"Once a sleepy little boulevard that boasted some nice restaurants (Hal's, Joe's, etc.) and a few art galleries, these days Venice's Abbot Kinney is the hottest shopping spot in town. New boutiques seem to open every week – think Tom's Shoes, Will Leather Goods, the Mystic Journey Bookstore, Marine Layer, Warby Parker, Huset, Timbuk2, just to name a few. So start to stroll at the corner of Venice Boulevard and Abbot Kinney and don't stop until you hit Main Street. The discoveries here are endless. And don't worry, there are plenty of great places to eat, too, including Gjelina, Plant Food + Wine, Felix and Salt Air. Hal's Bar and Grill is back on the block, too, thankfully!" - USA Today's 10 Best

Venerable institution showcasing a variety of theatrical productions, including hits from Broadway.

Pacific Ocean dwellers on display at this large aquarium with touch tanks & behind-the-scenes tours.

Admission's free to permanent exhibits at this kid-friendly spot, also boasting IMAX & the Endeavor.

"If you're literally trying to get away from things, make Catalina your haven. The island lies just 22 miles from shore and is accessible via an hour-long boat ride. Its charming community is relaxed and carefree, and you'll take the vibe to heart as you frolic in the ocean, play a round of golf, or simply browse local shops and boutiques. In fact, there's plenty to do, no matter your interest or budget. Stay for a day, or make a weekend of it. With balmy weather and loads of leisure time ahead, there's nothing quite as appealing!" - USA Today's 10 Best

"Outdoor enthusiasts of all inclinations clamor to this beautiful park, which offers not only a wide variety of landscapes for physical activity but a selection of lookout points for sightseeing as well. Several thousand acres of terrain accommodate visitors on foot, horseback, and bikes, and 3½ miles of coastline proves eminently pleasurable to folks who want to swim, scuba dive, surf, and look for marine life in the tide pools. There are cottages for rent along the beach but competition is fierce and only a little less so for sunset reservations at The Beachcomber Cafe located on the sand. For a casual meal, Ruby's Shake Shack is at the top of the bluff at the end of a long flight of stairs." - USA Today's 10 Best

"It's the happiest place on earth! This world-renowned theme park features breathtaking rides, enticing games, and thrilling shows. In fact, with eight individually themed "lands," it offers plenty of fun for the entire family. Explore the futuristic adventure of Tomorrowland, Frontierland's outdoorsy Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, or the zany shenanigans at Mickey's Toontown. Rides, shows, shops, and restaurants are located in each section of the park. Although you could easily spend several days without doing the same thing twice, don't miss Disneyland Park – even if you've only got one day!" -USA Today's 10 Best

"Located in the heart of Newport Beach, Fashion Island shopping is Southern California’s premier coastal shopping and dining experience. With panoramic ocean views and towering palm trees, Fashion Island stores include prestigious department stores and specialty boutiques, more than 30 dining options and restaurants, including Fig & Olive, CUCINA enoteca, True Food Kitchen, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Fashion Island Newport Beach is also home to Orange County’s only Neiman Marcus, as well as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Home Store, Elie Tahari, Trina Turk, Kate Spade, Jonathan Adler and Anthropologie, just to name a few." -VisitNewportBeach.com

"Pageant of the Masters is part of the Festival of Arts summer program in Laguna Beach which began in the 1930s. Nightly 90-minute shows in an outdoor amphitheater recreate some of the world's most famous paintings. Art comes to life as real people pose in living paintings. Elaborate costuming, set design, technical components, music and narration bring the art to life and visitors marvel at the life-like approximations. In fact, tickets typically sell out well in advance of the show's premiere. Both classic and contemporary works serve as inspiration, and every show traditionally ends with da Vinci's The Last Supper." - USA Today's 10 Best

Expansive complex housing art galleries with famous works, rare-book collections & lush gardens.

Part of NASA since 1958, this space exploration center offers talks & tours (reservations required).

"Billed as America's first theme park, this complex features 160 acres of thrill rides, live entertainment, historic exhibits and dining all divided into five themed areas. Among them are Ghost Town – an 1880s Western boom town with cowboys, gun fights, stagecoaches and gold panning – and Boardwalk, a coastal amusement park of the 1920s. With small children, head to Camp Snoopy where over 30 Peanuts themed rides entertain young ones and their parents. Over a dozen stages throughout the park showcase live entertainment with major performers at the 2100-seat Charles M. Schulz Theatre and Wild West stunt shows in Wagon Camp. The Halloween Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm is legendary for its lines and fear factor; it's not recommended for small children or those that scare easily." -USA Today's 10 Best

Ice Age–fossil excavation site with an adjacent museum, plus a re-created prehistoric garden.

"Start out near the Beverly Center and La Cienega Boulevard and you'll find some of the world's top designers on Melrose Avenue; Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and the Fred Segal boutique, where many different labels call home. Continue on towards La Brea Boulevard and the shops change, transforming into funky, edgy boutiques packed with reasonably priced, trendy outfits. So whether you've got a punk sensibility or a more elegant sense of style, there is a retail outlet somewhere on Melrose Avenue that will yield up a treasure. And part of the fun is spending a day meandering along the very-long street (you'll have to drive to see it all), making unique discoveries along the way." - USA Today's 10 Best

"One of California's oldest Spanish missions, San Juan Capistrano dates from 1776 and still features a variety of adobe foundations and a few working buildings. Although the once-majestic Great Stone Church is no longer intact, the intimate Serra Chapel with its baroque altar is still in use. The mission's legendary swallows, said to arrive every year on St. Joseph's Day, add to the mission's charm. The site's museum recollects the history of the mission, and a variety of art and cultural activities are hosted each season including camps for kids, a summer concert series and Battle of the Mariachis." - USA Today's 10 Best

"The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States.[3] Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large collection is comprised not only of specimens for exhibition, but also of vast research collections housed on and offsite. The museum is actually an association of three Los Angeles area museums: The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park and the William S. Hart Ranch and Museum in Newhall, Santa Clarita, California. The three museums work together to achieve their common mission: "to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds." - Wikipedia

"The Ocean Institute welcomes over 100,000 school children annually for ocean science and maritime history programs. The Ocean Institute is an ocean education organization located in Dana Point, California. Founded as the Orange County Marine Institute in 1977, it offers ocean science and maritime history programs for K–12 students and their teachers. Over 100,000 students and 8,000 teachers from Orange County and the surrounding counties participate yearly in immersion-style programs in the Institute's oceanfront labs and abroad." - Wikipedia

"Rodeo Drive needs no description, as it is certainly the most famous shopping street in the world, thanks to Hollywood. So many movies have filmed scenes here it is too hard to count; but as the ultra-luxe shops come and go, one thing remains the same: this is the Beverly Hills spot where money rules. Bring plenty of it when you enter Tiffany's, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Harry Winston or Cartier to buy jewels; you'll need deep pockets at Chanel, Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, Dior or Prada, too. Be sure to stop into Rimowa, where they sell the best rolling luggage on the planet; if you've been busy, you can fill your suitcase with all your purchases and easily roll it all the way home." - USA Today's 10 Best

"The old, Frank Gehry designed Santa Monica Place is gone, replaced with a sleek open-air shopping center anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. There are plenty of high-end boutiques (Barney's, 7 For All Mankind, Kate Spade, Pandora, etc.) and a happening restaurant scene on the top floor, where views of the ocean pair with crafted cocktails or fine California wines. Park in one of the numerous garages that surround the mall, and make sure to take a walk down the neighboring Third Street Promenade as well, where even more shops, restaurants and some often seriously strange people watching await. And the Santa Monica Pier is just a few steps away, as is the beach and the Pacific Ocean.
Photo courtesy of Macerich Company" -USA Today's 10 Best

Famous, sizable free museum highlighting American & European art, architecture & manicured gardens.

Former tycoon's residence modeled after 1st-century Italian villa, with Greek & Roman artifacts.

"Day or night, summer or winter, the Grove always teems with shoppers. It's such a popular place that teens like to hang out there, taking selfies by the animated music fountain in the center of the open-air mall; adults like to hit the diverse shops (from Apple to American Girl to Barney's, UGG Australia, Michael Kors, Nike) and department stores (Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel); and everyone loves the 14-screen Pacific Theatres movie palace. There's great food at the Whisper Restaurant and Lounge and at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, too (try the fried chicken with wasabi, it is divine), and just a stroll away (or take the kitschy Grove Trolley) is the Original Farmer's Market, where a collection of classic restaurants awaits. Visit the Gumbo Pot there for an authentic taste of New Orleans!" - USA Today's 10 Best

Open since 1923, the venue is a National and State Historic landmark & home to USC Trojans football.

"The Point is a casual shopping center located on the corner of Rosecrans Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, right at the intersection of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach. Four years in the making, it's a comfortable, easy spot to shop, dine, workout and meet up with friends. Free street-level parking helps make it an easy in-and-out (unlike many other malls in SoCal) and the wide variety of places to visit have already made it a local favorite, just moments after it opened in August 2015. You'll find Planet Blue, Lucky Brand, Madewell, Athleta, Bella Beach Kids and more shops, along with Bellacures Nail Salon, Soulcycle, Peets Coffee & Tea, Vicara Aveda SalonSpa and an assortment of restaurants (True Food Kitchen, Mendocino Farms, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, etc.) with plenty of outdoor seating." - USA Today's 10 Best

Sprawling amusement park with a cinema theme, featuring rides, restaurants, shops & shows.

"There's no other beach scene in Southern California quite like the one you will find on Venice Beach. Starting with the fact that it's the only place that we have a boardwalk right along the sand, where shops selling everything from beach basics like surfboards, boogie boards, wetsuits, bathing suits, sunscreen and flip flops to hippie jewelry, incense and stoner paraphernalia await the crowds that flock there, especially on weekends. Add in the chance to see the famous Muscle Beach outdoor workout area, the running-chainsaw jugglers, the drum-circle bangers, the medical marijuana hucksters and all the gorgeous bikini-clad gals and ripped guys who cycle by on the bike path and there's no question that the Venice Beach Boardwalk is a must-visit L.A. shopping area." -USA Today's 10 Best