Palm Springs has been a well-liked desert vacation for 100 years despite being only 100 miles (and around a two-hour journey) from Los Angeles. The region, which has 350 days on average of sunshine a year, is dotted with resorts and golf courses and is very well-liked in the winter. The region around Palm Springs, including the towns of Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Rancho Mirage, is referred to as the Coachella Valley.

The world's greatest collection of complete mid-century modern residences and businesses may be found in Palm Springs. On one of the walking excursions offered by the Palm Springs Historical Society, you can examine the architecture. Modernism Week, a weeklong celebration of the design movement with events, parties, talks, tours, and movie screenings, is held in the city every February. Every January, movie buffs swarm to the city to take in the free Palm Springs International Film Festival.

In addition to golfing and soaking up the sun, the Coachella Valley is home to several excellent dining establishments and tourist attractions. Both the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway are recommended for visitors to see. Over a distance of 2.5 miles and 8,500 feet, the aerial tramway ascends you in roughly 10 minutes. It transports you from a scorching desert to a cool, mountainous landscape that occasionally has snow and is covered in pine trees. Amazing views may be seen from the top. A simple café, a fine-dining restaurant, and more than 50 kilometers of hiking paths are available once you reach the top. Kêp reading to discover more best weekend getaways from L.A.

Location: Palm Springs, Sonoran Desert, southern California

Santa Barbara is a beautiful seaside city located just under 100 miles north of Los Angeles. There are lovely beaches, a boardwalk area, and a bustling downtown area filled with fantastic stores and eateries. The "American Riviera" is a fitting name for the region, which has a South of France atmosphere thanks to the blue Pacific, vast, curved beaches, and hillside houses.

The city's Funk Zone, a revitalized former warehouse area close to the waterfront, is now a well-liked location to spend an evening at one of the wonderful restaurants, art galleries, or performance venues there. Belmond El Encanto is an ideal luxury resort in the Riviera area in the hills above Santa Barbara if you're wanting to spoil yourself or someone special. The hotel, which has been in operation since 1918, has undergone extensive renovations and offers private, opulent casita and bungalow accommodations. A top-notch spa and gourmet fine dining are available, both of which offer stunning views of the city and the ocean beyond.

Location: Santa Barbara, central California coast

Why not travel out to Rosarito Beach in Mexico for a real Mexican vacation? Only about 15 minutes farther than Tijuana, it's roughly three hours by drive from Los Angeles. This destination is known to be one of the best weekend getaways from L.A.

This beach resort has a long, wide beach as well as a substantial number of resort hotels. It serves wonderful fresh fish and delicious, authentic Mexican meals. Visit the Baja Studios, where Titanic was filmed, then take a detour to Puerto Nuevo, a little fishing community.

It's easiest to park on the American side of the border (there is a sizable parking lot), enter into Mexico, and then hail a cab or request a rideshare vehicle to get to Rosarito. The majority of rental car agreements forbid driving the vehicle into Mexico, and the majority of American auto insurance agreements do not apply here. The fee is roughly $30 per carload directly to Rosarito Beach, and there is a line of taxis waiting there on the Mexican side of the pedestrian border crossing.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel, the first resort hotel in the region, is a legendary building. The modern condo wing is more popular with guests than the original, historic building that was constructed in the 1930s. It is in the heart of town, directly on the beach. The 500-room mega-resort features a private beach, a number of pools and hot tubs, a fitness center, a spa, and a few different on-site eating options, in addition to the typical range of amenities.

Location: Rosarito, California peninsula

The 90-minute Catalina Express ferry voyage to Catalina Island from the mainland is enjoyable, and the island is the ideal spot to unwind. There are numerous fishing and diving excursions available, wonderful beaches, mouthwatering cuisine from a variety of restaurants, and a wealth of natural locations to explore. A fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the sunshine and explore the island from a different angle is to go sea kayaking off the coast among whales and sea otters.

The island's Zip Line Eco Tour is a collection of five ziplines that takes you through a canyon at great speeds and altitudes. You can skip the frequently busy public beach in the center of Avalon and head instead to the more opulent Descanso Beach Club by strolling past the famous casino structure. The restaurant and beach club offers waiter service and the option to rent beachside cabanas and lounge chairs. Along with water sports rentals, there is a well-known beachfront cafe restaurant directly on the sand.

At the northern end of Avalon, the Bellanca Hotel is just across from the beach, affording some of its rooms and suites fantastic ocean views. There is also a sizable roof deck with breathtaking views of the harbor and beach. All of the island's attractions are close by, and the hotel offers complimentary bike rentals to guests. Visit the hotel's bar-restaurant, The Naughty Fox, where the menu is influenced by the seaside.

Location: California, Pacific Ocean

This beachfront city in Orange County, which is about an hour south of Los Angeles, is well-known for its artistic community, outdoor lifestyle, and some breathtaking beaches. In addition to having several galleries, Laguna Beach also holds an annual Pageant of the Masters and Festival of the Arts in July.

With full-size, three-dimensional, staged performance art versions of well-known works of art occupied by real people in makeup, body paint, and/or costumes, the Pageant of the Masters festival brings works of art to life. Imagine an actress costumed as the subject of the painting posing inside a stage set that resembles a large Mona Lisa. Beyond the yearly arts festival, a weekend break to Laguna Beach and the surrounding area is always a terrific idea. Along with a lengthy public beach, numerous top-notch dining establishments, and numerous art galleries, the area enjoys pleasant, sunny weather more than 300 days out of the year.

Across from the beach and nestled away in a canyon is the 87-acre luxury resort known as The Ranch at Laguna Beach. Along with a large spa, the resort offers a well-known restaurant and a great nine-hole golf course. The one- and two-story bungalow complexes housing the modern, opulent yet rustic lodgings fit in well with the canyon's surrounding natural environment. You may get to the beach by using a golf cart shuttle that travels through a tunnel under PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).

Location: Laguna Beach, Orange County, California

Mammoth Mountain is one of California's top ski areas if you're interested in skiing there. The resort may occasionally remain open for skiing late into the summer depending on the weather. November through June constitutes the typical ski season. It is located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and has a terrain park in addition to 175 routes served by 25 lifts.

Since this is a four-season resort, the Mammoth Lakes region is fantastic for camping, hiking, mountain biking, and other outdoor adventure sports when it's not snowing. The streams and lakes are ideal for fishing as well. In the summer, the resort operates a number of chairlifts to serve mountain bikers and hikers. You may drive to Mammoth from Los Angeles in five hours or fly to Mammoth Yosemite Airport. While JSX offers seasonal (winter) service from Burbank and Orange County (SNA) airports, United offers year-round service from LAX. You can visit the neighboring Manzanar National Historic Site, one of the ten internment camps used to imprison Japanese-Americans during World War II, when traveling to the Mammoth region.

Location: Mammoth Lakes, California's Sierra Nevada mountains, California

San Diego, which is three hours' drive from Los Angeles, has wonderful weather year-round and a huge selection of things to do. There are numerous intriguing retail businesses, a flourishing restaurant scene, and several fantastic music venues in the downtown area, notably in the Gaslamp District, which has undergone revitalization.

The majority of the animals are kept in recreations of their native habitats in the enormous San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. There are many opportunities for youngsters to engage with and learn about the animals, making it a terrific family attraction. In Escondido, about an hour away, there is a drive-through wildlife adventure called the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. You get to see rhinos, giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and other animals while doing so in a jeep akin to an African safari. Consider Pacific Beach for a more laid-back vacation with lots of beach time and outdoor activities. This tiny beach community is located near to La Jolla, just north of downtown San Diego. There is a large, flat beach, a boardwalk and bike path that runs along the seafront with restaurants and cafés, and there are lots of relaxed inhabitants taking advantage of the sunlight.

Right on the Pacific Beach boardwalk lies the stylish, vintage Surfer Beach Hotel. There is a large swimming pool with direct ocean views from some rooms. World Famous Pacific Beach, one of the greatest restaurants in the area, is located inside the hotel. Take a peek at some entertaining family resorts if you're traveling here with a family.

Location: San Diego, California

There are more than 800,000 acres of desert in Joshua Tree, specifically Joshua Tree National Park. By automobile, it takes just under an hour to get there from Palm Springs and under three hours from Los Angeles. The Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert each have their own unique desert ecosystems. Beautiful plants and animals, as well as breathtaking geological beauty, abound in the park. You visit Joshua National Park to go hiking, camp there for a night or two, or climb some rocks. It's a well-liked location for auto camping.

It's enjoyable to camp out for a few days in the middle of the desert or to take a day trip and only hike the shorter, simpler routes for an hour or two. The region is an International Dark Sky Park, which means that a staggering amount of stars and constellations can be seen at night. Just outside the park, in the little town of Joshua Tree, there are a variety of hippie shops, natural healers, and roadside eateries.

Location: Joshua Tree National Park, southern California

Ventura is one of the best weekend getaways from L.A. It is a small coastal community about an hour north of Los Angeles and makes for a wonderful weekend vacation where you can enjoy the seaside. Apart from having spotless, extraordinarily broad, empty beaches, it also features a charming downtown area that is suitably concentrated around Main Street.

The majority of the architecture from the 1920s and 1930s has been conserved, giving downtown Ventura a beautiful, vintage vibe. The seaside area features two beaches and a long, wooden pier that juts out into the water. A boat excursion to one of the adjacent deserted islands of the Channel Islands National Park is an exhilarating eco-adventure, and there is a huge harbor. The community was located along the Camino Real, a network of missions in California built by the Spanish in the 18th century and spanning the whole state. On Main Street in Ventura, the Mission Santa Buenaventura and its 1809 church are well worth a visit.

A quiet, nearly beachfront hotel with cozy, modern rooms and suites is the Ventura Beach Marriott. A few blocks separate it from San Buenaventura State Beach and the ocean. A large exercise facility and free-form pool are available. The hotel's on-site restaurant, The Channel Kitchen, serves California cuisine. Burger lovers should cross the street to In-N-Out Burger, a landmark in Southern California, for a Double Double.

Location: Ventura, California

This mountain resort in the San Bernardino Mountains offers both winter skiing and snowboarding as well as a ton of summer outdoor adventure activity. There are hundreds of kilometers of trails for riders of all skill levels, and the majority of ski resorts in the region keep one or two lifts open in the summer for mountain biking. Additionally, you can go hiking in the stunning forests. Popularity also extends to horseback riding.

The Big Bear Lake is ideal for boating and fishing. Of course, visiting during the wintertime provides you access to countless ski slopes of all difficulties as well as snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are the two primary ski areas, with Bear Mountain offering slightly more challenging terrain and elevation for experienced and expert skiers.

The two-lane road up and down the mountain in Big Bear, which is about two hours from Los Angeles, gets packed on holiday weekends. If you want to avoid extra time in traffic, leave very early or very late. Additionally dangerous are snowstorms, and winter driving calls for tire chains.

Location: Big Bear Lake, Southern California