Take it from a local like me. “California” and “government” in the same sentence often draws a side-eye. However, when it comes to tourism reports, our ears perk up like a dog hearing the treat bag. The latest government report doesn’t reflect the sky-high rent I pay or the high-speed train that’s been teased for …

We’ve all been somewhere where we feel as if we’re going to melt into the pavement. Heck, we’ve probably all been to beaches that feel like we’ll melt into the sand if we ever got out of the water. Leave those sunny getaways to the East Coast, where you find out real quick why many …

It’s all smiles in one highly underrated California town beaming with history, mere minutes from some of the West Coast’s top beaches. Anchored by a Mission even Tom Cruise would be impressed by and serving as a springboard not only to incredible coastline, but sprawling wine country, this is truly one of California’s most unique …

Santa Barbara is certainly no secret, but there are still many gorgeous gems lining the coast and stretching into wine country that still go unnoticed. Whether you’re squeezing in a late spring getaway before summer shores see a sea of crowds, or prefer to kick back in a town you’ve never heard of with a …

Even though the bright lights of Hollywood have dimmed in terms of tourism, Los Angeles’s sprawling area of beautiful beach towns and mountain hideaways is still one of the most desirable places in California. That said, as enticing as it may be to tick off all the locales you’ve seen in the movies from your …

Condè Nast has long been more than a monthly magazine filler in your mailbox — these travel experts generally know what they’re hyping up. Their latest list of must-visit destinations showcasing America’s ’31 Most Beautiful Towns’ only includes a single California destination. Can you believe it? We at Travel Off Path think California is one …

Portland has no qualms with being known as America’s weirdest city. That became obvious from the moment I arrived a few months ago. As a first-time visitor, I stumbled upon drag shows at food truck parks, ‘Karaoke from Hell‘, and every downtown corner seemed to waft with patchouli oil. It goes without saying Portland is …

Say goodbye to Lake Tahoe, Big Bear, and jam-packed National Parks this summer, and say hello to California’s alpine hideaways for a tranquil vacation amongst the Golden State’s untouched landscapes. With the exception of a handful of popular lake towns, most summer vacationers obviously seek out California’s paradisal shores from San Diego to the Oregon …

As I’ve already driven around San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles this spring, I couldn’t help but notice hundreds of Arizona license plates invading our roadways. And that means one thing — the unofficial kickoff to tourism season. Woo. 😑 Californians love where they live; I’m certainly not complaining. But come spring and summer, …

Napa Valley is one of the most renowned wine destinations in the world. As such, prices are often driven up given high demand. All it takes is a little bit of digging to discover California is teeming with wineries from San Diego to the Oregon border. Napa may be a huge draw, but sleeping on …

Despite being able to zoom through the skies at breakneck speed, slow travel is making a comeback. And by ‘slow travel’, of course I mean trains. Taking a page out of Europe’s and Asia’s playbook, the U.S. has been teasing more train routes and bullet trains for years, but even the train routes already in …

Did you know there was a “San Francisco” before San Francisco? It’s true. Back in the early 1800s, way before Amazon Prime, businessman John Jacob Astor wanted to capitalize on the thriving fur trading market and founded the first official West Coast city. This Oregon hideaway is located along what remains a beautiful bayside town …