Travel

Just across the San Diego County line, this city with a beachy vibe and a small-town feel is giving its neighbors another reason to visit. It marks its 125th birthday with fireworks the night before the nation celebrates its 237th. On Independence Day, downtown will host a craft-and-produce market with more than 150 vendors, kids activities, and music

If you’re in the mood for a quintessential Southern California outing—palm trees and shoreline, seafood and golf—then check out the Orange Coast guide to Del Mar. There are touches of post-war, old Hollywood glamour—including a racetrack—but also sanctuaries for appreciation of our rugged coast, notably the Torrey Pines State Reserve and Beach.

Come along for five weekend escapes to nearby places where life just seems simpler, including Ojai, Julian, Avalon, Del Mar, and Montrose. We tell you what to see, where to shop and eat, what’s nearby, even what it costs to feed the main street parking meters—if there are any. For fun facts about each city’s small-town cred, click here.

Tucked next door to Phoenix on the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale is both an arid Old West town and a modern oasis of culture, fine dining, and upscale leisure. Its quiet neighborhoods and dazzling skies make it a haven for artists, whose work fills more than 100 galleries; and for architects, who are transforming public and private spaces with cutting-edge monuments. Dense with amenities for travelers, the resort community challenges visitors to choose from more than 50 golf courses, 70-plus hotels and resorts, and 50 spas. And though Scottsdale lists chili as its official food, the city of 218,000 residents offers way more than a bowl of beans at its more than 600 restaurants.