<p>Am doing some preliminary research on where H and I can go in Feb to escape winter for a week, and want to include D1, D2 and her SO. D1 can fly wherever we want to go, and brings her dog along. D2 and SO both have jobs that do not offer paid vacations, so getting them to take a week off can be difficult… but, they live in LA, which is why I was thinking H and I, and D1 could head out that way, and get a place on the beach somewhere. Also, D2 and SO have two dogs that I know they would want to bring with (it would cost them quite a bit to board/have a sitter for both for a week). So the only criteria I really have is, somewhere warm, within a couple of hours max of LA, and preferably along the beach. I looked at some VRBOs in Malibu, and found a few that would meet the criteria, but I don’t want to omit some places that I might not think of. H likes to bike, and we like to hike/walk along the beach. Water doesn’t necessarily have to be warm enough to be swimmable. We want either a house or a condo with three bedrooms - we prefer to have a kitchen so we don’t have to eat out three times a day. </p>
<p>The most I know about Malibu is the 20 minutes or so that H and I spent driving along the PCH last Feb. when we were visiting D and had a couple of hours to kill in the morning until they got up (we were still on CST and up very early). H and I are not drinkers, so we really wouldn’t be interested in wine country, but Ds and SO might enjoy doing a tour up toward Santa Barbara one day, if it worked out.</p>
<p>Teri, have you ever been to Palm Springs? Tons of rentals - nice homes with private pools, from what I heard. It is not that far from LA, especially if you fly into Santa Ana. There is plenty of hiking available in the Indian Canyons, and the Joshua Tree park is amazing. The tram ride is awesome, and you might even see some snow up on the mountains.</p>
<p>Solvang is not necessarily along the coast, is it?</p>
<p>I’ve looked at Solvang before, as I suspect it’s the area D2 and SO will eventually have their wedding. I think they already have a vineyard picked out (Roblar?), and Solvang is one of the nearest towns with accommodations.</p>
<p>It’s a bit inland, I agree. How about Laguna Beach, Newport Beach? I think my friend rent a town home on the beach. Lots of places. And there Disneyland for fun. You can go to tons of places within an hour.</p>
<p>Santa Barbara is gorgeous. (The Baccara is beautiful). Ojai Valley Inn is a spa and golf resort. In San Diego the Hotel Del Coronado. It is NOT warm here then…Palm Springs can be warmer. </p>
<p>I really don’t want to do the whole LA thing such as Disneyland - the point is to go somewhere where we can just relax and not do a lot of driving, but have accessibility to do some outdoor activities that make it seem we’re further away from LA than we would be. I realize in reality, Malibu is not that far from LA, but you really feel as if you’re in a more remote location. If we wanted closer to LA and LA activities, we could do Santa Monica (which I don’t want to do).</p>
<p>One of our best weekend trips was to Channel Islands National Park, which is located 20 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara. The volcanic islands are often called “America’s Galapagos.” Island Packers (<a href=“http://islandpackers.com”>http://islandpackers.com</a>) offers whale watching, day trips, and ferry service to the islands. We camped 2 nights on Santa Cruz and arranged with Channel Islands Outfitters (<a href=“http://www.channelislandso.com”>http://www.channelislandso.com</a>) to go kayaking through the sea caves. CI Outfitters provided all equipment (kayaks, helmets, wetsuits, PFDs) and an experienced guide. Having a guide is important because the sea caves can be dangerous with the tides if you don’t know what you are doing. There is no lodging on the islands. The NPS has a campground on Santa Cruz, but you need to get a permit from the National Park Service prior to your trip.</p>
<p>Teri, I know that it is in the opposite direction of what you are thinking about, but it is a great place to visit if you have not been there. </p>
<p>Hiking. Indian Canyons are an amazing place. The park has miles and miles of trails winding along canyon bottoms. Lots of birds and some interesting plants can be seen along the way. Here is one of the canyons:</p>
<p>The Tramway just turned 50, I believe. I know you are not a fan of heights, but if I survived it and loved the experience, so will you! The top of the mountain offers tons of trails for hiking. Surprisingly, they are fairly flat. </p>
<p>There are tons of restaurants and golf, too, in the greater Palm Springs area. </p>
<p>Joshua Tree park is accessible via car (about 1 - 1.5 hr ride). If you do not like driving, there are companies offering private Jeep tours out of Palm Springs. </p>
<p>Santa Barbara. Not the hassle of LA or Orange County. Also depending where you stay you don’t have to take a care everywhere. I know of a duplex vacation rental 1/2 block from the beach, you could consider both units. I can PM it to you.you can also take amtrak up from Burbank.
For something totally different look into El Capitan Canyon. 20 minutes north of SB on the coast. Don’t let the tent cabins full you into thinking your roughing it.</p>
<p>February is not usually a good time for the beach in California. It’s our rainiest month (and we are all hoping and praying for a deluge this February because we are in the middle of a terrible drought). Even if it is not raining, the beach is often cold and windy. Average air temps do not tell the story because of the wwind. Water is usually cold (in the 50s) and choppy in February and not inviting. And often the beaches are not looking their best because of debris and seaweed washed up by storms. </p>
<p>On the upside, February is prime whale watching time in So Cal. </p>
<p>Palm Springs is a much better idea for a weekend getaway in the winter. Just to be clear: it is in the desert, nowhere near the beach. It will likely be warm and sunny during the day and cold at night. It is where the Rat Pack hung out in the 50s and 60s and there’s a concerted effort to keep that mid-century modern vibe going. Modern ranch houses with vintage furniture and pools are the norm. Lots of shopping and restaurants in town. And golf, if you are into that. As mentioned, Joshua Tree is nearby, which has a beautiful desert landscape with interesting rock formations.</p>
<p>Going back to the beach: </p>
<p>If you rent a place in Malibu, make sure to inquire exactly how far from the beach the house is. Some parts of Malibu are way up in the mountains/hills in very remote areas, not at all close to the beach. May be beautiful, but can be very remote.</p>
<p>For other beach towns, you might consider Laguna Beach or Corona del Mar, both in OC, to the south, or Santa Barbara to the northwest. </p>
<p>I’m not a Vegas person at all, but lots of folks in LA seeking a warm weather weekend get-a-away in Feb head there. </p>
<p>I like the suggestion of heading south toward San Diego. The little beach towns of Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and La Jolla have the relaxed CA vibe you are looking for, and there will probably be lots of VRBO rentals. You could use any of these towns as a base for a day trip to San Diego, which is a really great city. There is plenty of hiking & biking along the beaches.</p>
<p>BB - I’ve done trams before, and do OK with them (best one was Untersberg in Austria). The only problem I’d have is if we encountered trails that were narrow with no railing and steep drop offs! The tram sounds really, really cool, but if you go in winter, isn’t there going to be snow on top? Oh, yea, D2’s SO does not do heights! At all. He won’t do any of the observation decks at any of the Chicago skyscrapers, nor the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. He’s a horrible flyer, too. Me? At least I’m going up with H tomorrow on his flight lesson, along the Lake Michigan shoreline! So the whole height thing really depends for me.</p>
<p>I second the suggestion of Santa Cruz island in the Channel Islands National Park but I’d go for a day trip, not overnight. The Island Packers boat trip is fantastic with lots of whale and dolphin sightings along the way. I would NOT go if it at all windy, though. In fact, I’d only go in Feb if it was one of those relatively rare sunny days (or forecasted to be). </p>
<p>By the way, the island is completely uninhabited except for a ranger or two and there is no running water. There’s no development there at all (which is what makes it so special). The island is very big and the group on the boat trip over with and you will be the only other people on the island, save for a few campers left over from yesterday’s boat trip. It is an easy day trip from Santa Barbara or Malibu. Boat leaves from Oxnard, which is halfway between the two (Ventura county). </p>
<p>So I was using the zoom on Google maps to come up with some smaller towns along the coast, and came upon Carpinteria… my brother’s best friend lives there! And I know my brother has been there several times to visit him, so I might give him a call. Looks like it fits the bill - a smaller town somewhat removed from all the hustle and bustle of LA, but within a couple of hours for D2. </p>
<p>We visited Malibu when we took our kiddo to see Pepperdine. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine spending more,than an afternoon there unless I could rent one of the movie star houses right on the beach.</p>
<p>What about La Jolla? It’s sure beautiful there. </p>
<p>I think if you really want beach weather, February isn’t a dependable time to be in CA. It could be hot…but then maybe not!</p>
<p>ETA…our all time favorite family vacation was to San Diego in February…but we are not beach folks! Not at all. If you stay anywhere in that neck of the woods, take a drive to Jullian…it’s in the mountains, and the place is famous for its terrific apples…and Apple pie! Seriously the best apple pie I’ve ever eaten. Jullian is an old mining town that is filled with cute little antique stores. It has a New England feel to it.</p>
<p>The town/communities of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo are great. Neither have that Southern CA/LA vibe. SB is a great walking town. SLO is near Avila and Pismo beaches. Although February is not prime beach time, you’ll also not be surrounded by a gaggle of other tourists. If you do go to SLO try the Old Port Inn in Avila. It’s a great place to have dinner, right at the end of the pier. Great views, good food and no corkage fee!</p>
<p>Both towns are very dog friendly. Water bowls everywhere. Although I’ve not looked specifically, I’m sure dog friendly accommodations are relatively easy to find.</p>