No plans for Memorial Day weekend? 5 great places to play if you gotta get away

By Christopher Reynolds, Chris Erskine

May 24, 2017 6:45 AM PT

The Sierra back country is still covered in snow, and landslides blocking parts of Highway 1 are still sliding. That means many high-elevation campsites in Yosemite and some coastal parks near Big Sur will remain inaccessible over Memorial Day weekend.

Still, there are still plenty of other outdoor spots to enjoy. Here are five places in California to drive to for a nature fix during the holiday weekend.

Glass Beach in Fort Bragg

If you’re ready for a road trip to Northern California, make sure you stop at Glass Beach in MacKerricher State Park. As the name suggests, the shoreline near Mendocino sparkles with wave-polished sea glass, which is far more special than it sounds. The source? The beach used to be a dump. How to get there.

The Sunset Cliffs neighborhood in San Diego. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Sea Cliffs in San Diego

You’ll find erosion at work at these crumbling cliffs in an upscale residential neighborhood in San Diego's Point Loma area. They offer amazing ocean views and arresting sunsets — and then there’s that phenom called the green flash. How to get there.

Montaña de Oro State Park in Los Osos

Sea and bluffs collide on the craggy coast of Montaña de Oro State Park in Los Osos, near Morro Bay. It’s a good place to camp overnight, walk along beaches and bluffs or even paint. And it’s only a half day’s drive away. How to get there.

The Marine Room restaurant at La Jolla Shores, (Kevin Dillard)

Marine Room at La Jolla Shores

This restaurant surrounded by the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is all about crashing waves too, except with different effect. The La Jolla Shores eatery right on the beach has been open since 1941. Go during high tide, and you’re guaranteed to see a show. How to get there.

Lake Tahoe

The best way to get around this lake on the California-Nevada border with a circumference of more than 70 miles is to drive — or paddle. The lake’s shore is studded with beaches as well as little historic sites and homes to visit. How to get there.

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Chris Erskine

Chris Erskine is a nationally known humor columnist and editor who retired from the Los Angeles Times in 2020. Previously he wrote for the Sports, Travel and Saturday sections and edited with the paper’s features staff. As an editor, he has been a part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams at The Times (for his graphics work on the Northridge quake and the North Hollywood bank robbery). He is best known to readers for his weekly humor pieces on life in suburban Los Angeles. His latest book, “Daditude,” released in 2018, is a collection of his favorite Times columns on fatherhood. He has written two other books, “Man of the House” and “Surviving Suburbia,” which reached the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. The Chicago native has also worked for papers in New Orleans and Miami.