10 shortlists · curated by Astrid
The best of the region, ranked.
Handpicked routes through the places worth going, one shortlist at a time.
6 places
June Gloom Is a Softbox
The marine layer is not bad weather, it is a softbox
View list
6 places
6 Beaches That Earn the Golden Hour Drive
Where the last hour of light earns the drive
View list
5 places
The Desert Blooms for a Few Loud Weeks
A few loud weeks between the rains and the heat
View list
6 places
Winter Sun, Seventy Degrees
December light, seventy degrees, snow on the horizon
View list
5 places
Five Dark Skies Within a Tank of Gas
Dark desert skies within a tank of gas
View list
6 places
The Argument for the 5 a.m. Alarm
The argument for the 5 a.m. alarm
View list
7 places
7 Mountain Escapes From the Basin
Pines, granite, and ten degrees of relief
View list
6 places
Show Them Why You Live Here
Where out-of-towners understand why you live here
View list
7 places
Solitude Near Twenty Million People
Solitude within two hours of twenty million people
View list
6 places
Golden Hour Date Nights, No Reservations Required
Sunset to dusk, no reservations required
View list