Southern California’s Prettiest Coastal Cities^Featured

October 16, 2020

By Eric Plante No need to fly across the globe to experience glitz and glamour in a seaside setting. Here are 5 of our own Southern California coastal towns that can hang with the world’s best. Dana Point is a boater’s playground. The city was named for Richard Henry Dana, author of Two Years Before the Mast, which included a description of the picturesque area. Dana described the coastal town as “the only romantic spot on the coast.” For the best view of Dana Point Harbor, drive the Street of Green Lantern to the top and look east. If you’ve not yet seen the largest animal to have ever inhabited the Earth, Dana Point is the place to try your luck. Blue whales pass closer to the coast here than any other California shoreline. Blue whale tours run May – October; gray whales cruise this coast during the winter. Sink your toes into the off-white sand at Salt Creek Beach, one of the city’s finest. Every Saturday evening during the summer, curious adults and children gather on the lobby terrace at the St. Regis Monarch Beach to witness a flicker of orange and yellow, as a staff member releases a…

in Destinations & Landmarks, Featured

8 Hidden Beaches in San Diego to Discover

October 7, 2020

Fall is an ideal time to explore San Diego’s 70 miles of sparkling beaches, as the summer crowds diminish, temperatures average a pleasant 74 degrees and seaside hotel prices dip from peak season rates. Whereas the beaches of La Jolla and Mission Bay have long had mass appeal, San Diego’s lesser-known stretches of sand offer visitors a spot to lay out their towels, bask in the golden glow of the sun and splash in the surf with nary a tourist around.

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in Things To Do

Walking Tours in Southern California^Featured

September 21, 2020

Every city has its own persona, its own feeling, and its own story. Besides the exercise, walking tours offer another dimension to your visit. A walking tour gives visitors the chance to connect with the character of a city and get a first-hand understanding of what the area is really about. By taking a step into a new place, tourists and locals alike can get a feel for the energy of the city they are in. And in Southern California, energy is everything. Vintage Venice Tours Voted “Best Walking Tour” of 2012 and 2013 by Los Angeles Magazine, the Vintage Venice Tour is one of the best ways to experience this iconic boardwalk. The Vintage Venice Tour allows you to indulge in the modern attractions that the beach has to offer, while also showing you the rich history of the town through film clips that span the past 105 years. See the past come to life and witness the development of the culture of Venice Beach with stops at Muscle Beach, the Venice Canals, the Ocean Front Walk, and more. www.vintagevenicetours.com Santa Barbara Walking Tour While on your visit to Santa Barbara, be sure to sign up for the Santa…

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in Featured, People & Personalities, SoCal Trends

A Year in LA: How to Stay Alive in the Biz—Five Survival Tips To Make Things Happen^Featured

September 16, 2020

Once upon a time, I was that girl: I picked up everything and moved to LA to pursue a career in acting. To offer a little back-story, I had a tumultuous breakup with my teenage love and ran to Chicago after college three years prior. After a few years in the city, I was burnt out—holding down a restaurant job and temping to make ends meet. I was garnering theatre gigs consistently—I just wasn’t getting paid. Unfortunately, that is the reality in the theatre world and I thought the time was right to make my move to LA. I had a deep, gnawing pit in my stomach that LA was beckoning me and I couldn’t let it go. It was 1998—I was 25, doe eyed, and full of ambition. It was then or never. LA was a different place than it is now. The Internet was only about to boom, the bag phone was being replaced by a first generation flip phone (that resembled a miniature tank), and social media didn’t exist. There was no such thing as You Tube, bloggers, Twitter, or Facebook. The oversaturated business of reality TV had not yet happened. The creation of the Internet has made auditions more accessible…

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Santa Barbara Wharf - Southern California Life magazine

in Destinations & Landmarks

Weekend in Santa Barbara^Featured

July 20, 2020

Santa Barbara conjures up images of stunning beaches, million-dollar ocean front properties, and Oprah sightings. It can be all those things and more.

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