Tucked away in a valley filled with orange groves fewer than 90 miles from central Los Angeles is the village of Ojai-an oasis from stress, home to artists, health devotees and other urban escapees. Surrounded by burnished peaks, its grasses green in spring and gold in summer and fall, the Ojai Valley was the setting for Shangri-La in the 1937 Hollywood movie The Lost Horizon. It is still a place where you can retreat from a fast-paced lifestyle to find serenity on oak-shaded paths.

Redondo Beach, a lively little seaside town in Southern California embodies the fantasy of what California living and visiting should be. Offering clear blue oceans for miles, casual restaurants, shops on the pier and several fun-in-the-sun outdoor activities it could be the perfect family vacation location.

Start your picture perfect day at the upscale Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club. This recently renovated, contemporary nautical-themed hideaway is located on a private peninsula between the marina and the ocean.

One of five islands that make up the Channel Islands off the coast of Central California, Anacapa, is a small volcanic island about 14 miles off the shores of Oxnard. Named by the Chumash Native American Indians, the Channel Islands are five miles long and made up of 3 islets (East, Middle and West) that are not inaccessible to each other except by boat.

Known as the "Gateway to the Channel Islands" Oxnard offers seven stunning miles of beautiful sandy beaches with views of these islands. Approximately 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles County, Oxnard offers a pleasant year round climate providing constant ocean breezes.

The economy is in shambles, LA actors' talk of another strike, and the holidays seem miles away without 4 feet of snow. Not to worry, head to the world famous Grove for LA holiday festivities!

Centrally located in the heart of Los Angeles, The Grove is considered a boutique outdoor shopping mall that encompasses retail shops, restaurants, and Movie Theater over the sprawling, well manicured grounds.