Take a break. Here are 11 Southern California staycation ideas

Santa Barbara coast with palm trees, beach and buildings seen from the ocean

Oct. 20, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, Oct. 20. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

Here are 11 Southern California staycation ideas.
L.A. Catholic Church’s price tag for covering up molesting priests: $1.5 billion and pain.
Liam Payne’s cause of death revealed after preliminary autopsy.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Now is the best time for a quick Southern California staycation

With the summer long gone and the holidays creeping near but not yet here, travel experts say the best time for a vacation is now.

If long trips, jet lag, time zone and currency changes aren’t in store, however, there’s always the local option. After all, about 50 million people visit Los Angeles County, annually, and the state welcomed 264 million tourists last year.

Planning can cause headaches on short notice. Thankfully, my colleagues on the Travel & Experience desk have done much of the concierge work for your next Southern California staycation.

Here are a few places of our Top 11 list with highlights throughout Southern California.

Two Bunch Palms' Mineral Springs grotto surrounded by palm trees

Soak your troubles away in Desert Hot Springs

Colleague Deborah Netburn joined up with a friend at the $400-a-night posh and historic Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs.

The luxurious desert oasis was reportedly built by mobsters and offers an adults-only policy, which is a true escape for parents needing a breather.

The lush 77-acre property at dusk provides a schedule of various wellness activities, most free for guests.

Arguably the most famous of these events is taking a dip in the grotto. The stone pool is shaded by broad palm trees and fed by naturally heated, 600-year-old mineral water.

Beyond the toasty springs, there is Kundalini yoga, sound healing, oracle card reading, along with time to chill in the hammocks, fire pits, private hot tubs, tennis courts, a pond, walking trail and much more.

Driving distance from L.A.: 2 hours

Chill in relaxing Santa Barbara

Convincing TikTok videos led colleague Kailyn Brown and family to picturesque Santa Barbara and Hotel Milo, located on a 36-acre seaside property.

The hotel is newer than most, built in 2014 and named after hotelier Milo Potter. A cozy double bed room ran $369, plus taxes.

Milo faces the breezy harbor and is only two blocks away from the city’s must-see spots, including Stearns Wharf, State Street and the Funk Zone.

The 121-room property, spread across six hacienda-style buildings, is adorned with rows of palm trees, an exquisitely landscaped lawn and fire pits. Milo also has a pool, hot tub and poolside cabanas and complimentary bikes (with a basket) to get around.

Start your day by walking along the beach, then check out Stearns Wharf. Eat breakfast at Chad’s Cafe at the hotel or walk two blocks down to Jeannine’s Bakery, which is family owned.

Once you’re full, head over to State Street and make your way to the downtown area, which is filled with retail shops, wineries, breweries, restaurants, museums and a movie theater. Don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth with a scoop of Santa Barbara Strawberry at McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream.

Rotunda of the Mission Inn Hotel with winding staircase and ornate columns

Driving distance from L.A.: Roughly 2 hours.

European elegance in Riverside

For those looking for a European experience without the 10-hour travel, look no farther than Riverside, according to my colleague Jeanette Marantos.

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in downtown is a massive Mission-Revival-Moorish-Gothic-pick-a-style-any-style behemoth. It is part resort and part museum with more than 200 rooms, a massive pool, eucalyptus steam bath, four restaurants, two bars, its own chapel and a tour.

Self park costs $27, while valet is $8 more.

The dazzling tile lobby helps you forget about the parking cost, while the spacious rooms offers a small balcony and a handsome fireplace.

Wander the halls, grab a drink at the Presidential Lounge, which features recognizable painted portraits of the 10 U.S. presidents who ever visited the hotel (starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891), and then lounge at the palm-studded pool.

Driving distance from L.A.: About an hour.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our list.

The week’s biggest stories

Protesters hold quilts bearing portraits of young children outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Los Angeles Roman Catholic Church abuse payout

L.A. Catholic Church covered up molesting priests for decades. The price: $1.5 billion and so much pain.
Roughly 300 priests who spent time in the archdiocese have been accused of molestation.
One reason for the increased lawsuits was a California law passed in 2019.
Issues still exist, however, as a former L.A. Archdiocese priest pleads no contest to possession of child pornography.

Dodgers take another swing at reaching the World Series

Column: Everybody chill! Dodgers are still in control of their World Series destiny.
Dodgers drop NLCS Game 5 to Mets. Who has momentum now?
Two unsung heroes may have set up the Dodgers for success in NLCS Game 6.
Column: Dodgers’ shortage of healthy pitchers forces Dave Roberts into high-risk balancing act.
Column: Freddie Freeman is hurting, and the Dodgers need to keep him on the bench.

Kamala Harris campaign

Commentary: What more does Kamala Harris have to do to win?
Why you should stop looking at 2024 election polls in the coming weeks.
Harris has been called “soft” and “tough” on crime. What does her record show?

How California handles the release of sexually violent criminals

California spends $1.6 million per predator for released sexually violent offenders, audit finds.
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ released into Antelope Valley despite residents’ concerns.
This L.A. suburb says it’s a “dumping ground” for sex offenders. Residents want to stop that.

Environmental issues

EPA lead ruling unlikely to resolve water contamination issues in L.A. public housing.
Fires spark across state as California heads into dangerous weekend of gusty, dry winds.
“A beautiful thing”: Klamath River salmon are spotted far upstream in Oregon after dam removal.
High waves sweep beachgoers into the ocean in Oahu, claiming lives of California man and Oklahoma woman.

More big stories

San Diego’s renovated symphony hall looks great, but how does it sound?
Masked man fires gun inside bank, narrowly missing teller, and flees with $31,000.
Roommate arrested after Riverside man found buried in backyard.
Woman who drowned her three children ruled insane by judge.
A baby was found dead in a red paper bag 30 years ago. Now, his mother is accused of murder.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

An illustration of a driver heading to the U.S.-Mexico border.

I’ve done the drive from Orange County to the United States-Mexico border so many times that it’s as easy to describe as my backyard. It’s such a familiar journey that I rarely think of it as what it is — a trip to another country. It doesn’t take more than two hours, but it might as well be an eternity. The border was drawn 175 years ago by a joint U.S.-Mexico commission after the U.S. won the war between the two countries and conquered what is now the American Southwest. Both sides of la frontera have been picking at this open sore ever since.

More great reads

Column: What are the answers to MacArthur Park crisis, and can Councilmember Hernandez lead the way?
In this red California county, Biden beat Trump by just 14 votes. What happens next?
Inside the Korean American flavors of the latest L.A. bakery drawing lines down the block.
Six ways Kamala Harris changed these Californians’ lives forever.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Photo of actress Julie Bowen on a background of colorful illustrations like a book, dog, pizza, TV, shopping bag, and more

Going out

🥃 “Modern Family” mom Julie Bowen shows us some favorite local haunts in her Sunday Funday, starting with ginger shots.
💀 Looking for a place to learn more about Día de los Muertos or to celebrate the traditions. We’ve got you covered.
🥾 Hike from Santa Monica to San Diego. We’ve got a route that goes from inn to inn.

Staying in

⚾ The Dodgers will try to punch their ticket to the World Series by beating the Mets at Chavez Ravine. Game time is at 5:08 p.m. on FS1.
🚨 Oxygen True Crime debuts a two-hour special at 7 p.m. titled “Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles,” which focuses on the Southside Slayer.
🧑‍🍳 Happy National Chicken and Waffles Day! Here’s a savory and sweet recipe.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.