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.

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.

Twenty miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles you will find the cozy little seaside town of Manhattan Beach. As you drive west from the city the air will begin to change from overly dense to salty, clean and crisp. An idle calmness can be felt and even the street signs slowly change to show images of seagulls and shells. This quick So Cal getaway has everything you need for a relaxing, fun and delicious night.

Any day that begins by the sea is a day off to a great start. In Orange County, California there are certainly many seaside towns to choose from, but one of the most picturesque is Laguna Beach. While this beach town might be most known for its arts, culture and the yearly Sawdust Festival and Pageant of the Masters it is also an ideal spot for some family fun.