Travel pros pick 5 dream destinations for California weekend trips — including a SoCal beach you might have avoided

Travel experts recently revealed California as the best state to spend a long weekend exploring.

From mountains to beaches, desert expanses to old-growth forests, the Golden State has proven to be the preferred place for a three-day getaway.

And with Labor Day on the horizon, Travel + Leisure has shared their picks for the five best places to visit.

According to the outlet, California weekenders can “take in world-class culture on a short city break or get a taste of Europe without the international flight. Add California’s celebrated food and wine, plus mild year-round weather in much of the state, and it’s hardly surprising it came out on top.”

Some commenters were less museful about the prospect of a long California weekend.

“Don’t forget bumper-to-bumper traffic along scenic roads, $6-gallon gas, and $30-dollar hamburgers. All to remind us of what California once was and will never be again. True Californian Dreamin’.”

Wistful dream or gold mine gutted, these are T+L’s picks for the best California getaways.

Dana Point

Dana Point made the list as a gateway for a great getaway, with Lucinda Rogers, the guest relations manager at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, describing the Orange County locale as a “true harbor city” with “authentic coastal energy.”

Indeed, Dana Point is anchored by its connection to the sea, including a working waterfront, deep ties to sailing culture, and year-round whale migrations.

Rogers recommends visitors rise with the sun to enjoy Monarch Beach at its blessed emptiest.

“It’s peaceful, the views are incomparable, and you get a completely different feel for the coastline in the morning.” 

After watching the sun climb out over the Pacific, she recommends booking a whale watching tour and closing out the day with a full plate of fresh local seafood and a generous glass of California wine.

One commenter heartily agreed with Rogers’ recommendation.

“Dana Point is a gem and not like most of Southern California. The Monarch Beach area is particularly beautiful, luxurious, clean, peaceful, little traffic, great restaurants.”

Dana Point is also home to Truly Pizza, which consistently ranks among the best slices in the country.

The San Francisco Peninsula 

A potentially biased Craig Carroll, president and CEO of Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, shared that the San Francisco Peninsula provides weekend travelers unparalleled ease, access and options.

“You can fly straight into SFO and, within 30 minutes, be exploring a coastal trail in Half Moon Bay, hiking among towering redwoods in Woodside, tide-pooling in Pescadero, or grabbing dinner in a lively downtown Redwood City,” he told Travel + Leisure.

Joshua Tree 

Joshua Tree, a long-time destination for Los Angelenos with a three-day weekend to burn, was nominated by Rachel Peavy of Let It Be Travels. Peavy specifically calls out the magic of the stretch between Joshua Tree Village and Twentynine Palms.

She notes that Joshua Tree marks the convergence between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, ordaining it with an otherworldly landscape.

Dark skies and open spaces aside, Peavy notes that the ever-emerging creative community around the National Park has imbued it with even more reasons to visit.

“There’s incredible food, boutique hotels, art installations, and a laid-back desert culture that makes it feel like more than just a hiking trip. The stargazing alone is worth the drive.”

She recommends Más o Menos for coffee, Yucca Tree Eatery for breakfast, La Copine for dinner, and The Copper Room for steak and martinis.

Oceanside 

Ben Komenkul, the founder and luxury travel and credit card expert at Ben’s Big Deal, nominated Oceanside, which is a mere two-hour drive from LA, as an ideal weekend destination.

“This small sleepy beach town is fast becoming a nice hub of family dining, nightlife activities, and bars all within walking distance from all the major hotels that are beachfront.” 

According to Redditors, Oceanside has gentrified considerably over the past decade and shed the dubious reputation that once earned it the nickname “Oceancrime.”

“Typical beach area gentrification. Within 2 blocks of the beach, it has changed a lot. It has all been cleaned up with overpriced real estate, overpriced restaurants and bars, etc,” said one commenter.

“Oceanside has made a complete 180. It’s almost sad, but I do love a lot of the changes. It does feel a lot safer, but some of the beauty is gone,” added another.

“Oceanside is the new Encinitas,” heralded a third.

Tomales 

Reneille Velez, founder of Gian Events, counts Tomales in Marin County with its historic charm and unrivaled water views as her favorite under-the-radar weekend destination.

She notes that the proximity to Sonoma and Napa makes Tomales an ideal, understated home base for wine tasting.

“It feels intimate in a way that a lot of the bigger wine country towns just don’t anymore—almost like you’ve stumbled into a small movie-set town that happens to be near amazing wineries.” 

Velez recommends staying the night at the 10-room Tomales Hotel, “so you really feel like you’re living in the town instead of just passing through.” 

Velez recommends that early rising travelers watch the fog roll over Tomales Bay with a cup of coffee in hand before moving on to freshly shucked oysters drawn from the same shore.

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