A cute spot to wander if you're looking for free, outdoor things to do. It's not a huge space but…read moregrab a coffee next door and then you can read through the display names to see what each segment means from the water structures to the desert areas. Overall, it's a pretty calming space, especially on the weekends when there's not as much traffic.

I visited Noguchi Garden for the first time back in 2019. I was surprised to learn that it's a…read morepublic space because it's nestled between tall office buildings and having driven by for years, I had no clue it was tucked away behind the buildings. It's an outdoor sculpture garden that was commissioned by the Segerstrom family and designed by Isamu Noguchi a Japanese-American artist. It features sculptures made of natural materials, water features and my favorite surprise of all... coastal redwoods! This is one of the very few spots in Southern California where you can be near a coastal redwood tree! My one critique of this space is that it is not easily accessible. You may have to park a couple blocks away and walk over and you might even have to pay for parking, but you can always park at the South Coast Plaza for free and walk over. Shouldn't take more than 10 min.

Forgot to mention super easy to get there on Metro E line to the Pico/Aliso station. There are also…read morea number of cool bars and taqueria places in the area for a great ELA beginners experience (or if you ride to the end of E, there's dim sum in Alhambra or the beach in Santa Monica.)

The 1st Street Bridge, officially the 1st Street Viaduct, is a beautiful old bridge. By…read more"beautiful," I don't mean pretty; it's not a pretty bridge by any stretch of the imagination, but it serves its purpose in a no-frills way, and it reminds me of the Downtown L.A. I grew up with, a sometimes scary but always fascinating place dominated by imposing physical structures of steel and concrete. The East L.A. Interchange and everything around it seemed intent on delivering millions of cars into and out of Downtown as brutally efficiently as possible, with no regard for the local neighborhoods (or the people who lived in them), the physical environment, or even the L.A. River itself. Unlike its flashy new neighbor the 6th Street Bridge and its closer and more crowded neighbor the 4th Street Bridge, the 1st Street Bridge always felt like the little-used last chance to cross the river before the busier (and confusing) Cesar Chavez Avenue (formerly Macy Street) Viaduct, not to mention Main Street much farther north. The construction of Metro's Gold Line (now the E Line) saved the bridge, in a way. Before the train tracks were laid across the span, there were five total lanes, with the center lane being one of those confusing ones that changes directions at certain times. Caltrans or L.A. Public Works or whoever couldn't seem to decide how wide to make the lanes, so they kept changing the sizes, possibly because the bridge originally had shoulders or three lanes in each direction? Now, there's one lane of motor-vehicle traffic heading westbound and two heading eastbound. All lanes are now permanent. There is a fairly well protected bike lane on the north side of the bridge, and the train tracks run in the middle. It's probably slower now, but because everyone knows it has three lanes total, fewer people probably use it. Or maybe GPS navigation has completely ruined the idea of people driving and not driving places because of their personal knowledge of situations there. In any case, driving westbound gives you the perfect view of Downtown L.A. My dad's side of the family has deep routes in Boyle Heights, so I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, as ugly as it probably is to most non-Angelenos.

This place is so fascinating!!…read more Entrance to the park and the tour are both free (in June 2026, in case future you is reading this review). There's a picnic area near the entrance, if you're so inclined. So much history on the grounds and in the house. George G Key collected and gathered a ton of farm equipment and household items that are on display. You can walk the grounds alone, some areas are not wheelchair accessible, but most is. The docent led tour takes you around a few of the first floor rooms that are stuffed with Mr. Keys' treasures. Definitely family friendly and I definitely recommend you stop by. Be sure to use your GPS or you'll drive past it the 1st time. Ask me how I know.... Also, check the events calendar as they seem to do things a few Saturdays a month that may cause it to be overrun with young people...

Very cool location. I stopped in on a Saturday and was the only visitor! How lucky!?. I met guides…read moreJoe and Mary who guided me around the home interior. I wish I lived there. They are open Saturdays at 10am, tours start at 1pm and there in a parking lot inside the gates. It was free. Very peaceful place and a snapshot of times gone by.

I love visiting the Old Town wherever I go. Old Town Seal Beach has lots of little shops,…read morerestaurants, bakeries, and other businesses. There are plenty of benches to sit and relax. At the end of Main street you will run into the beach and the pier. Several businesses have water bowls out for the puppies to get a drink. There's also a nice park halfway down Main street

Grew up surfing and hanging out with friends at the beach here in the 80's. Have so many beautiful…read morememories of the pier and Grandma's cookie shop that was at the corner.

Beautiful bridge that is almost 100 years old. Great quick stop if you're passing through Newport…read moreBeach.

I can't lie... social media taught me about this cute bridge in CDM! It's a very short, connecting…read morebridge between the PCH and shore areas. It gets great lighting and has planters with flowers. The way I access this area to make a whole, scenic walk out of it is as follows: - Park on free street parking behind Bandera restaurant (We use Larkspur Ave.) - Make a right down Bayside Dr. - Continue along the sidewalk towards Bayside Drive Park - Right before you get to it, there should be a steep stairwell on your right heading up to the bridge - Cross the bridge and walk down Goldenrod Ave. - At the Ocean Blvd. bend, make a left to enjoy Lookout Point - Keep going down the sidewalk/grassy as long as you please (I go to Inspiration Point) - The way back to your car is to make a left at Larkspur Ave. - At the cul-de-sac there will be a steep stairwell down back to the Bayside Dr. side of Larkspur Ave. This walking path helps you enjoy the bridge, this beautiful residential area, and ocean views!

Me and my fiancé were strolling around here after a meeting with our venue and came upon this…read moreplace; not knowing what they served or what the vibe would be. This establishment is not only quaint but extremely hospitable! Josue immediately greeted us at the door and when we mentioned it was our first time here he took it upon himself to lead us into the bar area where we had the privilege to have a quiet and personal happy hour meal. Josue not only took our orders and provided great service but he went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and special as the restaurant was getting busier! for anyone looking for delicious food and a vibe that not only looks like luxury but feels like family, I couldn't recommend Sunkist enough! CHEERS!

Spent a lazy morning exploring lovely Old Town Orange recently…read more The building I most admired was the old Sunkist Orange County Fruit Exchange. Unfortunately, it was closed. "Closed permanently" according to Google. Apparently in its heyday oranges and other citrus were sorted and packed here. It was the headquarters for the Southern California fruit exchange and handled three quarters of the citrus out of Orange County. It was later renovated and turned into an art gallery. It would be lovely if this historic gem could someday re-open to the public.

Point Fermin Marine Life Refuge is probably one of the most scenic areas of San Pedro, California…read more This is a marine refuge area that is bordered by the ocean on one side and the cliffs of San Pedro on the other. The refuge itself has a beautiful set of tight pools as well as some old cement structures from homes and businesses of times gone past. As the warning signs proclaim, they ask you to be careful of falling rocks. This is because of the fact, if you look up, you see that there's not only rocks, but vegetation, and even some homes that are right on the edge of the cliff. This being said, I would imagine you don't have to worry too much about any of those things falling down on you unless there is a rain storm going on or something like that. As would be expected, this is a very beautiful and nature driven environment. Here, you will find seashells, ocean, rocks, crabs, and all one would expect. Overall, this is a very beautiful Southern California location. It's a great place to visit, take a walk around, and explore the nature of the costal environment.

Wasn't aware these tide pools existed. I noticed the walkway first. Very cool. Lots of marine life…read moreand large shells. It's the perfect place to view and learn about ocean life with the kids. The beach is mostly rocks and the side of the hill that has fallen over the years, including succulents from homes that the ground squirrels run and play around. Numerous ground squirrels. Look like they've been eating well. During low tide, you can walk all the way to Sunken City. It's paid parking if you decide to park at the beach. There's plenty of free street parking in the nearby neighborhood.

This cute, little historic landmark is conquistadorable. The first adobe bricks got laid here in…read more1820 back when California was Spanish. It originally served as a station between the San Juan Capistrano and San Gabriel missions. The Diego Sepulveda Adobe is the second oldest building in Orange County, and that seemed like a pretty good reason to check it out. Volunteers from The Costa Mesa Historical Society open the building to the public on the first and third Saturdays of every month from noon until four. You can see the outside of the building anytime you feel like visiting Estancia Park, but timing your visit to coincide with the open hours is worth it. My docent Kathy was a fount of historical knowledge and shared lots of fun facts with the other guests and me. It's free to visit, but you can make a donation if you're a good person. (Do it. You can go on to describe yourself as a philanthropist. That's totally worth throwing a buck in a jar. Right?) The three room adobe is filled with relics and displays that reflect the different eras of California history. I'd like it if there were more informative displays on the Spanish and Mexican periods, but the early American period is well represented and there's a nice display about local Native American history. If you just want to take a look around and see some cool old stuff, you'll only need ten minutes to check out this quirky little museum. If you get a kick out of reading plaques and maps (like me), you'll enjoy spending half an hour here on a Saturday afternoon. Much of the building has been restored, but the original adobe walls have withstood floods, earthquakes, and nearly two hundred years of Orange County history. She's a brick house... mighty, mighty.

From a historical standpoint this building is just mediocre. They didn't restore it correctly. the…read moreterra cotta shingles are clearly not original. Also The paint looks to be too brand new covering up the original adobe look entirely. As a historical site enthusiast, I was not too enthusiastic about the upkeep of this building. Glad it's still here however, that's a big positive.