I hiked a trail and almost stepped on a rattlesnake…read more 5/5 would highly recommend. During super bloom poppy season this place can get hectic, come early if you want to see some poppies. The lot will fill up FAST. In the off season it's a great place for hikes for every skill level.

A trip to the antelope valley to visit the Poppy Preserve is always a fun relaxing thing to do when…read moreits not too busy. How busy the reserve is, is based on the bloom level and the time you come to the park. To beat the crowd, we visited the reserve when they opened at 7am on a weekday. And you may be treated to a beautiful sunrise at this time. Note, its also good to visit the park early in the morning due to the lack of shade. Unfortunately in 2026, and at the end of March we did not experience a super bloom within the reserve but still beautiful to walk through the reserve and see the various flowers, including the poppy flowers. Plus there are very well manicured trails that circle the park- please stay on the trails and off the flowers. Note it does cost 10 dollars for parking at the reserve. If you have a state park pass, bring it as can be used instead of paying. Note during super blooms and weekends the parking can get super busy. During this time you will find people parking outside of the park. If you do not want to pay to see the blooms in the park, there are plenty of places to view outside of the park. Just check out information online to find where the best blooms are. We actually found the blooms to be better outside of the park in 2026. Lastly, be on the look out for snakes. Three types of snakes are known at this park.

A Vista del Lago review, in haiku form: The best restroom…read morestop... Educate yourselves people! Enjoy the water

Great rest stop and refill for my water. Definite recommendation for anyone who wants to take a…read morebreak from their long road trip. I almost always come down here when I make my trip to Los Angeles.

These ladies are kinda rude act like there Volunteers when there being paid top dollar for watching…read morea trailer. I wish they had a better selection of clothes to choose from and I wish they were friendlier.

What a cute little visitors center near Santa Barbra train station. We came in to take a look…read morebefore our dinner next door. They have so many cute souvenirs, also pamphlets and maps for visitors. The Santa Barbara tray I got was cute and functional. Staff were friendly with big smiles!

What a wonderful first impression of the lovely city of Santa Barbara! We stumbled in here after…read moregetting off the Amtrak train, looking for recommendations for kid-friendly eats, and we left with a wonderful list of places we try. The staff here are super friendly, just people wanting to help other people. Shoutout to Ruairi, the awesome Irish, who really helped us lay out the food land during our visit. We visited most of the food spots that he recommended and had a wonderful foodie experience - we found our new favorite pizza spot! The store is clean, quaint, and a lovely visit. Will recommend tourists to pop in for a quick visit just to make sure you have all your t's crossed off :)

It's been years since I was last in here and I appreciate it more than the last visit. There is…read morefree parking available and it cost nothing to enter. There was more than enough information boards about all the islands and the flora and fauna. Support the visitor center buy purchasing collectibles and souvenirs.

Great visitor center with lots of knowledgeable staff onsite to answer questions…read more A really comprehensive gift shop and I picked up a book on the history of Channel Islands, a towel, a sunshirt, some postcards, and some earrings. Theres also a small outdoor garden to explore and also an overlook area at top of the building. Also, a ranger program was happening when I came here discussing the sea kelp that exist here. Bathrooms also available. Worth a stop in to learn more about the islands!

This place truly exceeded my expectations. It is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The Mojave has…read morelots of places that fit that description. So when I made the drive to the visitor center I was blown away by the nice, friendly, informative setup. There is a large parking area right next to the 24/7 operating borax strip mine. It has a really nice visitor center with museum style exhibits, photos, historical information, and a theater which shows an educational film. There are friendly, knowledgeable volunteers and a nice little gift shop with lots of free pamphlets too. The top of the visitor center is a large observation deck from which you can view the huge operation. Nice photo ops here. Not a short drive but really glad I came.

This is a very interesting spot especially if you're a Baby Boomer. Remember Borax and the 20 mule…read moreteam from the Death Valley t.v. show? This working Borax mine is located near Boron, CA. We dropped in on the way home after a Vegas getaway. There's a huge overlook of the pit where mining operations are ongoing 365 days a year 24x7. We walked around taking pictures. Then went inside the visitor center where we were greeted by Jim a volunteer. He suggested we watch a 15 minute video which we agreed to. Afterwards Jim continued answering any questions we had. He's a retired employee hired in 1962. He had plenty of knowledge of the mine which started underground but now is a humongous pit. Located in the parking lot is an original 20 Mule team wagon set that was used in Death Valley hauling borax out. Very neat. The visitor center has a gift shop and restrooms are located outside. Before we got out of the car I suggested to hubby we spend no more than 10-15 minutes but we actually spent 80 minutes total time. If time permits on your road-trip, swing by.

Great visitors center and store that's got plenty of Ventura merchandise…read more Being a local, I can't speak to the quality of the visitors center itself so I'll leave that to the tourists and visitors to give you a better review. What I can speak to is the customer service and shopping :) As a shop I love it and it's a stop worth checking out. Located just down one block from the main downtown stroll, it's super easy to find and to get to. They also have free two hour parking in front/across the street (for now). The store has great finds and Ventura merch. I popped in again today to get my St. paddy's day styled shirt (which I love). They have online ordering which is a breeze. You can definitely get your items shipped but being local I came in to pickup my order and it was packed/ready as the online note said it was so super easy in and out. Staff are always super nice and friendly, it's a great store and I hope you'll check them out.

They were so friendly and welcoming. Never thought to go into that center but they had really cute…read morevintage looking post cards. Nice pictures and trinkets reasonably priced. Also the staff was just so helpful in providing tips on places to go and check out.

The people at Visit Bakersfield are super nice and they know everything about this lovely town…read more Parking is easy. Check for hours. Inside you will find someone happy to help you. They have a ton of flyers and discounts for all sorts of places. There is much more to do there than you would think. Some of the desert drives are stunning and you have to go to Buck Owens Crystal Palace for a meal or a show or both. They have lovely parks, some nice hotels, all manner of things for kids to do. But you have to know where you are going. So get off on Truxtun or California off the 99 and go to Visit California.

My boyfriend and I discovered this quaint outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor's Center since it was down…read morenear the Saturday Fisherman Market area. It is located on the 4th floor and it claims to have one of the most stunning views of the city. Despite being a quick visit, I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the kind volunteer working here. We got a useful map of the city that came with coupons along its' edges. There were also a lot of brochures and information on the city activities for tourists. Super helpful. This is one of many visitor centers in the city. We were lucky to enjoy their balcony that was pier facing for a quick moment alone before other travelers came in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Definitely a memorable part of our trip.

Just go to the 4th floor! Such a beautiful view with a…read moreprivate feel like balcony. Friendly staff and good info/knowledge about the area Recommend all around .

If you're looking to camp and you don't want to drive too far from Los Angeles, Red Rock Canyon…read moreState Park is a great option. They have several campgrounds which is first and first serve. There's also several hiking spots in the area, which are less than a mile. There's also a visitor center, which has a lot of information about the park and clean bathroom. Great spot for photos!

+ Interesting hiking spot. There isn't one defined trail at Ricardo Campground. Rather, it's more…read morelike a network of paths. Please come and create your own adventure. + The highlight of this hiking area is the badlands that resemble Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Lotta ridges and cliffs formed by millennia of erosion. . 2 restrooms by the trailhead. First hiking parking lot restrooms I've seen without roofs. Has its own pros and cons: + The stench doesn't condense in one room. - But no weather protection. + Easier to communicate for help in case of emergency. - Less privacy. Also, - Hot, dry climate. - No shade. + Nice that there are restrooms throughout the grounds, - but the water fountains aren't working. -- Have to pay $6 digitally to park there. Can't we just slip $6 in physical bills somewhere and call it a day? Better yet, make it $2 or free altogether? lol