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The California Academy of Sciences is an unfortunately stuffy name for an institution that is anything but staid. The country’s largest natural-history museum includes an aquarium, a planetarium, an enormous rain-forest exhibit under a 27-meter-tall (90-foot-tall) dome, and a living roof that looks like a science-fiction fantasy. A visit here can feel like a trip to an amusement park, with a series of attractions to check out, but all of them are educational. The building itself is part of the appeal of the Academy. (Like the nearby de Young, the old home of the California Academy of Sciences was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and starchitect Renzo Piano designed its very environmentally friendly replacement.) It would be easy to spend an entire day or more seeing all of the Academy’s exhibits, so be prepared to pick and choose among them.

The Palm Springs Art Museum features a sophisticated collection of contemporary art including works from Picasso, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. The museum itself is pleasing to the eye and is home to 28 galleries, two sculpture gardens, a cafe, gift store, lecture hall, theater, and various rooms and resource centers. Specializing in the contemporary, including paintings, glasswork, photography, and design, the museum is a serene environment to enliven the mind.

California’s desert oasis is abuzz with fresh new hotels and recently refreshed resorts, making now the perfect time for a Palm Springs getaway.

From sound baths to hot springs and farm-fresh cuisine, this peaceful region makes it easy to care for your body and soul.

Palms Court may be known for its statuary gardens, but it’s also home to a restaurant, a freeform saltwater pool, and one of the best gift shops on the island. At Shell Works St. Kitts, you’ll find shell jewelry and artwork made from local materials like driftwood, sugar cane, sand, and tree roots. Spend time browsing the beautiful selection and you might even see craftspeople making new pieces for the shop.

The most northern of the Northern Beaches, Palm Beach makes for a relaxing day or weekend trip. Here, a sandy isthmus straddles ocean waves and harbor sails, and the Barrenjoey Lighthouse stands watch a short hike up the hill. Snag a spot on the deck of the Boathouse—a Hamptons-style beach shack complete with crab traps, striped awnings, and all manner of flowers and produce on display—for a bacon and egg roll, croissant French toast, or beer-battered flathead and chips overlooking the water. After finishing that cappuccino, which started with an anchor stamped into the foam, take the ferry across the inlet to the Basin campground in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to swim, stand-up paddle board, and search for wallabies in the wild.

From spa escapes to fine dining under the stars, these parks show how nature and luxury converge.

With sun, surf, and spa treatments, Hotel del Coronado is an unbeatable summer destination.

From eco-luxury hotels to natural desert beauty, here’s how to have a mindful and relaxing trip to Greater Palm Springs.

These expert-found activities will show you the kitschy, authentic side of Palm Springs.

Reset and Wren are new boutique hotels with private patios and nature-inspired designs in Twentynine Palms, minutes from Joshua Tree National Park.

This Southern California oasis offers mid-century modern architecture and design, world-class hotels, shopping, restaurants, and outdoor experiences—all in an enviably warm climate, year-round.

Catch the sunrise on canyon hikes, take an aerial tram to a forested mountaintop, then squeeze in a few rounds of night golf on a world-renowned course in Greater Palm Springs.

From coastal luxury to desert escapes, these ten iconic locations will guide you through the heart of Southern California.

From Klamath paddling to Mojave hiking, Indigenous guides show new ways to explore and care for California’s standout landscapes.