Family Fun

in Destinations & Landmarks, Family Fun, Must Visit

Five SoCal Landmarks You’ve Probably Been Overlooking ^Featured

September 9, 2026

Everyone knows about the Hollywood Sign. Everyone has been to the Santa Monica Pier. And while there is nothing wrong with the classics, Southern California has a way of hiding some of its most extraordinary places in plain sight, quietly waiting for the curious traveler willing to look a little closer. These five landmarks don’t show up on every tourist itinerary, but they absolutely should. SUNKEN CITY, SAN PEDRO Technically off-limits for decades before the city of Los Angeles opened it to the public, Sunken City is one of the most surreal and visually arresting places in all of Southern California. In the 1920s, a section…

Featured

in Destinations & Landmarks, Family Fun, Must Visit, Sports & Adventures, Things To Do

Dive Into a World of Wonder at Birch Aquarium^Featured

by So Cal Life Mag Guest Post

August 19, 2026

The end of the summer season is the perfect time to soak up the sun in La Jolla and explore the outdoors while also getting up close with some of the ocean’s most fascinating wonders, and Birch Aquarium is the perfect spot to dive into marine fun! Birch Aquarium is more than an aquarium, it’s the public outreach center for UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where guests can discover cutting-edge research driving the future of ocean discovery. Groundbreaking research comes to life through immersive exhibits, hands-on activities and unforgettable animal encounters, all set against sweeping views of the…

in Family Fun, Sports & Adventures

All Aboard for Family Adventure: The Pacific Surfliner Experience

by So Cal Life Mag Guest Post

December 22, 2025

BY NICOLE POLLASTRINI Every parent knows the challenge: finding an activity that pulls kids away from screens and creates actual memories. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner delivers the rare combination of excitement and ease that makes parents want to high-five themselves for planning such a win. What could be more thrilling to a child than a real train ride? In today’s digitally obsessed culture, getting kids out to experience Southern California live and in person is a treat for both children and their grateful parents. The Pacific Surfliner offers families an enjoyable and relaxing way to explore the region’s most scenic…

in Family Fun

Balloons Over Boyle Heights

by So Cal Life Mag Guest Post

October 28, 2024

The Balloon Museum will bring its immersive art installation to Ace Mission Studios in Los Angeles’s Arts District on Wednesday, October 30, and run through March 16, 2025. Located along the L.A. River in the industrial flats of Boyle Heights, the Ace Mission Studios Balloon Museum “Let’s Fly” exhibit features installations by 21 artists including Filthy Luker, Tadao Cern, MyeongBeom Kim, Ouchhh, SpY, Max Streicher, Karina Smigla – Bobinski, Michael Shaw, ENESS, Roman Hill, Quiet Ensemble, Rub Kandy, Cyril Lancelin, Sila Sveta, Camilla Falsini, MOTORE FISICO, Alex Schweder, Hyperstudio, Mauro Pace, and Sasha Frolova. It also marks the debut of the Balloon Museum’s…