El Capitan Canyon
El Capitan Canyon might serve as a quiet base of operation for exploring Santa Barbara or the Santa Ynez wine country. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
San Diego
Imagine going to a prime-time major-league baseball game without being stuck in traffic or worrying about parking or standing in line (except at the hot-dog stand). You don’t even have to climb out of the swimming pool and towel off until just before game time.
That’s the beauty of the San Diego baseball getaway, an ideal SoCal escape in spring or summer. The main attraction is Petco Park, San Diego’s new open-air stadium that straddles downtown’s newly revitalized Gaslamp Quarter and East Village. (Donald Miralle / Getty Images)
Crystal Cove Beach
The old standby is Newport Beach. It’s an easy weekend trip. The fresh take is to head south to stay on the sand at the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages.
Nestled between Newport and Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove is a 2,791-acre state park that boasts a great swimming beach, tide pools and, since summer 2006, freshly refurbished oceanfront cottages where you can stay overnight and soak up the quintessential California experience. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
