The Milestone Mo-Tel, an elegant, whitewashed structure modeled on an old Spanish mission, marked the beginning of a new form of accommodation and an entire travel movement.
The bike I'm borrowing is much lighter than my own, with tyres twice the width, and drop handlebars splayed out to the sides for extra control. The gearing goes much lower than I am used to, meaning even the steepest slopes should be eventually surmountable.
Kirkwood has had a pretty solid past few days, seeing 42 inches of snow through the past 7 days, 31 of which fell in the past 48 hours. As of April 13th, Kirkwood has 5 lifts spinning with 45 of 84 trails open to skiers and snowboarders.
We have deployed several types of cooling systems here, each one used depending on climatic conditions. The system, created millennia ago but updated for the 21st century, works by cooling water underground in the naturally low temperatures at night. To cool water more quickly, some is also sent to the roof via solar-powered pumps and sprayed out of nozzles in a thin layer through a method known as a falling film, before draining back down underground.
Southern California, especially Los Angeles, has many breathtaking botanical gardens and wildflower-lined hiking trails. But it's also exciting to visit private home gardens that are rarely open to the public and find inspiration even if you don't have space for a garden at home.
For 2025, there was good news and bad news: overall, these areas were visited 323 million times over the course of the year. That's the good news; the bad news is that this figure was down ever so slightly - specifically, 2.7% - from a record-setting 2024.
Maloof hand-carved a three-story spiral oak staircase. Other artists created stained-glass windows, copper doors and designer lighting. But the person who has been most involved in the house is Herb Hafif, the attorney, sculptor and art collector who personally split rocks for the stone walls and who has owned the property, through his philanthropic family foundation, since 1953.
Where multi-story apartment buildings are now being constructed once stood the Butcher family orchard. The farm had been in the family since 1881, when Rolla and Emma Butcher bought 160 acres of land. After Rolla's early death, Emma ran the farm by herself, planting fruit trees while raising her young children.
The city is at a crossroads. Some areas of the town are 30, 35 years old and may need more attention than the newer areas. We have a dichotomy of needs in that we have to provide services to both the old and the new sides of town.
Portions of the two-level, 1.1-million-square-foot mall were deemed unsafe by county and state fire inspectors who recommended the city shut them down "until all live-saving measures are addressed," the city said in a statement.
As a SoCal resident, I visit Anza-Borrego at least once a year to explore the sandstone Slot canyon and surrounding desert, keeping an eye out for animals like chuckwalla lizards and bighorn sheep. Despite its incredibly dry environment (the park averages just four to eight inches of rain a year, and summertime temps routinely hit the hundreds), Anza-Borrego teems with life and opportunities to explore one of the nation's most unique ecosystems.
The Eaton Fire was merciless when it came to Altadena's celebrated green spaces, destroying or damaging most of the leafy trees that lined the streets in many neighborhoods. Local advocates are scrambling to restore what was lost and save what's still standing.
Situated on the southern border of Orange County and easily accessible to travelers by Amtrak train or car, San Clemente has all the charm of a close-knit community and all the liveliness of a surfer's paradise. Plus, it's one of the most beautiful towns in the area, with the rolling San Joaquin Hills on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.
The fire then was fueled by brush - desiccated by both long-term drought and days of 90-degree heat during the peak of California's fire season. Powerful winds cast embers wide, setting shake roofs alight throughout hilly, narrow neighborhood streets. Communication between departments - including those that rushed into the area to offer mutual aid - was disorganized, with at least one unit waiting 24 hours for orders, while others freelanced, doing what they thought was best.
Ganesha Hills is a neighborhood of some 500 homes described by one resident as 'the San Gabriel Valley's best-kept secret.' Named for the elephant-headed Hindu god of good fortune, Ganesha Hills is situated in the rolling hills north of the San Bernardino Freeway (10), just east of the Orange (57) Freeway. The community of single-family homes in a variety of architectural styles set amid chaparral and oaks is in the northwestern section of Pomona bordering La Verne and San Dimas.
After a mine cave-in revealed a rich vein of ore Bodie, California became a thriving town during the years of the California gold rush. It quickly exploded in size and at its pinnacle was home to around had around 2,000 structures and a population of 8,000 people. It went bust in 1881 and what buildings remain standing represents about 10% of its original structures.
With their red-tile roofs and stucco walls so commonplace that they've become part of the landscape, the homes of the Spanish Colonial Revival tapped the climate, local materials and an idealized view of history to become the signature style of Southern California.
Following a three-day resort closure due to treacherous snow and road conditions, operations resumed, and what waited on the other side was nothing short of historic. A sincere thank you to the teams who kept everyone safe during the storm cycle.
BIG BEAR LAKE: Tucked just outside the national forest, this 1940s cabin features dramatic beamed ceilings over a two-story living room. Listed for: $265,000 for two bedrooms, one bathroom in 789 square feet with built-in seating, floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, galley-style kitchen, and rear deck on a 5,400-square-foot lot.
Cathy, I understand your pain. Driving 80 miles can feel like an odyssey, especially in SoCal. Thankfully, there are loads of fun places where your family can meet in the middle (or close to it). I've rounded up some solid options. By the way, the driving times mentioned here are a rough estimate for a weekend day without traffic, but as you probably know, your actual time may vary.
The event they're waiting for is the flowering of the valley's cherry trees, which number about two million. So far, only a handful—a variety called Royal Tioga—have dared to don their frilly spring frocks. The rest are still clutching their drab grey winter garb. Predicting the arrival of blossom is always tricky, but thanks to an unseasonably wet March the trees are three weeks late when I visit.