{"id":144,"date":"2011-09-15T06:03:47","date_gmt":"2011-09-15T06:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theduanewells.com\/?p=144"},"modified":"2024-06-24T07:58:38","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T07:58:38","slug":"gay-news-frontiersla-breaking-gay-news-life-is-a-highway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/gay-news-frontiersla-breaking-gay-news-life-is-a-highway\/","title":{"rendered":"Life is a Highway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Life is a Highway\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimate California Weekend Road Trips<\/span>
Duane Wells<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
9\/15\/2011<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>

<\/p>\n

When you need to get away but just don\u2019t have the time or money to take a real vacation, there\u2019s always a good ol\u2019 fashioned road trip\u2014below are the best weekend road trips for Southern Californians.<\/p>\n

\"\"A Little Bit of Romance: Santa Barbara<\/strong><\/p>\n

Santa Barbara may be only a little over an hour outside Los Angeles, but it\u2019s a world apart from trash-tastic, fast-paced Hollywood, and that makes it the ultimate quick weekend getaway for lovers or lovers-to-be. For a change of pace, a visit to the romantic, perfectly manicured beachside city that has earned the nickname \u201cthe American Riviera\u201d may be all you need to turn your bad romance into a good one. Not only has the sleepy seaside town provided the bucolic backdrop for HBO\u2019s critically-acclaimed film\u00a0Cinema Verit\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0as well as sentimental box office blockbusters like\u00a0Sideways<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0It\u2019s Complicated<\/em>, it is also home to Hollywood celebs ranging from Oprah and Ellen to Rob Lowe and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Not bad recommendations, I\u2019d say.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0<\/em>Spend a day just steps away from the beach, wine tasting along Santa Barbara\u2019s Urban Wine Trail right in the heart of downtown; book spa treatments at the Bacara Resort and Spa; and make a dinner reservation at the Olio Pizzeria for the ultimate romantic getaway practically right in your own backyard.<\/p>\n

\"\"Let\u2019s Go Outside: Catalina<\/strong><\/p>\n

Santa Catalina Island is one of those rare places that reminds you just how diverse and unique life in Southern California can be, particularly if you\u2019re the outdoorsy type. Just 22 miles off the coast of Southern California, Catalina\u2019s main town, Avalon, is about one square mile and just about as cut off from the hustle and bustle of city life as it gets in this part of world (if you discount camping, which I always do). I mean, it may be the only place in SoCal where there isn\u2019t a traffic problem, because there are few cars on the island due to the fact that there\u2019s a 14-year waiting list to even own one here. Talk about a world apart!<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Park your car in Downtown Long Beach, hop on the Catalina Express, book a hotel and a golf cart, and then spend the weekend cocktailing, hiking, biking, kayaking, relaxing with a massage at a spa or some combination thereof.<\/p>\n

\"\"Fun in the Sun: Palm Springs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Palm Springs is the gay mecca of the desert. Enough said. Whether you visit for a big party weekend when the town is buzzing with tanned, gym-toned bodies or just cruise through on a random weekend for absolutely no reason at all, Palm Springs delivers the kind of magic you\u2019ll only find in the heat of the desert.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Load up the car, rent a house with friends for the weekend, stretch out by the pool and soak up the desert sun along with copious amounts of Belvedere. It\u2019s the perfect recipe for a lazy, fun weekend. (And if you do venture out, have a drink at the Ace Hotel pool, pop into Trio for the out of this world mac \u2018n cheese and a martini, check into Cheeky\u2019s for the Bacon Flight with brunch or straggle into Sherman\u2019s Deli for a fantastic post-hangover pastrami sandwich.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Spirit: Ojai<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rustic and spiritual Ojai is a great out-of-the-way spot where you can get in touch with nature on a hike through the Los Padres National Forest, visit local farms like Friends Ranch and swoop up armloads of fresh produce, indulge in yoga at one of the local studios, visit a spa or grab your didgeridoo and make your own kind of music in a quiet corner. One main drag, not surprisingly called Ojai Avenue, runs through the center of the town, where you\u2019ll find just about one of everything you need\u2014one antiques store, one lovingly aged movie theater complete with timeworn marquee, one country store\u2014you get the idea. It\u2019s got small-town charm to spare, just 85 miles outside of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0<\/em>Sample the local fare at some of Ojai\u2019s most popular haunts, like Azu, which has a truly superior tapas menu complemented by a fine wine selection, or Feast Bistro, where the root beer BBQ sauce on pizza or pork deserves an ovation. And book into the Emerald Iguana Inn or Blue Iguana Inn, both of which are lush, well-manicured treasures that make for excellent retreats.<\/p>\n

\"\"Raise Your Glass: San Diego<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you want to party where no one knows your name, why not give a weekend in San Diego a whirl? Troll the big gay clubs and bars of the Hillcrest district in uptown, and make new friends and influence people any time of the year. Trust me. Party people love this city. Don\u2019t be fooled by the uniforms\u2014things aren\u2019t nearly as buttoned up in San Diego as they might seem at first glance (especially not on Pride weekend). It\u2019s the perfect road trip for those times when you want to mix it up away from your home turf (with or without your friends).<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/em>\u00a0Counter the party scene with dinner in picturesque La Jolla, pop across the border to Tijuana for an adventure if you dare, visit the San Diego Zoo (it really is worth it), take it all off and go commando at Black\u2019s Beach or test your luck with a stroll through Balboa Park if fireworks are more your thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"Walkin\u2019 On Sunshine: Laguna Beach<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though not as gay as it once was, Laguna Beach is still a gay-friendly, gay-welcoming oasis in the O.C. defined by pristine beaches, an artistic community, quaint shops, good restaurants and a slew of grand resorts side by side with cozy oceanfront B&Bs and the like. And it\u2019s less than an hour away from Los Angeles on a good day, making it a great meeting point for a romantic rendezvous.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0<\/em>After a little fun in the sun and some shopping, try taking a hike through the Laguna Beach hiking trails for some of the best beach views in Southern California.<\/p>\n

\"\"Shut Up and Drive: Napa Valley<\/strong><\/p>\n

What could be more fun than a weekend of wine tasting\u2014if of course you\u2019re a oenophile? Picturesque views, beautifully landscaped wineries and a collection of some of the most buzzed-about restaurants in Northern California (belonging to some of the most well-known chefs in America) make Napa Valley a decadently fun road trip. Just be sure to park the car before the fun begins.<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/em>\u00a0Hire a limo or some other form of chauffeured transport so that you can really kick your revelry into high gear at all those wonderful wineries that are lined up neatly side by side in the heart of the valley.<\/p>\n

\"\"Easy Does It: Sonoma<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sonoma County is a vision of what life should be like every day. There\u2019s an easygoing earthy sensibility to the place that feels more European than Californian, which is why it makes for such an excellent road trip. Cultured without being stuffy and relaxed without being coarse, Sonoma County is charm incarnate, and the entire vibe of the city is invitingly country chic. It\u2019s the kind of place where people say, \u2018Hello\u2014how are you?\u2019 and genuinely care how you respond. It\u2019s shocking, I know, especially when you consider that the town is scarcely an hour outside of San Francisco. That said, If you love folksy charm, outstanding food and great wine\u2014and you want to indulge yourself in all three\u2014this would be the getaway for you.<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/em>\u00a0Go all out and rent a dream house with friends for the weekend through\u00a0Beautiful Places<\/a>. For the ultimate fantasy, pitch up at the The Girl and the Fig brasserie for a meal, sample the swine-laden menu of Bovolo in Healdsburg, treat yourself to a meal at Chef Duskie Estes Zazu roadhouse restaurant and go wine tasting everywhere you can.<\/p>\n

\"\"Leave Your Heart: San Francisco<\/strong><\/p>\n

If Palm Springs is the gay mecca of the desert, San Francisco is quite simply the gay mecca\u2014and it has been for decades. No news flash there. San Francisco is a world-class city in every category, a fact that is evidenced by everything from the city\u2019s devoted foodie culture to its diverse nightlife scene and endless cultural options. Perhaps no other city in California offers what San Francisco serves up in one gorgeously fog-wrapped package, which is why it may well be the ultimate road trip\u2014it\u2019s a chameleon-like destination that can be whatever you want or need it to be.<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>Do it all, but do book a room with a view and treat yourself to at least one amazing dinner. A personal favorite of mine is The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building just across The Embarcadero, but I\u2019ve been equally enchanted by a number of authentically delicious eateries in Chinatown.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0FrontiersLA | Life is a Highway<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life is a Highway\u00a0 Ultimate California Weekend Road TripsDuane Wells\u00a09\/15\/2011\u00a0 When you need to get away but just don\u2019t have the time or money to take a real vacation, there\u2019s always a good ol\u2019 fashioned road trip\u2014below are the best weekend road trips for Southern Californians. A Little Bit of Romance: Santa Barbara Santa Barbara […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,1609,1289],"tags":[1134,1210,1211],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-california","category-livingwells-travel","tag-travel","tag-california","tag-road-trip"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88889"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":802,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions\/802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}