Coronavirus April 2021 Update: Please note that some information in the posts may have changed and some places may be closed.
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California Through My Lens

California Travel, Food, Hiking & Road Trips

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Main Content

  • 26 Things to Do in San Diego

    San Diego is a popular destination for tourists and Californians alike. … [Continue Reading]

    26 Things to Do in San Diego
  • 30 Places to Visit in California in 2019

    California is full of so many different adventures that it can be hard to … [Continue Reading]

    30 Places to Visit in California in 2019
  • 15 Best Roadside Attractions in California

    While I haven’t traveled every highway in California, I have put a lot of … [Continue Reading]

    15 Best Roadside Attractions in California

Featured Trip

Santa Ana River Trail: Biking 27 Miles from Yorba Linda to Huntington Beach

The Santa Ana River Trail is a premier biking trail in Southern California that eventually plans to follow the river from its source to the ocean. While the trail is … [Read More...] about Santa Ana River Trail: Biking 27 Miles from Yorba Linda to Huntington Beach

Featured Trip

Mugu Peak Trail: One of the Best Views on a Hike in Malibu

Mugu Peak is located in Point Mugu State Park in the western portion of Malibu. This peak is popular due to its short distance and 360-degree view from the summit. … [Read More...] about Mugu Peak Trail: One of the Best Views on a Hike in Malibu

Recent Trips

Desert X 2021: Art Installations Scattered Throughout the Coachella Valley

Desert X is a biennial art installation that takes over the Coachella Valley and creates somewhat of an art scavenger hunt throughout the area. The exhibit works with artists worldwide to create works inspired by the desert, its history, and its beauty. This is the third time they have held the event and my third […]

Polar Playground: Crazy Cotton Candy Art in Orange County

Polar Playground is a fun new spot in Orange County with all sorts of desserts but specializes in fun cotton candy creations. Chances are you have seen their cotton candy on Instagram since there is a line that always starts before it even opens. That being said, it is an enjoyable family friendly experience to […]

Off-roading to mines on Old Dale Road outside of Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is home to hundreds of different mines created over the last century by people looking to strike it big. While most were failures, that didn’t stop people from trying and from creating entire small towns around some of the more popular mines. Many of these can be found in the Old […]

Exploring the Nike Missile Site at San Vicente Mountain Park

Believe it or not, during the 1950s – 1960s there were 16 Nike Missile Control sights located around Southern California. These were put in place to protect us from any external threats and most are no longer there today. LA-96C was one of these bases and it was preserved by the city and turned into […]

Blythe Intaglios: Native American Geoglyphs in the California Desert

The Blythe Intaglios are a series of massive figures etched into the ground centuries ago by the Native Americans living in the area. The drawings are called geoglyphs, and the largest of them is over 170 feet in length. While you can experience them from the ground, they are best seen from the air. Here […]

Indio Hills Badlands Hike in the Coachella Valley

The Coachella Valley has some amazing hikes that offer you a glimpse of the otherworldly desert landscape. The hike through the Indio Hills Badlands is one of those as it takes you through a sandy wash and a few slot canyons as you make your way up to an awesome summit with vast views of […]

11 Things to do in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park is located in Northern California, east of the town of Redding. The national park is home to multiples geothermal features, dozens of beautiful lakes, and countless miles of hiking. I have been coming to Lassen for years, but I still have so much to explore throughout the park. I wanted to […]

Giant Rock in Landers: A Massive Boulder with a Unique History

Traveling California has been a fun way for me to connect with all of the crazy and unique history this state has to offer. Places like Salvation Mountain, the center of the world, the Cabazon Dinosaurs, and the tower at Victoria Beach all are a part of what makes California what it is today. I […]

A Cabazon Dinosaurs Christmas in Lights: Santa T-Rex, Christmas Lights & More

Ever since I started doing road trips and exploring California, the Cabazon Dinosaurs have been a roadside attraction I always look forward to seeing. This year is the first that they are doing a Christmas themed event, and since most of the normal Christmas events are canceled this year, Amie and I brought the twins […]

3DAR Trick Art Museum in Santa Monica

Disclosure: Tickets were provided for me, all opinions are my own. 3DAR Trick Art Museum in Santa Monica is an awesome blend of art, social media, and technology. The museum is a collection of 43 different paintings that look like optical illusions to the naked eye and that come alive when you point your phone […]

Boyden Cavern in Kings Canyon National Park

Boyden Cavern is one of two publicly accessible caves in Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Park. It was closed for many years, which stopped me from visiting, but it finally opened again in 2019, and I got to experience it in 2020. I can easily say it was worth the wait and the drive, and […]

Painted Cave: One of the Largest Sea Caves in the World

Painted Cave is a sea cave on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. This sea cave is gigantic, making it the twelfth largest sea cave in the world and the second-largest in the USA. It is 1227 feet in length and has an entrance over 130 feet high. While it is not easy […]

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Josh from California Through My Lens My name is Josh, and for the last 10 years, I have been exploring as much of California as I possibly can. This site is a collection of those adventures to encourage you to get out and explore California for yourself. More about me.

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