#julian-california

#julian-california

Laguna Beach takes its history and cultural heritage seriously—from the earliest Western settlers who set up artist studios, to our Indigenous peoples who made this special place home thousands of years ago.

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.

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.

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.

Owners and married couple Justin Choi and Janis Ahn, who previously ran roastery Hanok Coffee from 2021 to 2023, source both matcha and hojicha from Chinatown's Archives of Us, while the generally fruit-forward espresso beans come from the likes of Hydrangea (Berkeley), Flower Child (Oakland), Ilse (Connecticut's New Canaan) and locally based Moim Coffee.

City staff estimate it would cost approximately $1.2 billion to meet its goal of adding 87 more acres of parkland. That figure is based on Mountain View's current population, and does not account for future growth. "Significant funding would be needed to develop new parks or to update our parks," Assistant Community Services Director Kristine Crosby said at the Jan. 27 council meeting.

A man fell asleep underneath an oak tree in Placerita Canyon, in what's now the Newhall area of Santa Clarita. As he slept, he dreamed of finding gold. When Francisco López awoke, he pulled up wild onions growing nearby and discovered gold clinging to their roots. The legend is real - or at least parts of it. We'll never know if López really dreamed of gold, but we know he found it and that it was the first recorded discovery of gold in the state.

Dip into New York's Shinji's at True Laurel, a new concept from Square Pie Guys at Mago, and a Michelin-powered dinner at Songbird Parlour. For fans of blends and bubbles, check out the Festival of Undiscovered Grapes in San Jose, a celebration of oysters and bubbly wine in Mendo, or an afternoon of sparkling wine and wellness in Napa. Save some calendar space to close out SF Sketchfest. Jump ahead to this week's top events.

Located just upstream from where the Arroyo Seco and Los Angeles River merge, Mount Washington has been home base to a former mayor, a world-famous yogi and the official witch of Los Angeles County. The Arroyo Seco - which, after all, begins near a place called Devil's' Gate - has always been a location known for the offbeat, a neighborhood that was keeping it weird before Portland, Ore., or Austin, Texas, ever was.

Explore Southern Thai-Burmese fusion when James Beard Award-nominated and Michelin-recognized chef Arnold Myint takes up two-week residency at the Lazeaway Club to share recipes from his new cookbook; through Sunday February 15th. // Lazeaway Club, The Flamingo Resort and Spa, 2777 4th St. (Santa Rosa);reservations at opentable.com Keep up with more independedent flicks at the SF Indie Fest screening of Before the Call, which follows a Korean American who returns to Seoul and chooses to enlist in a search for what it means to belong;

If you happen to have $950,000 and a hangar to spare, a famed - and heavily discounted - American warbird in the California desert can be yours. Described as the "World's Only Privately Owned F-4 Phantom Capable of Flight" by its listing agents, the McDonnell F4H-1F has a significant and storied past: During a demonstration in 1961, this exact plane dropped several 500-pound bombs on Fort Bragg, influencing the U.S. Air Force's decision to order them.

"Wildflower growth depends on a delicate mix of weather factors, including rain and its timing, amount of sunlight, seasonal temperature patterns, and wind," State Parks wrote in its forecast. "Depending on the region and weather, the peak bloom season typically begins in mid-February onward." Currently, some colors have already been spotted in both the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is northeast of San Diego, and the Red Rock Canyon State Park, which sits north of Los Angeles.

The Invisible House: a 22-story skyscraper laid on its side and made almost entirely of glass, sitting on 90 acres of desert land a quick drive from Joshua Tree National Park. It struck the perfect balance, and I booked it immediately. I soon learned that Demi Lovato, Diplo, Lizzo, and more famous faces had stayed at the property before me, and it'd even made a cameo on Netflix's The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.

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.

If you've got Monday off, get a head start on festivities honoring the Year of the Horse. Dig into Chinese cuisine at Empress by Boon, get lucky at Graton Resort and Casino, and party at Thrive City. Save some room for Fat Tuesday celebrations in the Mission and Bayview. It's also the return of Noise Pop, SF Beer Week, and the Black Choreographers Festival in case you need another reason to celebrate.

Author Jules Verne briefly mentioned the tiny railroad town tucked into the Sierra Nevada foothills in his classic "Around the World in 80 Days." The plot takes protagonists Phileas Fogg, a wealthy and bored Londoner, and his French sidekick, Passepartout, on a whirlwind global journey at the height of the Industrial Age. "The train, on leaving Sacramento, and passing the junction, Roclin, Auburn, and Colfax, entered the range of the Sierra Nevada," Verne wrote in 1872 of the Transcontinental Railroad leg of the journey.

On a recent Saturday afternoon in downtown Mountain View, groups of people filled the outdoor seating at restaurants along Castro Street, dogs and their owners strolled the sidewalks and minutes after the Don't Eat Me storefront opened its doors, people shuffled inside. The pop-up shop recently opened in a previously vacant space on Castro Street, selling original artwork, stationary, clothing, accessories and home decor from Bay Area artists.