From Hollywood to the Desert

Depart the airport and set out to explore Burbank, the “city of studios” where movie executives take meetings, live TV shows are taped, and Disney animators give life to the Little Mermaid and Lion King. Tour the Warner Bros. Studio backlot to see where Friends, ER, and The Big Bang Theory were filmed. Shop for the ultimate Hollywood souvenir at It’s a Wrap, a 7,000-square-foot shop that sells wardrobes and props from movie sets. Then taste what Burbank is cooking: Stop by Porto’s Bakery for savory and sweet Cuban pastries, Tonir Café for Mediterranean kabobs, and Café de Olla for enchiladas and chile rellenos. The city has natural attractions too:  Hike from Stough Canyon Nature Center to the top of Verdugo Peak, or walk an easy two-mile loop in Wildwood Canyon. 

On the San Fernando Valley’s southeast edge, Glendale is one of 88 unique cities that make up greater Los Angeles. It’s the hometown of the Museum of Neon Art, a storehouse of 20th-century neon signs from motels, gas stations, and dive bars, plus intriguing works from contemporary neon artists. Glendale also appeals to shoppers and strollers: Americana at Brand is an upscale outdoor mall with bars and restaurants, a movie theater, a musical fountain, and free yoga classes on the lawn. Across the street, Glendale Galleria has more than 200 stores from Apple to Zara. For an only-in-L.A. experience, get a look at the celebrity afterlife at Glendale’s branch of Forest Lawn Cemetery. As you tour the lavishly landscaped grounds and final resting place of Sammy Davis Jr., Errol Flynn, Walt Disney, and Michael Jackson, don’t miss the stained-glass recreation of The Last Supper in the Great Mausoleum.

Pasadena earns an A-plus in art appreciation with extra credit for fine architecture and exquisite gardens. Start your tour at eye-catching City Hall, an ornate structure with a dome-topped, six-story bell tower. This Instagram darling looks like a treasure from the Italian Renaissance but it was built right here in 1927. Snap a few photos, then visit the city’s prestigious museums: The Norton Simon Museum holds works by Picasso, Rembrandt, Goya, and Degas. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens houses 31 galleries of American art plus 16 spectacularly landscaped theme gardens. More gardens are spread across town: Savor the zen of lily-covered koi ponds at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, or wander through water-wise Arlington Garden to see California natives. Close out this high-culture day with a stay at The Langham Huntington, a rosy-pink Italianate structure flanked by manicured lawns, heirloom roses, and citrus trees. 

The ivy-covered Claremont Colleges are bordered by Claremont’s pedestrian-friendly village, a grid of tidy streets that overflow with small-town appeal. Stroll along oak- and sycamore-dotted Harvard and Yale avenues to explore boutiques and cafés. Pause for pastries at Some Crust Bakery or Crème Bakery. Shop for brie and gruyère at Cheese Cave, or browse greeting cards and fine papers at Cloud Nine Paper. Sip an “affirmation latte” from Iron and Kin (try the “Courageous” with bourbon or “Peaceful” with turmeric and ginger). Swing into the Folk Music Center to see (or strum) guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and more. At sunrise or sunset, visit Pomona College’s campus to see James Turrell’s Skyspace, an architectural light installation that glows with changing colors. 

This quiet desert town on Joshua Tree National Park‘s northeast edge gets cooler with each passing year. Twentynine Palms’ new National Park Visitor Center at Freedom Plaza offers visitor information and Native American culture exhibits a few blocks from the city’s newest restaurants. Taste the burgers, house-pickled vegetables, and craft beer at the gastropub Grnd Sqrl. A few doors down, Campbell Hill Bakery makes a crusty sourdough plus bagels, pastries, cookies, soups, and sandwiches. Kitchen in the Desert cooks up Caribbean jerk chicken and dan dan noodles. Twentynine Palms excels at art too. Check out 26 desert-themed murals on buildings throughout town and local artists’ works in the rustic 29 Palms Art Gallery. Stop in to chat with Shari Elf, aka the Art Queen, who operates the World Famous Crochet Museum. Spend the night in an adobe bungalow at the 29 Palms Inn, where you can listen to the coyotes howl. If you’re approaching from the west on 29 Palms Highway, be sure to make a stop at the California Welcome Center – Yucca Valley to get some tips from the local staff, plus free maps and brochures.

Take a slow-going day to explore Joshua Tree National Park‘s assemblage of spindly Joshua trees, massive granite boulders, and fuzzy-looking cholla cactus. “J-Tree” offers a broad canvas for the imagination, so head to Keys View or the Wonderland of Rocks to meditate, photograph, and marvel at the desert landscape. Listen to the cactus wrens calling. Take a walk at Hidden Valley. Gaze at the graceful curve of Arch Rock. Then steer along Pinto Basin Road through smoke-tree-dotted washes to Cottonwood Spring, where you can hike to the summit of Mastodon Peak or take a longer trek to Lost Palms Oasis to see the park’s largest stand of native fan palms. 

In swanky Palm Desert, regal palm trees border wide streets populated with chic galleries, upscale boutiques, and lavish resorts. Get your style on at El Paseo, a stylish open-air shopping district where storefronts bear names like Saks Fifth Avenue and Ralph Lauren. Peruse the paintings and sculpture garden at Imago Galleries, which inhabits one of Palm Desert’s most strikingly modern buildings. At day’s end, sip cocktails and descend into dreamland at desert-chic Hotel Paseo, a midcentury-styled property with 150 rooms. Sleep late the next morning, then linger over brunch at cult-favorite Wilma and Frieda, where comfort food is elevated to art in the form of blackberry custard French toast and short-rib scrambles.

The number of swimming pools in Palm Springs eclipses the town’s population—54,000 pools for 48,000 people—but not in winter, when the snowbirds from cooler climates arrive. Swimming and sunning are top activities, but Palm Springs’ art scene sweetens the pot. A wealth of midcentury modern architecture is visible on almost every block. The four-level Palm Springs Art Museum houses an enticing mix of contemporary and modern art including works by Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. The Uptown Design District’s time-capsule shops sell midcentury furnishings and retro clothing. For a memorable night out, the supper club PS Underground hosts theatrically themed evenings from 1920s speakeasy to 1970s disco.

The sun-drenched city of Riverside made its fortune on sweet navel oranges. Thanks to the juicy citrus, Riverside had the wealthiest city per capital in 1893. Learn how the orange became king at California Citrus State Historic Park, then wander the meandering trails at UCR Botanic Gardens, 39 acres of gardens, woodlands, and horticultural wonders. Visit the outstanding Latinx art at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture. When hunger strikes, graze at Riverside Food Lab’s 13 eateries, where chefs cook up Cajun seafood, Lebanese fare, plant-based burgers, and more. Or pop in to Tio’s Tacos, where owner Martin Sanchez is both chef and sculptor. His whimsical creations made from beer cans, glass bottles, license plates, and toys decorate the eatery’s outdoor patio. Order an agua fresca and take it all in.

In downtown Los Angeles, take your pick from imaginative destinations: At The Broad, step into the illusion of infinite space in Yayoi Kusama’s kaleidoscopic “infinity mirror room.” Learn how to make handmade gnocchi at Eatz cooking school, or eat the pros’ cooking at Smorgasburg, a Sunday-only open-air market with nearly 100 vendors. Tour the studios or shop the gallery store at the crafter’s dream space, The Makery. Zip over to Universal Studios Hollywood for a glimpse at how silver-screen magic is made. On the World Famous Studio Tour, your tram car snakes past back-lots and sound stages, where you’ll see actual sets from Jaws, Psycho, and other Hollywood films and experience the thrills of special effects and animatronics.