels artsy, with nice galleries and some fun summer arts festivals.

Laguna Beach is Popular For: Beach play, shopping, art galleries and festivals - and its seaside location sets the mood for romance

Laguna Beach is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Lake County lies due north of Napa Valley, its southernmost town just up the hill from Calistoga. It's home to the largest, natural freshwater lake completely within California's borders, a pretty body of water about 100 miles in circumference. We think it's one of California's nicest, less-discovered spots.

Lake County is Popular For: Fishing, boating, small wineries

Lake County is within 200 miles of Fresno, Lake Tahoe/Reno, Sacramento, Stockton, San Francisco and San Jose.

Lake Shasta Houseboats are Popular For: Family getaways, active escapes or quiet relaxation

Lake Shasta is within 200 miles of Sacramento and Reno/Tahoe. It's a within 250 miles of San Francisco and San Jose.

A clear lake huddled into a natural bowl formed by granite mountains around it, Lake Tahoe is a favorite of northern Californians year-round. Although it's famous for winter skiing, it's even busier in summer when there are more things to do, and it's a great place to escape the summer heat.

Lake Tahoe is Popular For: Family outings, outdoor recreation, snow skiing, driving tours, hiking, fishing, boating and doing nothing. On the Nevada side of the lake, you'll find gambling casinos.

Lake Tahoe is within 200 miles of Fresno, Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose. The nearest airport is in Reno.

In 1915, decades before Mt. St. Helens blew its top, Mount Lassen erupted, raining volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles. The blast created an other-worldly landscape of boiling mud pots, steaming ground, roaring fumaroles and escaping sulfurous gases, giving rise to place names like Bumpass Hell and Fart Gulch. This lightly-visited national park deserves a lot more attention than it gets, so go now before everyone else discovers it.

Lassen National Park is Popular For: Family outings, outdoor recreation and driving tours. The thermal features draw photographers who try to capture their beauty.

Lassen National Park is within 200 miles of Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento and San Jose.

Often overlooked as a tourist destination, Long Beach offers a central location for exploring other parts of the Los Angeles area, close to major freeways and with some nice attractions of its own.

Long Beach is Popular For: family getaways and with night owls who enjoy music and dancing. It's also one of the country's most dog-friendly cities.

Long Beach is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Lining the Santa Monica Bay north of the Los Angeles Airport, the towns of Santa Monica, Venice Beach and Marina Del Rey offer a wide variety of things to do and a range of environments from funky Venice Beach to the high-end hotels lining the marina.

The beach towns are Popular For: Beach play, shopping, water sports and amusements.

Los Angeles is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Orange County, San Bernardino and San Diego. The nearest airports are in Los Angeles (LAX) or Burbank (BUR).

Did you know that Los Angeles has over 80 stage theaters and 300 museums, more than any other U.S. city? A weekend getaway in LA can be culturally rewarding. Visit world-class museums, go to the theatre, enjoy the finest in dining and take in some California sunshine along the way.

As long as you enjoy the arts, you'll find something in Los Angeles that fits your particular taste, whether it's cutting-edge or ultra-traditional.

Los Angeles is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Fresno, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Many big films premiere here, everything that's released shows up on Los Angeles screens first and many films that never make it to even smaller cities are sometimes showing at two or three places at the same time. Downtown is full of beautiful, old movie palaces and there are plenty of really nice theatres all over town, enough to keep you in the dark all day.

Los Angeles is Popular With: film buffs of all kind, from classic silent films to cutting-edge indies.

You'll be as surprised as I was to find out everything there is to do in downtown Los Angeles, from cultural activities to shopping and historical attractions, with new developments on the horizon. Because it's primarily a business area, hotel rates are low on weekends, so go now before everyone else finds out and they go up.

Downtown Los Angeles is Popular For: Shopping in the Garment District, touring the historical areas, attending musical and theatrical events and exploring other cultures in Little Tokyo and Chinatown.

Los Angeles is within 200 miles of Bakersfield, Fresno, San Bernardino and San Diego.

With the Santa Cruz Mountains as a backdrop and a downtown that revels in its historic architecture, Los Gatos is big enough to give you plenty to do, whether you go for the day or for an entire weekend.

Los Gatos is Popular For: shopping, fine dining and outdoor activities. It has one of the area's prettiest, best-preserved downtowns, making it popular with locals and visitors alike and it's a good base for wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Los Gatos is Within 200 Miles of Lake Tahoe/Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco. It's right next door to San Jose.