Boudin Bakery is a classic San Francisco staple for tourists with freshly baked sourdough bread served everyday. First opened in 1849, it’s the oldest continually operating business in San Francisco. The bread here is made with flour, water, salt, and “mother dough.” This special mother dough is a secret recipe created by Boudin with local ingredients and thrives from the very specific fog-cooled climate in San Francisco. You can visit here for lunch or even take a tour of the factory.

The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearms mogul William Winchester. This massive house is an old Victorian constructed over the course of 38 years in San Jose.

Kono’s Coffee is a classic beachside, casual surf vibes restaurant with a great outdoor patio to soak in those Southern California rays of sunshine. This is a great spot for coffee and breakfast, the delicious breakfast burritos are the best! There’s limited patio space, but since this sits beachside you can grab takeout and picnic on the beach.

Olvera Street is in oldest part of downtown Los Angeles, where a vibrant Mexican American culture thrives. Colorful folk art and handicrafts line the streets, while outdoor vendors peddle huaraches, handbags and maracas. The smell of fresh tortillas fills the air, while sipping sweet aqua frescas as the Southern California sun beats down on your shoulders. Historical Buildings tell the story of a prominent city being born, and just beyond, shiny new skyscrapers are the wet ink of new chapters.

When you head from Los Angeles to Palm Springs the first things you see as you get close to Palm Springs are the iconic hundreds of massive white windmills spinning all over the hills with a beautiful landscape of sand and mountain ranges. In this post I’ll point you in the direction of where to stop for photos, and a little background about why these turbines are here.

Shield's Date Garden in Indio, California has been around since 1924. It’s famous for its deliciously sweet date shakes, and a long running history of cultivating dates in this desert region near Palm Springs. Stop here for a shake, have breakfast or lunch in the gardens, or just grab some dates and interesting date products. There’s also a movie theater at this location where you can see the film “Romance and Sex Life of the Date” for free.

While visiting one of the countries best zoos, The Living Desert, you can access The Wilderness Loop Trail to see views of the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault from high up on the mountains. The San Andreas Fault is the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American plate. There is also a great view of San Gorgonio Peak, the highest peak in Southern California at 11,503 feet.