Southern California Close-Ups Travel Guides These micro-itineraries bring together two or three neighboring destinations to make a single adventure. Others stand alone, like those odd, irresistible Joshua Trees out in the desert. Try a few, and maybe you'll see L.A. anew. SoCal Close-Ups: A date with the Coachella Valley 7:00 AM PDT, October 7, 2012 Santa Barbara County wine country About 20 miles beyond the red-tile roofs of downtown Santa Barbara, it begins: the rolling blond hills that go indecently green in spring, the massive estates and miniature horses, the sprawling vineyards and "Sideways" scenery, the dude ranch with 10,000 acres, the old stagecoach stop with boar on the menu and bikers in the parking lot .... August 19, 2012 San Diego's North County more than just a pretty face Maybe you've always suspected that there was more to San Diego's North County than beach towns, rolling hills, expat giraffes and a walled kingdom of brightly colored plastic. But frankly, they had me at beach towns. San Diego, Coronado and La Jolla San Diego could be improved. If the county had 75 miles of beaches instead of 70. If the Padres won a World Series or the Chargers won a Super Bowl. Or if the municipal sloganeers dropped "America's finest city" in favor of "You stay classy, San Diego." Joshua Tree National Park and Desert Hot Springs It's a dry heat - a boulder-studded, wind-raked Mojave heat, in which rock stars lie low, artists think big, marines train, weird plants jut toward the sun like beseeching biblical figures, and climbers cling to granite walls like insects stuck to flypaper, except the climbers are way happier. Going Hollywood There's much more than stars to check out in Hollywood, where nuns, horse trails, the Magic Castle and Cirque du Soleil await. Pasadena and environs The area has its traditions, including Craftsman homes, Old Pasadena and the Rose Bowl, its greenery including Huntington Library, its Asian flare with Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants, and its fun and funky side at Eagle Rock hangouts. West Hollywood, Fairfax, Wilshire, Koreatown Highlights include the Sunset Strip, Chateau Marmont, Farmers Market, Canter's, Pink's, Fairfax, Melrose, La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA, Koreatown and the Wiltern. The real South Bay In Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, you can pedal the Strand, see a Jay Leno live comedy show, explore the piers, visit a beach hangout. Also: LAX hotels, the Theme Building and Marina del Rey. Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu The odd humanity of Venice's Ocean Front Walk. The fun-filled Santa Monica Pier. Getty's ancient art in Pacific Palisades. The sun-kissed beaches of Malibu. The area lets you mix with the masses or take a solitary trek. San Fernando Valley Yes, it's suburbia. Yes, it's inland from the beach. Still, the San Fernando Valley has attractions that date from the 18th century (Mission San Fernando) to the latest attraction at Universal Studios. February 20, 2011 Inland Orange County Yep, it's home to Disneyland, but it's also the land of arts (Santa Ana), Nixon (Yorba Linda), the Ducks and Angels (Anaheim), lively Fullerton and more. Here are 10 spots to explore in the O.C. Downtown Los Angeles From Chinatown to Olvera Street to the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, downtown has a lot to offer.