When people travel to California, the most obvious destinations that come to mind are probably Los Angeles and San Francisco (both gorgeous and amazing cities).
BUT, there are also a ton of beautiful spots in between that are definitely worth a visit!
Here’s a list of a few of my favorite, less-common travel spots in California! (You should totally click on the links for the full posts, btw hehe)
Santa Barbara
I looooove Santa Barbara! My family and I have taken short road trips here many times because there’s just so much to do! State Street has dozens of stores and restaurants that will keep you busy for hours. Then, the beach and the pier will probably keep you busy for a few more hours. I definitely recommend spending a day here, you won’t regret it!
Hearst Castle (San Simeon & Cambria)
For this trip, we spent a day at Hearst Castle, stayed at a hotel, and spent the next day exploring San Simeon and Cambria! The castle is absolutely stunning and definitely worth a quick visit; the beaches are so peaceful and beautiful! My sister and I even got up early that morning to catch the sunrise at the beach (the only time I’ll voluntarily wake up at 6 am).. There was also an beautiful sunset while we were at the castle, which made the whole experience even more amazing! 
Ojai
Ojai is the perfect city to wander around and relax in. We started the day off by getting some brunch and exploring the lovely, one-of-a-kind shops. We dropped by a local art show, as well as an outdoor book store (which was one of the cutest things ever)! 
It would be so nice to just spend a few hours here, reading and sipping coffee. Ojai isn’t a huge or bustling city, but I definitely loved the day I spent here and I would love to pay another visit!
Lake Arrowhead & Big Bear
Big Bear is a pretty common destination during the winter, but Lake Arrowhead definitely deserves more attention! The lake is so beautiful and there’s this one specific waffle house that my family and I go to every year – they have the most heavenly waffles and even sell food for you to feed ducks in the lake! If you’re ever going skiing in Big Bear, pay a visit to Lake Arrowhead and enjoy some waffles! (I swear there’s other things to do here but you can tell that I really only care about waffles)
Those are all my favorite spots! California has a ton of hidden gems that I definitely haven’t discovered, and it’s crazy that one state can hold so much diversity. If you live in Cali, comment some of your favorite spots!
Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you enjoyed! If you did, don’t forget to like, comment, or follow my blog, and I’ll see you on Wednesday!
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What is the name of the waffle house in Lake arrowhead? And don’t forget the mission and natural history museum in Santa Barbara. Also oceanside is a nice place to visit and relax on the pier and watch surfers and of course the beautiful San Luis rey mission.
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Belgian Waffle Works! And yes, the mission is definitely a must see! 😊
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Thanks
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Yes! We are San Diego transplants from the east coast and Big Bear is such a great place to visit in the winter. it makes me feel like I’m back in the Northeast. Great post – thanks for sharing!
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Thank you! Big Bear always gives me good vibes 😄
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